I remember starting my first studio with basically no cash and went with the Sony MDR-7506 Closed-Back Professional Headphones. Ive been so satisfied with them and honestly the Sony MDR-MV1 Open-Back Monitor Headphones is overkill for starting out.

• saves you money
• built like a tank
• industry standard They are bright, but i just learned the curve. No complaints here.

^ This. Also, if you find the 7506 too harsh, I've been really satisfied with the Sony MDR-CD900ST Studio Monitor Headphones. They're technically a Japanese import but way flatter.

• 7506: Huge 10kHz peak, great for tracking but can be fatiguing.
• CD900ST: Smoother high end and much better low-mid accuracy. It works well for long sessions since it doesnt have that ice-pick treble profile, ngl. Frequency response is much more linear for actual mixing.

Just caught up with the thread. @Reply #3 - good point! while those M1s sound decent on paper, im honestly a bit disappointed with how the build quality has dipped on the newer Sony models. i had issues with the hinges on some recent pairs and they just dont feel like theyll survive a busy studio environment for long. if youre focused on reliability and want to stay under budget, you might check out these alternatives:

• Sony MDR-7510 Professional Studio Headphones
• Sony MDR-V6 Professional Studio Monitor Headphones unfortunately the 7510 is getting harder to find now, but they provide a much smoother and more accurate low-mid response compared to the 7506. if you can find a pair of V6s, they are basically the gold standard for durability and have a bit more sub-bass presence which helps a lot with mixing. honestly the newer stuff just isnt as good as expected for the price tag.

To add to the point above: im honestly in the same boat with my build. ive been researching the Sony MDR-M1 Reference Monitor Headphones for $249 since they finally smoothed that fatiguing 10k peak.

^ This. Also, i gotta say... im really disappointed with the direction Sony has taken with their pro gear recently. I have been mixing for over a decade and used to swear by them, but the latest releases just feel flimsy and the tuning is weirdly scooped. If you are serious about your Chicago setup, you might want to look at how Sony stacks up against other brands because honestly, they are falling behind in the sub-250 bracket.

• The newer Sony models have this aggressive high-end spike that makes you overcompensate and bury your cymbals in the mix.
• Build quality has definitely tanked... my old pairs lasted years but the new ones have cheap plastic hinges that creak after a month.
• For actual mixing accuracy, the Beyerdynamic DT 880 Pro 250 Ohm Studio Headphones are much more honest than anything Sony has at that price point.
• If you want something that translates better to other speakers, the <a href=" https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt= Sennheiser+HD+600+Open-Back+Professional+Headphones&BI=8941&KBID=10361&SID=12345&DFF=d50" target="_blank" rel="nofollow sponsored">Sennheiser HD 600 Open-Back Professional Headphones is basically the industry benchmark for a reason, even if it pushes your budget a tiny bit. I really wanted to love the new Sony stuff but after testing them against the competition, they just dont hold up for critical work anymore tbh.