The Sony MDR-7509 are a set of top tier headphones for use in the studio. They can be used for a variety of purposes, including for monitoring during recording and for broadcast. These headphones really sound terrific. They look much like the other headphones in the MDR series, and I'm pretty sure that these are at the top or to close to the top of the food chain in this collection of mostly great headphones. They are also a fairly new addition to the series and offer a serious increase in low end clarity. The frequency response ranges from 5 Hz to 80,000 kHZ and they feature a closed back so they're okay to use for recording vocals. It has a 1/8" cable on the end but also comes with the 1/8" to 1/4" adapter which you're probably going to need most of the time. These have the same great feel and comfort of the MDR-7506 and others, but it's really the sound quality here that sets this pair apart. While I'm not an advocate or fan of mixing seriously on headphones, if there was a pair that you could do it with, these would be a good choice. Still, I wouldn't recommend doing that, but it's good to know that when you're listening during recording or playback that you're hearing a very accurate depiction of the sound and there isn't going to be much of a gap between what you hear in the cans and what you hear in the monitors. The price is of course a good bit more than the next MDR model down, but if you're looking for the combination of ultimate clarity and comfort in a pair of headphones under $200 US dollars, the Sony MDR-7509 is going to be the way to make it happen!