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Here’s how it works. (Image credit: New Heights podcast/YouTube) I may be a Streaming Editor now, but in a past life, I covered audio and TVs for Tom's Guide. I've also been a professional podcaster and a musician in several bands that I promise you've never heard of. That means I've dealt with listening to numerous different genres, dealt with live streaming audio, and — of course — used lots of different headphones. So trust me when I say that I wasn't surprised that Taylor Swift wore a specific pair of headphones when she promoted a new episode of her boyfriend's "New Heights" podcast. For those who missed this story, Taylor Swift announced a new album yesterday (Aug. 12), "The Life of a Showgirl," likely coming later this year. She's going to appear on a podcast of her boyfriend Travis Kelce's podcast tonight (Aug. 13) to talk more about the album, and as part of the marketing push, she did a brief video spot that quickly went viral. In that brief video, Swift can be seen wearing a pair of nondescript, black over-the-ear wired headphones, known in the biz as monitors. The headphones in question? The Sony MDR-7506 Professional Stereo Monitor Headphones, which many podcasters and studio engineers are the best value in monitor headphones. Are there better ones? Sure. But for $100, these can't be beat. You may like I've Reviewed 18 Pairs of Headphones This Year — and These Are the Only 3 I Wholeheartedly Recommend I test headphones for a living but I can't recommend Sony's latest XM6 — here's what I'd buy instead My sister is starting college in the fall and asked me which headphones she should get for studying — I had just one recommendation Sony MDR-7506 Professional Stereo Monitor Headphones: was $109 now $99 at Amazon I've used plenty of headphones over the years, but the Sony MDR-7506 Professional Stereo Montior Headphones are still my favorite. They're wired, so I don't take them out on the go, but at home, they're the headphones I reach for first when I want to list When I learned from some Swifties here at Tom's Guide that these headphones were now going viral because Swift wore them on a podcast, I wasn't surprised — nor was I surprised that these were the headphones in question. I own a pair of Sony WH-1000XM5 over-the-ear headphones and a pair of Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, and my MDR-7506 headphones are still the headphones I recommend more than any other pair. Now, there are a couple of things to mention here. First, using these headphones isn't convenient outside the comfort of your own home. Unlike our best headphones, these come with a fairly long cable that's sturdy but a bit cumbersome. You're not going to want to bring them along on a jog. Second, out of the box, the MDR-7506 headphones produce a great, neutral tone, which is why they're ideal monitors. They're not cranking up the bass, and there's no noise cancellation. But they also can use a little extra boost to get sound quality that beats out our best headphones and best wireless earbuds. To reach your full potential with your new Sony MDR-7506 headphones, you'll want to get a music streaming subscription with lossless audio, like Tidal, and you'll want to get a DAC. Lucky for you, I've already recommended a DAC for Tom's Guide that I tested with my Sony MDR-7506 headphones: the iFi Go Link. When listening to “Future Nostalgia” by Dua Lipa, I was blown away by the soundstage and the depth I was getting from a years-old $100 pair of wired headphones and a $60 portable DAC. I might have been impressed with "Shake It Off" by Taylor Swift, too. Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. So trust me, these headphones may be going viral because of Taylor Swift, but she's using them because she and the Kelce brothers are pros and know the right equipment to use. Grab a pair of Sony MDR-7506 headphones and give your home listening experience a boost. For something more convenient, the Sony WH-1000XM5 over-the-ear headphones are also worth upgrading for, or you could splurge and get the new Sony WH-1000XM6 over-the-ear headphones. Either way, you can't go wrong. More from Tom's Guide I’m ditching my PC thanks to this MacBook USB docking station — here’s why it’s great Why did nobody tell me it was this easy to make butter from scratch? All you need is 7 minutes and a stand mixer I just tested one of the best OLED TVs ever made — and it’s not from LG, Samsung or Sony Today's best headphones deals Sony WH-1000XM6 See all prices Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S3 See all prices Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices See more Audio News Malcolm McMillan Social Links Navigation Streaming Editor Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. I've Reviewed 18 Pairs of Headphones This Year — and These Are the Only 3 I Wholeheartedly Recommend I test headphones for a living but I can't recommend Sony's latest XM6 — here's what I'd buy instead My sister is starting college in the fall and asked me which headphones she should get for studying — I had just one recommendation I test audio gear for a living — and I recommend these headphones and earbuds above everything else I've tested every pair of Sony earbuds — here's the ones I'd buy with my own money I tested these headphones that are $150 cheaper than Sony and Bose — and they deliver even better sound Latest in Over-Ear Headphones I test headphones for a living but I can't recommend Sony's latest XM6 — here's what I'd buy instead These are the best headphones for travel you can buy today for every budget Going back to school? These are my favorite noise canceling headphones to block out your noisy roommate I've Reviewed 18 Pairs of Headphones This Year — and These Are the Only 3 I Wholeheartedly Recommend I tested these headphones that are $150 cheaper than Sony and Bose — and they deliver even better sound I've worn Dyson's headphones for over a year — and I'm shocked by how much I like them Latest in News Xfinity introduces World Soccer Ticket giving you access to more than 1500 matches from the biggest leagues across the globe Samsung tipped to be making its own Meta Ray-Ban-style smart glasses — here’s when they launch Apple plans home robot invasion with lifelike Siri that 'injects itself into conversations' — and there's a lot more devices Love retro smartphones? This leaker is turning old iPhones into art Adam Scott just revealed how long 'Severance' takes to film — and that could be bad news for season 3 iPhone 17 Air tipped to make 3 big compromises vs iPhone 17 Pro — here’s what you’re giving up LATEST ARTICLES Xfinity introduces World Soccer Ticket giving you access to more than 1500 matches from the biggest leagues across the globe This gaming PC feels like an Xbox 360 with an RTX 5090 inside - here's why Samsung tipped to be making its own Meta Ray-Ban-style smart glasses — here’s when they launch Massive Allbirds sale slashes up to 50% off — 11 sustainable sneaker deals I’d shop now Training for a race? Here are the features you need to be making the most of on your Garmin watch Tom's Guide is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. Terms and conditions Contact Future's experts Privacy policy Cookies policy Accessibility Statement Advertise with us Future US, Inc. 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