I bit on one yesterday, thanks to Guitar Center price matching.  With stock pads, bit of a muddy mess.  I quickly swapped the pads for the Generic Velour MDR-V900HD pads that I wasn't using-this after using the Brainwavez angled pads.  It's actually fairly neutral with the velour pads.  Some may...

No, considering 10Rs can be had for cheap on eBay and/or Amazon.     $90 is about the maximum I'd pay for these, and that'd be stretching it.

I can count myself as an owner of these bad boys after 10 year or so of putting it off, and finally fulfilling that promise to myself that I made all those years ago.  A brand spanking new pair as well.     Sounds pretty darn fantastic out of a modest amp (Presonus HP4-it was free, and never...

Quick question: are they on ear like its predecessors (MDR-ZX750BN) or over-ears?

Actually, your thoughts are more or less on the matter.  Now that I've had the chance to listen to them more in the last couple of months or so, I say that with the standard BT mode, it is more or less on the dot.  It bleeds in, but still retains that trademark Sony flavor throughout.  I'm...

Hmmm, I am intrigued in your modding and want to subscribe to your newsletters.  Angling the pads maybe?   Also chiming in as an Owner of:   MDR-7506 MDR-V6 (no longer in possession of however) MDR-ZX700 (I consider them the logical successors to the V6s) MDR-V900HD   That I happen to...

It's not the spacing from the driver to the ear.  It really doesn't change that much from the stock pads to the ZX500 pads.  However, the material traps less sound so there is less reflected bass into the ears.  That cuts a bit of the bass.  It's still bass emphasized, but the rest of it can be...

Try replacing the earpads.  As I suspected, the earpads are mainly responsible for the bloated bass response.  I swapped them out for the ZX500 earpads and bass is tamed to the level where I can take off the tape off the vents.  A comparable earpads would be off of the V6s/7506 or similar.   ...

  Compared to its direct predecessor the MDR-10RNC, it is much more balanced.  It's still bass heavy no doubt.  I think it's a combination of naturally bass happy driver coupled with supra-aural cups that makes these quite sloppy.  But it's quite warmer and more balanced than MDR-10R, which are...

IF Amazon/UE decide to their blowouts at $99 ever again, it's a no brainer yes.  At current price of $300, certainly, you can get better alternatives.  Sony XBA-30 is a very solid alternative at $150-175 range (XBA-3IP/30IP is consistently cheaper vs non IP version).  You lose the detachable...

Fairly balanced compared to MDR-10R. With loose boomy bass. It is certainly more balanced than 10R in terms of reproduction. The extra bass could be attributed to very close placement of the drivers vs others. Read my impressions fully not just bits and pieces. More akin to MDR-ZX500 than 700...

Considering that the BN model has Bluetooth, NFC, and ANC, some compromises had to be made.  At $150-$200, you can't find any other headphones that do any of these things rather competently, let alone do it quite well.   I consider these the Jack of All Trades, Master of None for Sony.  For...