Sony MDR-V55/BR DJ style Headphones

Have had these for 3 months after losing a pair of Pioneer HDJ 500s. Preferred the look and build quality of the Pioneers, but the Sonys look ok and fold up nicely. The HDJ 500s didn't fold, but had one swivelling earcup and came with two detachable cables. From memory the Pioneers had a similar sound to the Sonys but with a bigger soundstage. Paid around the same for each (NZD $125) but the Pioneers we're supposedly on sale at half price, whereas I negotiated $25 off from the guy at the Sony store by pointing out online prices as low as 100 kiwi pesos.

Anyway this review is about the MDR V55s and I like them. My source is Spotify Premium set to "Extreme Quality" via a Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Recently I added a FiiO E07k Andes amp which gave increased volume and beefed up the bottom end. Mids and treble seemed to gain extra authority too. I've had to be a bit careful as I like it loud and with the amp these cans will go very loud without distorting. As do the less sensitive Logitech UE6000 'phones I just got for NZD $138 via Amazon. I've been running the Ultimate Ears in for a few days and can safely say the Sony's have them beat down low. Basslines and drums go lower, hit harder and the bass is tighter. Very impressive. The UE6000s produce more bass in terms of quantity once you switch on the noise cancellation, but the quality still lags behind the Sonys. On certain bass heavy tracks the UE6000 earcups will actually vibrate or resonate which I do enjoy so I guess I'm a basshead.

Moving on up the midrange performance is similar with the Sonys getting closer to the music (too close on poor recordings) while the UE6000s are buttery smooth, non fatiguing and have a much wider soundstage. Perhaps a touch more detail too while the Sonys can exhibit a hint of grain.

With regard to treble the Logitechs are smoother if rolled off and the Sonys have more sparkle which can be a bit bright over time.

Of course the build quality of the larger over ear 'phones is better, they look better and they are more comfy. The on ear MDR V55s can get a little uncomfortable after 30 minutes or so.

Overall I think the Sony MDR V55 cans are a bargain.

I bought these a few days before 2012 christmas and damn i am still shocked at the amount of bass they have. These are very clear too in the vocals and i really loved hearing guitars in these headphones. The bass doesn't leak into the mids. The only thing i dislike is the comfort but i got used to it..

Better Than You Would Expect. Got these For 10 Dollars, Sounds Absolutely Amazing ,VERY LOUD When Connected To A Headphone Amp NX1 Or Better ,Or A Good Source Like A Sansa Mp3 Player Or Whatever Better Youve Got. As I Said BASS IS THERE, HIGHS TOO, MIDS Are ok. Basically They Beat My XB600 And If Were Talking About Beats Then They Definetly Beat The Dre Beats Solos And On Par With The Studios. Basically Theyre Cheap Now,Worth A Try ,Well Pleased,Theyre My Workout Headphones Now,Use Them With Sansa Fuze(Takes Micro Sd,And Rockbox Custom Firmware) With A NX1 Chinese Headphone Amp(Not Bad For 20$, 200hrs Battery Life) Very Loud,Pumps And Thumps,Eardrums Being Tickled. Apart For Creaky Build(Can Be Fixed With Spray Silicone) Havent Got A Bad Word To Say About These.
 
 
Hope Youll Find Your Headphones As Enjoyable As I Do.
 
 
Enjoy!

Jazz sounds real good on these.
Classic music sounds pretty clear, like when the violin is playing and stuff.
Vocals sound pretty good.
80's sound vibrant.
dubstep/hardstyle, sounds pretty strong and BASS'ee
 
...now that i think of it, rock... hard metal and screamo....without any equalizer adjustments on your media player, the sound wont be that great, but if you can somehow equalize the mids to about +1 and the lows to -1 they should be good. Thats just my opinion.

First off I would like to say this is my first review and I apologize if I'm not able to go into audiophilic detail about the headphones.
 
SOUND : 
 
Lows : The lows on this headphone are excellent. The bass is really responsive and punchy. The base is also extremely tight and does not interfere with the mid-range much on a neutral EQ, but with a bass-heavy EQ the mid-range will be slightly muffled.
 
Mids : The mids are excellent on this headphone. For a sub-$100 headphone, the amount of clarity astonished me. The mid-range is very clear, and picks up even minute details that other headphones in this range can't ( I'm pointing fingers at sennheiser's 4xx series ). The overall tone of the sound is neutral, albeit it tips towards the cold side near the upper-midrange level.
 
Highs : This is where the MDR-V55 really shines. The highs are excellent, very clear and clearly separated from the mids. The highs are brought forward and really shine on a neutral EQ. This is something that you would immediately notice with these headphones.
 
Soundstage : The soundstage is rather narrow. The headphone has good sound positioning but a narrow soundstage, meaning that the sounds are basically limited to coming from left or right rather than all around. I wouldn't consider this a negative, but if you're really picky about the soundstage then these headphones are not for you.
 
Comfort : This is where the bad part starts. These headphones get really uncomfortable for longer use, thanks to very little padding in the earcups and almost no padding in the headband. They really press against your ears and make them hurt after about an hour of use. This makes it really annoying and is a big downside for me.
 
Design : These headphones are advertised as 'DJ Style' and are certainly so. The earcups can be swiveled 180 degrees and you can hold one earcup to your ear to listen to music. The headphone comes in two colors : Black and white, and all-White. Both colors look good IMO and it's up to you to choose which one you prefer. The cord is flat and tangle free, which is always a plus. The 3.5mm connector jack is angled which makes it easier to connect to your phone if it's in your pocket. The cable is about 1.4m long, which is sufficient for most cases. Noise isolation is decent and should offer good isolation even for outdoor use.
 
OVERALL : Overall I like these headphones and would recommend them for someone looking for cheap but good sounding headphones for portable use. The good sound quality and decent isolation should make any outdoor user happy, though I would not recommend these for home use due to the bad padding in the earcups and headband which causes the headphones to become uncomfortable rather quickly.

I love bass but I also like for it not to overpower everything else in a song. I've already tried these with multiple genres. Bass is definitely there in Electronic and Hip-Hop but is a bit diminished in things like classic rock (a good thing). Sony headphones have always sounded good to me, but have always had a questionable build quality. I don't believe that to be the case here. I have the sound quality Sony is known for, what seems like a decent build quality, and they don't even look awful.
 
I'm glad my Pioneer SE-MJ5s were tearing apart and I was forced to find a replacement. Best part is the Sony headphones were on clearance at my Wal-Mart for $30!
 
The only con I have is that the cable is a little short, but, thankfully, I have an extension handy.

first off sound great and fit ok but needs more band padding and lil more metal in the construction less plastic.
makes beats solo sso yesterday by far !!

Hello, 
 
The Sony MDR V55 are an all around amazing headphone. I bought them at best buy for $99 which is an amazing price for the headphones they really are. The MDR V55 provide an amazing high to low grade of volume and are all around great for every genre of Music. I personally listen to pop and some rock and these have served its purpose really well. Kill me now, but I am a fan of Beats By Dre and really do like Dr. Dre's products. As most users on here, every one is in for the sound. I however am in for the style and sound. When you compare the Beats by Dre solos HD, the MDR V55 blows them away. In style, bass, looks, and sound quality. Now bring the Sony's against the Stuidos. When it comes to sound quality, I would have to give it to the Sonys. Looks, bass, and comfort I would give to the Studios. But when all is said and done, the Sony's where only $99 compared to the Studios insane $299 dollar mark.
It really is no question on which would be a better choice. The MDR V55 dont come with any sort of case, cleaning cloth, or even a solid box. Which is a down side, but they would cost quite a bit more if they did come with such. On the left side of the headphone you have the wire which seems to be shaped like a thin, flat, noodle from a pasta dish. The cable is made of rubber and is tangle free. The cable is NOT detachable! After an hour or more of use the headphones may become sore on your ears. The padding is soft but not soft enough. I personally think the headphones only downside is comfort. They really aren't as comfortable as I thought they would have been. The top part ( the band ) is made of a soft rubber but is some what squishy. You are able to fold the headphones which for many people comes in very useful for traveling. The bass on the headphones are also very nice. The vibration some bass heads may urge for is there. (Not like the beats studio where you have an over powering bass line) These headphones are made for DJing and really would be great if they came with a 5mm jack. Over all I would say these headphones are all in all great for the price you pay. 

I bought these the first time I came across them at Best Buy. I paid too much for them, but that's neither here nor there considering I was returning a similar pair of headphones that I disliked.
 
The packaging was that plastic vacuum pack junk that you have to hack at four times as long as you ever want to just to get inside, and it didn't include any kind of carrying wallet or accessories of any kind. Not that headphones need a menagerie of goodies, but with the overall lack of comfort these provide, a definite bonus would have been for them to be designed with interchangeable ear pads of varying degrees. Much like the different sized ear buds that are included with IEM's.
 
I was surprised by the clarity these headphones provided for different types of music. I listen to pretty much anything from country to classical, and blues to pop, with even some electronic stuff thrown in for good measure. So, for the headphones to be able to handle them all (and fairly decently), I was pleasantly surprised. The highs were crisp enough, mids meaty enough, and lows punchy enough for me to not find myself wanting more sound wise.
 
Aside from my mention (and other reviewers notes) of the general discomfort experienced from these, I'd say my only other gripe would be about the "creaking" these constantly make whenever they're put on, moved, or adjusted. It isn't a deal breaker, but it might turn some people off.
 
I've owned them for nearly a year and haven't found anything they can't handle from my laptop or portable devices. If you can find them on the cheap, pull the trigger.

I see two big positives to these cans:
1/ the sound (nice fun V-shaped sound, a bit forward but not "in your face")
2/ they fold pretty small
 
As the isolation is not really good, these should be used in places where noise is not an issue. And this is for me the problem, I cannot use them in transports. This becomes a plus for people that plan to use them when they walk in the street as hearing what is happening around can save your life, but even then I would appreciate a little bit more isolation.
 
Also, I am wearing glasses and the comfort was an issue. I had HM5's pads on them which helped (but this changes the sound alot -> less bass) and even the isolation was improved, it was still not enough for me.
 
So for 50$, if you don't need isolation, these are nice little headphones to be tossed in a backpack (what a pitty they don't come with a pouch...).