Sony PFRV1 Personal Field Speaker Headphones

KlausGut

New Head-Fier
Pros: Soundstage, comfort
Cons: Tinny tone, deficient bass, no isolation, awkward fit, flimsy cables
I love these for watching movies at odd hours or on the laptop away from home. They're so comfortable that I can wear them for 6-8 hours straight. Unfortunately, I find them totally unacceptable for music, though they're a better fit for portable use or the computer because of EQ. Several posts compared the sound quality to etymotic's 4 IEM, uh, no way in hell. Proper fit is crucial to both comfort and sound quality -- read the included instructions. Additionally, make sure you dig in the case pouch pockets for the foam socks - without them the bass tubes feel very cold and uncomfortable when placed against your ear canal opening.
 
A month after getting them the right channel went completely dead. I'm an old f*rt, so I know how to take care of my equipment. Very disappointing.
 
I called Sony Support and after much wasted time was finally requested to send them back to a Sony Repair Center in Laredo, TX. Two weeks later Sony told me they would not repair the headphones and were out of stock, therefore, they would generously refund my $150. Great. What about the $17 bucks I spent to send the damn things, not to mention the $15 for the original shipment? I never had a good impression of Sony and this just ices it. Decided to take the things back and try to fix them myself.
 
Opened the housing, pulled the tape from the wires attaching them to the back of the driver. The wires looked in good shape, and the solder points were still intact. Since everything looked OK I decided to test them again. They were now working -- or more accurately, stopped grounding. Heat shrinked  the wires put the housing back together and I was in business again. Rating has been re-adjusted.
 
 
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