[Gamakoshi]

Why a screw lock ring? I've never felt the need for a locking system on any 3.5mm headphone, actually almost damaged some due to it.

 

[Mike F]

Really looking forward to some MV1 vs NDH 30 comparisons. Two new open back studio headphones from major manufacturers within a year. Wow! The Sony is cheaper, but I would have thought that the difference isn’t significant enough to make a difference to most potential buyers of these two.

 

[Mike F]

Why a screw lock ring? I've never felt the need for a locking system on any 3.5mm headphone, actually almost damaged some due to it.

The 7520 had the same. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if the cables are interchangeable, but you know Sony…..

I prefer some kind of locking mechanism. Sure, it could be worse on some situations, but what normally happens is that headphones get a slight tug on the cable which can send the headphone end plug flying into who knows what if it’s not held in place, and frankly I find the cable becoming detached too easily quite annoying in practice.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I agree. Neither NDH30 nor 660S2 have a particularly wide stage. They're adequate, but not expansive. The NDH30 has a bit of an advantage in resolving ability. Both are fantastic, though. I haven't listened to much else since I got this duo.

You may be in a unique position here, and I hope that you are willing to answer this without feeling like you are violating some kind of relationship, but given how much you are enjoying these two headphones, both well below $1000, and you can compare them directly against some very expensive, boutique headphones. How large a price to performance ratio is there in favour of the NDH-30/HD660S2 versus those extremely expensive, boutique headphones? Only taking sound quality into account, and nothing else.

I would hazard a guess that only thinking about the final result we most care about, enjoyable music reproduction, these affordable headphones are much, much better investments dollar spent compared to dollar spent. Again, not thinking about look feel, small business versus big business, just a cold and unfeeling assessment of value for money spent.

 

[headstef]

here is the AI derived summary:


[00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMg7t3b4icM&t=0) Review of Sony's MDRMV1 headphones
- First headphone with an open back in history
- Feels like air, good sound quality

[01:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMg7t3b4icM&t=90) New headphones with wide frequency range and one-year warranty
- The driver unit is compatible with frequencies from hertz to 80,000 hertz
- The accessory list includes a headphone cable and 6.3 to 3.5 conversion cable

[02:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMg7t3b4icM&t=171) Lightweight headphones with closed sound
- Headphones weigh 218.9g, super light for the price range
- Sound feels a little closed inside, but good for work

[04:23](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMg7t3b4icM&t=263) High-quality open-type headphones with natural sound reproduction
- The headphones have good tension and thickness in the midrange
- The sound source is faithfully reproduced with clear separation between instruments

[06:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMg7t3b4icM&t=376) Virtual viewing for music recording and easy video editing
- Virtual viewing enhances music recording experience
- Easy to use for video editing with sound correction

[08:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMg7t3b4icM&t=521) New earphones with low impedance and high sensitivity
- Earphones have an impedance value of 24 ohms and sound pressure sensitivity of 100db
- Estimated price is 59,000 yen and release date is May 12th

[10:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMg7t3b4icM&t=608) The headphones have high resolution and competitive pricing.
- The open type design ensures comfort even during long usage.
- The high impedance requires a headphone amp for optimal performance.

[11:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMg7t3b4icM&t=682) Recommended for music and video editing or accurate 3D sound reproduction.
- Also suitable for those who want flat sound like monitor headphones.
- Not recommended for those who want headphones for casual listening or without an amplifier.

There are some inaccuracies above, high-lighted in bold.
1) It is not Sony's "first open back in history". MDR-MA900 was a very good open back too.
2) It has not a high impedance but a quite low impedance of 24 Ohms.

However it is rather a voltage demanding headphone, judging from specs. Sony claims a sensitivity of 100dB at 100mW (not at 1Volt). Given the impedance of 24 Ohms, calculations for sonic pressure at 1 Volt result to 96 dB. For comparison, HD-650, HD-660S, HD-660S2 and NDH 30 reach at 103, 108, 104 and 104 respectively at 1 Volt.
Of course, low or high sensitivity has nothing to do with sound quality. Also, a rather low sensitivity of 96 dB at 1 Volt is not at all difficult for most headphone amplifiers bur it will not produce high levels using a smartphone.
All these are based on nominal sensitivity values, the reality can be somewhat different. (Also if "100mW" is a typo and it was meant as 1mW, then this headphone is a very efficient one).

 

[theexexpat]

The 7520 had the same. In fact I wouldn’t be surprised if the cables are interchangeable, but you know Sony…..

I prefer some kind of locking mechanism. Sure, it could be worse on some situations, but what normally happens is that headphones get a slight tug on the cable which can send the headphone end plug flying into who knows what if it’s not held in place, and frankly I find the cable becoming detached too easily quite annoying in practice.

I hope its a better termination than the Z7 / kimber combo...

 

[OkPsychology]

You may be in a unique position here, and I hope that you are willing to answer this without feeling like you are violating some kind of relationship, but given how much you are enjoying these two headphones, both well below $1000, and you can compare them directly against some very expensive, boutique headphones. How large a price to performance ratio is there in favour of the NDH-30/HD660S2 versus those extremely expensive, boutique headphones? Only taking sound quality into account, and nothing else.

I would hazard a guess that only thinking about the final result we most care about, enjoyable music reproduction, these affordable headphones are much, much better investments dollar spent compared to dollar spent. Again, not thinking about look feel, small business versus big business, just a cold and unfeeling assessment of value for money spent.

Hey @Sonic Defender. Excellent question. I really want to do it justice, so I'm going to make a mental note to do some actual comparisons and writing if I can find the time over the weekend, and not just phone it in with a quick and dirty answer. I've been spending time thinking about exactly this lately. There have been 3 headphones I've gotten to spend time with that have really started to reshape how I feel about the industry/hobby, and your question gets right to the heart of the matter. Incidentally, those 3 headphones are the 660S2, NDH30 and Nectar Ambrosia. It's very possible the new MV1 will also have a similar effect. And of course there's also the buzz about the new MM100 from Audeze. Anyhow, thank you for the mention! I'll offer some opinions as soon as I'm able. Have an awesome weekend, pal

 

[Sonic Defender]

Hey @Sonic Defender. Excellent question. I really want to do it justice, so I'm going to make a mental note to do some actual comparisons and writing if I can find the time over the weekend, and not just phone it in with a quick and dirty answer. I've been spending time thinking about exactly this lately. There have been 3 headphones I've gotten to spend time with that have really started to reshape how I feel about the industry/hobby, and your question gets right to the heart of the matter. Incidentally, those 3 headphones are the 660S2, NDH30 and Nectar Ambrosia. It's very possible the new MV1 will also have a similar effect. And of course there's also the buzz about the new MM100 from Audeze. Anyhow, thank you for the mention! I'll offer some opinions as soon as I'm able. Have an awesome weekend, pal

Awesome, really looking forward to your thoughts on this. You have a great weekend as well. Cheers.

 

[Mike F]

There are some inaccuracies above, high-lighted in bold.
1) It is not Sony's "first open back in history". MDR-MA900 was a very good open back too.
2) It has not a high impedance but a quite low impedance of 24 Ohms.

However it is rather a voltage demanding headphone, judging from specs. Sony claims a sensitivity of 100dB at 100mW (not at 1Volt). Given the impedance of 24 Ohms, calculations for sonic pressure at 1 Volt result to 96 dB. For comparison, HD-650, HD-660S, HD-660S2 and NDH 30 reach at 103, 108, 104 and 104 respectively at 1 Volt.
Of course, low or high sensitivity has nothing to do with sound quality. Also, a rather low sensitivity of 96 dB at 1 Volt is not at all difficult for most headphone amplifiers bur it will not produce high levels using a smartphone.
All these are based on nominal sensitivity values, the reality can be somewhat different. (Also if "100mW" is a typo and it was meant as 1mW, then this headphone is a very efficient one).

Given that most Sony studio headphones in my experience have low impedance (typically 24ohms) but are also very efficient, I suspect it’s a typo, but the ones I’m familiar with are closed, so maybe it isn’t……?

 

[osiris1]

There are some inaccuracies above, high-lighted in bold.
1) It is not Sony's "first open back in history". MDR-MA900 was a very good open back too.
2) It has not a high impedance but a quite low impedance of 24 Ohms.

However it is rather a voltage demanding headphone, judging from specs. Sony claims a sensitivity of 100dB at 100mW (not at 1Volt). Given the impedance of 24 Ohms, calculations for sonic pressure at 1 Volt result to 96 dB. For comparison, HD-650, HD-660S, HD-660S2 and NDH 30 reach at 103, 108, 104 and 104 respectively at 1 Volt.
Of course, low or high sensitivity has nothing to do with sound quality. Also, a rather low sensitivity of 96 dB at 1 Volt is not at all difficult for most headphone amplifiers bur it will not produce high levels using a smartphone.
All these are based on nominal sensitivity values, the reality can be somewhat different. (Also if "100mW" is a typo and it was meant as 1mW, then this headphone is a very efficient one).

Yeah man... AI derived hence... Enjoy your music

 

[B7RS4]

Quick review should be up by Sunday, hopefully.
Spoiler: Don't sleep on the MDR-MV1.... for now

wow that is fast, looking forward to it

 

[B7RS4]

Given that most Sony studio headphones in my experience have low impedance (typically 24ohms) but are also very efficient, I suspect it’s a typo, but the ones I’m familiar with are closed, so maybe it isn’t……?

Some of the first Sony headphones are open backed, like the DR-55 that was used for binaural recordings lol. Recent Sony studio monitors other than ex800st are closed back though so I guess that's where it came from.

 

[jbarrentine]

I'm very interested in this one. I need to expand out from the Sennheiser family a bit again.

 

[FritzS]

Incidentally, those 3 headphones are the 660S2, NDH30 and Nectar Ambrosia. It's very possible the new MV1 will also have a similar effect. And of course there's also the buzz about the new MM100 from Audeze. Anyhow, thank you for the mention! I'll offer some opinions as soon as I'm able. Have an awesome weekend, pal

Your experience about 660S2, NDH30 interests me a lot.
Whats the differences between?

 

[DBHC]

Given that most Sony studio headphones in my experience have low impedance (typically 24ohms) but are also very efficient, I suspect it’s a typo, but the ones I’m familiar with are closed, so maybe it isn’t……?

It is Indeed a typo. SONY specs say 100dB/mW.

Have a great Sunday