[Eagle_Driver]

This is a question for those who either own or have owned at least one pair of the notorious Sony MDR-V###(DJ) headphones:

How do you think of those headphones after you listened to something else?

For me, I think that they cost three times more than they're worth. I had owned MDR-V200, MDR-V300, MDR-V400, MDR-V600 and MDR-V900, briefly demoed the MDR-V500DJ and MDR-V700DJ and still own the MDR-V100MK2 (which now sits in a closet), and they have (to me) almost no "detail" across the spectrum (okay, the V900 did have a little).

If you have any positive or negative experiences with that Sony V###(DJ) series, please feel free to crap on this thread.

From suburban Chicago:

Randall/Eagle_Driver

 

[DesBen]

I was hoping someone else would start this, but here we go...

I own a pair of V300 that I use at work, and my roommate has a pair of V500DJ. I'll give my impressions of both.

The V300
--------

The V300 were my first pair of headphones that costed more than $10. At the time, I was very impressed by them. Now that I have a pair of grado, well...

I still use them frequently at work, where leakage (both in and out) of my grado was a problem.

The V300 sound... On the plus side, the sound is close and present. Very easy to drive. Bass is VERY powerfull, and quite extended. At work, I listen mainly to trance (similar to dance) music, where bass is what matters. The 300 keep me entertained. However, bass is very slow and muddy. Midbass is way too loud compared to the rest. Treble, well, what treble?

Build quality of the V300 is average. The headband is very likely to crack after some time. Mine are still holding up OK after over a year, but I think they will need tape soon.

Overall, I'd recommend the V300 to young people who listen mainly to bass heavy music, who want headphones who will block outside noise and look cool. I give them 5/10 overall, and 7/10 for value. Audiophiles, please abstain.


The V500DJ
----------

What pieces of c_ _ p. They are built quite well. They feel solid, and look like they could take a beating. They do a good job at cutting outside noise.

But the sound is very nasty, IMHO. They have pretty much no bass. My Grado SR60 easily beat them. Considering the V500DJ are aimed at DJs, I find this surprising. The treble is very harsh and fatiguing. Extended I guess

My dentist's drill has a nicer sound. I really don't like the sound of those headphones.

Sound 3/10, value 5/10 (they are solid)


So the V300 are cool and have bass that will please the young (non audiophile) crowd. The V500DJ are a disaster.

In general, I'd the the MDR-Vxxx series is aimed toward a younger crowd, have poor sound, and are rather lousy value for audiophiles.

DesBen

 

[sackley]

I find it funny to watch all the kids go around here at college with the sony MDR-VSH*TDJ headphones on acting like they are all that. I feel like whipping out my SR-225's and showing them what real headphones are like (Before all you senn guys get mad, I do also own a pair of HD 600's which I love to death.).

 

[Eagle_Driver]

I also own a pair of MDR-V*****DJ headphones that deliver monstrous bass! However, their sound is far from "audiophile" quality. They could have been easily named the MDR-VCRAPDJ or the MDR-VSH*TDJ or the MDR-V@#$%DJ headphones! LOL !!!!

 

[Eagle_Driver]

The mix and mastering engineers recently have been using so-called "studio monitors" that have little bass response (even in the mid-bass) and very depressed upper mids and uneven treble, such as the Sony MDR-V600's!

Those "modern-day" pop music engineers have been using something similar in sound to those V600's for a few years now. No wonder why today's mainstream pop music sounds like crap!

 

[massappeal85]

Eagle, yes and maybe no.

I have seen places where the v600s are used to mix and equilize and all that it shouldn't be used for, but I'm also seeing more and more V6s in pictures of my favorite studios and in radio stations.

I thought recordings were sent elsewhere outside the studio to be masterd. At least on alot of my CDs it'll say something like "mixed at wherever, masterd at wherever". So, even if whoever mixes such uses ****ty phones, I'd rather the people who are mastering it have better equipment.

 

[Neruda]

eagle_driver, why do you feel compelled to go over this damn subject over and over? I'm getting sick of it!

 

[coolvij]

chill out, man..........you don't HAVE to read the thread.

I, for one, think that the bashing has gone too far.

But hey - these cans must REALLY suck......

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Oh, well... I've carried this "new-Sony"-bashing too far...

Some of those models might sound decent with the *right* amp, but sucky on everything else...

 

[gloom]

The V700DJ was the first expensive (>$20) headphone I bought. At first, I was quite impressed with it. They seemed to have some impact, and they do, I guess, at least compared to the headphones bundled with portable cdps (the extent of my previous listening).

Since, I have owned Grado SR325, Senn HD580, Sony E888, and (currently) the Sony V6. Listening to the V700 now, what stands out are the gobs of mushy bass, that I call "bass shadow", because it doesn't seem to come from any instrument or sample. It's just there, occluding the rest of the music.

The sound overall lacks any sparkle whatsoever - it is entirely dead. There is no detail. Instruments have no individual character: multiple violins playing at once sound like one violin, possibly passed through a filter. All string instruments and horns sound like generic string or horn samples, exhibiting none of the subtle differences between different kinds of instruments.

I can't even plaster the V700 with some colorful expletives. They are too depressingly bad, especially for the insane price, and I can't bring myself to call 'em ****. Mostly I'm filled with remorse, thinking that I dropped $150 on them, when the HD580 was only $30 more, and the V6 was $50 less, at the same store, at the same time. I can say without reservation that the V700 has the WORST price : performance ratio of any headphone I know of. It sounds like it should cost $30, no more, and costs 5x that, at least in most stores (as little as $120 online).

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally posted by gloom The V700DJ was the first expensive (>$20) headphone I bought. At first, I was quite impressed with it. They seemed to have some impact, and they do, I guess, at least compared to the headphones bundled with portable cdps (the extent of my previous listening)... ...Listening to the V700 now, what stands out are the gobs of mushy bass, that I call "bass shadow", because it doesn't seem to come from any instrument or sample. It's just there, occluding the rest of the music. The sound overall lacks any sparkle whatsoever - it is entirely dead. There is no detail. Instruments have no individual character: multiple violins playing at once sound like one violin, possibly passed through a filter. All string instruments and horns sound like generic string or horn samples, exhibiting none of the subtle differences between different kinds of instruments. I can't even plaster the V700 with some colorful expletives. They are too depressingly bad, especially for the insane price, and I can't bring myself to call 'em ****. Mostly I'm filled with remorse, thinking that I dropped $150 on them, when the HD580 was only $30 more, and the V6 was $50 less, at the same store, at the same time. I can say without reservation that the V700 has the WORST price : performance ratio of any headphone I know of. It sounds like it should cost $30, no more, and costs 5x that, at least in most stores (as little as $120 online).

OMG, gloom! That's almost EXACTLY what I think of the Sony V700DJ's now every time I listen to them! Thank God that I didn't pay even a dime for the sample I borrowed. My brother had bought a pair of them - he paid $150 for them - and returned them the next day! Even he couldn't stand their one-note bass with no real bass extension!

Bottom line: They may work okay for DJing - but for serious music listening, fuggittaboutit. You'll notice their shortcomings in a hurry.

 

[Xevion]

I own a Sony MDR-V200. It was my first headphone over $10 (Was $50 at the time). Going by what I remember, when I got it, I was underwhelmed, but I got myself "used" to the sound and even managed to convince myself that they sounded great. I honestly don't know how I did this, but anyway-

When I got some HD500s a couple years ago (Because I wanted to really see how good a high end headphone was), I found them very bright! Shrill even! But strangely not fautiging. The mids sounded so realistic to me. About 6-8 months ago I read some reviews and such that stated my precious HD500s were crap, and I started wanting something new more and more, so this summer I splurged and got HD600s.

What the hell was I thinking with the V-200s? The HD500s?

As to the way they sounded, the point of this whole post

The V200s basically didn't do anything right.

Firstly, there is no treble. NO treble. None. I wouldn't be surprised if these were at -20db at 10Khz. Mids: Lumpy, harsh, exxagerated upper mids, exxagerated lumps and recessive lumps, grossly fautiging. Bass: Uhh, they played upper bass. No midbass. No sub bass. Just upper bass. So they didn't even go "thump thump" but rather whawp whawp.

Basically, they sounded like a speaker that would market itself as a full range speaker, and be this little 3" midrange cone, no woofer, no tweeter, that amazingly dosen't get horribly distorted at normal listening volumes, but tries completely unsuccessfully to play everything.

 

[blastoff]

I have heard several of these phones

I own(gift) the V200's which sadly have a broken headband. Not the greatest phones and no one said they were. Just something to replace stock phones which they are better then. However i do realize there are better purchases even in this price range.

V500's - Someone at my school has these and have only heard them out of a portable cd player. I think they cost around 70 dollars or so and don't sound great at all. I'm not one for the audio terms, but the sound seems far away. The bass, although stronger than the mids and treble, is nothing to boast about. The bass is there, but it sounds trashy and weak even though it's loud. My denon 210's, produce much much better bass. However, i really really like the swiveling earpieces on these phones, no reason to buy them though.

v600's - Only heard them a short time at circuit city listening station city. I finally realized what people were talking about when they said it was a horrible replacement for the V6. I don't own the V6, but assuming the sound at least as good as my denon 210's, the V600's are horrible in comparison. They also have that "far away" sound like the 500's.

Just thought i'd share my experiences.

 

[Neruda]

looks, it's just that practically every week I see a new thread from eagle_driver saying what we already know: that these cans suck. I mean, I hate to sound like an *******, but enough is enough!

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Alright, Neruda, this thread must die...

Also, I will be changing my sig...