smagoun's Full Review: Sony MDR-V600 Professional Headphones
The MDR-V600's are a decent set of headphones, but they're nothing to write home about. My thoughts:
Executive Summary
The V600's are classified as "Studio Monitors," aimed at the higher-end market. They're more than enough headphone for most people, and a dedicated headphone amp is probably necessary to bring out the best in them. True audiophiles will want to look elsewhere (Grado Labs, anyone?). Also, they're enormous. You won't win any beauty contests wearing these puppies. Even so, they're incredibly comfortable and I'm glad I bought them.
Open or Closed?
I needed a set of headphones to use at work. First off, what style of headphones should I get? I despise in-the-ear buds, so those were ruled out immediately. From there it was closed vs. open. I needed closed 'phones because I'm in a crowded office and the closed design keeps sound from bothering my coworkers. Open headphones often sound better than closed phones (at least in my opinion!) but there are times when they simply aren't an option. The V600's are nice + tight in this respect. Of course, the same features that keep noise from getting out also keep noise from getting in....while not noise-canceling, these do a good job of locking out the outside world.
Comfort
Uncomfortable headphones are no fun. They crush, scratch, bend, twist, poke, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. Since I would be using the headphones primarily at work - where I have them on for up to 12 hours/day - comfort was an absolute must. The MDR-V600's are large, over-the-ear phones which make them ideal for extended listening. The oversized cans rest on your skull, not on your ears. This means that your ears don't get squished while you're listening for hours on end. Sony did a pretty good job of padding the V600's, and I find them incredibly comfortable.
Sound + Stuff
As a former radio DJ, I've been somewhat spoiled by professional-quality headphones. We always used Sonys in the studio, so I knew about what to expect from the V600's (which Sony bills as "Studio Monitors"). The V600's are much more comfortable than some of the phones I've used in the studio, but the sound quality isn't quite what I wanted. The highs and midrange sound great - very clean, tight, and almost transparent - but the bass isn't as good as in other Sony headphones of this caliber. Sony advertises a 5(!)Hz-30kHz frequency response in the V600's. I don't believe the low number - it's more like 60Hz in my experience - and it's often muddy. Track 98 ("Physical") from Nine Inch Nails' "Broken" has some great low-frequency effects starting around 4:05 into the track. You need a subwoofer - or a great set of headphones - to bring out the effects. We had some Sony cans in the studio that had plenty of kick (if only I knew the model number!). Although Sony advertises that the V600's will have no problem reproducing the effects, they just aren't there when I play the track. I've tried on several different sources, ranging from a computer (a PC with a SoundBlaster Live card) to a $500 Sony home theater amp. The 40mm drivers in the V600's are capable of handling a full watt of power (that's a lot for a set of headphones!), so it's entirely possible that I'm not getting enough power into the phones to recreate the bass I want. One thing I haven't tried is a dedicated headphone amplifier. A dedicated headphone amp's job is to drive that much power through the phones, which might help the sound quality.
Other stuff:
As far as headphones go, the MDR-V600's are enormous. They tip the scales at well over 1/2 lb, according to the Sony website. That weight doesn't include the cord, however. Add in the cord, and you're sticking almost a pound of weight on your head. Believe it or not, I don't notice the weight of the headphones....they seem to disappear completely. That's quite the trick for something this big. Much of the weight is due to the solid construction of the V600's. They're nice and durable, and should stand up to years of use + abuse. Another nice thing about the V600's is that they have a long, coiled cord. It stays out of the way when you don't need it, but can stretch up to almost 9 feet. The V600's also fold in about 3 different directions, allowing them to shrink just enough into the handy leather bag that Sony provides.
Summary
The MDR-V600's are pretty good. They're super-comfortable, which makes them worth it for me. I wish the sound quality were a bit better on my admittedly low-quality sources (PC, portable CD player), but the V600's are worth the $100 I spent on them.
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