Customer Reviews

Sony MDR-V150 Monitor Series Headphones

5 star:		(317)
4 star:		(195)
3 star:		(80)
2 star:		(80)
1 star:		(59)

 

 

It seems from a lot of the reviews on here, that people don't quite understand the specs behind headphones which are crucial to its sound. A lot of people are comparing these headphones to iPod earbuds and saying that it sounds like something is missing. Here's why:

The technical specs for iPod earbuds:
Bandwidth response-20Hz to 20,000Hz
Impedance-32ohms

The technical specs for MDR-V150s:
Bandwidth response-18Hz to 22000Hz
Impedance-24ohms

For those of you who don't understand the numbers, it means that the MDR-V150s have a broader range of sound, but the iPod earbuds pack a bigger sound. This is precisely why you think something is missing.

If you listen to iPod earbuds over a long time, your ears become accustomed to really loud, albeit a small range, sound. This is also why iPod earbuds are known for causing serious harm to your ears over prolonged periods of use. For it to sound right, you have to use the full amount of power, which the earbuds provide. Your close-range hearing becomes damaged over time and you can't hear subtle sounds or details, but you can still detect low volume. The earbuds won't sound deafening because you can still hear outside noise.

The MDR-V150s have a larger range of sound and lower impedance. That means there is a much richer sound. You don't need to jack up the volume to get a good listen (but you do need your hearing intact). You also may not be used to the larger range of sound so the range of sound you're used to will sound drowned out at close range. Many of the comments complaining about this transition from earbuds are noting that staples of their music listening sound strangely undetailed on the MDR-V150s. High levels of bass have a way of "drowning" out treble sounds if you're not used to listening to music with ample bass at close range.

Another major difference is that since these are "on-ear" headphones instead of "in-ear" buds, you have much less outside noise interfering with listening. It's like the difference between listening to a car stereo with the windows up or the windows down. You have to listen to things louder if there's more outside noise and you can't notice as many details either. There is a reason cellphone handsets for the car use earbuds instead of headphones, and that's so you can still hear the road. Why would you want to use earbuds that are intentionally designed so you can still hear your surroundings but compensate for it by deafening you?

I work a lot with sound whether it's production, music, or art and I use these as portable stereo phones because of their quality and sound range. I use them with my iPod with the long cord tucked into my case's belt clip. They are incredibly affordable for their quality. Most comparable headphones cost at least $30. I have been using these headphones since freshman year of college when I was first exposed to them in my school's sound lab.

My opinion aside, the manufacturer specs speak for themselves and it's hard to imagine that iPod earbud fans really believe that these provide less sound when physically they have a much broader range of sound and do not permanently damage your ears.

As for the tightness, it's good. It'll keep the phones pressed against your ears. The padding coupled with the tightness is what keeps as much outside noise sealed out. The more noise cancellation you can get, the better the sound.

And for the hair complaint: you could always tie up your hair or give up on headphones with plastic size adjusters. The plastic size adjusters were just designed to snag hair, so it seems.

I bought my set from Wal-Mart. The sound is excellent with deep full bass and clear higher frequencies. Much better sound than the foam ambient noise type. My main concern was that the headphones are TIGHT on the ears. The cups (as noted by other reviewers) do not cup the ears, but rather sit on and press directly against the ears. Great sound or not, after half and hour or so of listening I would actually have a headache from the ear pressure. I gave these away and found a set of headphones at Radio Shack that sounds just as good and has a large enough cup to totally enclose the ears. After 3 or 5 hours these are still comfortable.

I'm not a connoisseur of headphones, and quite honestly I don't think I've even paid much more than $20 for a pair of headphones. And maybe because of this, I've never owned a set of headphones that I was totally happy with until now. These are by far the best headphones I've even bought, and I was just floored by how good some of my favorites sound on these headphones. I just hear so much more.

I hesitated to buy these since so many people on Amazon complained about the feel of these headphones saying they pinched. Well, they are bigger than what I'm used to - a little bulky maybe - but I found them really pretty comfortable. Also, because they fit a little tighter, they seem to block out a lot more noise, which make them great for the gym or walking down a busy street.

Sound better than Bose TriPort (that has overemphasized bass). Sound better than my best Koss. Unfortunately: a) too tight. After half an hour I have just enough, b) the cord seems to be rated for 60 amperes, extremelly thick and stiff

But then, what else do you expect from Sony? I don't claim to be an audiophile, but I have nothing but love for these headphones after using them for perhaps a year now. I used to go through headphones every couple of months; something or other would break and I would have to go back and look for another pair. The MDR-V150 stopped that revolving door. The sound is excellent, and the headphones feel light on the head even after hours of use. The best feature here is the way the earphones plug into the headband; if you ever jerk on the cord too hard (like I always accidentally do when I put a foot on it while I stand up) the earphone pieces detach from the headband, rather than snapping the plastic bits like many other headphones in this price range will. You snap the earphones back into the headband and you're back in business.

I use these headphones every day, and while I'm sure most true audiogeeks would be better suited by a pair of Seinnheisers or another high-end brand, this pair is perfect for me. Heck, I'm on my fourth different CD player since buying them; how's that for longevity? Highly recommended if you're in the market for headphones near the 20 dollar price point.

I have my headphones on almost all day when I work, so I really needed a very comfortable pair. These totally fit the bill. The ear cups are nice and squishy and feel very light on my head. Contrary to some other reviews, I didn't find them tight at all, and I have a pretty big noggin. The sound is great - clear, sharp, good range. The cord is really long, which is also good for me since my desk area is over 6' long. For the price, you can't beat these headphones.

I work in an office job where I'm allowed to wear headphones while I work. For the past two years, I've been searching for the right pair - I had no idea it would be this difficult!

Every pair that I've purchased have had some problem or another. The ear bud ones are always too big and hurt my ears (and besides, they get pretty gross). The standard walkman-type headphones are comfortable but the music is pretty audible to people nearby when you play it even at a normal level.

Basically, I was searching for a pair of headphones for $35 or less that would hold sound in reasonably well (everyone always advertises noise-cancelling - I wanted noise-containing!), but didn't look like they should be worn by an air traffic controller!

I've been exceedingly pleased with these headphones for the week that I've had them. Yes, they are a bit bulkier than some of the more trendy headphones that are out there but they are much better quality. I can't blast my music but I can listen to it somewhat loudly without being audible to anyone around me. The ears are really soft and comfortable, although I will say that I've encountered the same issue with the headset getting a bit uncomfortably tight after wearing it for several hours - especially when I'm wearing my glasses. I expect that will get better as I wear them in. I haven't had any problems with my hair getting stuck in them, as another reviewer mentioned (my hair is several inches past my shoulders).

If you're looking for the same things that I was, I would strongly recommend these headphones! I would have paid double and still been very happy with them.

I got these headphones about a year and a half ago. Two things to note right off the bat:


1. A year an a half ago I knew VERY LITTLE about the technical side of audio.

2. It's stupid of Sony to call these "Studio Headphones" or even "Monitor Series" headphones.


FIRST OFF, know that these are not "studio quality" by any means, and will be horrible for use in any home or project studio, even if you're just starting out. Go spend $100 on some AKG or Sennheiser phones. Spend more if you can afford it. It's an important investment. These don't provide the audio quality necessary for mixing, or the isolation necessary for tracking in the studio. I'm surprised that the specs say 18 Hz to 22 KHz. Those frequencies are DRASTICALLY and unusably attenuated, if even present at all. If you retain one sentence from this review, it should be this one: These are NOT studio headphones.

THAT ASIDE, these are acceptable throw-around, day-in day-out casual commuting headphones. Before I purchased my Yamaha HS series monitors (not the world's best monitors, but they work for me) and AKG K271 MKII headphones, I thought these Sony headphones sounded really really good. Now that I have good headphones to compare them to, they're a horrible muddy mess with a limited frequency response... but I don't really care when I'm walking along a busy, LOUD street, listening to my iPod, or when I want to pack headphones that I'm not worried about breaking and paying to replace. I'm surprised people say they break theirs all the time. They're not bullet proof... but... what the hell do you do to your headphones...? Mine have held up fine. I do prefer on ear headphones for casual listening, as they're not as huge as over ear models, and because I absolutely hate ear buds. The comfort of these are pretty decent, IMO. Could be better, but they're 20 dollar headphones.



IF THIS REVIEW IS TOO LONG, SKIP TO THIS PART.

To sum it all up, for $20 headphones these can't be beat. They're comfy enough, durable enough, small enough, and decent enough sounding for the average consumer... ESPECIALLY the consumer that only wants to pay $20 for something as important as headphones.

I can't stand the earbuds that came with my iPod, I picked these headphones up after a friend in radio recommended them to me. So far they have provided me with over 4 years of solid service. I use them with my notebook or iPod nearly daily. I have noticed subtleties in some of my favorite songs I never had before (one time I took them off thinking someone was at my door but it was a drumbeat in the song). The super long cord is very convenient, I like to listen to music while ice skating and the long cord allows for a lot of freedom of movement. Comfortable, durable and very functional, these are really a great deal.

I bought these headphones several years ago and use them regularly. The sound is passable for a pair of headphones at this price point. The bass response is not overly bloated like many cheap closed back headphones and they don't seem to color the source material very much. I have absolutely zero complaints about their audio performance. Can you get a better-sounding headphone at this price point? Probably. But these sound perfectly OK in my opinion.

However, these are perhaps the most painful headphones I have had the displeasure to wear. I wear glasses and find that the earcups press my ears into the earpieces. After an hour or so, my ears feel abused. Even without glasses, I can only bear to keep these headphones on for about an hour.

Overall, I cannot recommend these headphones due solely to the fact that they are not wearable for any extended period of time.