Sony MDRV6 Monitor Series Headphones with CCAW Voice Coil..
Buy Sony MDRV6 Monitor Series Headphones with CCAW Voice Coil By Sony
Most helpful customer reviews
557 of 583 people found the following review helpful.
By J. Vinopal
I bought these headphones in 1992, and unlike most of the rest of the stuff I squandered my money on back then, these were and continue to be the real deal.
My earpads have flaked off their coating like everyone else. But no need to buy new phones, you can order the earpads from sony.com or some specialty audio stores:
MDR-V6/MDR-7506 Ear Pad
PART: X-2113-124-1
PRICE: $6.00 (US)
130 of 133 people found the following review helpful.
By Michael
This is a review for non/ semi-audiophiles and casual music listeners looking for the best deal headphones in this price range.
These are classic headphones. Studios have been using them for years and EVERYONE in the music/ producing industry immediately recognizes these babies. And if you look for it, you can find them everywhere too.
BUT, what if you're just in the market for some good music headphones? You're not an audiophile per se, but you do enjoy good sound.
Well first of all, you have to understand these are "studio" headphones and the sound is "uncolored" and "flat". Yes the eq is flat. A lot of manufacturers "color" their headphones with extra warmth or bass. If you've owned Skullcandies, their sound is heavily bass emphasized. Same thing Beats by Dr. Dre, a very warm sound. The MDR-V6's don't have any of this extra coloration. Their purpose is to playback the natural, original sound of the recording. And in that regard, for the price, these CANNOT be beat. They have pristine clarity. And you will definitely find things in your music you have never heard before. The whole sound spectrum (bass, mids, treble) is perfectly represented. In other words, the quality of the sound is phenomenal, for any genre of music.
So if you want to hear your songs naturally as they were recorded, stop no further and click "Buy Now".
But what if you're more into bass-rich headphones, like Skullcandy. Or what if you were impressed with Beats by Dr. Dre or the Bose at the Best Buy sample booth. Those are warm headphones, and if you were expecting to find something similar to those at a fraction of the cost, these may not be for you. Sure the quality of sound of these Sony's is infinitely better than the Beats or Bose sets. But it is definitely not the same "type" of sound. The sound curves are completely different. Like I said before, the MDR-v6 is flat while the Beats and Bose are warm/ bass heavy.
But do not waste your money on the Beats or the Bose. The sound might be impressive, but it really is cheap bloated bass. The MDR-V6, while it doesn't have as much impact or quantity, the bass is much more clear and tight. The quality is a million dollars better. Still, if you were looking for that warm type of sound (for hip hop and those sorts of genres, although the MDR-V6 do fine in ALL genres, some hip hop/ rap fans might prefer a more colored sound) you can find even BETTER headphones for the same price as the Sony's.
There are plenty on the market, but a quick look on the Amazon top sellers and I found these.
Sony XB500: $49 Amazon
-Wonderful alternative to the Beats or Bose sets. Phenomenal bass and mids. Treble is also very present. No muddy/ bloated/ leaky bass like the Beats, but even more in quantity and impact.
JVC HARX700: $54 Amazon (little bit more bass than 900)
JVC HARX900: $60 Amazon (900 has a better soundstage i.e. better gaming/ movie headphone)
Panasonic RP-HTF600: $33 Amazon (super budget)
In-Ear Buds:
The Klipsch Image S4: $79 Amazon
-Similar sound spectrum to the Beats/ Bose except with a much better quality of sound. No muddy/ bloated/ leaky bass, but just as much in terms of quantity and impact.
Brainwavz M2: $54 Amazon (similar sound signature)
Meelectronics M6: $15 (super-super budget, only downside is the fit may not be for some/ takes getting used to)
Those are my recommendations. Although ALL in ear headphones break after a few months/ years, which is something to keep in mind. Headphones tend to last much longer. In terms of durability, the MDR-V6 lasts decades according to many accounts.
So if you are looking for the best quality sound for under $100, the Sony MDR-V6 is and has always been the KING!
But if you are looking for a bass-heavy thumping set(the MDR-V6 do thump, but maybe not as much as the Beats you heard at the Best Buy display), if that's the case you might want to look for a more warmer sounding model (XB500 is my first choice recommendation- for $15 dollars cheaper too on Amazon)
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Note: if this is your first foray into the hi-fi audio world and these are your first headphones, you must realize that studio headphones like these are unforgiving to the source. Unforgiving means they will playback any and every single sound/ static in the source file. If you've downloaded most songs legally through itunes, you should be fine for the most part. But if some of the mp3s in your collection have been downloaded illegally, you might find that they sound significantly worse than before. Why? Because it might be of really low quality. The static noise and any other imperfections will be made apparent.
I recommend you look into lossless audio formats like FLAC files. If you are using iTunes with an iPod/ iPhone, ALAC is the format you should use. ALAC files are much bigger, but are much higher quality than mp3. There is an option in iTunes to rip CD's with ALAC instead of mp3. You will notice the difference. Either that or make sure your mp3's are 320kb/s.
Some headphones require an amp to pump out the best sound. These headphones don't require much to be driven. It works fine in just my iPhone. It's unnecessary but it would always benefit. But a better DAC would greatly improve the sound of a portable device/ laptop. If you are in the market for one, I'd recommend the Fiio E7. It's a portable amp/DAC combo. The sound difference is very noticeable. And it has a bass-boost EQ which is very good (don't put it at maximum though, it starts to distort a tiny bit there). It actually produces that "warmer" colored sound I was talking about before. So this could be a solution if you don't mind spending another $89. But if you're willing to spend that much in total ~$150. The Audio Technica M50 might be a better deal? Well, that's a tough question. But my personal preference still goes to the MDR-V6.
120 of 123 people found the following review helpful.
By D. Wendel
NOTE: These headphones are in every way the same as the MDR-7506's, well-loved headphones for studio work. Even the replacement part #'s are exactly the same. So this review is for either one (I bought both).
Anyone who has been listening to music on normal street headphones will be blown away by these. The first thing you notice is how soft and comfortable they are to wear - the earcups surround your ears, leaving no pressure on the ears themselves. Then, when the music starts, you notice:
1) background noise is blocked out
2) bass is full and punchy, not muddy, boomy, or distorted
3) every detail shines through
4) the music is LOUD for the given volume setting
Here are my comments on these four aspects:
1) background noise is blocked out
Because these headphones surround your ears and are "closed back," they really do diminish outside noise. It's nothing like the Bose active noise-cancelling headphones, though - these ones just turn down the volume on outside noise rather than pulling the plug on it. This is on purpose - many headphone designers feel that active noise cancellation discolors the sound too much.
2) bass is full and punchy, not muddy, boomy, or distorted
The drivers are big on these, and the CCAW coils let them draw power when they need it without getting muddy. If you do hear distortion, it's probably that your player can't dish up enough power, so try switching to a good amp. My portable CD players works fine though, and I hear ipods do too.
3) every detail shines through
These headphones are really detailed, meaning they reproduce high mids and trebles well. You will probably hear things you've never heard before like breaths, guitar fretboard noises, and string instruments. However, this makes you feel like you're right in the middle of everything, and it can get tiring after an hour or two.
4) the music is LOUD for the given volume setting
The impedance on these is lower than most headphones, which means that for a given voltage these will draw more current and hence sound louder. However, power is power, and your battery only has so much of it. So these don't necessarily extend battery life, they just give you more options for how quickly to use it.
For comparison, I also own the Sennheiser HD 201, 280Pro, and 595. All are more soothing (less bright) while retaining the detail. The 201's don't match the bass or noise dampening of the V6's. The 280Pro's don't have quite the same bass (still great!), are much less comfortable, but block noise better and sound sweeter. The 595's are superior to the V6's in every way (bass accuracy, sweetness, comfort) except that they intentionally don't block out noise at all and require a good amp to sound their best. (Plus they cost almost twice as much as the V6's.)
In summary, you'd be hard pressed to find a better price/performance/comfort balance than the V6's. Try the HD 201's first for classical or instrumental music (they only cost $20, so trust me, try them!), but if you want noise dampening and/or punchy bass, don't hesitate to grab a pair of these.
this would have been a 5 star review (it was 3, now 2...see update) - another update
Disappointed so Far