loud, thumping bass, looks kinda nice

pricey, lacking in balance, feels artificial

I had the chance to give these a run at the local audio store. Needless to say, they were awesome against most cans. However, it is unfortunate to say that these still feel like typical sonys. The sound that came out was heavy in bass and just didn't feel realistic. There just wasn't the same warmth you get from a good pair of grados or the clarity and openness of stax. It's a mighty fine product if it were priced under 150... but at this price, I just can't find good justification in buying it.

Similar Products Used:

headphones? rs1, hd600, stax...

+ Extremely exciting sound for hard hitting genres + Very comfortable + Dynamic performance really good + Soundstaging and imaging + Pride of ownership is high + Resale values are good

- Anything but neutral - Resonances and coloured sound caused by design - Sounds fake, in an exagerrated sense - Initial outlay expensive - Possibly the most brutally unforgiving headphones I've ever heard.

The Sony MDR-CD3000 is one in a long line of headphones that I have owned. I quickly get dissatisfied with headphones compared to speakers, because many of them simply amplify flaws in your system or recordings. The Sony MDR-CD3000 is no exception, in fact it does it even worse than most headphones. I am using this headphone with a Perreaux Silhouette SXH1 headphone amplifier and a Terratec EWX 2496 soundcard. Personally, although I regard my system as a decent enough system for most needs, I would warn against certain combos and sources for the Sonys. For a start, I think the Sony's would perform much better with a tube headphone amplifier. I tried it with X-Can v3 and the result was pleasant, but the sound is not typical to most tubed headphone amps. Solid state amps are not a good idea with this headphone unless you like a hard, somewhat analytical sound. Nevertheless, I have used and enjoyed these headphones for 8 months now, but I have decided to sell them on. Its major strength, it has to be said, is its sense of imaging and soundstaging, which is just about unrivalled by any headphone. The angled drivers contribute to a large soundstage and the imaging is quite accurate. Some people feel this aspect of it is "faked" to make it sound better/more exciting, but many other headphones sound claustrophobic and closed in, in comparison to these Sonys. They are also extremely dynamic and exciting to listen to. These are NOT headphones to relax to, these things will have your heart pounding if you play hard music through them - I primarily listen to dance, but rock is equally well served. They have wonderful clarity too, the overall sound is much cleaner than you can expect from rivals Sennheiser. Despite its brightness and clarity, my perception of these headphones is that they are not quite as detailed as the Sennheiser HD650 - for detail levels, I rate them only as average - the detail levels of the little budget Beyerdynamic DT531 also surpass these. Despite the fact it is not the most detailed headphone, its brightness and clarity can go some way to ensure these are more analytical than musical, at least with solid state amplification. These headphones will certainly not hold back any punches when it comes to demonstrating how weak your source material is. A lot of my music is not recorded to perfection, and becomes very difficult to listen to on these headphones. For me, this is the sole reason they have to go. This headphone is a closed back design, but offers little in the way of isolation - more of a subtle attenuation of frequencies. Nevertheless, this can be useful when it comes to drowning out moderate fan noise from computers or similar sound. If you want a genuinely isolating headphone, look elsewhere. Also, being a closed design, it has some sonic characteristics that reinforce that fact. The sound can be slightly "reverby" and the midrange sounds coloured, as does the bass. Overall, these headphones would be nowhere near the top of my list for more natural music like acoustic, female vocal or classical, at least with solid state gear, as other rivals sound far more natural and neutral than these do. The midrange seems a little recessed, and the bass has punch, but not much depth, and makes them sound lean (a complaint I have with many high end designs, to be fair). To finish off the lean sound, the treble is very loud sometimes, giving the headphones a bright sound. One area they do excel, however, is movies. Using Dolby headphone, these cans give a very convincing surround effect and can sound far more realistic than normal and have the dynamic impact to make movies really involving. Comfort is also top notch, not quite the best I've ever worn, but certainly very close - the only things that lets them down is the soft pleather can encourage sweating at high temperatures and the headphone is quite large, and therefore heavy, but the clever headband design makes wearing it a lot lighter feeling than it actually looks. Overall, I'd have to say that this is an expensive headphone, that does offer decent sound quality, but its not for everyone. Those with tubed amplification and/or source would do very well to look into this headphone as it genuinely seems the way forward for them. Nevertheless, there are certain fundamental flaws with this headphone that I suspect would not be solved even with the best sources and amplifications - I think they will always sound somewhat coloured and unnatural. For me personally, that is not a major thing, but it will be for some. Those without top of the range equipment may as well look into alternatives that are more forgiving.

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR-EX70 Sony MDR-V3 Sony MDR-CD280 Sony MDR-CD1700 Sennhesier MX400 Sennheiser HD497 Sennheiser HD580 Sennheiser HD650 Grado SR80 Beyerdynamic DT531 Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro Beyerdynamic DT880 Beyerdynamic DT931 Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro AKG K240 Studio AKG K271 Studio

Excellent bass, midrange and treble. Wide soundstage, excellent instrument placement. Fun, and exciting. Light and very comforatble. Easy amplification (low impedance) Lots and lot of details Exceptional vocal presentation

Not accurate Big, and ugly design Expensive (still a good deal in comparison to Grado RS-1)

Sony MDR-CD3000 is a terrific sounding closed headphone. I have been a headphone listen for over 10 years, and nothing come close to the sonic enjoyment of this headphone. Although CD3000 is not as accurate as the Senn HD600 (with or with out cable upgrade), the CD3K excells in micro-dynamics. This cans has excellent bass and treble response with exceptionally wide soundstaging. Female and male vocal are CD3000's best qualities. This big Sony has low impedance, therefore, headphone amp is not required. However, CD3000 will paint a much cleaner and better picture when properly amp with a high quality source. I highly recommended this headphone for any headphone listener who prefer forward sounding closed headphone with excellent sound quality. If you looking for a more accurate set of headphone, Senn HD-600/580/650 or Ety-E4 are for you.

Similar Products Used:

Senn HD-580/600/650 with various Cable upgrades Beyer DT-880 Sony MDR-V6 Sony MDR-CD1700 Audio Technica ATH-A100ti JVC HA-D990 Ety ER-4S/P Denon AH-D950 Grado SR-80 to 225

Very dynamic Huge soundstage Warm vocals Right timbre and realistic instrument reproduction Coherence and last but not least.. Decay!

-can get bright and fatiguing with the wrong equipment -expensive

After owning this headphone for sometime, I feel that it's time for me to contribute. Firstly, I've never had any headphones for too long. Most of them will only be around for 1-2 months. The longest that'd been with me was the beyer dt770pro. I am always very easily dissatisfied with my equipments. As such, for the last few months I've been buying and selling headphones/gears, till recently. I want you to keep in mind that I have by no means a golden ear . I don't even qualify as an audiophile. If I have to name myself, I will just say I am a casual music listener. Take note of the partnering equipments as they play an instrumental role in determining the final sound of your setup. My equipments: -Musical Fidelity A3CD -Corda HA-1 -Tara Labs Reference Generation 2 I guess many of the reviews here don't give the sony enough justice. They're simply one of the best dynamic headphone. If I consider the Sony MDR-R10 to be the best , then cd3000 is the second best. Note that I've not heard the Grado Hp-1000. The Sony is quite well built, though I would love to see more magnesium in its construction instead of plastic. The comfort is top notch. Nothing can touch the sony once they are on your head. The pad surround your ears like a pair of soft gloves. I can wear them for hours , except on some days where the weather can get a little warm. On to the sound. The sony has a massive and deep soundstage for a closed can. It beats some open air headphones out there handily. The soundstage has depth and extends all the way to the back. Besides, it has the reverb and the echo similar to what I've heard in a hall. I don't know if the designer purposely designed it that way, but I enjoy it tremendously. Listening to the sony makes you feel right there together with the performer. The band appears to be just right infront of you, singing just 1m away. It's that close! As such, I feel that they're very intimate, compared to many other headphones (like hd600 which is too laidback for my taste). The mid is warm and full sounding. There is no hint of sibilance with the right partnering equipments. I agree with others' comments that this headphone can get a little bright. However, it never seems to invite the fatigue factor. The instrument like guitars are reproduced very realistically and with the right 'twang'. The only other headphone so far I've heard that can match it is the beyerdynamic dt880. But the sony has a little more sparkle to it and as such nicer sounding to me. Plus, in real life most acoustic guitars usually sound a little bright. DT880 is a little dark and sony is a little on bright side. The imaging is exceptional. You can pin-point the various players very easily. They also put the band right infront of you, not like some headphones whereby they struggle to produce this, even with the help of crossfeed. The drummer behind the vocalist is very well separated and not smeared with the vocalist altogether. The right and left guitars are very distinct and are scarily good especially in small ensemble and solo. With just one or two instruments playing, I daresay sony is a toughnut to crack. The bass is notorious. It has the slam, depth, tightness and speed. In this regard, the only one that can beat it is probably the beyer dt770pro for me. However, the beyer 770pro lacks the overall resolution and sound that I'm looking out for. As for me, the most important thing in a headphone is that everything plays coherently and not separated to the extent like they're all playing by themselves. I've owned the beyer dt880pro and at times I feel that this headphone seems to be separating too much and it gives a rather dull experience. With the sony cd3000, everything plays well altogether, the timing is dead on accurate, and very very coherent. The Sony also possesses the liquid and smooth transition. When the guitarist tends to get aggressive and increase his pace and rhythm, you can easily follow them. The note stops on time, and doesn't sound disjointed at all. There is air surrounding the instruments too. The decay is superb on the sony. When the piano stops, it will decay very smoothly, slowly . The same goes for the guitar. It's carried right till the last drop. Listening to the sony has made me realise how good a sound from the headphone setup can be. I've heard some of the expensive speaker setup.. costing over 10,000 US but I don't think it can ever beat my setup. I feel that cd3000 can to convey the emotion much much better than other setups that I've heard. The Sony also has everything that I've been searching. Warm vocals, dynamics, bass, soundstage, right timbre, coherence, decays, the list can go on forever. When I listen to the sony I feel like I'm already done and nothing else can be improved. Of course I know there is an R-10 but probably I can only dream about it. If you're in a market looking for one headphone, give this a try.

Similar Products Used:

Beyerdynamic DT880 , dt770pro, dt250-80, Etymotic research er-4s/p , Sennheiser eH2270

HUUUGE SOUUUUNDDDSTAAGE Comfort

Price Physical Size Very colored (but what isn't?)

I bought this headphone after hearing great things about it on head-fi.org and having the need for something closed for late night listening with a sleeping roommate. Generally, this headphone is EXTREMELY colored, you will either love it or hate it. It's kind of the same with Grados, you either can take the harshness/brightness or you can't; simple as that. Paired with the right equipment, the headphone can be very warm. The highs seem somewhat exagerrated, but not to the point where it'll promote fatigue. In fact I could wear this thing for an whole afternoon without complaints. Bass goes fairly deep for a bio-cellulose headphone. It's very lush and controlled. Some "bassheads" might find it too light, but I feel it's just right. The midrange and vocals are SLIGHTLY laid back, but it has a very smooth presentation that you can fall into very easily. The best part in this headphone is the soundstage. Oh my, this thing creates a very enjoyable 3D perspective into the music. You can hear left, right, up, down, alll over you when it's positioned right. With the angled drivers, the soundstage is ADDICTING. I also found the CD3k's loooves tube-based amps. I'm using a Maple Tree Audio Design EAR+ amp, and I love this combination more than what it is notoriously known for combining with; the Grado RS1's! At the full retail price of $699 it isn't really worth it, but considering how old this headphone is, you can get it very easily for around the $350-450 mark. At used prices it's even more worth it. It certainly is one of the best dynamic headphones under the $1000 mark, but for something at this price range, it really depends on what you like in the presentation of the headphone. For me I really enjoy it. (just cuz it's sony doesn't mean it sucks, it's an "old school" sony, back when they made some great products)

Similar Products Used:

Grado 60, 80, 225, RS1; Senn HD600, 202, mx500; Beyer DT880; Audio Technica W100;

Very natural sound especially for strings.

A bit expensive

To Mr Songlife,

I bought this Sony MDR-CD3000 headphone in 1991 while I am studying in Japan. Actualy this product only sold in Japan at that time. Yes! I am still using this headphone till now and still the best headphone I ever used. I also tried Sony MDR - R10 (very-very expensive headphone and use lamb skin and wood casing) while visiting Audio Fair at Tokyo in 1991 and it was a very good experience.

As you said, MDR-CD3000 can handle extremely high input signal without clipping, and I am also enjoying very loud music.

Below web page URL are where you can see some info about Sony Headphone, and from there you can see that Sony MDR-CD3000 was released in 1991 in Japan. BTW, the pages are in Japanese but you can see model number, date/year and cost in Yen.

http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~LP1S-SWD/hanbai/phone/index.html

URL and picture for Sony MDR-R10 is

http://www.sony.co.jp/sd/ProductsPark/Models/Current/MDR-R10_J_1/index.html

First MDR-R10 on sale was in 1989

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR-CD999

To Mohammed: My apology for doubting you. I'm surprised to learn that the 3000's have been around that long! I had no idea.

One month later, I still agree with my review. I am now definitely sure that these phones exaggerate frequencies in the 2-5k range. Sometimes this is annoying, sometimes it's a good thing. I can just adjust my EQ until I find a sound I like, but I usually have to fiddle with it for every song. My HeadRoom amp might have something to do with this too; it's being forced to drive a very hot input.

As for the problem of comfortability, it's not that big a problem except during long listening sessions. The Sony design, which totally prevents adjustment, was a bad idea. I still recommend the headphones very highly, despite this. Without a doubt, I prefer these headphones over the wimpy Sennheiser 600's.
This is a high quality product that will probably satisfy very demanding listeners. The price is still too high, though.

great sound, light, fit well (well... on _my_ head)

expensive

I purchased my SONY MDR CD3000 in Moscow, Russia for around $380 and I must say that i'm very satisfied with this product. Yes, it's very expensive for just a pair of cans but you should try them on and listen!!! It just stands far apart from everything else. Crisp and clear highs and middles. Very good bass. Can handle very high volume. Fit well on my head. I don't agree with those who say that self-adjusting mechanism don't work well. It probably depends on a shape of your head. I can listen these headphones for a very extended period of time witout even thinking that I have something on my head. Thank you, SONY!

Powerful Bass
Very efficient
Full of detail
Ultra Comfortable

Too big
Kinda expensive

This humongous headphones comes in beautiful and equally humongous case which is really nice when u want to travel with it. It also justifies the price. One of the biggest strengths is that it requires very little power to drive them, making it perfect to use with portables (if ur willing to wear them in public in order to enjoy the most of ur music). Its other forte lies in the amazing detail produced by the drivers. In fact, I had a chance to hook it up to my friend's Grado RS-1 headphone amp to see how much improvement the amp had on the quality. Of course there was a improvement in the sound, but the headphone's sound quality was high enough standing alone that it's not enough of an improvement to justify the $350 additional to purchase the amp. The only weakness when compared with ALL the other headphones is that the Grado 325's sounds better with the vocals. Overall, Sony is the only brand which had the characteristics that satisfied my music. Only Sony had the power and the punch that separates it from all the others.

Similar Products Used:

AKGs, Grados, Sennheisers, and other Sonys

Able to withstand very loud volumes.

Way to bright in the highs.

I do not have much experience with headphones but I would have to say that for the price I paid for these, it was not the experience I was looking for. I found that when mixing my music, the highs get so bright and loud compared to rest of the mix that I can barely continue listening. It makes it impossible to use these phones at high volumes for a very long time without substantial trauma in the ear. They will handle very loud volumes but its debatable whether or not the quality of sound is as good as it can get that loud.