Decent accuracy and solid bass response (at this price point)

Requires a lot of power at the headphone jack for satisfactory loudness; doesn’t properly seal out outside sounds

I am posting this review to correct my earlier post dated 7/25/00.

For the $29.99 price I paid for them, I’d have to say that the MDR-CD160’s are a decent set of headphones. I had earlier said that they "croak out flat, toneless audio". But after another eight-hour break-in period, the bass began to be heard, the highs are satisfactory, but the mids are still a bit muddy. And they need lots of headphone-jack volume just to get them to a satisfactory loudness. But hey, what do you expect from full-size home headphones that cost only $29.99? I haven’t tested its replacement model, the MDR-CD280--but is Sony trying to imitate Sennheiser in its new MDR-CD series headphones with numbers from 280 to 2000? (I heard that open-back headphones sound better than the sealed type.)

Overall, for the price, these (or its replacement, the MDR-CD280) are a good introduction to quality home headphones--but if you want the best sound quality, save your money for a mid-to-high-end version of the Sony MDR-CD series, or a mid-to-high-end Sennheiser or almost any model from the Grado line.

Similar Products Used:

Lots of other Sony models (MDR-V series, earbuds, "Street-Styles")

I totally agree with Kelly Ritsema's review of these cans. They are very bulky and still croak out flat, toneless audio. And they aren't sealed well enough to block outside noise. Sony has discontinued this model and dumped its drivers into this year's new model, the MDR-CD180, for $19.99. The successor for the price of the 160s is the MDR-CD280. Let's hope that model turns out to be much better. (the newer CD280 model has an open back, a self-adjusting headband, and a single-sided cord.) A mediocre 2-star rating for both performance and value.

Doesn't seal around the ears; easy to hear outside noise.

For the mediocre sound that it reproduces, the MDR-CD160 is physically too bulky. Headphones half its size will completely cover the ears and still sound better.