This is *exactly* the same headphone as the mdr-7506, which you can get repaired. In contrast, the unrepairable v6 is discontinued, difficult to find, and less expensive. After getting the 7506 for $109 at Musician’s Friend, I found the v6 at www.djmart.com for $80. They're very good headphones, but a little too bright for my tastes -- not by much, but enough for me to send them back. I've tried the v600, but was dissatisfied with their very warm, clouded sound. Now I have www.jandr.com sending me the Koss A200 (formerly Koss's best non-electrostatic) for the low, low price of only $55. Groovy.

Similar Products Used:

I own the etymotic er4s.

Best Bang for the Buck for Headphones under US$150 and you can wear this for hours without getting a splitting headache.

Maybe Mid-range is a little weak

Just because its less expensive...... doesn't mean its not as good....or BETTER.

I am not saying the V6 is the best sounding headphones out there....BUT it got to be the BEST VALUE headphone in low/mid end market. I got the MDR-V700DJ last year and the bass is way too colored, there is no balance in the overall sound.... and it squeezes your head like a wedge of lemon..... so the V700 got the bass for club use ( i'll give it that much) but if I am a professional DJ.... I certainly don't want that thing squeezes my head for 5, 6 hours a night..... prepare for some sweaty hears after used..... the V700DJ goes for about $140.

Now, the MDR-V900....What a disappointment for a pair of $180 headphones..... if you listen to anything in the area of Electronica/DJ stuff, the bass actually crack a little if you crank the volume.... the bass is very loose..... although the overall sound might be slightly better than the V6....it hardly justify the cost..... Classical and Jazz seems to respond a little bit better with the 900.... it's comfortable, but by no means lightweight.

The V6 for $80 bucks got the best balance in sound quality and value....maybe the mid range could be a little bit better, and the treble is a little sharp.... but for $80, who is complaining, which also explains why the V6 have been around since the stone age..... it's light weight and quality built....something one might not expect from Sony at this price range...... I am planning to go back to the store to get another 2 pairs in case I crush this one....
it had been a workhorse for me!!

Trust me...save the green...go with the V6 if you are looking at the $150 range headphones.....Hope this review is useful for you!! Happy listening!!

Simon

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR-V900; Sony MDR-V700DJ

Very comfortable, great bass and treble response

Haven't found any yet

I recently went into the local Frys Electronics and went to their bank of some 30 sets of headphones at their listening station. I have some moderate hearing loss from listening to CW (read morse code) signals for some four years, and also years of shooting handguns and rifles (OhMYGod....a gun nut!). Anyway, after listening to virtually every set on the board, I found these to be the most responsive to my needs and gave me the best sound response. Apparently there have been some changes made over the years to the phones but I rate these very good to excellent for the average user. I would note that the lables on the earpieces now label them as being "for Digital". Time will tell how they hold up. I paid $79.00 for this set and feel they are well worth it.

Best headphones made for any price, anywhere.

None, this is perfection.

I've had these phones for almost 10 years, and they're the single best purchase I've ever made. If you love music, there is nothing better than listening to it with these headphones. They sound stunning at all volume levels, they are virtually indestructable (in regards to excessive bass causing damage, etc.), they're beautiful, and they're affordable. I've gone to the audiophile stores and listened to teh $300 headphones, and they just suck compared to these. No contest. I just bought replacement pads from Sony for $15, and now they're good as new. NOTE: The Sony MDR-7506 are THE EXACT SAME HEADPHONES, but they say "professional" and have gold "left" and "right" markers instead of red and blue. These headphones must be your #1 priority, before speakers, before gasoline, before food!!

Similar Products Used:

Nothing compares. Nothing.

Great Value and excellent sound reproduciton

None, except that they will ware out

I have read the reviews of people dissing these headphones, and I just can't believe it. I do understand personal taste but to say they sound like crap and giving them 1 star, please. Sometime I read these review and wonder if some the reviews need some kind of self-gratification. Why destroy a reasonably good product to make yourself feel better? I think people just rate them low just to satisfy some kind of urge to hurt the product or brand. These headphones have been in relatively consistent use for over 12 years. I bought them on whim when I was 15 at Crazy Eddies, remember him! I have never had such a value in all my audio purchases. I have listen to other head delivery devices and never come close to the accurate and well constructed sound these things put out. . I think they are worth every penny then and now. Nothing is perfect however, and my pads have had it. Anyone know where to get replacements? They can become very uncomfortable to wear after a few hours, ears sweat and all.

Amazing accuracy, clean highs, goes down low and sound wonderfully natural.

None noted

I have had these headphones for over 10 years and they are, without question, the best headphones I've ever heard...bar none. I've recently been in the market for new cans as my earpieces have deteriorated and I thought I may as well "upgrade". My current rig consists of an NAD 522 CD player, NAD 1600 pre-amp and 2100 power amp driving Platinum Solos (another amazing product). I searched hi and low for an upgraded set of earpieces, comparing the V6's to the usual suspects: Grado 60/80/125s and Sennheiser 580s. I even took my ten year old V6's to the various testing sites so I could do a real-time "A vs. B" analysis. In a nutshell, nothing came close. The Grados sound good (maybe even very good) but lacked the Sony's punch, accuracy and livliness. Also, the Grados are very uncomfortable and their retro-look notwithstanding, seem to have a poor build quality. The Sennheiser 580's sounded like absolute dog-crap compared to the Sony's...murky, muddled, too laid back. One redeeming feature of the Sennheiser's was their comfort...the most comfortable of the bunch;But I want headphones, not a La-z boy recliner.
After many agonizing months searching for naught, I've decided that w/out question, the MDR V-6s are the epitome of value when it comes to headphones and will contact Sony for replacement earpieces. These jewels are really amazing. Warning: the MDR-600s ARE NOT THE DYNAMIC SUCCESSOR to the MDR V6's...the 600's sound like absolute dog crap. Run, do not walk, away from the 600's when you see them. Trust me. Finally, I don't know why Stereophile doesn't peg them as a "recommended component" because they certainly deserve mention.

Similar Products Used:

Grado 60/80/125; Sennheiser 580

Construction, long stretchable cord, style, above average sound quality.

Low frequencies, comfort, sound is not natural sounding.

I recently bought a pair of these off eBay. I already own the MDR-V600 headphones. Customers reviews aroused my curiosity about the V6's. I was honestly disappointed and considered selling them. They are great but inferior to the MDR-V600's. The comfort, sound quality, complete covering of the ear, and higher grade materials are evident in the MDR-V600's. I find them also to be more dynamic across the whole frequency range. The only feature that the V6's were better was outside cosmetics. The MDR-V600's are sort of plain looking. I am going back with my MDR-V600 headphones.

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR-V600

value, construction

comfort, sound quality

I own both these and the Sony V-600 cans. I am giving the basically unused V-6's away to someone who doesn't have a pair of half-decent headphones. Don't get me wrong, I think these are good headphones! I simply prefer the 600's over these by quite a fair margin. If you read the reviews of the 600's (those available) you will note they are loved by everyone except a vocal minority which seems to feel the need to report their opinions over and over in multiple reviews. By all rights they should score higher than these old V-6's because they really sound better, and are much more comfortable, and more durable, and only cost about ten bucks more. The V-600's are more efficient (crucial for portable use) than than any high quality phones on the market, including the V-6's. They are more detailed, and have better (flatter) response, with a more natural and extended bass,lacking the low treble emphasis that the V-6's have. The V-6's were better for the analog era, when a touch extra brightness was often welcome. With digital recordings, and clean (or not so clean) solid state amplification, extra brightness often gets in the way, and becomes irritating after fairly short listening sessions. The human ear is most sensitive to sound in exactly the same frequency band that these cans emphasize, which may sound like added detail, particularly in a fast in-store comparison, with questionable gear, or with sources lacking in sonics. Sony new what it was doing when designing and marketing these cans, and it knew what it was doing when it designed the V-600 to replace them. Both were great cans for their time, and it still is the 600's time. It is no longer the V-6's time though.

Similar Products Used:

Sony V-600

Good sound for the amount of money I paid.

Cheap Earphone covers that deteriorate with time.

Very good headphone at a reasonable price that does not do much wrong or anything super spectacular. It just plays at a consistent quality level ever since I purchased them in '92. I like the sound quality of my dad's old Koss headphones but they were too hot and fatiguing (Heavy!) so I decided to buy these. I tried them out and liked the sound quality immediately and you don't need a seperate headphone amp. For all the other owners of these headphones who have had problems with the ear covers they are replaceable! Contact the nearest Sony service center and tell them you have a set of V6's and they can get them for you. My replacements were $5.95 a piece. The part number is: X21131241 & description is: Pad Assy, Ear 74-032. These also fit the V7's and the MDR-7506's. Hope this helps! Happy listening!

Similar Products Used:

Koss, Other Sony Headphones

See below

To the person who posted a review on 9/4/00:

You are actually giving a review of the MDR-V600, not the MDR-V6! And yes, the headphones you bought at Circuit City for $100 in 1997 are the MDR-V600's (not the MDR-V6's)! Are you this delusional? They are totally different designs! And for the boomy quality of the newer models, I found that my MDR-V600's (which you think as the new V6) actually had mainly mids~~no boomy bass or harsh treble. In fact, my sample of the newer model actually sounds a bit bland, not boomy. Anyway, my rating is for my 10-year-old MDR-V6: