I personally don't think they are for listening, say, with a portable device or at home with a Hi-Fi. They are way to bassy in their overall delivery of sound. But please don't get me wrong: they are not meant to be used to 5 hours of John Coltrane or Debussy, but they are beautiful to any bass oriented genre and the on-off-on-off environment of DJing. For home/portable use, I strongly recommend the Sony 7506s. They are lightweight, extremely comfortable and have a perfect balance of bass, mids and highs EQ-wise. Every situation has its best headphones. DJing: 700s - Audiophilia: 7506s


For DJ's Only...   April 4, 2005
 14 out of 18 found this review helpful

I've had my headphones for 3 years. I'm an amature DJ and could only recommend these for DJ use.

1st of all, the major complaint about these headphones are the cracks that appear on the swiveling brace. Face it, it's plastic and it can break. And it's not the best design for durability. But it's not gonna happen to everybody. As a matter of fact, a lot of record stores with turntable sampling stations will have these headphones out for use. A local record shop in HB had about a dozen of these headphones out for years of careless use. I think, most people end up sitting on or packing them in heavy luggage. I can't see how you can just put these on top of your head and break them.

2nd, they're not designed for audiophile sound quality at moderate volumes. They're designed to monitor the next song while listening to blaring 15" club speakers. A device with mediocre output voltage will not move these 50mm drivers well enough to get good sound quality. So stay away from iPods. They're just not gonna drive these headphones really well. Imagine hooking up two 12" subwoofers to your car and trying to power them with your headunit. It's not gonna happen. Like I said, these are specifically designed for DJ's. I use a Vestax PMC-05Pro2 mixer and I get crisp, studio monitor quality sound. Very transparent and smooth lows.

3rd, as for the 50mm drivers.. these headphones are designed for accurate and distortion free playback at loud volumes assuming you have a clear and strong output. There are other headphones out there that have 50mm drivers that are designed for moderate volume levels. A lot of it is going to depend on the sensitivity of the drivers. Usually, lower sensitivity will handle louder volume levels better but a higher sensitivity unit will sound more accurate at lower levels. So if you're not using headphones to monitor songs at a concert or at a club, go and spend your money on something else.





Like Nothing You've Ever Heard!   March 15, 2001
 11 out of 11 found this review helpful

These are excellent headphones! I had some $80 Koss headphones before these and the Sony's are much better. Their bass is astounding, and mid's and highs are clear and crisp. The only downside I have found is that they squish your ears a little, but if you don't have to wear them for more than 3 or 4 hours at a time, they're very comfortable. The coiled cord, folding design, and the supplied screw-on mini plug to 1/4 inch adapter are neat features. I'd reccomend these headphones to anyone who wants great sound.


Awesome, but steer clear for home use   November 25, 2002
 11 out of 13 found this review helpful

The sound quality from these headphones is nothing short of stunning when listening to club music or anything with a lot of base. No matter how high I turned the base or volume, these phones showed no sign of distortion. You really FEEL the music. I was very impressed. A word to the wise. They may seem comfortable for a few minutes, but after 5-10 they get quite hot and a bit painful on your ears since they are very tight. These are not designed to prolonged wear and are close to the ear because they are for DJs in very loud settings. If you are a DJ, you really can't go wrong here. If you want comparible sound for home use I suggest the Bose TriPort headphones. They may feel light and flimsy, but the sound is almost as impressive as the Sony MDRV700DJ.


Buy the HD 280 Senns Instead!   July 16, 2003
 11 out of 12 found this review helpful

These will break on you, very quickly - believe me - I'm a DJ that's given up and decided to go to the 280's! What happens is that in a short period and even after taken care of these, the swivel cups/plastic thing will crack and break and the cups will no longer fit closely to your head....they will then be useless and since this usually happens shortly after a year you will no longer have your mfr's warranty!

Countless other DJ's will tell you the same thing, save your money and get something better -- the HD 280's sound better, fit better, and give you more value for your money. They are cheaper and parts are easily available and easily replaceable....unlike Sony's 700's. Do the right thing, don't buy these! You'll be happy you listened to my advice!