Sony MDR-MV1

I needed a good pair of headphones for monitoring low end. I always enjoyed the Sony sound—the MDR-7506 being one of my all-time favorites. The MV-1 has little in common with those, though, and I mean that in a positive way.

I know, I know, monitoring low end should be done on speakers big enough to move the air around and punch you in the chest but I had to give up my studio space and GIK Acoustics panels to move to a room with terrible acoustics where large monitors wouldn't work.

I tested a few different cans for the purpose: MV-1, DT 1990 Pro Mk2, LCD-X and Focal Clear Mg Professional. I kept the MV-1 and the Focals. That should tell you something.

These headphones are the most comfortable I've ever worn, no comparison. What's more, they make me enjoy music like I haven't in a long time. That is just a bonus point, though, because it wasn't why I got them. I got them to check bass. So I listened to an old mix of mine on the MV-1s and the DTs. I knew the track had a problematic low end and on the DTs it sounded just right, but the overemphasized bass on the MV-1s made the mistakes unbearable to hear. That's invaluable to me.

Using these daily now. If there's one point of complaint it would be that there's no carrying case or bag. If I can find an aftermarket alternative I will get it because I want to enjoy these headphones for a long time.

There is really little not to like about these headphones. First of all they are extremely light and comfortable, so you can wear them for hours without any problems. Build quality is very good despite the low weight. Stock tuning has a moderately V-shaped character, which is very fun and musical, these headphones really do bring back life to music, especially if you compare them to some of the more analytical audiophile headphones. Bass is very present for an open back headphone, but it does not really bleed into the mids. The midrange itself is very natural. Treble can be a bit excessive on some tracks because of that 6-8 kHz peak, but the good thing is that these headphones take EQ extremely well - I have heard that the approach from Sony was that they tried to make the midrange as natural as possible and then give the headphones a boost in the bass and treble regions, since these are the areas where most people use EQ and it is better to have more default energy, because when EQ-ing it is always cleaner to reduce energy rather than increase it. Soundstage, imaging and separation are also decent, vocals are definitely not as intimate as on Sennheiser HD600 series, the whole presentation seems to be a bit more spaced out and distant.

Overall this is an incredible headphone at this price point and I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who wants a fun, musical set, which is also a great platform for EQ.