26 out of 27 people found this review helpful.
I can't believe these are replacements for the venerable MDR V6!
Date of Review: Apr 18, 2001
The Bottom Line: The V600 is a poor buy. Save your money and find a pair of MDR-V6 or audition other units in its price range. The old V6 was much better!
I've owned a pair of Sony MDR V6's for a long time - possibly 8+ years and have been thoroughly happy with them for the price. They are comfortable, good sonic performance, fold to a fairly compact package and have survived a lot of business travel and the abuse that results from business travel.
So, when I heard the MDR V600 was a new and improved successor to the venerable V6, I went down to my local stereo shop and bought them over the counter without auditioning them. I took them home and eagerly anticipated the new and improved sound. Boy, was I in for a surprise! Not only are they not an improvement, they were, definitely, a step downward. It was a major disappointment. I can't understand Sony's thinking on this.
It is my impression that the V600 is a bit too bright on the highs, kinda OK in the mid range and muddy and ill-defined in the deep bass. The sound was generally thin and not very open in feel. It just did not have a nice live quality to it and the harsh highs made listener fatigue a problem in short order.
I auditioned the V600 using 3 different CD players - a Sony portable, an Aiwa portable and an Onkyo 4-CD changer with a headphone output jack. The sound from all three sources was similar. The program material ranged from symphonic classical works, pops, new age and vocals. The classical CDs were Telarc CDs.
The edginess/sharpness of the trumpets and horns in Berlioz's March to the Scaffold was hard to take. It was downright screechy sounding - kinda like fingernails on a chalkboard.
The "hard S" sound in female vocal as in Loreena McKennitt's beautiful voice, again, was very harsh.
The electric Sitar on Kate Price's album, Isle of Dreams, did not sound right - almost like a poor synthesizer rendition of the instrument.
The percussion and plucked sounds (transient response) in classical guitar and bass Violin was muddy or fuzzy.
In summary, this was a major disappointment. I cannot recommend the V600 for any use in its price range. They have no redeeming qualities. I took them back the following day without hesitation or remorse for a full refund. If you can find them, the MDR V6 is a much better buy!
Jim
B&H Photo Video Pro Audio
