Sony MDR-V6 Professional Headphones

I am an amateur musician and music lover and have always known the Sony MDR-V6 headphones to be a well regarded set although never actually used a pair myself.

Have used many makes over the years in studios and elsewhere, used many expensive Sennheiser and Bose phones, so I know what headphones 'can' do (if you'll excuse the pun), but I really didn't want to spend so much. So after doing a bit of research, these seemed a good bet, although a bit of a leap of faith. Ordered a pair from the US which worked out at £46 including shipping.

Build quality is very decent as you'd expect from Sony, especially a prosumer set, although I've heard the earpieces deteriorate over time and should be replaced with some velour ones. They sit very well, are comfy to wear especially compared to inner ear headphones, which I've always despised.

But the most important bit - sound quality. Stunning. Everything I had hoped for. Punchy mids, deep basses, clear highs, with superb outside noise cancelling. Made listening to all my old CDs a pleasure, revealing things I hadn't heard previously, without ever being sterile. (They say digital on them, but I think they give a very organic sounding output, and are not harsh at all).

Similarly, recording music is made fun and satisfying with these... and the only real downside is that the sound is so enjoyable through the phones that it makes my speakers sound a bit limp and flat. But that's not the Sony's fault!

I would highly recommend these to anyone wanting some serious headphones without needing to remortgage their house. They are brilliant.