Headphone Review
  • Sony MDR-V300 Studio Monitors 1
  • Sony MDR-V300 Studio Monitors 2
  • Sony MDR-V300 Studio Monitors 3
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Sony Studio Monitor Series Headphones MDR-V300

Nice little portable headphones, a bit better than earbuds, but a little sloppy in the bass range.
The Good

Small design lends itself well to travel and they're generally comfortable. They deliver reasonably good sound quality with swivel earcups and a nice, long cord. They look pretty cool, imitating larger Sony models. They’re like mini DJ headphones.

The Bad

Rigid headband is somewhat disturbing and the bass doesn't have punch. Clarity on the lows and highs is just not there. The small size doesn't allow total coverage of the ear, thereby allowing outside sounds to seep in.

Full StarFull StarFull StarEmpty StarEmpty Star The Verdict

Not bad for listening to portable music, these provide much better bass response than in-ear headphones, but it's a bit boomy and not completely clear. By and large, they're generally comfortable since the earcups have nice padding.

Editor Reviewed

Sony Studio Monitor Series Headphones MDR-V300

OK for iPods. Has a nice long cord and reasonably good sound. Comfort is adequate, but probably not for extended periods of time.

I originally got these because I hated the tinny sound that comes with so many models of earbuds. These are much nicer for iPod and portable CD players. Although they're not perfect sound-wise, they provide a reasonable alternative to in-ear models.

I honestly expected a little more from them based on the way they look. They’re very cute and look a bit like a smaller version of Sony’s MDR-V700DJ. Their metallic finish and swivel earcups give them a professional look, but the lack of clarity in the bass is a little distressing. Hoping I'd put them on only to be wowed by the beauty of the frequency spectrum and clarity over all bands, they fell a little short. They are, however, pretty good for a little pair of headphones, but maybe not worth the $50 Sony charges.

The design is cool, but the body isn't flexible, nor is it well constructed. The padding on the ears is nice, but they don’t cover your whole ear (at least not mine) which makes comfort dwindle after a little while. There's not much brilliance on the high end. If fact, they kind of make Pete Yorn sound a bit more like Neil Young and give his bass player some serious prominence in the mix. I suppose that could be a good or a bad thing, but I don’t think I'm hearing this mix exactly the way it was intended.

Besides the lack of clarity, I don’t mind the Sony Studio Monitor Series Headphones for listening to music with an iPod. They keep most of the sound in which is great and I've even used them in some tracking situations. They’re not perfect in this setting seeing as the isolation of outside sound is flawed, but the long cord is stellar for reaching a headphone amp that's all the way across the room.

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