I’ve been a fan of Sony headphones for several decades, so I want to get that out of the way first. I first bought a pair of the venerable MDR-7506 to DJ with and they have held up perfectly through the years and they earned my respect for the build-quality and product design.

But headphone tech has improved-so it was time for me to upgrade. In the last few years, Sony has introduced the MDR-M1 (closed-back) and MDR-MV1 (open-back). I already have the AIAIAI TMA-02 to DJ out with so I didn’t need another set of closed-back headphones (even though I still envy the M1). 

I picked these up for my recreational listening from a portable mp3 player and to plug into my DJ controller when I’m mixing at home. 

They sound absolutely incredible and are extremely comfortable. Bass is good but sub-bass is not as punchy as some IEMs and closed-back sets that I own. I wouldn’t expect this design to be bass monsters. That said, the drivers have had no problem handling every song I’ve thrown at them (with drum n’ bass being the most demanding). Soundstage and details are everything I could possible expect from a pair of professional, luxury headphones. They are extremely easy to drive which means no headphone amp is needed to hear grain-free audio in glorious detail.