Sony MDR-V300 Monitor Series Headphones with Folding Design

This is my second pair of these headphones. I bought my first pair probably 7 or 8 years ago and the only reason I had to replace them is that the black, leather-like material that covers the ears started to flake off and was leaving little black flecks in my hair. I guess 7 or 8 years is a good run for near-daily use. I use these headphones at work and listen to music on my PC (Jango) or my CD player all day long. I agree with one reviewer that the pressure points can make your ears sore after a couple of hours, but after a week or so of using them for just a few hours, I was able to listen all day long quite comfortably. Perhaps the tension in the crossbar loosens up after awhile or maybe my head just adapted. Regardless, I'm able to wear them all day long sitting at my office desk. The sound quality is VERY good, regardless of price. And it keeps out other distracting noises going on in the office so I can concentrate on my work. Before I bought my second pair, I thought I'd try the Radio Shack equivalent. Those headphones fell apart in my hands when I took them out of the box (one speaker broke off) and the black leather-like material had a plastic feel. Needless to say that prompted a quick return and an appreciation for the quality of these Sony headphones.

I read the reviews of the MDR-V300 on Amazon.com and other sites and I got exactly what I thought it was. I tend to read the reviews that give 1 or 2 stars to look for the negative aspects of the product and see if it's pretty consistent. Don't get me wrong, the MDR-V300 is a good product and I love it. Because of the other reviews, I didn't expect any more than I should have. The sound quality is excellent. Typically, I listen to videos and music files on my laptop. Even the cheap walkman type headphones sound better than my laptop's built-in speakers. Although I'm not an audiophile, I don't think I could tell the difference from headphones that cost significantly higher. The construction is pretty cheap. Other reviewers said that it's not rugged enough if you plan on travelling with them and take it in and out of bags or cases repeatedly. It's true, but if you use them only at home or at the office, then it should be tough enough. I only take it between home and the office, so they don't get much wear-and-tear anyway. Actually, I like it because the phones are very lightweight. This is exactly what I paid for and I'm happy with the quality, construction, and price.

Headphones worked great for a few months, but then the right side just completely died out. The sound quality was great, as I used to have a pair of these a long time ago. But for some reason, they are unreliable now. I will go with the MDR-V150's as they are cheaper and seem to be more reliable.

Headphones stopped working after 6 weeks of use. Too late for Amazon return. What am I supposed to do now? These are expensive headphones and should last more than 6 weeks.

I've had a couple of MDR-V150s for a few years and they still work great. The padding is coming off and they both have a broken headband due to my "fivehead". I wear them with the headband behind my head as if they were a "street style" set, otherwise I'm sure they would crack as quickly as the V150s did. I've had the V300 for a week and the sound quality over the V150 is very noticeably better. I use these at work with my iPhone and they easily drown out my coworkers. No need for those expensive noise cancelling headphones. My music tastes include Latin Jazz, Rap, Hip Hop, Jazz, Funk, Rock, etc. and no matter the genre, these headphones sound great. The only reason I rated it a 4/5 is due to the fact that they didn't see fit to add the on-cord volume controls that exist on the V150.

When I purchased these headphones I was looking for studio quality sound at an affordable price. And for the most part... that's what I got. The sound these babies can deliver is impressive. Even with the volume pumped up all the way, there is no distortion. Highs, mids, and lows all sound good. I love that the cord is pretty long as well. Although, it does get in the way unless I wrap it around my monitor or to the side of my desk, it does allow me to step a few feet away from my desk without taking them off. My biggest gripe with these is the design. While adjustable to fit virtually any head size, the slider casings are extremely fragile. After a month of use, one side had completely broken. My solution, masking tape. One week later, the other side broke. Again, masking tape. Insterestinly enough, the adjustable sliders work just as well when the casings are being held together by nothing but tape. I still use this product religously, even though they do look like I jerry-rigged them. I would have liked to give 3.5 stars, but 4 is too generous. These aren't for travel. I recommend home or office use only. Consider noise cancellation for office use though. There have been plenty of times I couldn't hear someone speaking to me even at mid-volume.

Let me first start by stating that I am a musician with a very discriminating ear, especially when it comes to clarity and comfort (in terms of sound). This headset from SONY is exceptional in terms of value and performance. I mainly use them with my iPOD and my iBook while at the local coffe house. I am very pleased with the overall clarity of the tone from these headphones. They are extremely light weight and very compact (although they do not fold up completely, stil easy to lug around in a lap-top case or messenger bag; fits easily into any small back-pack compartment). The cord is very long, as other reviews had stated. I use a velcro cable-tie with mine to keep it neat and tidey while out. Honestly, the price is good. I've paid near that much for a pair of poorly manufactured Radio-Shack headphones that were much bigger and lacked the depth and clarity that this pair of SONY's exhibits. I like this headset. I'd quickly buy a second pair if this one were to become non-functional.