Been using them everyday for a week, an listening to a varied amount of music I can really say they're the best sounding headphones I've had. Beat my Sennheisers (that fell apart) in sound quality an bass reproduction, really has been no distortion even at full volume with very bassy dance music and they're also great that they double up as ear plugs, hearing people near you is almost impossible.
 

Got these to replace my venerable mdr-v4's - they sound identical, which is good. And, the folding up feature is really nice for travelling. However, I use these mainly at work, while listening to cd's or streaming audio over the net, and for this, the v500 is great - and it muffles the hacks and coughs of my adjacent co-workers. While it's my fault I damaged my v500's, the only downgrade is that the whole chassis is plastic, unlike the durable metal pot earpieces of the v4 and the v6 [of which I just ordered a set]....one drop off the table onto a hard surface cracked the earpiece pivot, rendering the positioning detents useless - I had to creatively bend an aluminum paper clip to keep the earpiece properly oriented. It looks fugly having a metal paperclip holding my earpiece in position, but it sure beats throwing the v500's in the bin....! And for this durability issue, I decided to recently buy the mdr-v6 instead [pretty much the same design except it's made of real thin metal - same weight, super durable]. Otherwise, if you don't drop them on concrete, they're great!
 

I enjoy all types of music from electronica to jazz to indie rock and can't stand the quality of sound that you get from in ear or on ear headphones. After considering a few different types of headphone I finally decided to go for these, and the gamble certainly paid off. I use a Creative Zen Touch for listening to music, and the EQ settings really enabled me to bring out the best from these headphones. They use ferrite magnets, not neodymium, and this may seem bad, yet this allows a superb overall sound, and does not mean that they produce a bass heavy sound, but instead allow every part of the range of the song to be emphasised, producing a crystal clear sound. They come in a nice box, and are supplied with a superb gold plated jack. The swivel mechanism must be handled with care as it is slightly delicate, yet overall they are sturdy and solid. When first put on, they must be adjusted to the right size, otherwise they can be quite uncomfortable, yet this is very easy to do and just involves the sliding of the earcups. They are very soft, and shut out a large proportion of outside noise, even without active noise cancellation. I went on a music tour of Italy with school, and we drove, so after a 25 hour journey in each direction, I have become quite accustomed to them. I originally thought that they would drain the power from my Zen quickly, yet they did not at all. The Zen lasted both journeys, even with the 40mm driver units to power 18 hours of listening in each direction, so I would assume that they are not much more power consuming than a standard pair of in ear headphones. I must, however, emphasise the fantastic battery life of the Creative Zen Touch, which is said, according to the box, to last 24 hours, so there may be some loss in battery life of other portable devices. They shut out most background noise, and despite other complaints, I have not found them uncomfortable at all. After returning, I listened to a song with my original Zen headphones, which are good, and it was almost unbearable, as they seemed so tinny compared to the complete, all round, solid sound that is produced with the Sony MDR V500s. I am not a DJ, and so cannot report on whether they are adequate for DJing, yet from what I have heard, it is worth paying extra for the V700s for this purpose. Also, they have enabled me to notice sounds within my songs that I swear I have never detected before! They go very loud, especially when plugged into a high fi system or computer. They fold up nicely, allowing easy transportation, and the cable will extend dramatically if listening at home. The sound has never once distorted, yet at high volumes it can all kind of merge together, which worsens the clarity of the music. My friends all immediately noticed the difference when tested, and so it shows that anyone will notice the difference. If you, like me, enjoy your music and would like to further compliment it by buying a new pair of headphones, then I would certainly recommend these, as they give a superb sound, which will help you further enjoy your music. Take my advice, and buy a pair!
 

Just got these today and first thoughts when opening the box was "omg there tiny" but when i put them on i was sursprised that they covered my ears quite nicely and by as lightweight as they are i hardly noticed i had them on. The sound repoduction is chrisp and well balanced through the ranges, the bass has`nt distorted once yet. Hearing outside noises is nearly impossible which is good if you want to get stuck into your music. Pros :- great response to all ranges loud & balanced solid design
 

The majority of the time I have these cans plugged into my computer, laptop or video camera. The sound quality is great and they do a really good job of limiting outside noise- particularly good when filming. I also use them to play bass guitar and the sound is great.