Smart Move, Sony!

Who could ever forget the portable and popular Walkman? It seems like everyone has heard of them and I believe they must have made headphones popular as well.

When boomboxes get in the way, who cannot love headphones? I like them. You must like them. Heck, when my parents are listening to country music on the radio, my headphones are a way of escaping into another genre of music.

That would be rock. Rock, dance and pop to be exact. Recently, not only have headphones become popular in my school (CD players everywhere), but it's those big, thick-padded ones.

So I told myself, I want thick headphones for Christmas.

Low and behold, my wish had come on Christmas Eve when I had gotten the Sony MDR-V150 headset. Usually when you get a CD player, the headphones you get with them are either thin, cheap or not good enough. These headphones take sound to another level.

Sony is probably the leaders in the electronics department. I have had two Sony VCRs that have lasted ten years so far and a Sony Playstation and Playstation 2 that have lasted a few years as well. Maybe they are just Sanyo products that cost more just for the name, but I just know that Sony works.

My test subject for the Sony MDR-V150 headphones were a Panasonic SL-SX321C CD player. Originally on the stock headset that came with it, sound was good but the thumping bass at low sound and extra "oomph" at louder volumes were just adequate. These headphones, with its 6 foot cord and nicely padded speakers became a nice feature especially after one hour of use. I found that the Sony headphones had excellent sound buffing, enough to where outside noises such as the television or other people talking were obsolete when I played my music.

The music I listened to was P.O.D.'s latest CD entitled Payable on Death. When played at the loudest volume with the bass on its highest setting, sound was still crystal clear to where lyrics could be heard and even fully understandable. Even after an hour of Basement Jaxx's Rooty CD, drums, synth, vocals and other instruments did not stutter, sound buffed-out or even scratchy. It was clear and full. Not any other set of headphones I have tried even compared to the quality of the sound.

Even at low volume, I still felt involved in the music, as sound was still clear and full and concert-quality sound was heard.

The headphones themselves are of high quality. Like I said before, the padding on the earpieces feel like leather (cheap leather at that, but still a high quality feel). They sit comfortably on the ears and even give about 3/4th of an inch of thickness for added sound buffing and comfort from the pressure of the headphones on your ears as they stay put wherever you place them. The size of the headset can be changed from a small head setting (6 inches in diameter) to a large head setting, around 8-10 inches in diameter. Even at my size (my head is pretty big), it still could fit on even larger people.

When not at use, I take the movable earpieces to my advantage. I can tilt them horizontally so they stay standing up on a table. The many positions of the speakers are wonderful; I can feel comfortable at any position, whether laying in bed, on my bike or sitting down in a chair.

The cord that's attached is six feet long; something I've already said earlier. Unlike other headphones the cord is thick and sturdy. I would feel confident if I accidentally got stuck in the rain or was stupid enough to dunk the cord in a glass of water.

I also used these headphones at 3 am on a Sanyo 21-inch television during some web-surfing on my WebTV. Being about 4 feet away from the screen, I previously had to lean closer in order to be far enough to hear sound from the TV due to a short cord on other headsets. On the Sony headset though, I am able to sit in a chair 5 feet away and still hear better than before. This is great for when my father is reading mail due to the irritating habit of reading everything out loud (ear padding comes in nicely when that happens).

When listening to stereo sound on these headphones, it feels just like surround sound. I nearly freaked out when I heard the audience yell from the left speaker to the right and back again when I listened to one of Ozzy Osbourne's latest CDs. I've also felt my heart race when I'd hear a yell or a sound effect in certain songs thinking something happened in my house.

Even better, the Sony MDR-V150 headphones come with an added plug attachment that screws on the end of the cord in case you are a DJ or just have a kick of putting the headphones in the microphone input jacks on your karaoke machine. Other than that, the basic plug on the end of the cord works fine.

At $20, these headphones are a steal. You can find them easily at Wal*Mart and any other major retailer. I wouldn't recommend any other headphones like those from Lennox Sound or Koss as they do not have the sound or the quality that comes with the Sony MDR-V150 headphones.

Overall, I am glad I got these headphones for Christmas and I plan on using them for many years to come. They feel sturdy, they have excellent sound, the bass is superb and ear pads are comfortable. I'm so happy.

~Scott