Price Paid:  $179.00 from Etronics

Summary:
Being the curious guinea pig that I am in testing headphones, I ordered the Sony MDR-CD2000 from Etronics. I broke the headphones in, using music from various CDs, and then listened to them. Though my initial impressions were positive, they ultimately wore me down. These headphones were comfy, for sure - but here's where the good things end. The overall sound from these headphones is mediocre, even for the price that I paid for them. The bass is a little loose and lumpy, and the highs a bit harsh and grainy. The only saving grace about the sound from these headphones is the glorious midrange. And yes, I tried these headphones with both low-end and high-end audio equipment, with the same unexceptional performance. These headphones were efficient enough for use with weak portable audio equipment - but that only makes the flaws with the sound even more apparent. The single-sided cord is detachable for easy storage. The cord is covered in fabric instead of vinyl. The headband self-adjusts for even more comfort. But these headphones are so huge, they make you look like a Troklian cruiser operator! The bottom line is: There is little reason to choose the Sony MDR-CD2000 over most other open-back headphones that sell in the $150~$250 price range. The Grado SR-225, the Sennheiser HD 580 and HD 600, the AKG K501 and even the Beyerdynamic DT931 sound better overall than the Sony MDR-CD2000. The only open-back headphone in the $150~$250 price range that sounds worse than the MDR-CD2000 is the Sennheiser HD 590, with its overbright and incoherent sound.

Strengths:
Outstanding comfort Midrange

Weaknesses:
Mediocre overall sound quality for the price

Similar Products Used:
Grado SR-225 Sennheiser HD 580 Sennheiser HD 600

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
Firstly, I don''''t own these cans. I did listen to them before deciding on a pair of headphones though, and I wanted to say why I ended up leaving the store with the Sennheiser HD 570''''s. Firstly, these have a much lower volume when turned up the same amount as most headphones--meaning they aren''''t the best for portables. They are quite comfordable, but I would say that they are almost too comfordable. The Sennheiser''''s completely cup your ear, and have soft padding to tightly grip your head without hurting at all. The sony''''s don''''t go over your ears, but actually go on them--they have some type of cloth separating you from the actual speaker, which I don''''t like in a headphone. The Sennheiser''''s also have a material separating the ear from the actual speaker, but the Sennheiser''''s actually put your ear inside them, while on the Sony''''s your ear is just pushed against the cloth. Second, the self-adjusting headband really does self-adjust, but I found that this being annoying to the point of a hassle, because yes, it self-adjusts, but it doesn''''t grip your head at all--weird headphone design, and really no good if you actually plan on using these in other situation besides sitting. Thirdly, the Sennheiser''''s stuck out because they were much more balanced, smooth, and warm. They had more range--higher, clearer highs, and deeper, more accurate and natural bass. I am happy I own the Sennheiser''''s, which I believe actually had some effort put into the design and manufactoring process, while the Sony''''s are just another piece of mass-produced American crap--especially for the price.

Strengths:
Sound decent

Weaknesses:
All the "comfort" luxuries are annoying and become a negative--I found that I preferred a normal adjusting headband over this self-adjusting one. The sound is ok, but not as good as Sennheiser''''s, which are ironically less money.

Similar Products Used:
Kennwood KPM-310, Sennheiser HD 570

Price Paid:  $199.00 from J&R Music World

Summary:
Good Phones, worth the price but not audiophile quality

Strengths:
Comfort, Build Quality

Weaknesses:
Not enough dynamic range, becomes harsh at high volumes, not terribly transparent and with coloration of the audio source

Similar Products Used:
Sennheisser HD580, HD600, Stax, Koss ESP-950