10 Earphones Under $100

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Sony MDR-V500DJ: For The Pros

The Sony V500DJ is professional-looking and its priority target is pros such as DJs who need to monitor the sound being produced in an environment that can be noisy. It's a closed-back headphone, and affords a certain level of acoustic isolation. Naturally you should be realistic about the possibilities - the isolation is relatively slight and affects mostly the midrange and treble. So it won't be effective against the noise of trains, subways, and buses, for example. Being foldable, the phones are not too bulky to carry around. They have swivel earcups to allow one cup to be turned around so you can listen with one ear (a technique used by DJs and for remixing). The earphones look robust, which is indispensable for the intended use! Technically, this is really more of a compact circum-aural than supra-aural set, as Sony calls it. The phones have a coiled cable, which is good for professional applications, but not so good for portable use!

Technical Characteristics

Type: closed circumaural
Frequency response: 10 Hz - 25 kHz
Nominal impedance: 40 ohms
Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW
Cable length: 3 m (9.8 ft.)
Plug type: 3.5 miniplug/6.35 mm (1/4 in. phone)
Weight: 225 g (7.94 oz)

Serious And Solid

The response curve was well balanced but a little limited at both ends of the audio spectrum. That's not really abnormal for the set's intended use.

While not offering the best possible performance, the V500 reproduced bass and midrange with fine linearity.

The V500DJ is quite efficient and I was able to get good sound volume with a portable player, even though that's not the optimum pairing for this kind of earphone.

Efficiency: approximately 97 dB/V

Listening Test

Aimed at DJs and other professional users who need to monitor sound, the Sony V500DJ headphones are fairly large, but they're quite transportable since they're foldable. They can also be used for other purposes than the ones Sony recommends, but be aware that wearing them can quickly become tiring. The V500DJ delivered balanced sound with good midrange, with a slight decrease in the extreme high frequencies. Like all monitoring earphones, they can take high volume levels without audible distortion - another indispensable feature for their intended use. This would be a very good choice if you're looking for a set of professional headphones at a low price. The phones are less suitable for recreational listening, both because they're less comfortable to wear for long periods and because of the slightly truncated response.

Conclusions

The Good