Here is an obscure little Sony headphone that we don’t hear too much about. Unlike the MDR-V6 or the MDR-5607 headphone, the MDR-CD900ST is relatively unknown, except perhaps in Japan, where it is quite a popular monitoring headphone.
The build follows the same Sony styling that you see with the MDR-V6 or the MDR-5607. It’s fairly comfortable and lightweight. Despite the closed design, isolation is not that great, much lower than what you get from a Sennheiser HD25-1 or a Shure SRH-840.
The reputation of the MDR-CD900ST for a good monitoring headphone is well deserved. The sound is fairly neutral and uncolored. Though it has a sterile and analytical feel to it, that can be a very appealing if you’re into that kind of headphones. The sounstage is fairly spacious, when compared to other closed headphones in the $200 price range like the HD25-1 and the SRH-840. Due to the analytical sound signature, you really feel that the CD900ST is very revealing of the source. You do get an impression of detail, clarity and transparency. But after longer listening, I actually think that the detail and transparency cannot compete with more expensive cans like the K701 or the HD650.
Related Posts
Sony MDR-R10 Short Impressions
Though most Sony headphones are considered to be non-audiophile headphones, the MDR-R10 is an exception. This is a discontinued model that has gained a legendary reputation in the headphone world, and used models sell in the $6000 price range.Jaben Networks [...more]
Hifiman HE-5 vs Sennheiser HD800
I've been going back and forth on the HE-5 and the HD800. This time I am listening purely on the CEC TL51xz and the Balanced Beta22. Both the HE-5 and the HD800 is in balanced configuration. I did not want [...more]
HD800 Journal: Part 2
After more listening with the Sennheiser HD800, I've concluded that the HD800 is so good, that if your bank account permits, you might want to start doing some source rolling. Yes, the HD800 is transparent and it will reveal any [...more]
Grado HF2
The HF2 has a very smooth and liquid sound. It's like listening to a smooth vacuum tube amp (although we were using a solid-state Beta22 amplifier). Although the MS-Pro has a smooth sound, the HF2 is even smoother. No other Grado sounds like it; not the HP1000, not the RS1, and definitely not the GS1000. [...more]
Join the Discussion
Recent Posts
Sennheiser’s New HD558 and HD598
Sennheiser just released the new HD558 and HD598 headphones, which are successors to the mid-level HD555 and HD595 headphones.The HD558 now wears a slick, all black look, while the HD598 took an extreme direction with tan color, wood-look trims, and [...more]
Beresford TC-7520 Review
A while ago, some readers asked for a comparison of some of the DACs I had reviewed to the popular TC-7520 DAC. I wasn't very familiar with the Beresford TC-7520 DAC at that time, but Jeff Tomerlin at Beresford was [...more]
