Sony MDR-D777LP Altus Stereo Headphones | List Price: $99.99
Discount Price: $33.95
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Brand: Sony
Binding: Accessory
Warranty: 90 days warranty
Features: - Stereo headphones with aura-nomic design for increased comfort and elite sound
- High-definition neodymium drivers produce 8 Hz to 80 kHz frequency response
- Built-in ambient sound switch lets you hear outside noise while on the move
- Aura-nomic design angles drivers parallel to ears for more natural listening
- Foldable mechanism fits inside pouch; 3.94-foot cord; 1-year parts warranty
These headphones made me want to cry! [Posted on 2008-06-05]
When the box arrived from UPS, I was so excited that I ripped into the box and the plastic that holds the set. I couldn't wait to hear what I assumed was the deal of the century for twenty bucks. I plugged into my sound card (high end studio recording grade) and was astounded by some unmastered tracks that I had recorded a few years back. Then I plugged 'em into my iphone (using a non-included adaptor) and my glee turned to disappointment. A few modern songs that I'd purchased sounded muddy. I decided to get some coffee, sit on a corner under a tree and put some songs through a test. First up, the Rolling Stones. You know what? Every song was clear as a bell and I was underneath and inside the music. Silversun Pickups (released last year) - muddy and hurtful. In fact, most all of the albums that came out in the last five years sounded like crud. It didn't matter if they were wavs, mp3s, or aacs - most modern music was blowing up in my ears like a rattling spaceship ten seconds before destruction. For fun (even though I'm fairly young and listen to modern cds), I listened to the Kinks, Aretha Franklin, Trini Lopez and they all sounded absolutely brilliant. I now know that in the last ten years, mastering engineers have killed the sound of music.
I'm a musician and an audio instructor at a college. These headphones revealed (either in an inferior, but most likely superior audio build) that the squashing of the dynamics in modern music mastering has killed the quality of music in the misguided achievement of making songs "loud". Look it up, it's a real problem. Google "dynamic wars" or the the "Waves L2" and you'll see.
I went back and listened to the 80's, early 90's, 70's. Everything glimmered. Oh, and one modern recording sounded golden "Silver Lining" by Rilo Kiley (and it was an AAC file from Itunes, which is technically compromised goods). I'm going to buy a few pairs to give out to my friends who do music. I'm going to tell them that after their music is mastered, if it sounds bad in these, send it back and do it again. These are the yardstick to measure music quality, because something in the build won't let the music lie. Listen to something old and hear the details. You might cry, too.
Oh yeah, only 4 stars. Sound is awesome and they fit my ears right. It's just that the build is a bit janky.
You get what you pay for [Posted on 2008-06-06]
Alas, we get what we pay for (when we're lucky). These are fine as $20 headphones to give the kids, but the $100 list price is truly a joke! I'm a collector of moderately priced cans, and after comparing these to my Sony MDR-V6s and MDR-V600s, and Sennheiser HD-202s, PX-100s, EH-150s, HD-477s, and HD-280s, I'd say they are closest to the HD-202s in sound character. The D777s have acceptable frequency response, but appear to have some peaks in the mid-range and a fairly weak but benign low-end, without the heavy mid-bass peak common to cheap designs. The peaky, slightly emphasized mid-range is probably what makes some vocals a little nasal, and they lack the open, airy sound stage of better cans.. Also, if these actually produce any measurable output at 8Hz as claimed, I'd be astonished, and as for the 80KHz high-end, my German Shepherd is non-committal.
Build quality seems good for a $20-30 design, but again, a joke at the $100 list. They have a thin, single 50" cord with right-angle 1/8" plug that is convenient for use with portable devices, but may require an extension for use with a desktop PC or stereo. The earcups are tall and narrow, and as they are nominally a circumaural design, if you have wide ears or wear eyeglasses you may not find them comfortable. The clamping force is about right - more than my PX-100s and much less than my head-vise HD-280s.
My advice to anyone needing affordable portable headphones is to immediately get themselves a pair of the remarkably good Sennheiser PX100s (see the 600+ reviews on Amazon). For strictly home use, a pair of either MDR-V600s, or if you cranium is narrow enough for them, HD-280s are excellent choices, but don't let the illusion of a huge discount lure you into the D777s...
Good for $30 - discomfort [Posted on 2008-06-12]
Quick Review
Pros:
Good clean quality
Portable, look cool
Only $30-$40 on amazon
cons:
Bright sound
Hard clamp on the head, can become uncomfortable and even cause headaches after 20-30 minutes.
So-so build quality, may break easily.
Definitely worth $30, probably not more than $60, due to the discomfort.
The triports sound slightly better and are much more comfy.
Good Headphones (only when considering price) [Posted on 2008-06-15]
I bought these mainly because they were only $25 and they had a very high list price. Because of this I assumed they would be mostly high quality but were selling cheaply because of build issues. After trying them out, I would say they are worth maybe $35 but definitely not their list price.
My first impressions are that they look very nice. In the pictures they look silver and black, but in person they definitely are more of a grayish, platinum color. They look much better than the pictures.
They fit quite nicely, though I think they are slightly on the small side for my ears. My ears are definitely on the large side, and they are fine for the most part. They surround your ears, and they do cramp the back part of the earlobe a bit. It's not too bad, but after a few hours you will feel it. Apart from that the fit is great, the pads are soft and feel nice on your head.
These phones block sound pretty well so that when music is playing you won't hear much else. I have not tested them on the bus, but at home they have blocked all noises. The switch on the side doesn't do much... the phones already let a bit of noise in, and so opening up a teeny hole lets in no more than is already being let in. I also have the JVC Marshmallows and those definitely isolate better (not comfortable like these though).
I have little experience with headphones and the like, so I don't really know what to say about the sound quality. Compared to my Marshmallows the bass is definitely weaker and these seem to have a fuller mid-sound. Other than that I have not noticed too much difference. They both sound good to me.
Before buying I read tons of reviews stating that these phones broke soon after purchase. I can definitely see how this would happen since all the parts attaching the phones to the headband seem like flimsy plastic. I'm hoping mine don't break so I have "strengthened" them by placing wires along the plastic connectors then wrapping them in black electrical tape. You can hardly notice this, and I hope it will make it stronger.
PROS:
Short cord (a meter and a quarter maybe). Nice for an iPod.
Comfortable fit
Nice looks
Decent sound (i think)
Can be had very cheaply
Good (not great) isolation
CONS:
Weak attachments to the cups... likely to break.
Weak base response (though not too bad when I boost the bass on my iPod).
Ambient switches really don't do much.
Good but not ideal comfort. [Posted on 2008-06-16]
For the price I payed (25$), I got way more then I expected. Of course, compare this to the Bose series, which I also tried, Bose wins hands down, they also come with a minimum retail value of roughly 5 times this for their cheapest model. My sources for comparison are the Bose Quiet-Comfort an Apple/Ipod headphones.
Pros
Doesn't use batteries and the design keeps unwanted sounds out without a "noise-canceling" system
Fairly good reproduction of sounds
Cons
Bass could have been better. I got better base from a lower model Sony. It's definitely an upgrade from the Ipod ones... then again anything is ;)
Feels heavy on the ears after a while
Also has a certain constricting effect
In the summer you will sweat in them and wearing sunglasses add discomfort
I really don't see (hear?) the difference while swithing the ambient noise button on and off.
Then again, keep in mind the attractive price tag. These babies go for over 175$ in Canada (not sure of US pricing). Great for listening indoors in a cool environment. It probably was not intended for a 2 hour commute under the sun. ;) Plug these into a tv or a computer (if you have an extension makes things easier) and the sound is great. I will probably buy a lighter pair for when I'm on the run.
I do recommend this product as great headphones under 50$. If the price goes over the 50$ mark, the price/quality ratio just won't do. If you can afford it, go with something better (hint: the lower end of Bose is going for 130$). If not, you get value for your buck with this.
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