SonyMDR-CD900ST Studio Monitor Stereo Headphones (Japan Import)

I have been using a well broken-in pair (and much reviled by the headfi.org crowd) of Koss Pro4AAAT for some now. I wanted to try something new and bought these. My decision was based on several factors. These have rave reviews everywhere. I recall reading a post somewhere that the midrange these headphones produce is "magic". But it is more than having been reviewed by golden-eared kids on headfi.org - these are supposedly used in all the studios in Asia by real professionals who make the music that we listen to, and they should know what a good pair of headphones should sound like. These headphones are also considered by many to be superior to the popular highly regarded Sony 7506 headphones. I listened to a number of studio monitor headphones but I never heard Sony 7506. I owned a very similar model, a highly rated Senal SMH-1000, and I gave it up because it sounded too abrasive to my ears. Anyway, Sony MDR-CD9000ST is a very good looking pair of headphones, except for that cheesy 80's "for digital" sticker, as if someone still makes headphones strictly for analog music. The headphones are slim and not overbuilt, but the fit and finish is excellent. They are very light and comfortable. I could keep them on for hours. Compared to these, my Koss headphones feel like two bricks squeezing my head, although I am used to it. But the sound did not impress me. The sonic signature was similar to the Senal headphones, except that the sound was much more delicate and refined. Still, to me the headphones sounded "zingy", "hissy" and "wispy" - bright, sibilant, lightweight and thin. I listened to the headphones for about 20-30 hours and nothing seemed to change. I really wanted to keep these but I like what I like so I am going to have to give them up and go back to my Koss phones.Although I did not care for their sound, I am still going to rate these five stars, because these are very popular professional quality headphones that have their purpose - maybe the studio mixes created by using them turn out to be superior?Unfortunately, only a few models of headphones are available locally to be auditioned, and they are typically the least expensive ones. So we end up relying on amateur reviews to make purchasing decisions. These reviews really don't mean much, because we all have our individual preferences. The self-professed experts throw around terms like soundstage, bass quantity, treble extension, and whether there is a midbass hump or a low treble suckout. You can read stuff like "V-shaped dark presentation" and similar nonsense. Manufacturers would probably laugh if they read some of those reviews. What matters the most to me is how the headphones are voiced. I like gorgeous, fleshed out tones. When I hear an instrument, like a piano or a violin, I listen for the body and texture of the sound. When I hear a drum, I want to feel the energy of the impact.My advice is to listen to these before buying.

I've had these headphones for 2 years now and they are phenomenal in terms of studio monitoring, flat sound, vocal mixing and midrange sounds. I've waited this long to 'review' this headphone mainly for durability purposes to see if it'll hold up. I record and make music casually/as a hobby/for music youtube channel. I've seen people in the comments seem to be using this headphones for casual listening. They're not meant for that. A lot of people who are used to “mainstream” headphones like Bose, Sony WH-1000XM series, or even AirPods Max often feel underwhelmed by the CD900ST at first. This is the gold standard in Japan and why a lot of studios in Japan (and other parts of Asia and the world) uses these headphones:First is its neutral, flat sound signature. These are not meant to sound good in the usual sense like Bose or Airpods Max or Senheisser, they’re meant to be accurate. They don’t hype up the bass or gloss over harshness. If something sounds bad, it WILL sound bad. That’s exactly what recording engineers want who designed this headphone an unfiltered version of the track, so don't go tweaking stuff with the EQ.Second is the tried-and-trrue industry standard (in Japan ofc). Since the late ‘80s, this headphone has been the gold standard in Japanese recording studios. NHK (Japan’s national broadcaster) basically made them standard across the board too. You’ll find them in places like Avex, Sony Music Studios Tokyo, etc. It’s more of a cultural and professional legacy choice now tbh, but if you watch The First Take on Youtube or other Japanese Music Youtubers who does song covers, a lot of them uses this.Third is durability and serviceability and why I truly waited to write this review. This thing is built like a tank, no cap. And because they’re so widely used in japan, parts are easy to find in Japan--at least for me because I go to Japan every year. Anyway, I've only replaced the earpads so far, but the drivers and even cable is easily swappable and repairable.Last but not least is this is designed for studio monitoring, not casual listenin--they’re tuned for midrange clarity and vocal precision (which is great if you sing a lot like I do). It's especially helpful for mixing vocals (lead, backing, harmonies etc.) or tracking them. But that can come across as thin or boring compared to mainstream consumer headphones that a lot of the people are used to.