JVC HA-RX500-E Full Size Headphone, Black

I own 'audiophile' quality Beyerdynamic 770 DT pro, yes they have a cleaner, more precise and less coloured sound, and less boosted bass compared to these JVC HA-RX500, however the JVC are much more fun when listening to rock, indie/alternative rock, indie pop, because of the more prominent vocals and the grittier reproduction (in a good way) of distorted guitars, way too clean and boring on the more expensive 'audiophile' headphones. I close my eyes and it's like being at a rock concert!Out of the box the JVC are possibly a bit too bass heavy (not compared to Beats and similar though), but I own another pair that is now 4 years old and sounds even better, so probably once they break in the sound gets more balanced. On the other side the cheap padding peels off after years of use, but then I can buy another paid for next to nothing after a couple of years.Anyway for the price paid (£15 on offer) the JVC are great for fun listening of all kinds of music (I listen to rock, pop, folk, classical, EDM, electropunk etc.)They are also light and don't put much pressure on the ears, can wear them for hours. Given the price range, the plastic construction is a bit flimsy, so I handle them with care just in case.

First of all, I am a JVC fan and had a set of "DJ Style" JVC headphones (HA V570) for 8 years! They were used every day at work but the pads started disintegrating recently, and the in-line volume became iffy. So JVC were top of the list but I considered Sennheiser 201,202, AKG K44, smaller Sony 310 foldables, and the bigger JVC RX700s. I ruled them out mainly on price but also on reported leakage and size.I wanted something for office use so not too big (or expensive as I leave them at work) but good sound, isolation and leakage. These pass on all three counts!I tested them against another 2 sets of headphones old JVCs and some big Sony XD200s see photo. Size wise they are in the middle, not as big as full size, but slightly bigger than DJ headphones. These have the least sound leakage and best isolation of the lot, they are also the most comfortable.They feel well made for the price, look decent but understated, and they are light for their size. The lead is massive and not that suited to portable use unless you wind it up, I kept the cable tie on. You'd have no problems using across the lounge on the TV or Xbox and I reckon sound wise they'd be really good for that too.I played some metal, pop/rock and quiet acoustic numbers while switching headphones back to back, on a Nexus 5 phone and PC, they are definitely the loudest by a noticeable margin. The sound is "powerful" and is balanced across the bass and midrange and thankfully not too bass heavy (the Sony's are). However they're noticeably dull on the high end compared to the other two which is disappointing and unexpected after reading the other reviews. It can be compensated for by EQ but it's worth dropping a star. Sound is subjective but bear in mind I compared these side by side with the others. I've read these need time to burn in so hopefully that will change.I also compared them against some "Technika" full size PC headphone/mic which I thought were OK...These JVC's totally blow them away so the sound quality is in no way bad. I mainly listen to rock, which sounds great on these but I tried some trance anthems and they are lively and punchy but these aren't all bout the bass :-)I normally budget between £15-30 for headphones, so can't compare with high end model, but the for the money I think these are worth it.

Sold by Amazon and arrived next day even though chose the super saver option so very impressed with speed of delivery. I ordered early morning so that might be why. The headphones themselves are excellent, plastic might feel cheap to some but this makes them very light (and very cheap!). I like the single lead from the headphones rather but not sure why it needs to be 11ft long, I have just left the tie wrap on for now! Also there is padding to the top of the head which is main reason I chose these rather that the RX300, but presume they sound better as well, worth the extra £4 anyway. I am not an audio connoisseur and my only previous experience is in ear phones that came with my mobile phones but the sound seems very good, background noise is blocked well and suits me for listening to movies on my laptop (detail is excellent) and podcasts on my mobile. Those looking for high-end equipment my disagree but if you are looking for some headphones in the sub £20 market you can't go wrong with these,

I bought these exact same headphones 12 years ago when I bought my electric piano and they have worked very well for me. Just recently, after 12 years, I noticed that the foam on the earpieces has started to deteriorate. When I looked on Amazon for replacements, I found the same headphones were still available, and still at a very reasonable price, so I ordered them again, and once again, I’m very pleased.

Very impressed with the sound, but found the phones a little too light on my head due to their flimsy construction and the uncomfortable and inadequately padded headband. A pity when the sound is so good. I think I need to search again for something more substantial.

Just received and immediately tried them out. The weight is very light and I find comfortable. The lead is very long and ideal for listening across the 'room'. My first listen was costello on vinyl on a cheap stand alone deck and I was not overly impressed, so believing this to be down to the deck I tried my old 'tested' means of playing the Ace classic 'how long' on HDD on a Sony Gigajuke Juke. The difference was astounding, for the price paid the mid range fantastic and well defined, at the high end only the occasional fizz. Now, and this is why 1 star is lost, the intro to the song is a bass pick and although the bass was good, there was no definition and quite muddled. I feel as if I'm being a bit picky here (no pun intended) and doubt it would really worry many folk.The sound leakage is absolutely minimal and isolation wise good to the extreme (can't hear the wife, door bell or dogs). So a great buy for the price and definitely my recommendation for budget headphones.