Sony MDR-V55 review

Do these cans sound as good as they look?

Sony MDR-V55 review
The Sony MDR-V55 headphones come in all white, black with white cable, black with a blue cable or black with a red cable

TechRadar Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Looks good

  • +

    Cushioned ear cans

  • +

    Foldable design

Cons

  • -

    Sound quality not that great

  • -

    Short lead

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Sony has been in the audio technology business for a good while now, so when we get a pair of Sony headphones in, our hopes are understandably high. Their design is attractive, and the Sony MDR-V55 can be swivelled and folded to be easily carried around.

The cushioned cans make the Sony MDR-V55 comfortable to wear, though after half an album you'll probably want a break. The lead, while a bit on the short side, is flattened to again make these headphones easy to carry about, as well as minimising knots and tangles.

Of course it's the sound quality that's most important here, and unfortunately the Sony MDR-V55 comes up short. The audio range seems pretty limited, with the sound feeling flat, and at higher levels suffering from distortion.

Verdict

It's a shame, these headphones look the part, and at lower volumes sound OK, but listen to anything reasonably loud and you'll be disappointed.

Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. Ever since he got an Amiga A500+ for Christmas in 1991, he's loved using (and playing on) computers, and will talk endlessly about how The Secret of Monkey Island is the best game ever made.