MDR-MV1 Open Back Reference Monitor Headphones

Recently picked up the Sony MDR-MV1 open-back headphones after looking for a serious monitoring upgrade that wouldn’t blow my budget — and I have to say, these headphones are the most honest, immersive, and comfortable pair I’ve ever used. What Makes the MDR-MV1 Special? These aren’t your average consumer headphones — they were engineered specifically for professional mixing and spatial audio creation, and it shows. But here’s the twist: you don’t need to work in a multi-million-dollar studio to appreciate what they bring to the table. Whether you're a bedroom producer, podcast editor, or YouTuber who cares about audio integrity, the MDR-MV1 will change how you hear your work. Key Reasons to Buy: Open-Back Design = True-to-Life Soundstage This is where the magic happens. The open-back structure creates an airy, wide soundstage that replicates the feel of nearfield monitors — perfect for mixing, spatial panning, and detailed editing. You’ll hear reverb tails, background noise, and panning choices more accurately than on any closed-back headphone. For a home studio without acoustic treatment, this is a massive win. Flat, Transparent Frequency Response Sony tuned these to deliver ultra-flat and neutral audio, especially in the mids and highs. There’s no artificial bass boost here — just clean, reliable sound. That means what you hear while mixing is what your audience will hear after mastering. Spatial Audio Monitoring Ready If you’re dabbling in immersive formats like Dolby Atmos or 360 Reality Audio, these are built for it. The imaging and stereo separation are unbelievably precise. Even for stereo mixes, the detail is outstanding — you can place every instrument exactly where it belongs. Featherweight Comfort for Long Sessions At just around 223g, these are so light and breathable you’ll forget you’re wearing them. The open-back design also keeps your ears from overheating — ideal for those long late-night sessions or Zoom-based collaborations. Pro Build, Home Studio Friendly You don’t need expensive gear to pair with these. I run them through an affordable interface (Focusrite Scarlett 2i2), and they sound phenomenal. They’re low impedance (24 ohms), so you don’t need a headphone amp to drive them — they’ll work great even if you’re starting out. Why You Should Get These Over Other "Studio" Headphones: Most closed-back headphones (even expensive ones) are great for tracking or casual listening — but they lie to you when mixing. You’ll often make EQ or balance decisions based on colored sound. The MDR-MV1 tells the truth, which is exactly what you want if you're publishing content or producing music people will actually hear on other devices. For the price, these compete with headphones double their cost. If you're in a home studio or content creation space, and want pro-level sound without investing in expensive room treatment or full-size monitors — this is your solution. Final Verdict: The Sony MDR-MV1 is hands-down the best investment I’ve made for my home studio. It delivers uncompromising sound quality in a package that respects both your ears and your wallet. If you want your work to sound the way it’s meant to — no guesswork, no hype — get these. Don’t mix blind. Listen smart. The MDR-MV1 is your new best friend.

I demoed a dozen headphones in the $300–$400 bracket at a specialty audio shop before settling on the MDR-MV1. While a few contenders had slightly more sparkle or slam in specific ranges, nothing came close to these in long-session comfort. The clamping force is mild, the weight distribution is smart, and the pads are breathable. These are the first over-ears I’ve owned that disappear on the head without sacrificing build quality. Tuning is where Sony’s engineers made some smart decisions. The MV1 walks the line between reference neutrality and casual listenability. There’s a gentle warmth in the lower mids—enough to give body to strings and ambient synths—without muddying the midrange or veiling detail. Treble is extended but not fatiguing. Imaging is sharp, and the soundstage—thanks to the open-back design—is generous and layered, especially for orchestral and spatial electronic material. They’re also surprisingly easy to drive. I’m using a portable TEA amp (which also handles phone calls), and it delivers more than enough voltage swing to get solid dynamics and headroom without hitting its ceiling. That efficiency means you’re not locked into desktop gear. Build quality is pro-tier: minimal branding, no gimmicks, and a cable that feels like it’s built for field use, not just coffee-table sessions. If you’re wired-only and appreciate a monitor-grade sound with just a touch of musicality, the MDR-MV1 punches above its weight. It’s not chasing flavor-of-the-month tuning trends or overhyped V-curves. It’s doing something more mature—and I respect that.

I’ve owned the AKG Q701 for over 10 years. They were my go-to for mixing and critical listening, but I always struggled with the low end. It felt distant and hard to judge. After trying the DT 990 Pro and Sennheiser HD600 as well, I picked up the Sony MDR-MV1—and it’s the first time I’ve felt confident in the bass on open-back headphones. The low end is clear, defined, and sits exactly where it should. I can mix bass-heavy tracks without guessing, and everything translates well to monitors, other headphones, and car systems. It doesn’t feel boosted or artificial, just accurate and usable. The Q701 still has a wider stage, but the MV1 feels more focused. The DT 990 is very close, and I tried multiple tracks and genres to make sure I was comfortable with my pick. The DT is beautiful, but definitely scoop biased . The HD600 has nice mids but lacks clarity in the lows. The MV1 gets it right across the board. They’re also comfortable for long sessions… ridiculously comfortable... No pressure, no heat, no distractions. If you’ve been chasing an open-back that actually gets the bass right, this is it. I trust what I hear, and that’s what matters most. Sound is a very personal opinion, so take from this what you will. But at this price point, I can’t imagine finding anything better…give them a try, they will blow you away

So first the good news. These sound amazing. I'm mostly running them through a Schiit Midgard/Modius combo and the sound is glorious. Incredible bass for open backs which rarely sounds muddy to me. A very open sound. And nice highs without being painful. Maybe slightly recessed mids? But not very noticeable. I have Sennheiser 660s's and HiFiMan Sundaras and to me these beat them both for casual music listening. The Senns have that "Sennheiser veil" thing. The mids are pushed VERY forward but you feel like you're missing information in the high and the lows. So music sounds kind of like a black and white movie compared to the full range, technicolor of the Sony's. And while the Sundaras are very clear, they are also kind of thin and cold sounding. Maybe too analytical. I guess the Sony's are just more "fun" which I always thought was a good thing--but to many audiophiles fun is The F Word! "Neutral" makes them weak in the knees. Don't get me started on how neutral is an illusion. I will say the Senns are the best for tracking my vocals and acoustic guitar--the mid focus works perfectly for that, but again, just listening to music, they come up short. The only reason I can't give these a five star reveiw....they broke! The left earcup got detached and I can't manage to screw them back in. Did I step on them? I don't think I did. So are these kind of fragile? I don't know. But I'm a sucker. I love these so much I bought a new pair and will cross my fingers!

The Sony MDR-MV1 is an incredible all-around headphone and my new daily driver. For an open-back design, the bass is outstanding — clean, deep, and perfectly balanced. They sound amazing right out of the box with no EQ, perfect for just vibing out and enjoying music. At the same time, they’re detailed and responsive enough to fine-tune for studio or mixing work. The soundstage and spatial imaging are excellent, delivering a wide and immersive experience. I haven’t been this impressed with a pair of headphones in a long time — an instant classic. Outstanding job, Sony.

I really wanted to like these headphones — these are hands down the most comfortable OTE pair of headphones that I have ever tried, with the Sennheiser HD 490 coming in a close 2nd!! Sadly, the unevenness of the frequency response was a deal breaker for me as a mixing engineer and IMHO these unfortunately cannot be used as reference headphones due to how unnatural they sound in the midrange. There is a substantial bass boost as well as a mid treble bump (around 6-8kHz) that gives an incredible amount of detail up top & depth to the low end, but at the expense of the middle to upper midrange being sucked out, which takes away a lot of the vibrancy & life out of most recordings with real instruments & vocals (as well as makes the lower mid range & mid bass sound muddy and boomy). UPDATE: It turns out a lot of the "consumer oriented" sound signature that these have comes from the supplied cable. When switching out the stock cable for a silver one, suddenly the whole sound signature opened up and came to life with a soundstage so realistic that I felt like I had just jumped inside of the movie set itself!! While I still wouldn't recommend this headphone for mixing, for non professional applications such as casual listening or movies, these headphones sound amazing with a silver cable & I found myself not able to put them down!!! Movies sound unbelievable, almost as if you jumped into the scene itself with incredible 360 degree imaging & thunderous sub bass that feels larger than life.

If you are okay with an average width soundstage, Sony MDR-MV1 with eq is endgame, end of discussion! Without eq they aren’t as good but that is only because these are made for mixing, once you change the tuning to something more musical (I recommend HifiEndgame’s V-Shaped Target), then these become essentially perfect outside of soundstage width due to smaller sized ear cups. Despite the shortcomings of the width of the soundstage, the depth and imaging of these are incredibly detailed. I’d say if you aren’t willing to spend more than 500$ on a headphone, these are endgame, next step up from these would be a Hifiman Arya Organic and a Dac that is powerful enough to run them, but you’d be spending well over 1k$ vs the 309$ I paid for these open box, and the 60$ Moondrop Dawn Pro that I use to fully drive these to very loud levels. Also, YOU MUST USE A BALANCED CABLE TO EXPERIENCE THESE, if you use 3.5 mm they sound terrible for some reason, but 4.4 balanced widens the soundstage and vastly improves depth/imaging capabilities of the headphones. All in all if you want to get one pair of headphones and be done with audio, grab yourself a pair of these, a Moondrop Dawn Pro, and eq to HifiEndgame’s V-Shaped Target and you are essentially getting the best bang for your buck in all of audio!

I first saw it at NAMM 2025 back in January this year. It had just come to market a little nefore the show. I finally can afford to get it. I am very happy with it. I will use it primarily for personal listening. I also have the wireless bluetooth WH1000XM4. Which I also really like. The XM4 fits and feels nicer than the XM5's. The MV1 is very neutral but with a great sound for use other than exclusively in a studio. Especially in the bass. It is not overdone or boomy and works great for all forms of misic listening. If the recording and mastering is good it will sound great. If the recording and mastering not so perfect you will be noticing that as well. Much nicer for critical listening than the wireless noise quieting MX4 but both headphones excell in their own usage designs. I was the sound tech for my church for 8 years but no studio experience. I got the case here on Amazon. Seems to fit nicely.