MDR-ZX600 review

     The MDR-ZX600 is a budget offering by Sony. Sporting stylish good looks with a brushed metal plating on the earcups, good sound quality and the price to match, at S$89.90. However, is it truly worth it? Let's find out.

     Firstly, the comfort. These earphones are extremely comfortable (They are more comfortable then some circumaural pairs I know) with little clamping effect and supersoft earpads. Of course, this leads to super poor noise isolation, but you know you cannot always have both comfort and isolation.The headphones themselves asound, tremely stylish with a sielsewhere.  colour plus suitably placed accents. The cord is tan and it terminates in a L-shaped 3.5mm gold plated stereo plug. 

     Now, on to the sound quality. The sound quality is really nice, with really balanced sound. The bass does not get overwhelmed by other sounds but is not strong enough to be overpowering itself. The headphones feel extremely light and almost non-existent on my ears and the balanced sound from the 40mm neodymium magnet drivers are extremely enjoyable. However, there is an extreme put-off: Sound quality is extremely grainy and unrefined. The sound quality would be really enjoyable, especially for the daily budget commuters, if not for the grain. 

     Of course, these may not be the headphone of the century, or the best sounding headphones for its price, but the sound quality combined with its stylish looks and rugged goodness with an extremely tangle free cord (chuck it in my bag, take it out 3 hours later, cord is barely tangled. Just pull it straight!), makes this one very good buy. If you are a commuter seeking a good pair of headphones for the daily commute and for daily listening without eating a hole in your wallet then this is the one for you. However, if you prefer a less grainy sound, you probably should look elsewhere.