Sony MDR-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 purchased these because of how fond I've been of my MDR-7506 cans- I had done a bit of research that basically indicated to me that these were a tinge more warm and colorful than the MDR-7506's extremely clean and neutral presentation- this is true! These were introduced to market in 1988 and are visually adorned with marketing that says they're "For digital"- my speculation is that these headphones are tuned a little warm to compensate for the shock many listeners would have had going from the warmth and subtle ambiance in analog music to the comparatively sharp and fuzz-less digital sound on the newfangled CDs of the time. If that was the intent, I would say it was a success! These add a layer of color and a light warm roundness to digital music, without making big sacrifices in terms of accuracy and technicality. Compared with the MDR-7506, I would say they have a slightly narrower soundstage and are minimally less technical, but with the tradeoff benefit of that endearing extra warmth and character. I would use the MDR-7506 if accuracy was top priority, but these have less capacity to become fatiguing for long listening sessions and breathe a different sort of life into digital music. On the physical end of things, they're thankfully built Sony studio-tough. Worth noting, these came with a 1/4 in jack and no 3.5 adapter, so if you're planning on interfacing with more modern consumer electronics, you'll likely want to grab an adapter separately. Clamping force is not excessive but perhaps a bit more than on the MDR-7506 (can't say this definitively as my 7506 cans have had a nice headstart breaking in). The MDR-7506 has a longer cable but is more managable due to it being coiled- I've found I need to shorten the cable on these using an easy rubber band solution. Earpads are a refurbishment you should plan on making at some point, as the crumpled pleather is notorious for turning nasty and flaking out over time. All in all, these are great! The MDR line from around this time earned their reputation as spectacular all-time monitors- the biggest compliment I can pay these is that every time I listen to them, I can't believe how great they sound for how old they are, technologically.

A required headphone for anyone who listens to music produced in Japan, especially if it was produced in the era these were introduced (late 80s). These are still used today, on channels like THE FIRST TAKE. Which is what spurred me to check them out again. These had been on my radar for years, but I could never justify the exorbinant import price, which often topped $300. These have dropped to a much more reasonable at $150 since I first read about them. Best I can tell the very similar looking MDR-7506 is effectively a less exprensive international/consumer version of these - and while I haven't heard them, I did watch a teardown of both the CD900ST and the MDR-7506, and that was my conclusion. The MDR-7506 just has a collapsing mechanism as well. So if you want to save some money from importing, that would be the way I would go. Me, I'm into this crap enough that I wanted the EXACT headphones that get used in studios. And I wanted that FOR DIGITAL sticker. So yes, I paid the charming 80s Japanese sticker tax. Remember, these are FOR DIGITAL only. No analog allowed. 🙃 I'm still waiting for my Yaxi stPad2...pads to arrive. Because, while these do sound incredible out of the box, long term comfort is an obvious issue. Less of an issue in the studio, I presume, where these are going on and off of ears frequently. No comfort issues with the headband, just pressure on ears from, I will call them questionably thin pads. They are infamous. Less infamous the great adjustment system that takes the guess work out of having these evenly adjusted, and remembering where they should be. Adjustement steps are definite, sturdy, and most importantly, numbered. I will stress they are not wildly uncomfortable as is, I've worn far worse. In fact, in the future I may get a set of MDR-7506's for use with Yaxi Pads to keep these as original as possible to what producers and musicians heard in the studio in 1987. The way I would sell someone on these is to have them listen to something, anything, on the YouTube channel THE FIRST TAKE. The rustling, background noises, banter, introductions transport you there, and then the performance blows you away. It's like a personal concert. Continuing, as studio monitors should, it's garbage in, garbage out. Poorly mixed and produced music is going to sound poorly mixed and produced.

The product I received included a silver 6.35 mm jack, contrary to the advertised gold-plated 3.55 mm variant. Furthermore, in comparison to the Sony MDR-7506 headphones that I own, the sound quality of this unit was markedly inferior. It appeared as though the audio output was unnaturally compressed, diminishing the depth and richness of the sound. The bass frequencies were disproportionately prominent, overshadowing the mids and highs, resulting in a rather flat and unbalanced acoustic experience. Such a significant disparity in performance leads me to question the authenticity of the product or whether I have unfortunately received a defective unit. I'm sending it back of course and will not buy this model again. Much cheaper and better quality is being provided by the MDR-7506.

TLDR: Purpose built headphones for media professionals to meet specific demands within the recording industry of 1980's Japan. If you're buying them just to listen to music, there are a ton of other good options at or below this price point. These headphones might work well for people doing audio production, or people who are nostalgic about bubble era Japan and want to support Made in Japan products. Build, Packaging and Initial Impressions: I bought these to replace my AKG 240 headphones when they started to go out. I loved the K240s but I wanted to try something different. My initial impression of the Sony Mdr-cd900st on taking them out of the plain brown box they came in was that they were small and angular and not heavily built. Compared to big cans like the 240s or the Pioneer SE305s that I've mostly used before, these headphones seem a bit like a piece of origami. The only extra they come with is a spec sheet printed in Japanese. If you're used consumer grade Japanese products during the 80s and 90s, these headphones will seem immediately familiar to you. The "for DIGITAL" decal printed in dot matrix font looks like it was designed as part of an ad campaign to sell Sony Discmans. I'm very glad they kept it on all these decades. It gives these phones a certain air of history and authenticity. Aside from the chrome rings around the drivers, it's the only decorative element. It's worth mentioning that these headphones are made in Japan specially by Sony Music, as opposed to most other Sony headphones which are made in other parts of Asia by their consumer electronics division. Fit: I have a big head and I found these too loose. I prefer it when it clamps to my ears, and I don't like any pressure on the top of my head. That's just personal opinion though, and these aren't uncomfortable at all. They're very light, and I've worn them all day several times already with no problems. A lot of people complain about the stock pads being too thin, but they don't irritate my ears at all. They fit on ear rather than over ear, which I thought would bother me because it's different than my other headphones, but I was totally fine with it. I'm going to try the Yaxi Stpads later since they're specially made for these headphones (and because they look cool), but if you're only concerned about fit and comfort, I think the stock pads are fine. Sound: I'm a guitarist with a good ear, but I'm not a producer, so I don't know the audiophile/producer technical jargon terms typically used in headphone reviews. I like the overall sound on these headphones, but not as much as the K240s for listening to music. The Sonys are detailed and precise sounding with more bass than I expected. Miki Matsubara sounds great through them. If you wanted to hear someone whispering in the background of a recording, these would also probably be good headphones for that. They're excellent for listening to interviews, lectures, podcasts, etc. They have plenty of volume powered through my audio interface, so you don't need to plug them into a dedicated amplifier. Actually, the problems start when I turn the volume up. Cranking the volume makes them sound harsh to me, and I have to be careful about that or my ears will be ringing by the end of a song. This was never a problem at the same levels with AKGs. The AKGs are just more pleasant to listen to, even though they are less detailed. I think that might be partly because the stock pads are so thin on the Sonys that the speaker cones are literally right next to your ears. They're so thin that you have to be careful not to push on the speaker cones with your fingers when you are taking the headphones on and off. I'm hoping the Yaxi pads will smooth out the Sonys a little at higher volumes. Conclusion: They're really nice. If you don't care about audio production or hearing songs like 'Stay with Me' and 'Plastic Love' the way they were meant to be heard, there are a ton of modern options in headphones from Audio Technica, Phillips, Beyer, Sennheiser, etc. that are around or well below this price. I'd also recommend the AKG 240s if you haven't tried them. I don't consider the Sonys to be perfect everyday/general purpose headphones the way they come out of the box. That's fine though. Headphones are basically a consumable item, so if you're interested in trying these, you probably should. For me, these are definitely a very cool period piece aside from anything else. I like the way they sound well enough to keep them, and I'm hoping they'll work well for some recording I'm doing on my own soon. Also I'm too lazy to resolder the wiring on my AKGs right now. I'm going to give these headphones 3.8 stars rounded up to 4 and recommend that you try them.

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.

Unless you have equipment for 1/4” connections, you may want to pass on this one. I experienced a lot of static that required a lot of maneuvering with the cable to fix. When it did actually work, the sound was better than its more well known siblings (the MDR-V6, MDR-7506). These cans produce a more detailed and nuanced sound, but the soundstage is not as good as the Beyerdynamic DT 770. The cable is not replaceable like the Audio Technica ATH-M50X, and those headphones sound just as good or even better with some genres of music. For the price, there are quite a few better options out there. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t really recommend these even though they do sound nice when they work well.

I have been fascinated by these cans for the last few years as I used to see them on eBay going for a lot more money since they come from Japan there was a big shipping fee. Whatever reason they become available at a much better price point in the last year or two on eBay and hear an Amazon in fact, the ones I bought were used although they feel Brand New so maybe it was an open box I’ll get to the point The ear pad issue is no joke. I just can’t imagine taking these headphones seriously with the ear pads they come with. I understand if I worked in a studio and I was looking for something different like true monitoring I might have a different opinion, but as a listener, the ear pads I had to go. I bought a generic pair of ear pads and they are fine Somehow, I think these are closer to the 7506 than the V6 but I’ve only had them a few days, and my initial impression of these are very, very good headphones and will get many hours of your side of me, but I can’t write a detailed interview till I give them a few weeks, but my initial impression is that they sound really good in the tradition of Sony studio monitors. Obviously, you have to be a fan of flat response and neutral sound although sometimes they find the vocal overwhelmed by the production, which makes it sound a little boo me, and at times it can sound a little tiny, but they are just warming up so I will give my true review in a few more weeks