The Sony MDR-CD900ST ranks #80 out of 134 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Sony
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#80 Sony MDR-CD900ST: $193.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: The bass and mids are close to target, with bass within 0.3 dB and low mids about 1.8 dB up, and the 63 ohm, 106 dB/mW design is easy to drive. The lightweight 200 g closed back isolates well, and the neutral midrange has long suited monitoring work. Peaks are small, the biggest being 0.2 dB below target near 3.5 kHz.
Cons: Sub-bass is about 8.7 dB under target and the highs roll off, with treble 4.5 dB low from 6 to 10 kHz and air 6.8 dB low above 10 kHz. That leaves the sound thin at the bottom and dark on top, with little rumble or sparkle. A 5.9 dB dip near 6.2 kHz and a 2.4 dB dip in the upper mids also push vocals back.
| Released | 1989 (37 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.59 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 30kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 70 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 63 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 106 dB/mW |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.76 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.4 lbs (200 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +7.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 78 Hz | -3.6 dB | 0.76 |
| Peak | 1,982 Hz | +6.7 dB | 1.54 |
| Peak | 866 Hz | -2.9 dB | 0.18 |
| Peak | 6,984 Hz | +5.3 dB | 1.05 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +5.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 3,934 Hz | -1.1 dB | 2.86 |
| Peak | 7,718 Hz | -2.8 dB | 3.68 |
| Peak | 5,807 Hz | +1.6 dB | 4.16 |
| Peak | 188 Hz | -0.6 dB | 2.64 |
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