MDR-V400 vintage headphones..

[david_f]

I own a pair of Sony MDR-V400 headphones which I bought way back in the early 90's. I have owned many different (expensive) headphones since then, but they are still by far my favourite pair, and I am unable to find any new headphones that have the same sound quality as these. I know they are not necessarily the most accurate or best sounding headphones, but they sound the best to my ears. The are starting to age and fall apart, so I am looking for a suitable replacement.

Can anyone advise on what current Sony headphones are most similar to the old MDR V400's in terms of sound quality and frequency response? Thanks.

[StartTheCar]

I will start with the easy question.  The frequency response for your much loved MDR-V400’s is 10 -25000 Hz according to the service book.

Now the tricky part, what to replace them with.  Finding a pair of new headphones to match or even exceed the frequency response should be that difficult.  The mid-range MDR-XB700 does this for example (3-28000 Hz)

However, as you point out in your post, the “best” in terms of spec and sometimes even reviews is no guarantee they will work for you.  For me, the very subjective nature of headphones means that the only real way to be sure is to go out and try as many pairs as you can and stops me short of offering any specific recommendations.

Thankfully, retailers are far better equipped to help nowadays, with stores such as HMV dedicating whole areas to them.

Sorry I could provide the perfect answer but hope this helps anyway.

Regards
Lee