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Sony PFR-V1

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By Nate Lanxon
Apr 30, 2008

Before you turn up your nose in disgust, it's important not to dismiss these headphones based on looks alone. They are--at heart--simply a new type of headphone, in the same way earbuds were when they first came on the market in the 1990s.

Editors' note:

This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET.co.uk. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. Sony has told CNET Asia that they will be available in Asia Pacific though the date of availability and price is still unconfirmed.

For about US$500, the Sony PFR-V1s aren't offered at a low price point to entice anyone erring on the cautious side when considering their next purchase. But you'd be daft not to give them a chance because we've found some killer features.

Design

We'll forgive you for your initial looks of disapproval; we, too, were put off at first by the PFR-V1's head brace-esque form factor. It's not visually appealing unless you're a cyborg, and the ping pong ball-shaped enclosures are a couple of steps removed from even the more adventurous of headphone shapes. Yet you won't notice this weirdness when wearing them on your lonesome, which is undoubtedly the situation Sony expects this model to be used in.

The two "prongs" connected to each enclosure sit just behind the ear's tragus, and actually function as bass reflex ports. Each prong is hollow, allowing bass to escape from the speaker enclosure and out of a small opening at the prong's tip. We had a few people try them out for comfort--most found them fairly comfortable, but one or two complained. You're likely to find them unusual, but fairly comfortable eventually--keep your receipt just in case!

Features

Open-back headphones produce a wider, more--ahem--"open" sound than earphones or typical headphones, but they still place the majority of the music in the center of your head. Conversely, speakers place music in front of you, creating a more believable sound stage. Sony's PFR-V1s aim to bridge the gap between headphone and speaker by positioning the PFR-V1's drivers at an angle toward your ears instead of flat up against them.

Since this requires more power than most MP3 players are capable of generating, Sony includes an in-line headphone amplifier, powered by two AAA batteries. This adds considerable weight to the headphones, but if you're sitting down it's unlikely to be an issue.

 
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