unfortunately the mdr-v6 is out of production, and pricey to find a new set at this point. I had a pair and loved them, but they developed a loose connection. I still might be able to fix them with a new cable some day.
The mdr v6 was truly special because it was one of the only headphones on the market that accurately reproduces both ultrasonic and subsonic frequencies.
I now have a pair of grado sr-60ās that I am quite happy with. I upgraded them with a pair of sennheiser foam pads which made them much more comfortable. The grados have a great sound stage and sense of spatialization for each instrument.
However, they really only shine for listening to recordings of acoustic / physical instruments. These are not great for synthesizers / electronic music or rap. The highs are just too unforgiving in their piercing accuracy, which is great for vocal and instrumental performances, but it makes synthesizers sound pretty harsh and unnatural.
For the most part I listen to everything out loud with a nice set of amplified studio monitor speakers. They are great, but it has really changed how I watch films and tv. I am now very sensitive to poor sound design and audio mixing. It makes me realize how overlooked sound design is and how rare it is to find a film with truly excellent audio.
Iāve found that japanese films in particular tend to have very clean, precise, powerful, narratively effective yet unobtrusive soundscapes.
For more casual listening I have a JVC micro-component-system from 2004 which kicks ass as a traditional stereo with a āflatteringā stereo sound. Not accurate per se, but warm pleasant and musical sounding with a great soundstage and spatialization excellent for all kinds of music. It sounds like the classic high end stereos of the 80ās and 90ās, but in a tiny form factor with a matched set of bookshelf speakers.