Sony MDR-1A Prestige Overhead Headphones - Black

Product Information

You know it when you hear it -- the MDR-1A just sounds right. The balance of bass, midrange and treble is as smooth as can be, the stereo soundstage is spacious, and dynamic range is, well, dynamic. Compared to my Momentum 1.0s, 2.0s, and my Adidas Monster Originals (a surprisingly competent headphone, BTW), these things are so much better. In a single word - they are balanced. No matter what you throw at them, they never stop being balanced and neutral. Which is a very hard thing for any headphone to do. Honestly, I haven't had a chance to listen to the bluetooth version of these headphones so I really can't comment. I would be inclined to think that they would still sound very good and fun, mostly due to the sound signature of these headphones. If they were more analytical or flat, I would imagine that any degradation in the sound quality from using bluetooth would be more apparent. DesignIt's clear Sony put quite a bit of effort into the design of the circumaural (over-the-ear) MDR-1A—it is one of the more simple, beautifully executed headphone frames currently available. The first thing you notice when holding the good-looking MDR-1A is how exceedingly cushioned the earpads and headband feel. You almost can't wait to put them on, and the fit doesn't disappoint: The MDR-1A is very comfortable, even over long listening sessions. Sat at our desks and the large nature of the earcups delivers sound in an almost surround-sound kind of way. The spatial soundscape here feels more immersive, clearer and separated than many competitors. It makes for a great listen with glorious bass without ever being over the top, and there's exceptional clarity in among the mid-level frequencies.

I am very happy to say that even one year after having owned these, they have held up beautifully and remain my favorite pair of cans I have used in the price range. So much so that I have had no desire to search further, higher, or wider to find a better pair. The Sony MDR-1ABT look, no surprise, an awful lot like the MDR-1A headphones we reviewed earlier this year. Sony’s headphones have a distinct style, and it’s a sound one that offers a hint of urban flavour while being a lot more neutral than a pair of Beats headphones. Listening and tests were mainly done with my Xiaomi 4X phone using Spotify's extreme quality (320Kbps, 24bit, 48Khz?). Note, my Xiaomi 4x output is slightly warm sounding and bassy (a solid 3-5db more bass) compared to audio from my Ipod 5th gen and my computer (I5 core). The 4X output also sounds noticeably clearer and has better imaging than both my ipod and computer. The tone of the mid-range is great too. They are pretty-sounding headphones that are able to make voices – both the spoken and sung king – sound natural.My only (slight) issue with the comfort is that the pleather on the ear-pads is prone to making the ears get warm and sweaty. This is a common issue with over-ear headphones with pleather (rather than velour or alcantara or the like) ear-pads, so it's something I really don't mind very much at all, and it's not to an excessive degree since the pads are still quite breathable. You'll notice that I still gave these headphones maximum marks in the comfort category on the rating-scale here, so obviously the warmth/sweaty-ears issue is only a slight one, IMO. YMMV, however. Male vocals sound good on both, but female vocals can be slighly piercing on the sonys, again the detail is there but they are approaching the sibilant zone for me.

The pads are the softest material I have ever felt, and because the headphones are so light I forget they’re even on my head. No pressure points to speak of. The only headphone I can wear for an entire day non-stop. This is a massive achievement by Sony; I know I’m not the only one to compliment the comfort on these. It sounds to us like this happens as part of the DAC chain: the part that converts the digital wireless signal into the analogue one that eventually drives the 40mm dynamic drivers used here. Plus it’s what makes sense from a technical perspective. Design-wise, there is nothing spectacular about the MDR-1A. They look exactly as you would expect from a Sony-branded headphone at this price point. The metallic exterior and large ear cups manage to give it an attractive and chiseled appearance.Somewhere in between decent Hi-Fi headphones and price-conscious over-ears, the MDR-1AM2 seek to find the perfect balance between audio precision and a price that most can afford. It seems to strike the balance well - but, of course, one can only hear so much with 180,000 attendees speaking loudly right outside a listening booth. Look forward to the full review later this year for a comprehensive analysis of the highs, lows and mids of Sony's new flagship cans.

A timely elevation in the 8-10kHz region of the treble cuts through the bloat in the bass, preventing the MDR-1A from being a muddy disaster of a headphone. Vocals don’t have as much presence as 600. Too smoothed off for my likings. As a result, less detail and clarity. This vocal recession is evident when looking at the frequency graph which shows a dip in mids with the lowest amplitude at the low-mids. Coming from Sennheiser HD-600, 580s, Ety ER-4s, Fiio X1s, AKG 701s, Momentum 2.0s, etc. I didn't know exactly what to expect out of these headphones. They are, after all, Sonys. And Sony can build really bad stuff. Note that these are overall a notably huge improvement in nearly every way (less rolled-off treble, more solid bass-texture, less bleed from bass to mids, less distortion, more clarity, a bit mroe soundstage) over the MDR-1R which they replaced in Sony's product-line. And with ears fully shrouded the listen is equally full. Indeed, the Sony MDR-1A over-ear headphones sound good. Astoundingly good.

If you’re looking for bass, you will certainly find it with these headphones, but there are some distinctions that make it of the awesome variety and not the crap variety. Bass response is reasonably controlled and tight in its presentation. Where the bass really shines is its’ overall impact and volume. It can be described as nothing short of stupendous. While I hear a slight bleed into the lower mid-range and just a touch of bloom in mid bass region, it’s really impressive how it handles these details considering its’ overall volume and impact. Equally as impressive is the bass region’s versatility in regards to different music genres. If the cool kids are throwing a rager and bass was invited to the party, it shows up in spades. If, however, the parents are having a house-warming or wine-and-cheese party, bass will still show up with a few small gifts, but doesn’t have a problem behaving himself. I just got these cans and I'm liking them so far. I'm not an audiophile by any means, my daily drivers are the HD598. I don't have much experience with other cans, so I can only make direct comparisons to the 598s. These Sonys? They have bass in spades. Nicely controlled, and taut. They have a silky smooth midrange. The treble is very, very clear and detailed. They are tremendously dynamic. But the thing I like the most is how very well balanced they are. For all the fun they bring to the mix, they never color the sound too much. In terms of comfort, they are both very comfortable on my head. If I had to choose, I would give the edge to the 598s. The velour padding allows my ears to breath better, while the sony pads are just a tad too small for my ears which is slightly annoying because I have to adjust them once in a while. However, the fit is fairly loose, which might be an issue for people with small heads. It does have adjustable ear cups, but they only increase in size which might not be suitable for everyone. The ear cups rotate sideways about a hinge which makes sure that your earlobes are fully covered.