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Member Reviews: Sony MDR-1R

Positive Reviews

Ra97oR

Sony MDR-1R compared to Sennheiser Momentum

Posted
By Ra97oR

Pros: Great vocal performance, especially female vocal. Relaxed, smooth presentation with good speed. Open sounding

Cons: Isolation, Not sheep skin leather, Cable jack problem

Source: iPod Touch 3G ALAC filled Amp: iBasso D12       Overall sound impression: As somewhat a treble head and one that crave for mid-range, I have always found getting suitable portable headphones rather difficult. Most are either flat out studio headphones unsuitable for portable use or simply more that I am willing to pay for a pair of portable. Aside from the ES series from Audio Technica and Ed8 from Ultrasone, the portable line up for audiophile has always been rather thin and sparse. Sennheisser bought me hope when they announced the Amperior but the price difference from HD25 left me wanting for more.   I got to try out the Momentum a few...
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Negative Reviews

portafi

smart looking under achiever

Posted
By portafi

Pros: great style

Cons: lacks authority, timid baseline

a good solid headphone that lacks any defining characteristics. nice midrange, clean, clear presentation. however, without a deeper more "gutzy" well rounded bottom end i don't expect these cans to be more than just great decoration for my wall............
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More Reviews

a_recording

Sony MDR-1R: Great but let down by a few flaws.

Posted
By a_recording

Pros: Attractive and comfortable design, enjoyable tuning, natural soundstage. Cheaper and better than the Z1000.

Cons: Bass still a little loose, pleather isn't the most breathable, non-locking jack mechanism, jack rattle issue

Along with the summary below, I have made a review thread comparing the Sony MDR-1R with the Sennhesier Momentum, MDR-Z1000, Logitech UE 6000, Audio Technica ATH-M50 and AIAIAI TMA-1 here: http://www.head-fi.org/t/639948/review-closed-portable-circumaural-around-ear-headphone-comparison-m50-z1000-tma-1-s-momentum-ue6000-mdr-1r   I also made a Youtube review if you would like to get a better look and brief review of the MDR-1R's. Please check out my channel for more reviews!     A Short Summary   BUILD   The MDR-1R has a sensible and attractive build but there are a few issues. Firstly my pair has the jack rattle issue as reported by other...
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socom

Its a very different experience

Posted
By socom

Pros: Strong Bass that doesn't muddle the clarity of music

Cons: steep price tag

Coming from balanced armature earbuds, I found this headphone a rather enjoyable transition.    I own the PIIQ2, Beats Solo HD, and this definitely fits into another category. The overall impression of the MDR-1R is it is very comfortable piece of hardware with a very warm sound signature, you can listen to this thing for hours and it won't hurt you unlike the XBA-30. However I believe this thing is driven by a dynamic driver, so the clarity is definitely not as good as balanced armature headphones.   The bass of this is definitely present, and I'm not a huge fan of bass headphones and I own a pair of Beats Solo HD. However compare to the Beats by Dr.Dre garbage I can...
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Krisman

Good NOT great headphones....must try harder

Posted
By Krisman

Pros: Some nice deep bass notes. Big soundstage

Cons: Audio Technica M50s

No need to elaborate on what has already been said about these but I summarise my time with the Sony MDR 1Rs:   Pros: -Nice build quality -Removable cable -Deep bass (not too deep) -Big soundstage -Can be great for some electronic music   Cons: -Recessed mids -Lack the resolution you would expect for the price -Bass can feel out of control at times -Not enough *POW* -Can feel sluggish -At the price (and way below) there are much better all round and bass-centric alternatives   Good attempt but Sony must try harder. Not only are there great alternatives, like the Audio Technica M50s, there are many new players on the market and at this...
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Leonarfd

Enjoyable and relaxing portables

Posted
By Leonarfd

Pros: Small and light. Good looking in both versions. Laid back signature with good midbass and forward mids.

Cons: Cable controlls is not the best, also the plastic would be better in metal.

I have always known that sony had some good headphones for studios. But as for the lower models I have heard before, they has not been much above some cheap Koss Porta Pro in the sound. So yeah I always stayed away from the Sony brand, until recently when I heard some z1000. I did like them quite alot for all the detail and the over all look(abit boring but simple). But they lacked some bass so I did put the thought off buying them, also very expensive in Norway. Then a picture popped up when surfing the net, some black Sony's. Loved the look on em, as for an over ear headphone Im going to wear in public, I want em to look nice. Read around and there seemed to be alot of...
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Threeek

Nice cans for relaxing with or listening to at work.

Posted
By Threeek

Pros: Enjoyable, easy going, comfortable

Cons: Build is a bit plasticy

I've listened to these for ~30 hours now, and despite them being a little warmer than I expected I've come to really appreciate their easy going sound signature. The mid-bass is a little pronounced, but it's enjoyable rather than overwhelming - I certainly wouldn't describe them as a bass-head 'phone.   Despite the warm sound signature, there's still a very good level of detail that adds to the enjoyment of well recorded music. When listening to recordings that are a little rougher around the edges, the MDR1r still conveys the musicality and enjoyment, rather than throwing all the flaws in your face. Whilst I wouldn't recommend it for listeners who place accuracy above...
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McNuggetsPie

MDR-1R Initial Impressions

Posted
By McNuggetsPie

Pros: Comfort, Isolation.

Cons: Squeaky when swiveling or moving earcups, Soundstage is average.

A solid headphone that is very comfortable. Great value for what I payed for it. Far more neutral than I thought it would be. Very very good design, but the build quality isn't very solid, and there is some creaking. 
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AnakChan

MDR-1R Initial Impressions

Posted
By AnakChan

Pros: One of the most comfortable circumaural headphones

Cons: Feels fragile for its price, SQ is decent but strong competition for the same price

  OK, I have an "almost complete" impressions of the MDR-1R. If you guys are ok with something that's almost, but not completely done, here you go. sNaturally I'll be padding this post and updating it as I complete it and will inform readers of the update :-   Notes: No unboxing pix. Go see Jude's Gallery for it's unboxing.   Comfort And Design These are extremely comfortable headphones. Probably the most comfortable headphone I've ever worn. They are a true circumaural that encompasses my ear however, they're not excessively large (i.e. they're not like the Denons D2/5/7000, nor Fostex TH-900) and the pleather is really soft on the earcups as well as...
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Where to Buy It

Amazon.comSony MDR-1R Stereo Headphone - Silver at Amazon.com$250.98See It »
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