Sony MDR MA900 Impressions Thread
Jul 20, 2014 at 11:44 PM Post #1,261 of 2,659
I tried swapping the pads once but they didn't fit properly, I think that if you fiddle around with them and have a lot of patience eventually you will get them to fit.. 


Interesting, thanks. I take it you weren't able to get them on? I'm curious if it affects the sound quality at all
 
Jul 20, 2014 at 11:50 PM Post #1,262 of 2,659
Sorry for the late response. Swapping ANY pad on to the MA900 that's thicker than the super shallow MA900 pads will hurt the sonic balance. I've swapped a few pads (most recently the Shure 1840 pads which are like DT8980 pads that actually fit), and it makes the mids more recessed, and adds quite a bit of bass, IIRC. IMHO, I prefer the sound of the stock pads.
 
Jul 21, 2014 at 12:02 AM Post #1,263 of 2,659
Damn, I guess you really can't have your cake and eat it too.

The HD800 pad is actually quite shallow and thin enough to be a good fit, but unfortunately it's not the right shape and the mounting system is completely different. A man can dream...
 
Jul 21, 2014 at 12:06 AM Post #1,264 of 2,659
Interesting, thanks. I take it you weren't able to get them on? I'm curious if it affects the sound quality at all

unfortunately not, however i think ive read somewhere that someone swapped the ma900 with SRH940 pads and they did fit properly.. dont know about sound though
 
Jul 21, 2014 at 12:15 AM Post #1,265 of 2,659
Hmm given that the SRH940 pads and the 1840 pads fit, the 1540 pads should definitely fit too. The 1540 pads tend to have an airier and more open sound (I'm extrapolating from T50rp mods). Even more interestingly, the material (Alcantara) is actually the same material used on the HD800 pads. May consider picking one up from Amazon. It's a little pricey at $40 though..
 
Jul 21, 2014 at 12:32 AM Post #1,266 of 2,659
Thing is, ear to driver distance is also a factor, and any of the Shure pads will absolutely pushg your ears away from the driver compared to the thin stock pads. That is why the mids become quite recessed, and you get a thinner sound in general.
 
Jul 21, 2014 at 1:37 AM Post #1,267 of 2,659
Thing is, ear to driver distance is also a factor, and any of the Shure pads will absolutely pushg your ears away from the driver compared to the thin stock pads. That is why the mids become quite recessed, and you get a thinner sound in general.

 
Yeah, I figured as much. Still the allure of the all-day comfort is very tempting.. May be worth the trade-off if it doesn't affect it too much 
tongue_smile.gif
 
 
Jul 21, 2014 at 3:28 AM Post #1,268 of 2,659
I order yesterday a pair of HPAEC940
Pads.

Let's see how it goes.

I love MA900 so much, that I'm considering my next jump must be something like HD800, I'm not seeing myself using something with smaller soundstage than MA900.
 
Jul 21, 2014 at 11:29 AM Post #1,269 of 2,659
Ah, here's what I remember.

Shure 1540 pads: Too bassy, mids are recessed

1840 pads, too thin, and harsh.

Since the 940 pads are supposed to seal well, it's most likely gonna be like the 1540 pads.
 
Jul 21, 2014 at 3:50 PM Post #1,270 of 2,659
Ah, here's what I remember.

Shure 1540 pads: Too bassy, mids are recessed

1840 pads, too thin, and harsh.

Since the 940 pads are supposed to seal well, it's most likely gonna be like the 1540 pads.


that with stock sponge? I gonna cut the sponge that comes in pads.


My hope is find a good balance between increasing comfort with change in stock signature sound.
 
Jul 28, 2014 at 3:55 PM Post #1,271 of 2,659
I received my ma900 and found it to be pretty amazing directly from the xonar u3, but now i'm wondering how better it could be by using a dac like fiio e17 or e07k, i mean, the difference will be night and day, or just slightly better?
 
Jul 29, 2014 at 5:53 PM Post #1,272 of 2,659
Amping the MA900 is a must have, the goodness of this cans is that we can use them without an amp, but with one they get even more life.


I have since today a good upgrade for the MA900: I cut the sponge inside the Shure 940 pads and the transparency of MA900 returned to normal levels compared with sponge. These pads make them even more comfortable and increases the soundstage width. keeping this setup for sure.

Inicial this pads have some oval shape, but cutting the sponge break that Shap, I must now leave the pads 1or 2 days with some kind of bottle or glass inside the pads to force their circle shape gets permanent.

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Jul 30, 2014 at 9:05 AM Post #1,273 of 2,659
As with any and every single headphone ever made, if someone likes a headphone, they will find anything to justfy their purchases (I.e. amps).

I'm sorry but having owned the MA900 and used them on a variety of amps of different levels of power and quality, I'll still stand by my opinion that the MA900 benefits more from synergy/tonal balance of an amp, and not an amps quality/power.

I.e., I prefer the MA900 with my lowly E17 vs my $500 Compass 2 or SA-31.
 
Jul 30, 2014 at 11:26 AM Post #1,274 of 2,659
exactly! 
 
I think people might be confused on this topic because, they are confused with an amps synergy and power capability.  sometimes some headphones needs both power and synergy. as an example I prefer my 612pro with E17, more than Essence One and Phoebus, so often an amp's synergy with a headphone can play big part than its power capability.  same goes with ma900 as MLE mentioned above, E17 is a great match for ma900, despite it's power capability and price tag. even with my Tab 2, ma900 has a magical tonal balance.
 

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