Bought one myself yesterday from Frys. I didn't expect much from such a mainstream headphones and I'm impressed during my first listen. For the price, it gets my strong recommendation. Bass is a tad overdone (but very enjoyable) for my taste. Soundstage can be a little bit more open, but this is a $300 phones we are talking about. Sound great right out of my Sony NWZ-A17 and noticeably better when properly amp. With a good amp, the bass notes are rendered with more control. I need to drive this thing balanced out of the PHA-3 and my Headamp GS-X MKII and see how far they will scale. Very comfortable and the finished/fit is first rated. Nice job Sony.
My audio setup is Sony F887 -> PHA-2 -> MDR-1A, the bass is much controlled and deeper when amp and I also realized
that the audio image is centred.
May it's my imagination but the experience is different when amp.
Later be buying the Sony stereo plug for my home amp and let's see how it will perform.
My audio setup is Sony F887 -> PHA-2 -> MDR-1A, the bass is much controlled and deeper when amp and I also realized
that the audio image is centred.
May it's my imagination but the experience is different when amp.
Later be buying the Sony stereo plug for my home amp and let's see how it will perform.
You will be suprised that the PHA-2 might be able to beat your home amp. It is a really good dac/amp combo and its signature should work great with the 1A. I intend to reterminate my 1A with a balanced connectors and drive it from my PHA-3 for my work solution.
You will be suprised that the PHA-2 might be able to beat your home amp. It is a really good dac/amp combo and its signature should work great with the 1A. I intend to reterminate my 1A with a balanced connectors and drive it from my PHA-3 for my work solution.
After buying this and connect to my amp: http://www.sony.com.sg/product/muc-s30um1
The sound have become "big", soundstage is very fantastic as if you are sitting in a live concert.
I play some Blu ray audio disc, wow the sound is on par with my $2k home theatre setup.
I too also looking at PHA-3 and balanced connection in the future but the most important
thing now is to "season" the driver.
What kind of settings do you guys actually use the MDR-1A's in?
They seem to be billed as a 'lifestyle' type headphone that looks good, are portable, and can be used when you're out and about. There have been lots of praise for its comfort and its sound quality, but from what I hear the isolation is pretty bad.
I'm interested to know when you mainly use these headphones. Is the isolation that bad? Are there situations where you don't really need the isolation?
Some of you have it paired with a home setup. If you're using it at home, why did you choose these rather than an open back headphone?
What kind of settings do you guys actually use the MDR-1A's in?
They seem to be billed as a 'lifestyle' type headphone that looks good, are portable, and can be used when you're out and about. There have been lots of praise for its comfort and its sound quality, but from what I hear the isolation is pretty bad.
I'm interested to know when you mainly use these headphones. Is the isolation that bad? Are there situations where you don't really need the isolation?
Some of you have it paired with a home setup. If you're using it at home, why did you choose these rather than an open back headphone?
I use mine mainly at home and in the car. Isolation is pretty bad as you might have heard. Comfort is really good though, even better than the MDR-Z7.
There also have a problem ( for me ) of sound leaking out. Where I live, the nights are really really quiet and I run into the problem where I don't want my siblings mocking me for my preference of genre, anything above 5-6 notches of the volume bar on iOS and the headphones start to leak.
I do have a pair of open back cans but those are reserved when no one is home and I can listen to anything freely. However I'm starting to struggle to find a use for this cans as the Z7s are better in almost every regard ( except weight and a wee bit of comfort )
Honestly for the price of this, I find it to be a steal
What kind of settings do you guys actually use the MDR-1A's in?
They seem to be billed as a 'lifestyle' type headphone that looks good, are portable, and can be used when you're out and about. There have been lots of praise for its comfort and its sound quality, but from what I hear the isolation is pretty bad.
I'm interested to know when you mainly use these headphones. Is the isolation that bad? Are there situations where you don't really need the isolation?
Some of you have it paired with a home setup. If you're using it at home, why did you choose these rather than an open back headphone?
I don't know what the standard for isolation is but keep in mind the following":
In headphones, isolation usually comes at the price of less soundstage (a more closed sounding music) and less comfort because in order to isolate better, certain brands make their headphones squeeze your head.
The MDR 1A are a 7/10 when it comes to isolation. They are made to be light, have a very generous soundstage and offer great confort for hours of listening. I use my MDR 1a for what they were primarly made - portable. I use them with my Xperia Z3 which is amazing, since it's high res compatible and I've got some high res albums. I use it at max volume mostly, in the subway i sometimes hear some noise from the rails, but at the office, and I work at HP, at a floor full of open offices, I put my headphones on I can't hear squat. So for this kind of lifestyle, they isolate pefrectly, and there's no discomfort, no need to take them off or anything even after 5-6 hours, they're that comfortable!
Hi so I just got an MDR1A. Loved the sound and the fit around my ears though I'm now wondering whether an amp/dac will improve the sound more. I'm currently driving it with a nexus 5 and am looking for a portable amp/dac.
Some of you guys noted that PHA-2 and 3 is awesome, but it's kinda out of my price range here. Never tried an amp either, so I'm not sure what to expect I'm currently looking into a topping d1 mark 2 and fiio e17. Should I expect an improvement with those?
Feedbacks from owners of similar setup would be awesome.
What kind of settings do you guys actually use the MDR-1A's in?
They seem to be billed as a 'lifestyle' type headphone that looks good, are portable, and can be used when you're out and about. There have been lots of praise for its comfort and its sound quality, but from what I hear the isolation is pretty bad.
I'm interested to know when you mainly use these headphones. Is the isolation that bad? Are there situations where you don't really need the isolation?
Some of you have it paired with a home setup. If you're using it at home, why did you choose these rather than an open back headphone?
If you wish to have a headphone that is noise isolation usually is
those which are extremely tight and less comfort like the Sennheiser professional series I use
at work.
As these headphones are for sound monitoring hence it got to be tight on your head if not
you can't hear the recordings properly.
Noise isolation on the MDR-1A is not that good primary due to it's comfort design hence
sound can enter.
However this is useful especially when I need to talk to someone and I just pause
my music without taking down my headphone.
There's leakage of sound and people in my country will tend to look at me or lean closer
to me to hear what I'm listening.
Re the isolation- I tried to use mine yesterday on a flight from Melbourne to Hk. I was at the back, the noisiest part of the plane, and I couldn't really use the 1A for tv/movie as the engine drone was too loud. Music was ok as I usually turn the volume up.
I'm planning on buying these cans. But I wondered what audio sources you guys use.
Do you get your audio always from FLAC files? I plan to use this headphones mainly on Spotify.
Is it worth it to buy these headphones listening to lossy music? Or should I get some albums from HDTracks?
Problem is that I use an iPhone 6 Plus, so 24bit files is no option.
I'm planning on buying these cans. But I wondered what audio sources you guys use.
Do you get your audio always from FLAC files? I plan to use this headphones mainly on Spotify.
Is it worth it to buy these headphones listening to lossy music? Or should I get some albums from HDTracks?
Problem is that I use an iPhone 6 Plus, so 24bit files is no option.
I'm planning on buying these cans. But I wondered what audio sources you guys use.
Do you get your audio always from FLAC files? I plan to use this headphones mainly on Spotify.
Is it worth it to buy these headphones listening to lossy music? Or should I get some albums from HDTracks?
Problem is that I use an iPhone 6 Plus, so 24bit files is no option.
For me, my files are mainly 24bit FLACs but with Spotify also.
Should perform the same on iPhone but best is to test at your local hi fi store first before buying.
I got the MDR-1A today and was using the MDR-1R for last 3 weeks, the difference ist big, soundstage is better, low and high Hz are better.
I did on the MDR-1R the Dynamate mode but I won't do it on the 1A, no need for it, they sound w/o the mod excellent and don't know if they will benefit much from it.
Got the 1A for 169 EUR form Amazon, the 1R will go back.
1 negative point is that on 1A there is no volume control on the remote like the 1R has and the remote from 1R won't stay plugged in in the 1A, needs some adaptor or just/cut the housing of the plug,
on the picture left is the 1A and right the 1R headphone plug.
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