[Fluffy Muffinz]

I've been able to find a brand new pair of Sony MDR-1As for $AU175 and a brand new pair of QC25s for AU$220

What pair should I go for? I'm looking for the best value for my money in terms of sound quality and practicality.

 

[shootthemoon18]

QC25 is far more portable as it is smaller and fold ups much smaller. it comes with a nice compact case too. 

Both are some of the most comfortable headphones ever made but the QC25 is more comfortable among the two.

QC25 has far better sound isolation. Sonys are much better sonically. Smoother and plays louder better.

In terms of practicality, they are both very different. Bose requires battery, Sony does't. Bose folds up much more compact, Sony is still very clunky and large after fold up.

Personally, i would get the Sonys for home/office use and a cheap IEM for portable use. It will cost more initially but in the long term, it will last longer. More importantly, you have better sound at home.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

QC25 is far more portable as it is smaller and fold ups much smaller. it comes with a nice compact case too. 


Both are some of the most comfortable headphones ever made but the QC25 is more comfortable among the two.


QC25 has far better sound isolation. Sonys are much better sonically. Smoother and plays louder better.


In terms of practicality, they are both very different. Bose requires battery, Sony does't. Bose folds up much more compact, Sony is still very clunky and large after fold up.


Personally, i would get the Sonys for home/office use and a cheap IEM for portable use. It will cost more initially but in the long term, it will last longer. More importantly, you have better sound at home.

It's a hard decision as this is more of an experiment as I haven't used portable headphones before .

I use my Jaybird Bluebuds X earphones for the gym but I don't like using earphones for long periods of time.

I owned the EPH-100s and the SE215LTDs and both of them I found to be uncomfortable due to my small ears.

 

[subguy812]

It's a hard decision as this is more of an experiment as I haven't used portable headphones before .

I use my Jaybird Bluebuds X earphones for the gym but I don't like using earphones for long periods of time.

I owned the EPH-100s and the SE215LTDs and both of them I found to be uncomfortable due to my small ears.

I would without a doubt choose the Sony. For comfort you couldn't go wrong with either but the sound is much better IMO with the Sony.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

 
I would without a doubt choose the Sony. For comfort you couldn't go wrong with either but the sound is much better IMO with the So

For me it’s a very hard decision.
Shootthemoon18 recommended that I should use the 1A’s for primarily home use and use a pair of cheap IEMS for portable use as the isolation on the 1A’s are terrible. While being a good idea, my brothers are planning to purchase a pair of Sennheiser G4ME ONE headphones as a birthday present to me for desktop use to use for skype, games etc.
 
So no matter if I choose the 1A’s or the Bose QC25’s, I’ll be hoping to use them portably. The 1A’s have good sound quality but terrible noise isolation and they are not as practical in terms of portability. They only fold flat and the pouch that comes with it isn’t very sturdy. The Bose QC25’s have amazing noise cancelling capabilities but the sound quality is moderately good compared to the 1A’s but they fold up and they come with a very sturdy hard carrying case, unlike the 1A’s.
 
I’ve owned the MDR-1R’s and the MDR-1RMK2’s and with both pairs my ears slightly touches the netting in the drivers which wasn’t a big deal at first but it slowly became a recurring discomfort for me. On a side note I found them both to have less attention to detail but that’s only because I’m a perfectionist and I notice those kind of things.
 
It’s a very hard decision, for me it’s hard to know how to differentiate and prioritize what I need the most. They are completely different headphones. Either very good noise isolation while being a little on the chunky side with less practicality or very bad noise isolation but highly practical.    
 
NOTE: I don't live in a city like Sydney, I live in a country town but you still have cars, buses and general chatter consistently around you when you're town the street.

 

[subguy812]

  For me it’s a very hard decision.
Shootthemoon18 recommended that I should use the 1A’s for primarily home use and use a pair of cheap IEMS for portable use as the isolation on the 1A’s are terrible. While being a good idea, my brothers are planning to purchase a pair of Sennheiser G4ME ONE headphones as a birthday present to me for desktop use to use for skype, games etc.
 
So no matter if I choose the 1A’s or the Bose QC25’s, I’ll be hoping to use them portably. The 1A’s have good sound quality but terrible noise isolation and they are not as practical in terms of portability. They only fold flat and the pouch that comes with it isn’t very sturdy. The Bose QC25’s have amazing noise cancelling capabilities but the sound quality is moderately good compared to the 1A’s but they fold up and they come with a very sturdy hard carrying case, unlike the 1A’s.
 
I’ve owned the MDR-1R’s and the MDR-1RMK2’s and with both pairs my ears slightly touches the netting in the drivers which wasn’t a big deal at first but it slowly became a recurring discomfort for me. On a side note I found them both to have less attention to detail but that’s only because I’m a perfectionist and I notice those kind of things.
 
It’s a very hard decision, for me it’s hard to know how to differentiate and prioritize what I need the most. They are completely different headphones. Either very good noise isolation while being a little on the chunky side with less practicality or very bad noise isolation but highly practical.    
 
NOTE: I don't live in a city like Sydney, I live in a country town but you still have cars, buses and general chatter consistently around you when you're town the street.

I only offered a opinion. I have owned both, please see profile. Lots of times people offer opinions and haven't owned them only listened briefly or not at all, not sure how that happens. I understand it is a tough decision for you. I used my Sony for portable, no issues, I  heard some outside noise yes, but with music playing meh, not so bad. The QC25 also allow in abrupt noise, screams, honks etc...you have limited yourself to 2 choices, so within those two I would choose the Sony. If you still have the on ear 2.0 you already have better IMO. I would have chose the over ear version though.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

 
I only offered a opinion. I have owned both, please see profile. Lots of times people offer opinions and haven't owned them only listened briefly or not at all, not sure how that happens. I understand it is a tough decision for you. I used my Sony for portable, no issues, I  heard some outside noise yes, but with music playing meh, not so bad. The QC25 also allow in abrupt noise, screams, honks etc...you have limited yourself to 2 choices, so within those two I would choose the Sony. If you still have the on ear 2.0 you already have better IMO. I would have chose the over ear version though.

I'm sorry if I came across in the wrong way. I appreciate the fact that you told me that  
 
How was it like in practice in owning both the Bose QC25's and the Sony MDR-1A's? especially in the bass department. Lachlanlikesathing didn't like the bass in either of them but if you watch both reviews he explains it all but I would like to get your opinion on what he had to say.
 
if you would like to know the reviews I saw for both, check them out. 
 
1A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWlHA56HcS4
 
Bose QC25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWlHA56HcS4
 
I did own the Momentum 2.0 over ears but I found that for my needs I didn't need it or use it enough to justify spending that much on headphones. Plus I was too scared to use them portably as they are just too beautiful for me to see them damaged :/

 

[subguy812]

  I'm sorry if I came across in the wrong way. I appreciate the fact that you told me that  
 
How was it like in practice in owning both the Bose QC25's and the Sony MDR-1A's? especially in the bass department. Lachlanlikesathing didn't like the bass in either of them but if you watch both reviews he explains it all but I would like to get your opinion on what he had to say.
 
if you would like to know the reviews I saw for both, check them out. 
 
1A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWlHA56HcS4
 
Bose QC25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWlHA56HcS4
 
I did own the Momentum 2.0 over ears but I found that for my needs I didn't need it or use it enough to justify spending that much on headphones. Plus I was too scared to use them portably as they are just too beautiful for me to see them damaged :/

Both links are for the Sony. I would say that in the Sony the bass is loose, sloppy at times. I would say the Bose has a bit of an artificial sound to me, particularly in the highs. I owned the Sony longer. Peter really liked the Bose  and hasn't reviewed the Sony. Using the reviews on this thread I would put the Bose around 13 overall and the Sony 11.

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

  I'm sorry if I came across in the wrong way. I appreciate the fact that you told me that  
 
How was it like in practice in owning both the Bose QC25's and the Sony MDR-1A's? especially in the bass department. Lachlanlikesathing didn't like the bass in either of them but if you watch both reviews he explains it all but I would like to get your opinion on what he had to say.
 
if you would like to know the reviews I saw for both, check them out. 
 
1A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWlHA56HcS4
 
Bose QC25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBEWR50Mb3w
 
I did own the Momentum 2.0 over ears but I found that for my needs I didn't need it or use it enough to justify spending that much on headphones. Plus I was too scared to use them portably as they are just too beautiful for me to see them damaged :/

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

 
Both links are for the Sony. I would say that in the Sony the bass is loose, sloppy at times. I would say the Bose has a bit of an artificial sound to me, particularly in the highs. I owned the Sony longer. Peter really liked the Bose  and hasn't reviewed the Sony. Using the reviews on this thread I would put the Bose around 13 overall and the Sony 11.

thanks for letting me know. I've added the actual link for the bose QC25 review. 

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

well, I think that maybe the best cause of action is that I purchase both a sell the one that I end up using the least.
 
My family is helping me out with purchasing the Bose QC25's as a birthday present. so I'm only spending $90 out of my own pocket.
If the seller of the 1A's are wiling to reduce the price down to AU$150, I might just snatch it up because it's such a good deal. 
 
you never know, i might get equally as much use out of them both but I'll never know if I'll like one more than the other unless I try them both out first. I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to resell them for nearly the same price or more. 
 
atm it seems like a pretty good idea lol. 

 

[potterpastor]

I own the QC 25's and like them a lot, and I have heard the MDR1A. The MDR1A sounds great, but it is a tad on the warm and soft side, and I already have plenty of warm and soft headphones, so I didn't buy it

 

[jagwap]

Will someone lend this man the PM-3s?

I cannot be separated from mine, sorry

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

Will someone lend this man the PM-3s?

I cannot be separated from mine, sorry

haha, are you referring this to me? 
 
Plez anyone :3 haha 

 

[Fluffy Muffinz]

Unfortunately the Sony MDR-1A's which were listed on gumtree.com.au were sold 3 days ago. So all in all the world has told me to go for the Bose QC25's. Which isn't a bad thing but I would have liked to have owned both and then decided on what ones I liked the most.