[AnakChan]

Quote:

Since all the headphone cables I've ever used tend to break, twist and bend out of shape eventually, where can one find replacement cables for the MDR-1R? I can't find any replacement cables on the Sony site. For that matter, neither can I find official replacement cables for the Beats and Monster line of headphones.
 
Does the Sony MDR-1R accept any 3.5 millimeter plug like the V-Moda cables perhaps?
 
I mean, what's the point of replaceable cables, besides switching between music-only and smartphone cables, if you can't replace them down the line, right?

 
V-Moda cable works. I used it regularly.

 

[lubczyk]

Quote:

 
V-Moda cable works. I used it regularly.

Does the microphone work with any headphones that the cable fits into?

 

[dweaver]

Yup after seeing the question about cables, I can confirm Anakchan's response. My vmoda cable works fine, in fact I may use it as my primary cable because the mic is higher up which means it doesn't run on my cloths. Also I much much prefer the buttons of the vmoda cable as the Sony cable is not very intuitive feeling.

Also I have found one serious drawback to the 1R. If you live someplace that is windy the ports on top of headphone cup cause a lot of wind noise. I am going to try covering at least the small hole on my pair to see if this helps eliminate the issue. Otherwise wind noise definitely is a problem.

 

[Steely Dan]

Can anyone with the 1R and DT 1350 make a comparison between them?

 

[lubczyk]

Quote:

Yup after seeing the question about cables, I can confirm Anakchan's response. My vmoda cable works fine, in fact I may use it as my primary cable because the mic is higher up which means it doesn't run on my cloths. Also I much much prefer the buttons of the vmoda cable as the Sony cable is not very intuitive feeling.
Also I have found one serious drawback to the 1R. If you live someplace that is windy the ports on top of headphone cup cause a lot of wind noise. I am going to try covering at least the small hole on my pair to see if this helps eliminate the issue. Otherwise wind noise definitely is a problem.

Thank you Dweaver and Anaki for the information. I appreciate it. Wow, the Wind Noise issue is pretty serious.

 

[Katun]

Anyone know if it has the horrible upper mid dip of the ZX700 and Z1000?'
 

 

[dweaver]

Anyone know if it has the horrible upper mid dip of the ZX700 and Z1000?'

Hello Katun;

I can't speak specifically to the graph your showing or the Z1000 but I did own the ZX700 until a couple weeks ago. So while I can not directly A/B test I can go by memory. The bottom line is the 1R's biggest strength is it's midrange which utterly destroys the ZX700 in my opinion. The treble is also cleaner and the bass has more sub bass and is also more controlled.

Actually I did briefly own (2 days) the MDR-7520 which I believe is the "pro" version on the z1000 in that it came with a heavy monster cable vs the z1000 consumer friendly cable. I took that headphone back in favour of the SRH-940 because it was to dark sounding with mids I wasn't satisfied with. It was essentially to V shaped in signature.

The 1R on the other while still not as detailed as the SRH line offers a much more complete signature than the 7520 did and it offers more bass than the SRH line does.

 

[Katun]

Hey, it's good to hear from you again. Thanks for the comments!
 
I really liked the ZX700. It was a surprise to me. Well, except that upper midrange. If it got that right, I'd probably have kept it.
 
From your description, it seems like the MDR-1R "fixes" the ZX700/Z1000 (had the same problem when I owned both). It's great to hear they have a good midrange though! I trust you on that one.

 

[dweaver]

Thank you Dweaver and Anaki for the information. I appreciate it. Wow, the Wind Noise issue is pretty serious.

OK a positive update on the wind noise.

Sony has one design flaw (IMO) in this headphone. At the top of the cup they have a recessed area that is covered with a fine screen and then a small hole beside it. Why they never covered the hole is beyond me. Anyway I did not want to cover the mesh but I suspected the sharp edge hole was the culprit for the whistling wind noise. So used a foam ear plug cutting a small piece off to plug the hole on each cup.

The change in sound was very minor so I was pleased and took the dog for a walk to see what affect this had. As I walked the dog I could hear a small amount of wind but it was more like a normal level I have experienced with other headphones. Still I was concerned there just wasn't any wind so I reached up and removed the plugs. Within seconds the wind noise was back like yesterday.

So simply get a small piece of foam and fill the hole or if you it to be more secure/permanent put a small piece of tape on the hole (make sure to not cover the mesh nearby).

 

[dweaver]

Ok one final post for the moment.

I used the Vmoda cable to great success but noticed a slight change in the sound. It seemed to have slightly less treble and upper midrange energy. So I A/B'd back and forth and think there is a subtle change in signature. So this will be good news for anyone who get's the 1R and find it a bit to bright. Personally I like the added energy so will use both, Vmoda on the train and walking around and the original cable for the rest of the time.

 

[dweaver]

OK I lied...
 
One more post
 
There was a question about how the headphone reacts to different sources so...
 
Computer to LittleDot Dac1 to RW Audio Amp1 (neutral/cold desktop amp and DAC)
Patricia Barber - Light my Fire
Bass is tighter and more impactful compared to the iphone and the Rocoon. Treble is sharper as well. All around a very good sound that has better detail than the other two combinations.
 
Computer to Little Dot Dac1 and Rocoon RC2 (neutral/cold DAC with warm sounding portable amp)
Patricia Barber - Light my Fire
The sound is very warm and rich sounding. The bass is a bit software the Amp1 and the over all presentation is very mellow. The treble is crisp with no sense of a bell sound though while still feeling relaxed.
 
iPhone 4
Patricia Barber - Light my Fire
Least amount of bass impact, mids are similar to the Rocoon in warmth. Treble is not quite as crisp as either amp.
 
So I do think source makes a difference with this headphone as I liked my desktop setup the best, followed by the portable amp, then the iPhone by itself. Having said that I like the iPhone configuration enough I wouldn't bother hooking up the portable amp for walking around use.

 

[roma101]

Really appreciative of the impressions so far. Can anyone compare it's bass punch/impact to the HD25s? The HDs have several shortcomings but the one thing I love about them is the bass punch. I wanted to love the Z1000s but there wasn't much impact on them and felt the bass was a little uncontrolled. Also looking forward to your isolation impressions dweaver - if I get them I'd be using them on my daily commute on the train as well. Thanks again for any input!

Edit: Just read about the wind issues, thank you for highlighting that dweaver. I believe the Z1ks had that same issue.

 

[R-Audiohead]

Further about isolation. I'm curious what the leakage is like... the Z1000 was the best fullsized I've tried about that.
 

 

[dweaver]

I have been using the 1R on the train and bus and while it's not as good as a good IEM for isolation it is better than a lot of headphones I have owned. I can not do a direct A/B comparison to the HD25 but from memory I think the HD25 might have more bass punch. But I think the 1R has more bass punch that the 7520 I briefly owned. So while it may not be as strong as the HD25 the 1R entire sound and comfort may be a a nice upgrade for some.

I will be taking the dog for another walk and will play with covering the hole on these again. Sonically I think covering the hole impacted the bass slightly making it a bit softer but I really had to pay attention to hear it. It also affected the sound stage a bit. So if I can I will fashion plugs I can carry with me and only use hem when the wind noise is bothering me. I may also see if covering the hole with mesh may reduce the whistle without impacting the sound.

 

[jgray91]

I did expect that if someone were to cover the holes/ports the bass would be affected, however much it is. This is consistent with what a lot of T50RP modders experience, from what I can see and IME, by covering the ports in different degree of openness.