[Leonarfd]

 
I find Sony MDR 1R to be a very detailed headphone,everything sounds clear and well defined to my ears.All the sounds,from instruments to voices etc,have good detail and start and fade very smoothly and naturally,at least that's how I find them.I believe that the lack of detail you heard,was due to the smooth,non emphasized higher frequensies.But the detail is on high level.Detail is not only in the higher frequensies,although you can get the impression of a clearer and airier sound if treble is a bit more emphasized.
 
In my opinion and to my own ears,the MDR 1R are very nice headphones for lower volume listening at a quiet place,for example,I'm really enjoying listening to them at bed before sleeping at night.
The smooth,grain free but also detailed sound,along with the really nice imaging depth and position of sounds,makes low volume listening quite attractive and somewhat magical.Also,when listening at lower volumes,I don't find the slightly colored/empasized mids to be fatiguing,as it happens to me when listening to higher volumes sometimes.I would go as far as to say that maybe this kind of midrange also helps sound to be lush and sweet when listening to low volumes,and it helps creating a nice atmosphere.
 
My only problem now is that in higher volumes,I sometimes don't like the midrange so much,and I prefer shure srh 840 when I want to listen to music in higher volumes.And that is a bit of problem if I want to take them outside in noisy places.But keep in my mind that it may be just me,and someone else may be ok with their sound in higher volume listening,because everybody's hearing is not the same.

 
If I were you I would just equlize down the mids abit around 1000Hz, try a little and it works well if you find it fatiguing. There is also some amps that got a slightly v sound that will recess the mids abit.

 

[gelocks]

Quote:

People are raving over a mainstream headphone that's $300 and is only average in the performance department. With headphones like the DT1350 around this headphone cannot possibly be worth its asking price given the reviews on it I've read so far. It's not even close to the 1350's standards based on what others have said. 
 
Additionally the remark about not wanting the 1R just because of the colorscheme kind of pissed me off. 

 
You mean this type of standard? --> http://goo.gl/57tiR
 
Your blind fanboy-ism is astounding. I don't even think that anyone has mentioned that the MDR-1R are the best less than $300 headphones (at least I haven't seen such a bold statement as that...) Is it good? Yes. Is it worth $250? Maybe... Is it average? Probably. But so is the 1350! (and the 1350 is uncomfortable to boot... yuck!). Anyway, I bought the MDR-1R silver and brown JUST FOR ITS COLOR COMBINATION! And you know what? Who cares if that "pisses you off"? If it does, DON'T POST! Enjoy your 1350 and let MDR-1R owners enjoy theirs...
 
 
P.S. I no longer have them in case you are wondering...

 

[john53]

Quote:

 
If I were you I would just equlize down the mids abit around 1000Hz, try a little and it works well if you find it fatiguing. There is also some amps that got a slightly v sound that will recess the mids abit.

 
Yes,this is something I could do,although I can't find the way to make my own EQ setting for my ipod nano 5g (which is my main source when using the 1R's)
 
Is there a way to make my own EQ setting on itunes? I tried making one with a new name,or modify an already existing preset EQ with the same name and save it that way,but neither way had a result...I couldn't transfer the new settings to my ipod.

 

[mk2012]

I know that this is the MDR-1R thread, but I couldn't find a good thread about the MDR-1 RBT (bluetooth version). If the holiday gift guide 2012 (wireless) is true, than this is going to be an unbelievable headphones.
 
For the past few months, I was searching for a good set to use on the go / in the office. I can't stand any inside/on ears headphones, and I needed something that's semi portable and super comfortable. Clearly for this use case, open-back are not an option.
 
Nothing did it for me. I bought the Momentum, and I didn't find them comfortable enough. I thought about getting the denon D600 or D5000, but they are not true portable, and the D5000 is expensive! As a result, I kept using my trusted Sony 7506 which I love. Unfortunately they lack a mic, and the coil cable is super long and annoying on the go, so the search continuted. the VModa was on list, but honestly, I don't like the design, and I needed to hear them first since I wasn't a fan of the m80.
 
I am so excited about these bluethooth headphones. From what I read, they are super comfortable, and the size is perfect to carry in a back pack. Not having a cord connected is super convenient when walking around in the office. Oh and the control on the headphones means that I don't have to hold my iphone. The fact that it can run on a passive mode with a cable is also pretty convenient. 
 
I placed an order yesterdy for these at $240. If they sounds just as good as my 7506 than it's a winner (and according to the reviews it supposed to be better). 
 
In my opinion, and for my use case, there's simply no competition. Obviously I haven't heard them yet, so it might be a flop, but on paper....

 

[AnakChan]

Quote:

I know that this is the MDR-1R thread, but I couldn't find a good thread about the MDR-1 RBT (bluetooth version). If the holiday gift guide 2012 (wireless) is true, than this is going to be an unbelievable headphones.
 
For the past few months, I was searching for a good set to use on the go / in the office. I can't stand any inside/on ears headphones, and I needed something that's semi portable and super comfortable. Clearly for this use case, open-back are not an option.
 
Nothing did it for me. I bought the Momentum, and I didn't find them comfortable enough. I thought about getting the denon D600 or D5000, but they are not true portable, and the D5000 is expensive! As a result, I kept using my trusted Sony 7506 which I love. Unfortunately they lack a mic, and the coil cable is super long and annoying on the go, so the search continuted. the VModa was on list, but honestly, I don't like the design, and I needed to hear them first since I wasn't a fan of the m80.
 
I am so excited about these bluethooth headphones. From what I read, they are super comfortable, and the size is perfect to carry in a back pack. Not having a cord connected is super convenient when walking around in the office. Oh and the control on the headphones means that I don't have to hold my iphone. The fact that it can run on a passive mode with a cable is also pretty convenient. 
 
I placed an order yesterdy for these at $240. If they sounds just as good as my 7506 than it's a winner (and according to the reviews it supposed to be better). 
 
In my opinion, and for my use case, there's simply no competition. Obviously I haven't heard them yet, so it might be a flop, but on paper....

 
Back to post #975 are my impressions of the 1RBT in comparison to the 1R.

 

[JimBob1971]

Finally got to play with the NC version.
 
Build quality: Great. Seems even better than 1r (although the 1r was a beat up demo model)
Comfort: Excellent
Look: Gorgeous, dahling.
 
I haven't heard the non NC version in a decent environment (I had about 10 mins in a shop with throbbing music in the background) so can't really comment on the differences.
 
The NCs sound lovely and non-fatiguing in passive mode - as has been mentioned before in this thread. To my ears they had about the same amount of detail as the PSB M4U 2 in passive mode. There was the 'hump' that a bunch of folk have been talking about in the upper bass/low mids (?) but I could have overlooked that as I found the soundstage very nice. It is kind of distant, whereas the PSBs presentation was more flat and more forward (in a nice way), but I think I preferred the Sony's. I A/Bed for a few hours (as mentioned PSB in passive mode) and I couldn't decide which phone I preferred overall (The PSB is great, but I loved the soundstage of the Sony as mentioned). I think the nature of both are quite similar though.
 
However. Switch on the NC and the story is different. The bass is tightened, yes, but the sound becomes treble focused. Mids just seem to be sucked out (or is the  treble boosted so mids seems to disappear?). I really didn't like these in NC mode. Additionally there was the wind issue that others have mentioned that the PSBs don't suffer from. The NC itself was OK, on a par with the PSB to my ears, but vocals seemed to be boosted a bit in this mode. The PSBs do lose some mids in NC mode, but the treble stays the same so the sound is quite similar, whereas the Sony's for an inexplicable reason decide that more treble is needed. One caveat - I don't think the pair I listened to were broken in at all - I played pink noise for a day or so before listening. Perhaps the drivers weren't performing at their best in NC mode...... I'm happy to be listen to anyone who thinks theirs are good in NC mode, but to me the issue sound partly to do with the processing as the treble is nice in normal mode.
 
I tell you, I wanted to love these, I really did but the SQ in NC put me off., but weirdly, if you listen in NC mode for a while you become used to how  they sound, and switching back to normal makes them sound muffled and flabby (which they weren't before). I could almost convince myself that they were better in NC mode. Equally, going from passive to NC makes NC sound thin and trebly. Hmmm. Confused. 
 
If Sony had left the sound signature alone in NC so that it resembled passive mode I might have got myself a pair of these. I could easily listen to them for hours in normal mode even with the 'hump'. However, they are expensive at £279 for the NC mode (I won't even comment on the obscene price Sony is charging here in the UK). Shame, they are absolutely gorgeous. Maybe I'll keep my eyes peeled for them -or the non NC version- on sale. The cheapest non-NC version is about £169.99 currently. If they drop a bit more I'll snap a pair up.

 

[mk2012]

I am assuming you compared Bluethooth mode of the RBT rather than passive mode.
In the gift guide, it says:
 
 

Plug the included audio-only cable in, and the MDR-1RBT becomes a fantastic portable, closed around-the-ear headphone. With sound quality in the MDR-1RBT's passive mode even closer to its passive-only MDR-1R sibling, it's obvious Sony spent as much time and effort getting the MDR-1RBT acoustically tuned as they did perfecting its electronics.

 
The bit that got me to order these ASAP:
 
 

Given its headset functionality, its sound performance in both its Bluetooth wireless and wired passive modes, and its remarkable battery life, the MDR-1RBT is quickly becoming my primary on-the-go headphone.

 
Can't wait to try them myself, but honestly, to me when looking for a portable / in the office headphones, comfort / functionality takes is critical, and it sounds like Sony nailed it. For home, I'd rather have an open back anyway, and I'll likely look at Senn 598 / 650 or the Hifiman HE-400 next.

 

[rs01]

Quote:

Finally got to play with the NC version.
 
Build quality: Great. Seems even better than 1r (although the 1r was a beat up demo model)
Comfort: Excellent
Look: Gorgeous, dahling.
 
I haven't heard the non NC version in a decent environment (I had about 10 mins in a shop with throbbing music in the background) so can't really comment on the differences.
 
The NCs sound lovely and non-fatiguing in passive mode. To my ears they they had about the same amount of detail as the PSB M4U 2 in passive mode. There was the 'hump' that a bunch of folk have been talking about in the upper bass/low mids (?) but I could have overlooked that as I found the soundstage very nice. It is kind of distant, whereas the PSBs presentation was more flat and more forward (in a nice way), but I think I preferred the Sony's. I A/Bed for a few hours (as mentioned PSB in passive mode) and I couldn't decide which phone I preferred overall (The PSB is great, but I loved the soundstage of the Sony as mentioned). I think the nature of both are quite similar though.
 
However. Switch on the NC and the story is different. The bass is tightened, yes, but the sound becomes all about the treble. Mids just seem to be sucked out (or treble is boosted so mids seems to disappear). I really didn't like these in NC mode. Additionally there was the wind issue that others have mentioned that the PSBs don't suffer from. The NC itself was OK, on a par with the PSB to my ears, but vocals seemed to be boosted a bit in this mode. The PSBs do lose some mids in NC mode, but the treble stays the same so the sound is quite similar, whereas the Sony's for an inexplicable reason decide that more treble is needed.
 
I tell you, I wanted to love these, I really did but the SQ in NC really put me off. Weirdly, if you listen in NC mode for a while you become used to how (relatively) poor it is, and switching back to normal makes them sound muffled and flabby (which they weren't), as the NC sound is so treble orientated. If Sony had left the treble alone in NC mode then I might have got myself a pair of these. I could easily listen to them for hours in normal mode even with the 'hump'. However, they are expensive at £279 for the NC mode (I won't even comment on the obscene price Sony is charging here in the UK). Shame, they are absolutely gorgeous. Maybe I'll keep my eyes peeled for them -or the non NC version- on sale. The cheapest non-NC version is about £169.99 currently. If they drop a bit more I'll snap a pair up.

 


I recently got the 1-RNCs and spent about 8 hours on planes with them in the last week.  The bass is absolutely accentuated far more in passive mode (to the point that I found it unpleasant running off both my O2/ODAC and Headroom Micro Stack) and is a bit more controlled in active NC mode. 
 
From an airplane noise-cancellation standpoint, they do well with engine drone, but slightly less well with general cabin noise and loudspeaker announcements (to the point that I wonder if the loudspeaker announcements thing is supposed to be a feature).  Both flights I sat either on the wing or slightly behind it, so I was in prime noise territory, and both flights the NC worked well enough that I could listen to podcasts at moderate volume without the voices being overwhelmed by the engine noise. 
 
As far as comparative sound quality goes, I have (and like both) my 600 Ohm Beyer DT880s and Denon AH-D2000s better purely for music; however, I'm quite happy with the 1-RNCs overall for travel. 

 

[R-Audiohead]

Quote:

 
I find Sony MDR 1R to be a very detailed headphone,everything sounds clear and well defined to my ears.All the sounds,from instruments to voices etc,have good detail and start and fade very smoothly and naturally,at least that's how I find them.I believe that the lack of detail you heard,was due to the smooth,non emphasized higher frequensies.But the detail is on high level.Detail is not only in the higher frequensies,although you can get the impression of a clearer and airier sound if treble is a bit more emphasized.
 
In my opinion and to my own ears,the MDR 1R are very nice headphones for lower volume listening at a quiet place,for example,I'm really enjoying listening to them at bed before sleeping at night.
The smooth,grain free but also detailed sound,along with the really nice imaging depth and position of sounds,makes low volume listening quite attractive and somewhat magical.Also,when listening at lower volumes,I don't find the slightly colored/empasized mids to be fatiguing,as it happens to me when listening to higher volumes sometimes.I would go as far as to say that maybe this kind of midrange also helps sound to be lush and sweet when listening to low volumes,and it helps creating a nice atmosphere.
 
My only problem now is that in higher volumes,I sometimes don't like the midrange so much,and I prefer shure srh 840 when I want to listen to music in higher volumes.And that is a bit of problem if I want to take them outside in noisy places.But keep in my mind that it may be just me,and someone else may be ok with their sound in higher volume listening,because everybody's hearing is not the same.

You being up a solid point here that I don't think is taken into consideration enough when evaluating headphones or other speaker drivers.
 
It is not unreasonable to think that certain headphones are optimal around certain volumes.  Having more experience with external speakers than headphones, I can tell you that multi-driver setups CONSTANTLY face this problem, mainly because one isolated driver may have a slightly different sensitivity to an input but may still be part of the crossover network that is responsible for the mutli-driver system (all with possibly different sensitivities).  Good crossovers limit this to a degree... but from a headphone perspective I could definitely see a single driver have "optimal" acoustic properties with the given enclosure at a certain input volume.  People most definitely prefer to listen to their music at different volumes and that could explain why a lot of headphones, and sound in general, have pretty polarizing opinions.
 
I know when I had the Shure 940 its balance of the frequency spectrum seemed to change based on volume input (more so than what I had experienced in other cans previously) quite a bit and that could be exactly why some people will go to the grave with them and others just flat out hated them.  That driver might just have a "synergy" (more like optimal conditions with the acoustic chamber, etc.) at a specific input volume range that might be narrower than some.
 
Just food for thought, and a point that isn't address enough around here

 

[roma101]

Very true. There are some headphones that sound shrill to others but not to my ears - but I always keep in consideration that I listen at very moderate volumes. I also tend to hear more detail when listening at low volumes.

 

[Katun]

Quote:

It is not unreasonable to think that certain headphones are optimal around certain volumes.

 
On the subject, and agreeing with the user that mentioned it; the MDR-1R is definitely best at a lower volume. Start crankin' it and the bass goes to total pot.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

 
On the subject, and agreeing with the user that mentioned it; the MDR-1R is definitely best at a lower volume. Start crankin' it and the bass goes to total pot.

Out of what, portable? Haven't experienced that out of desktop setup, always pretty well controlled, a bit loose but never overwhelming.
Have you listened unmodded Denon/Fostex?

 

[Littleted]

I'm no expert and I only really go on what like the sound of, due to be bitten by reading reviews and looking at graphs. But for Xmas I got the 1rbt, momentums and amperior
For me I've always like how sonys sound, they just seem to hit the note across all ranges, can't really explain what I mean or the terminology, but I started my sony journey with some little ex500 then went to ex1000s then these.

The momentums my jury's still out on, granted they are very good headphones, but I just can't pinpoint what I don't like, maybe I need to give them more time.

I like the amperior even though I'm no DJ the whole sit on ear and tight bass is a nice to have, very good isolation also taking into mind they don't cup you ear.
The sonys however tick all my boxes, I love them great headphones.

My only issue as stated before is the lack of volume from apple products over Bluetooth but that's a coming issue listed all over google, for the best experience with BT don't use apple, but alas my whole portable range is ipad iPhone based dagnamit, apart from a lumia 920 of which the whole experience is fantastic

For the money I have to admit you can't go wrong with them, ESP now amazon have slashed the price, grrrrrr. I may even buy some nc ones

 

[Christo4]

Can anyone compare the MDR-1R to some other headphones regarding sibilance? Especially compared to some Beyers (DT880 or similar) or some grado's.
 
Also are they comfortable with glasses?

 

[Craigster75]

Quote:

Can anyone compare the MDR-1R to some other headphones regarding sibilance? Especially compared to some Beyers (DT880 or similar) or some grado's.
 
Also are they comfortable with glasses?

I do not consider the MDR-1R to be sibilant headphone and certainly not as bright as many Beyers or Grados.