[Leonarfd]

Actually im the one who has reported about the ear issue, still hav ethe sonys and love them though. I Inserted some sort of fabric with holes into it to make my ear touch that instead. Did not loose any sound quality and it is more comfy to wear for abit longer. Usually I sell headphones if they are not comfy enough, but I love the sound signature in the mdr-1r so i can not part with it. So i tested some different stuff to make my ears not touch it at first by filling the empty place under the pleather. But that made them abit stiff, so i tried the cloth over the plastic instead as my ear tip would touch something soft instead of hard plastic. Worked quite good so im happy now.

 

[musical-kage]

Got to try the MDR-1's in London for about 5 minutes, but wasn't all that impressed. Okay for the price I guess... but they were very genre specific. Noticed in Electronic tracks, they had a lot of air, but then I played more vocal tracks, and acoustic/rock and such, and the vocals had a muffled sound to them compared to my set. Muddy in comparison.
 
I was choosing between the MDR-1, Momentum, and M-100's from V-Moda, and I'm glad I chose the M-100's in the end.

 

[roma101]

Yes, and this is the best part. :atsmile:

ESW9 with soundstage.

Always had a feeling, from descriptions that these would probably sound similar to the ESW9. They have a nice, warm woodie sound. Amazing that it's a Sony can.

 

[Dyaems]

yep they sound similar to the esw9
 
IMO the 1R is at the middle of hd600/650 and esw9

 

[soccerdude84]

Quote:

 
I'm not generally one to argue about someone's subjective impressions--in other words, before I say what I'm about to say, I want to make clear I believe you're hearing it like you're saying. I'm just offering my opinion (which differs from yours).
 
To my ears--and I do also listen to a lot of violin (coincidentally, listening right now to Sibelius Violin Concerto)--I'm not finding instruments to sound unnaturally distant.
 
In something with violins and vocals--like "Soon or Never" by Punch Brothers--I'm still not finding anything out of balance (to my ears), even if the vocals are somewhat forward.
 
Another headphone I mentioned in an earlier post that I also really like (but certainly has a different signature) is the new PSB M4U 1. If you get a chance to audition one, you should. Also look into the Sony MDR-7520, which has also become one of my favorite sub-$500 closed headphones, and may have a signature closer to what you're looking for.
 
 
For a better part of this evening, I've been listening to the MDR-1R straight from a Benchmark DAC2 HGC, and I am having absolutely no problem with a lack of speed from the MDR-1R (for my tastes anyway), relative to its peers. And I was listening to it and a bunch of other closed headphones (and amp/DACs) all day yesterday, writing for the upcoming holiday update to the buying guide. Of the ones in this photo that aren't $2000, the MDR-1R may be my favorite for general sit-down listening.
 

 
R-Audiohead, you may find its speed up to your expectations, so you should give it a listen at a store or meet if you can.

What's the name of those dark red headphones on the right?

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

What's the name of those dark red headphones on the right?

Fostex TH900
 

 

[thegiraffepope]

im going to buy these really soon. i am excited

.

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Quote:

im going to buy these really soon. i am excited

.

Sorry to burst your bubble but the girl is not included, 2K is just for the phones.

 

[HeroicPenguin]

Quote:

yep they sound similar to the esw9
 
IMO the 1R is at the middle of hd600/650 and esw9

 
That's why I enjoy these so much. They are portable HD600s/circumaural ESW9s (so pretty much the portable I've been looking for all along).

 

[john53]

Quote:

I'm a very recent 1R owner and i've got to admit these 'phones do sound rather interesting. On the one hand, The mids are pretty blatantly forward, often bordering on shrill with certain vocals and electric guitars. And the bass is solid but not so well defined as i remeber the Z1000 i.e. Otoh, These have the most top-notch 3D imaging and body of notes that i've heard from a closed shallow-cupped cans. Soundstage isn't huge by anymeans, it's rather intimate presentation naturally, but it's so well layerd and seperated that i can't help but to compare it to some of the best that i've heard. That is, Stax. While it's far from being comparable in raw fidelity the soundscape that is produced is truly impressive to my ears, espcially more so for a closed design. So on this Sony has pulled thru with flying colors IMO.
 
But the tuning is rather awkward, It's more AT than Sony actually. I much have prefered if  they'd kept the Z1000 FR with the added imaging and ambiance rendering capabilities of the 1R.
 
Decisions decisions...

I agree with your description of the MDR 1R's sound signature.
 
I also believe that the imaging and the sense of depth/layering is maybe their strongest point.The soundstage is not very open/wide,maybe it's a bit more intimate as you say,but positioning of sounds in the soundscape they create is precise and detail-definition,separation and placement of instruments,voices and sounds is very good.I prefer a precise imaging with good depth and layering than a very impressive and open sound that lacks this imaging ability.
 
I still find that their frequency balance could be tuned a bit better,especially in the midrange like you said,although after hundrend of hours of playing,they are better now I have to say.I still find their midrange a bit emphasized in general,making them sound somewhat colored and a just bit strong sometimes with some vocals/instruments in higher volumes,but the overall sound quality is quite good for the price,with a sweet/warm and grain free sound,good all around results with many different music styles and source/files quality.
 
Some more thoughts/notes about the 1R's,for people who consider buying them:
 
If your ears stick out much,you'll probably have comfort problem.Your ears will probably touch the inside parts causing discomfort I guess.I don't have a problem,I find them very comfortable for a closed design with pleather pads,but I have to say that I find the comments for perfect comfort a bit exagerated...But in the end I guess it depends on each person.I personally don't find them to be the last word in comfort,I still find my hd600 more comfortable for example,but I stiil find them very good though.
 
Biggest flaw in the design in my opinion is the wind issue.If you plan to use them outside at windy places,in my opinion look elsewhere.You'll be dissapointed with the wind noise through the little holes on the cups.If the wind is very weak maybe it's not a problem,but when it gets stronger then there is definetelly a problem.If you close the holes you'll have a change in sound which I'm not sure if it will be good or not.
 
The jack rattle is not a deal breaker for me to be honest.I use the non iphone cable,and although it's a bit loose there if I move it with my hand,it's quite secure when I sometimes accidentally pulled the cable.The sound that the jack produce there because it's loose is very minor and I don't notice it at all when using the phones.That's my experiense anyway.
 
If you plan to use them with desktop system,maybe you'll find the cables short and have problem.In this case you'll have to search for other cable,or for some extension cable/adapter.
 
 
Oh I forgot to mention,when they are new,they sound somewhat muffled and veiled,with reduced air in the higher frequensies,and very warm and colored.Give them many hours of burn in,in a bit high volumes with a variety of music so they'll eventually get a bit better.
When my pair was new and had few hours on it,when I switched to my sennheiser hd 600 and shure srh 840 they sounded treble heavy and hollow/unatural in comparison because of the excesive warmth and lack of treble air with the sonys.
Now my 1R have maybe 400 hours on them,and they no longer sound that different to my other headphones.Treble opened up a bit and the whole sound is now a bit more balanced.I'm not saying it needs 400 hours of burn in,but in the other hand I believe that 5-10 hours are not enough for these drivers.I would like to hear others opinions on this too.

 

[d marc0]

Quote:

2 things are making me hesitant to pull the trigger on these:
 
1) Jack rattle. Is this a design flaw present in every unit, or an uncommon defect?
 
2) Comfort. Most people say these are the most comfortable headphones on the market, but I've read several reviews and comments where people complained that their ear tips touched the plastic inside in the earcup.
 
Both of these are dealbreakers for me.

 
I only experience the rattle whenever I make a sudden movement. On a normal range of motion, it doesn't occur... at least for my cans that is...
Best way for you to overcome this is to audition them if they have them on display at your local shop... or maybe meet up with a head-fier who has one

 

[soccerdude84]

Quote:

Sorry to burst your bubble but the girl is not included, 2K is just for the phones.

2 grand holy ****

 

[AnakChan]

Quote:

2 grand holy ****

 
Wait till you hear it . However, it's really in a different league so it wouldn't make sense to compare the MDR-1R to the TH-900's.
 
P.S. There is a newer "lower end" TH-600 out soon (now?).

 

[Genocide174]

What is the general thought of the BT version of the 1R?
 
I'm currently looking for an upgrade from the DT770 pro 80 ohm. Well maybe not an upgrade, but I'm looking for a more "overall" headphone that I can use at home for hours and then also take out on the go.
 
Is the BT version worth the money? I like that it has NFC for easy pairing and 30(!!) hour battery is pretty nice.

 

[soccerdude84]

I keep reading that the 1R's are slow, can someone who's listened to death metal/power metal with these confirm or deny?