[Kabonfaiba]

  guys today i recieved my new pair of sony i can say only one things about them: i'm love! they are really comfortable, and the sound is great!
I read that some headphone needs to be used like for one day at high volume before works at his best. Do you have some suggestion about that?

 
Two things; without debating if they exist or not are driver burn-in and brain burn-in.
 
Driver Burn-in; done via playing a mix of music, pink noise, and frequency sweeps at a volume at just above normal listening volume.
 
Some say driver burn-in is mostly likely to make subtle improvements to bass and treble.
 
Brain Burn-in; this is all psychology.
 
In short, your brain will adjust to a particular sound signature the longer you listen too it. Consistency with one headphone is crucial, changing the headphone or speaker would slowly undo the effect. However, complicating matters; the brain is also capable of remembering things. Which is often shown when people have trouble letting go of a particular headphone after having been hypnotised with it's sound after many years.
Frequencies your brain is used to processing at a particular sensitivity, may change drastically with a new set of headphones, in a way you aren't used too, resulting in a disagreeable experience, that might past with time.
 

 
Timescale wise, both take many hours (48 - 200 + listening) and can't be rushed.

 

[djphaze]

Hello. I just purchased a brand new pair of the on ebay. i wanted to make sure if they were real. However i dont see a serial number anywhere on the headphones. Only thing i see is Thailand. Does anyone have a serial number on there's?
 

 

[Koolpep]

Hello. I just purchased a brand new pair of the on ebay. i wanted to make sure if they were real. However i dont see a serial number anywhere on the headphones. Only thing i see is Thailand. Does anyone have a serial number on there's?

I checked mine and they don't have a serial number where you can see them. Maybe they have one under the pads or somewhere else hidden.

I have not heard of any fakes (yet).

Any how, here are some signs (but no guarantee) that they are real:
- the driver color, very unique copper
- the CE sign on the fully extended left headband
- the sony brand logo that is applied and not printed







Last picture color is off due to me shooting against the light with an iPad camera, they are silver...I wanted to bring out their texture.

Cheers,
K

 

[DavidA]

I checked mine also, couldn't find any SN visible, as @Koolpep noted the drivers are a very unique copper color.  My 1A is the black one.

 

[djphaze]

I checked mine and they don't have a serial number where you can see them. Maybe they have one under the pads or somewhere else hidden.

I have not heard of any fakes (yet).

Any how, here are some signs (but no guarantee) that they are real:
- the driver color, very unique copper
- the CE sign on the fully extended left headband
- the sony brand logo that is applied and not printed







Last picture color is off due to me shooting against the light with an iPad camera, they are silver...I wanted to bring out their texture.

Cheers,
K

I'll check that out when I get home. Thanks.

 

[djphaze]

Just checked mine. Everything seems to match up thanks!

 

[Wilderness]

In response to registradus:
 
I am also hearing a bit of distortion with my Sony MDR-1A headphones.  I have only heard it on two songs out of several dozen that I have played.  It is a bit of a dzzzzzz dzzzz sound that lasts maybe two seconds.
 
I isolated this to the headphones by repeating the problem with both the Sony ZX2 and my iPad Air 2.  It does not happen when playing the same songs on my desktop speakers, and so the problem is not with the songs.
 
Someone on this thead suggested checking to see whether there is a hair inside.  How do I check for that?
 
If the problem is with the headphones, I am wondering whether I should return them and get a diferent pair.  Any suggestions on similar headphones?  I want something that sounds good with a wide range of resolutions, from high res 24-192 to CD to Apple AAC 256.  So, headphones that will bring out the high resolution benefits but not sound bad with lower resolution.  That is what the MDR-1As were pegged as -- good all around headphones.

 

[zazex]

  So after some research and consideration I bought mdr-1a. Love the sound, the bass seems a little too emphasized though.  I tried m50x which I had comfort issues with, and some ultrasone perfomance series, but the sound didnt live up to my expectations.And I think it is always a good idea to go with company's flagship model so that engineers dont compromise anything. Anyway, can anyone tell me if earpads on this headphones are replaceable? Also, can you please share a link to some third-party cables for this headset that will not break the bank? ( im looking for 3m cable for home use) as i understand this model has some fancy system, so not all cables will fit.

 
I'm pretty sure that Sony's current flagship model is the MDR Z7.

 

[money4me247]

 
I'm pretty sure that Sony's current flagship model is the MDR Z7.

true, but I think the previous poster was just referring to the mdr-1A being the newer version of the mdr-1R. I do remember sony releasing a mdr-10r or smtg after the mdr-1r, that did not perform quite as well as the original mdr-1r though. so can get really confusing sometimes hahah
 
edit: mdr-z7 has quite a bit of bass emphasis though. depends what you are looking for if that headphone will work with your tastes. I personally think there are better options out there at its original msrp price point, though it can be a solid buy if you find a competitive deal or used price.

 

[zazex]

  true, but I think the previous poster was just referring to the mdr-1A being the newer version of the mdr-1R. I do remember sony releasing a mdr-10r or smtg after the mdr-1r, that did not perform quite as well as the original mdr-1r though. so can get really confusing sometimes hahah
 
edit: mdr-z7 has quite a bit of bass emphasis though. depends what you are looking for if that headphone will work with your tastes. I personally think there are better options out there at its original msrp price point, though it can be a solid buy if you find a competitive deal or used price.

 
Would like to hear some of your suggestions for alternatives at the original MSRP,
especially closed.
I think Sony has created a very good sounding closed headphone in the Z7 (yes it's ported
but essentially it's closed).
Also beautifully made and very comfortable.

 

[money4me247]

  Would like to hear some of your suggestions for alternatives at the original MSRP, especially closed. I think Sony has created a very good sounding closed headphone in the Z7 (yes it's ported but essentially it's closed). Also beautifully made and very comfortable.

@zazex, Sure, the Z7 is a fine headphone. it just doesn't hold value very well & used prices have dropped down to the sub-$400 price point before. really depends on your tastes whether you will enjoy them, so not an easy universal recommendation. has a colored bass-heavier sound signature that may not match everyone's tastes though some will find it quite enjoyable. Bass quite noticeably bloated compared to the orthodynamic entry-levels or some other nice dynamic mid-tier options. But that aspect I guess is also dependent on what you are looking for. I do personally prefer to have very tight bass notes with fast transient response even in headphones that have a bass emphasis, so I personally don't find the Z7 that appealing for my tastes.
 
At original MSRP, there are a lot of alternative closed recommendations in my mind, but it really does just depend on the sound signature you are looking for. My personal closed favorites that I feel offer tremendous valueerformance include the PM-3 at $400 msrp, HP50 at $300 msrp, K545 at sub-$200 w/ current amazon pricing. These are all more neutral orientated options though (as that is more my sound sig preference). For bassier options, I guess I would personally splurge the extra money for a used TH900 instead (though I think those are also a bit of a stretch at MSRP for their performance at their price point). The TH600 and recent Audeze EL-8 also matches the Z7 price point (though I do think that whole price range is not really a good place to hang & overpriced imo). I do feel like all three of those $700 MSRP has too many compromises to justify their price tag. I think it would be wiser to either save a bit more for a true flagship or drop down in price range. I don't think that $500-$800 price niche for closed headphones to be very competitive at the moment. No real closed standpoint products there from my experience (though the Alpha Dog & Alpha Prime has now fallen into the $500 & $800 price respectively, and I was pretty relatively impressed with the Prime even at $1k). I find the flagship range of $900+ or mid-tier sub-$500 range to offer much better value & more competitive sonic performance for my tastes. These are just my personal opinions so feel free to disagree.
 
I would just strongly recommend demoing the Z7 prior to purchasing or buying from somewhere with a good return policy as you will be selling these at a severe loss if you end up not liking them. That being said, there is no pair of perfect headphones so maybe the Z7 will match exactly what you are looking for. If you are interested in a more bassy pair of headphones, I would recommend demoing the Z7 if you can (Sony stores don't let you though). I can see the Z7 fitting certain people's criteria very well. Just a bit harder universal recommendation as I think it has an unique sound signature that really needs to match what you are specifically looking for imo. 

 

[zazex]

  @zazex, Sure, the Z7 is a fine headphone. it just doesn't hold value very well & used prices have dropped down to the sub-$400 price point before. really depends on your tastes whether you will enjoy them, so not an easy universal recommendation. has a colored bass-heavier sound signature that may not match everyone's tastes though some will find it quite enjoyable. Bass quite noticeably bloated compared to the orthodynamic entry-levels or some other nice dynamic mid-tier options. But that aspect I guess is also dependent on what you are looking for. I do personally prefer to have very tight bass notes with fast transient response even in headphones that have a bass emphasis, so I personally don't find the Z7 that appealing for my tastes.
 
At original MSRP, there are a lot of alternative closed recommendations in my mind, but it really does just depend on the sound signature you are looking for. My personal closed favorites that I feel offer tremendous valueerformance include the PM-3 at $400 msrp, HP50 at $300 msrp, K545 at sub-$200 w/ current amazon pricing. These are all more neutral orientated options though (as that is more my sound sig preference). For bassier options, I guess I would personally splurge the extra money for a used TH900 instead (though I think those are also a bit of a stretch at MSRP for their performance at their price point). The TH600 and recent Audeze EL-8 also matches the Z7 price point (though I do think that whole price range is not really a good place to hang & overpriced imo). I do feel like all three of those $700 MSRP has too many compromises to justify their price tag. I think it would be wiser to either save a bit more for a true flagship or drop down in price range. I don't think that $500-$800 price niche for closed headphones to be very competitive at the moment. No real closed standpoint products there from my experience (though the Alpha Dog & Alpha Prime has now fallen into the $500 & $800 price respectively, and I was pretty relatively impressed with the Prime even at $1k). I find the flagship range of $900+ or mid-tier sub-$500 range to offer much better value & more competitive sonic performance for my tastes. These are just my personal opinions so feel free to disagree.
 
I would just strongly recommend demoing the Z7 prior to purchasing or buying from somewhere with a good return policy as you will be selling these at a severe loss if you end up not liking them. That being said, there is no pair of perfect headphones so maybe the Z7 will match exactly what you are looking for. If you are interested in a more bassy pair of headphones, I would recommend demoing the Z7 if you can (Sony stores don't let you though). I can see the Z7 fitting certain people's criteria very well. Just a bit harder universal recommendation as I think it has an unique sound signature that really needs to match what you are specifically looking for imo. 

 
 
I'm quoting your whole reply, as you can see.
 
I really appreciate your sharing an obviously deep knowledge of the
marketplace for these headphones (and I'm sure it encompasses many,
many others).
 
I'd best let this thread get back to the 1A, its original subject.
 
Thanks!

 

[Sonic Defender]

   
 
I'm quoting your whole reply, as you can see.
 
I really appreciate your sharing an obviously deep knowledge of the
marketplace for these headphones (and I'm sure it encompasses many,
many others).
 
I'd best let this thread get back to the 1A, its original subject.
 
Thanks!

I had a Z7, and by and large would agree with what moneyforme247 has said. Now the Z7 can be nice with bass, very nice with some basic EQ cuts. Where it lacks a little which surprises people is in the sub-bass region. It is okay, but rolled off response. So if deep articulate sub bass is important to you, the Z7 will be only okay. Most of the bass bloat is contained in the 125, 250, 500 frequencies. I found once I used a parametric EQ to cut away the bloat (which isn't horrible, but it is there zero doubt about that) it really was quite nice. It also lacked a little weight to the sound, not thin at all, but moving to the TH 900 brought back the weight that I prefer. Now if you buy used at around or just under $400 I think it is a solid headphone, above that, it becomes debatable. The comfort, aesthetics and build quality are excellent. It sounded nice enough in my system that I sold my HE 560 and didn't suffer. Now the Z7 isn't better than the 560 at anything, or even as good, but at a reasonable used price they are nice headphones.

 

[subguy812]

I have some arriving tomorrow. Excited to hear them.

 

[Sonic Defender]

I have some arriving tomorrow. Excited to hear them.

Z7 or 1A?