[Jonamafun]

Well if you think that's bad, it's 350AUD in Australia, and 399NZD in New Zealand!

 

[k1n0n3]

I think the MSRP for the 1R was the same when it launched and stayed up there for quite some time, same for the MK2

 

[citraian]

I got the MDR-1A out of curiosity because I really liked the MDR-1R MK1 and I wanted to see if the  1A's improved on them sufficiently to de-throne the AKG K550s (which is my favourite mid-fi headphone)
 
First of all these are NOT neutral headphones, nor did I expect them to be. The bass is boosted a bit more than I would like but it's pretty even which is good. The mids and treble seem to be pretty much in line with each other. There is however some upper treble roll-off, as expected.  The soundstage and imaging capabilities are pretty... medium as I've heard better in this category (e.g. AKG K550) and I've certainly heard way worse (e.g. Sennheiser Momentum)
 
 
 
Here are some extended impressions on the MDR-1A vs the MDR-1R MK1
BASS: It is clear from the get go that this have more bass than the 1Rs (a little bit too much if you ask me). The good news is that these have a way more even bass (no big sub-bass rolloff) and that this bass is more controlled and detailed than before
 
MIDS: The 1Rs had beautiful mids but they had two problems. 1. The upper mids were a bit boosted. 2. There were some... colorations that created some interesting effects but for certain songs or passages they ruined the song. The 1As fix both problems while still having good mids that are now more forward and more refined.
TREBLE: I didn't notice that many differences here besides the 1As being more refined.
One thing to note here is that the 1Rs tended to get a little bit shouty in the upper mids / lower treble and really bloated in the bass when increasing the volume to medium-high or high levels. 1A doesn't have the shouty upper mids/lower treble problem (since it's more even) and does improve (but not eliminate) the bass bloat issue.
 
SOUNDSTAGE / IMAGING: I find the 1Rs to have a slightly larger soundstage and to image a bit better. They are however a bit strange in this department since the soundstage appears to be way uneven at times. The 1As have a more even soundstage even if it appears to be smaller (due to it being more forward)
 
COMFORT: The 1Rs were the most comfortable headphones I ever tried. The 1As even if still fine, are not AS comfortable for me since the earpads are more full and tend to sit on my ears. 
 
 
 
Did they de-throne the AKG K550s? Well... no. First of all, they have a bit too much bass. The K550s are better and more "correct" throught the spectrum and are second to none at this price when it comes to imaging and soundstage.
 
Are they better than the MDR-1Rs? I'm inclining to say yes but it's hard to decide. The bass is more even, more controlled and more detailed but then again it has gained some decibels which I don't like. The mids and treble are more even and more refined but the soundstage is smaller (even if it's more even). Decisions, decisions...

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

I may have to give MDR-1A a try, they sound like a good contender for that ^-- shape response I'm looking for.

 

[citraian]

Actually a great contender for that

 

[registradus]

Man, tough decision.

 

[Noir7]

anyone tried to open the earpads?
 
i've tried it but can't open it, seems different locking mechanism than the 1R.

 

[fansc]

any chance someone could compare these to the ATH-WS99?

 

[Jonamafun]

I'm loving the sound out of my 1A. I am hearing more details compared to my XBA4, and the bass is more defined and satisfying.

Plays great out of my Xperia Z3 unamped. Will try it out soon with my microstreamer.

Used it on my commute and whilst isolation could be better it's definitely not a dealbreaker.

 

[BaronVonRhett]

So I received my MDR 1A's on Monday and have had a few days to play with them. So far I find they fit my preferences perfectly, with a strong visceral bass when I amp them for it, yet still have very clear mids and highs even with the large amounts of lower end. Left un-amped, they still have a very forward sound though the highs do lack that sort of sizzle some may be accustom to in other headphones. They drive amazingly easily off my HTC ONE M8 (on which I use Power Amp). My only real complaints are I sometimes get random rattles or distortion that I assume come partially from my hair getting to the drivers and also partially due to the Mobile remote cord. When ever I hear the rattle, it is almost always in the left cup where the cord plugs in and after adjusting it, it goes away. I have switched to using the other cord for now and haven't noticed any issues yet. Anyone else notice similar?

 

[Decelerated]

I am looking seriously at buying these headphones. My ears are on the larger side at 70mm top to bottom. Will these headphones accommodate my ears well?

Thanks

 

[citraian]

I think they will sit on your ears but will not be uncomfortable 

 

[Neurofunk]

Just ordered these, will post my impressions when I get them.

 

[RPGWiZaRD]

I might order these soon, wanna wait and see if they get in stock soon for @ 159€  

They are like 100 bucks cheaper over here compared to US which makes it even more tempting.

 

[slayerx44]

Have never handled any of the series before, but are the joints connecting the cups to the headband plastic or metal? ( the silvery grey thing )

Also are the cups plastic too? I heard somewhere that they were actually aluminum hence the "A" designation