[Beztis]

 
Don't give up, I'm sure there is a headphone out there with your name on it.  I think just reading about headphones is a great start but trying them hands on is the only way to really get to know them.  I've been lucky to be able to purchase a few and have a few friends that also have great gear.  There aren't many head-fi members here in Hawaii so we don't have meets (been trying to get one together but no luck so far).
 
You are just getting started, you have a great headphone in the HD-650 and have tried the HE-400i so use those as benchmarks to ask questions like you are in this thread what will suit your needs.  Best threads to ask questions on are the HD-650 and HE-400i threads as they are fairly active.

right on thanks lol - ya it must be tough in hawaii, especially since lot of places charge a lot more to ship to hawaii/alaska :O 

 

[DavidA]

  right on thanks lol - ya it must be tough in hawaii, especially since lot of places charge a lot more to ship to hawaii/alaska :O 

Not only do they charge more but some vendors don't even ship to Hawaii or Alaska

 

[dazzerfong]

  How do you guys think the MDR1A compares to the takstar pro 80/Hyper cloud x? tbh i have tried quite a few headhones, but the hypercloud x is  pretty much the only one i found "comfortable" - would you say the mdr1a is more comfortable? or about the same? and i'm assuming it has much better sound quality...right? lol - i have sennheiser hd650 atm, love the sound but even after 6 months i just cant get them comfortable and lately they seem to be getting more uncomfortable simply from how mad i am while wearing them. 
 
you think sony mdr1A + o2odac can be a comfy end game? i been trying a lot of headphones and i kinda just want to stop and pick something that is comfy....and tbh i heard a few people, like Zeos say that the mdr1A Is better than the much respected Oppo pm3, more comfortable, more sound stage, smooth sound without fatigue (good for me cus i am treble sensitive) 
 
the only sony headphones ive ever tried were the mdrzx100 (these plastic things) so when i think of sony MDR (headphones) - i always think of them, but im sure the mdr1a is much better right?...RIGHT??
 
btw davidA you are in this thread too????
 
i was thinking of going ma900 cus they are supposedly very comfortable, but i think from the research ive done that the mdr1a is a better bang for buck as far as sound quality goes cus i heard quite a people say that ma900 is comfortable but the sound isn't really worth its price. 

Nope, not even close IMO. It's too dark and bassy, which while is great for outdoors, isn't really great if you're using it at home with an O2/ODAC combo. And speaking of which, don't bother using the O2/ODAC with the MDR-1A's: practically no difference except maybe hissing in exceptional circumstances.
 
Comfort-wise, it's above average for headphones, but it's not great. Then again, I have one of the most comfy headphones in the world, so it's not exactly fair to compare that to it, especially considering the price difference.
 
Differences compared to the PM3:
 
More bass (PM3 had too little for me, MDR-1A too much)
Flabbier bass (PM3 was -tight- despite its small amount)
Less prominent mid-range
Much better soundstage (actually, for its price range and closed-back design, it's one of the best soundstaging headphones I've tried).
Crappier build quality (the PM3's build is wonderfully heavy)
 
I considered the MA900 at one point, however as I couldn't try them out, I passed on it.

 

[Beztis]

  Nope, not even close IMO. It's too dark and bassy, which while is great for outdoors, isn't really great if you're using it at home with an O2/ODAC combo. And speaking of which, don't bother using the O2/ODAC with the MDR-1A's: practically no difference except maybe hissing in exceptional circumstances.
 
Comfort-wise, it's above average for headphones, but it's not great. Then again, I have one of the most comfy headphones in the world, so it's not exactly fair to compare that to it, especially considering the price difference.
 
Differences compared to the PM3:
 
More bass (PM3 had too little for me, MDR-1A too much)
Flabbier bass (PM3 was -tight- despite its small amount)
Less prominent mid-range
Much better soundstage (actually, for its price range and closed-back design, it's one of the best soundstaging headphones I've tried).
Crappier build quality (the PM3's build is wonderfully heavy)
 
I considered the MA900 at one point, however as I couldn't try them out, I passed on it.

most comfy headphones in the world? are you referring to the Pm3 or the HD700? 
 
I considered the HD700, i like how it is D shaped, and it looks fancy like the HD800 for a lot cheaper, but i hear the highs are pretty painful? how is it with the o2odac? did you EQ anything?

 

[DavidA]

  most comfy headphones in the world? are you referring to the Pm3 or the HD700? 
 
I considered the HD700, i like how it is D shaped, and it looks fancy like the HD800 for a lot cheaper, but i hear the highs are pretty painful? how is it with the o2odac? did you EQ anything?

My guess would be the HD-700 as the most comfy

The HD-700 with the O2/ODAC is not a good pairing, even to me the highs are harsh.

 

[dazzerfong]

most comfy headphones in the world? are you referring to the Pm3 or the HD700? 

I considered the HD700, i like how it is D shaped, and it looks fancy like the HD800 for a lot cheaper, but i hear the highs are pretty painful? how is it with the o2odac? did you EQ anything?

Depends. I don't mind it with SS amps, but others hate it with SS amps like DavidA.

 

[Netrum]

I finally put in an order for the MDR-1A today.
They will be my school and travel headphones.

 

[Buddhahacker]

I finally put in an order for the MDR-1A today.
They will be my school and travel headphones.

Congrats.  You will love them. 

 

[Netrum]

Well i dont have to love them.
They only need to be good enough that i can use them at school and when traveling.
I have a better setup at home.
But open cans are not suitable for portable and office use

 

[kartik7405]

@Netrum ;Yeah stock one with too muffled ;i just cannot bear with it.Just do surgical tape mod in back earcups ;bass will good and treble harshness will be reduced.

 

[Netrum]

I got them in the mail today.
And i am disappointed.
The pads are way too small.
I have to stuff my ears in for it to fit :S

 

[SHAMuuu]

I got them in the mail today.
And i am disappointed.
The pads are way too small.
I have to stuff my ears in for it to fit :S

what u gonna do? perhaps alternate earpads . has anyone modified these??
 
i thought about these, but to slap some like alpha dog pads ... bad idea u think??

 

[Netrum]

Tbh they are way better then the piece of **** on ear ones i have at work.
So i am keeping them.
But yea i will be looking into different ear pads for sure.

 

[DavidA]

I got them in the mail today.
And i am disappointed.
The pads are way too small.
I have to stuff my ears in for it to fit :S

The ear pads being too small is an issue for some, I posted a while back about the size of them and showed them in comparison to other ear pads.

 

[dazzerfong]

I​'m fairly sure it's not meant to completely envelop your ears. I have pretty small-ish ears and even my MDR-1A rests partially on my ear.