[devin.oct]

Thank you for the response.
They did improve but not enough for me to justify their £149 price.

Shame they are decent headphones; far more lively and dynamic than the imo pretty awful MDR100AP. More comfortable too and cooler on the ears by plastic padded over ears standard. Also by far the best looking and finished of this particular series. No naff looking metal look plastics this time:, just matt black alloy and plastic.

Too fatiguingly unnatural in the treble and over priced for me to keep. The on ear 10RC remains Sonys best effort in this class for me. A quite special hidden gem imo. It only loses out from the 1am2 in lack of sensitivity. It sounds better amped.

I got it when it's on sale for about $120 i think, it's direct competitor is MSR7 and i liked these far more than the MSR7.
I don't find it's treble fatiguing or metallic sounding though, it's a bit shouty/peaky at times on some recording, but yes it's not as natural or realistic or as transparent sounding as the Senns(600/650), MDR1am2 is the only Sony i've ever owned, so can't say about the others.
Even for £149 i think it's great, different ears different taste. Hope you get what you wanted, maybe look for Sennheiser HD569, Momentum or Meze 99 Classics/Neo for smooth sound but be aware that the bass on Meze is quite boomy, it's as smooth as those Senns though.

 

[CoryGillmore]

I got it when it's on sale for about $120 i think, it's direct competitor is MSR7 and i liked these far more than the MSR7.
I don't find it's treble fatiguing or metallic sounding though, it's a bit shouty/peaky at times on some recording, but yes it's not as natural or realistic or as transparent sounding as the Senns(600/650), MDR1am2 is the only Sony i've ever owned, so can't say about the others.
Even for £149 i think it's great, different ears different taste. Hope you get what you wanted, maybe look for Sennheiser HD569, Momentum or Meze 99 Classics/Neo for smooth sound but be aware that the bass on Meze is quite boomy, it's as smooth as those Senns though.

Brother you got a 1AM2 for $120 USD? That's amazing. Hell I paid $300 at Best Buy and I think they're worth every penny of that! I liked them more than the Z7M2 and actually returned the Z7M2 after keeping them for a month and comparing them with the 1AM2. I then used that return money to partly fund an IER-M9 and haven't looked back since. I'm in the market for an open back can to go with my Burson Audio Play though. My 10+ year old DT880 is starting to bore me, even though they are a treat with the Play.

 

[devin.oct]

Brother you got a 1AM2 for $120 USD? That's amazing. Hell I paid $300 at Best Buy and I think they're worth every penny of that! I liked them more than the Z7M2 and actually returned the Z7M2 after keeping them for a month and comparing them with the 1AM2. I then used that return money to partly fund an IER-M9 and haven't looked back since. I'm in the market for an open back can to go with my Burson Audio Play though. My 10+ year old DT880 is starting to bore me, even though they are a treat with the Play.

Yeah, from Sony's official, sale price plus voucher or discount code the final price is around $120 or $125 with shipping(local), at this price it's a steal really, they sound great, look great, built great and super light!
I personally liked smooth, non-offensive sound but these complement my 6XXs.

$300 is a bit steep, but it's hard to find a great sounding closed-back at this price point and i think the bass on these is the best in it's class, really wonderful.
Yes, have heard about people prefer these over the Z7m2, i wonder how do they sound compared to MDR1am2?

Wow, 10 years with the DT880 no wonder you don't find MDR1am2 peaky, maybe look into planars for different sound or just go for the Beyers again.
HD650/6XX are the one i always go back to though.

 

[Blinxat]

Nothing offensively wrong with these. Highs seem full up and linear from 5 to 10khz, maybe after that a little warmer roll off from the air. Adequate but not super high resolution (despite a lot marketing for that) mids sound nicely natural to me. Bass is a touch thick, bloomy and loose. But much less than the previous models. While not technically the best bass, it is a lot of fun, big and meaty. Background fairly dark, pretty good, soundstage medium-small, but has some height placements to it.

The tuning can satisfy both relaxed listeners, with its slightly warm tilt. But also has some excitement in EDM because the treble is also there.

 

[devin.oct]

For those that feel the treble on this can sometimes be sibilant/peaky or has metallic sounding maybe can try a simple mod.
Remove the earpads, and put thin cotton pads or felt(i use beauty cotton pads) in front of the driver and that's it.

Image is from DIY audio heaven for MDR-1a, but it's basically the same for MDR-1am2.
With this mod the peak is tamed, sibilant/peaky/metallic is gone without making it darker, muddy or lacking in treble, other frequencies aren't affected at all.
Now the sound is what i would like from the start, i wonder why Sony didn't put thicker foam in the first place.

Here are measurements for MDR-1a stock vs mod just ignore the lower frequency changes because that's from port closed mod.
Blue = Stock.
Orange = Felt + Port Closed.
Complete article https://diyaudioheaven.wordpress.com/headphones/measurements/brands-st-x/mdr-1a/

 

[FYLegend]

Really enjoying the sound of these. Having used the MSR7 for the past few years I preferred a bright, mid-forward sound but more recently got more fatiguing over it and was looking for something with deeper bass and still retains midrange and treble detail. Was a bit disappointed by the MSR7B being similar but less bassy than MSR7 and also using proprietary cables. Takstar Pro 82 is great for the price and particularly excels in comfort, soundstage and detail retrieval, but is lacking in subbass impact and midrange clarity. After about 2 weeks of use, the hinges creak a lot more than I expected, not as bad as MSR7 but more than the Tasktar Pro 82. It seems to be caused by a combination of 1) the leathery part of the earcup and 2) the driver housing not being fully attached to the earcup - pressing it inwards causes a slight crackle, especially on the right side. They don't often creak/crackle around when I move my head, but on the right side the cable's strain relief makes a fair bit of noise as it wiggles around. Most of the noise I notice is coming from my ears and hair rustling against the earpad.

For Bluetooth I use the Maceton WM4BE receiver, but I had to sand down the plastic surrounding the 3.5mm connector for it to fit into the headphone. I recall Maceton had a version with a thinner plastic base specifically designed for the MDR-1A, but unfortunately the company has disappeared. It has AptX and generally sounds pretty good (albeit V-shaped tuning compared to wired), but has some distortion with certain tracks and the connection isn't particularly stable. Muswor and Airfex still sell similar receivers but I'm not sure if they have AptX or not, and it appears none of these have the thin-base 3.5mm design. Hagbis X2 looks promising for headphones that have 3.5mm detachable cables but judging by its photos its plug still looks too wide for the 1AM2.

 

[trellus]

For Bluetooth I use the Maceton WM4BE receiver, but I had to sand down the plastic surrounding the 3.5mm connector for it to fit into the headphone. I recall Maceton had a version with a thinner plastic base specifically designed for the MDR-1A, but unfortunately the company has disappeared. It has AptX and generally sounds pretty good (albeit V-shaped tuning compared to wired), but has some distortion with certain tracks and the connection isn't particularly stable. Muswor and Airfex still sell similar receivers but I'm not sure if they have AptX or not, and it appears none of these have the thin-base 3.5mm design. Hagbis X2 looks promising for headphones that have 3.5mm detachable cables but judging by its photos its plug still looks too wide for the 1AM2.

Muswor does indeed sell one that specifically is marketed to work with the MDR-1A and I bought it and it works fine on the 1AM2, as shown below -- but it doesn't support aptX from what I can tell, unfortunately:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D9P3KF9/

 

[FYLegend]

Oh, I see they included a thinner metal base above the plastic. The Maceton WM4BE actually fits inside the socket but doesn't click into the jack until I sanded the plastic part. How's the sound quality of the Muswor though and what device are you using? Is there any distortion? For example the guitar riff in "Love You Anymore" by Michael Buble sounds pretty awful with the WM4BE.

 

[hifi80sman]

Muswor does indeed sell one that specifically is marketed to work with the MDR-1A and I bought it and it works fine on the 1AM2, as shown below -- but it doesn't support aptX from what I can tell, unfortunately:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D9P3KF9/

I have the "Maceton" version, and you're correct, it's only SBC. It's decent and the mic is good, but I ended up going with the ES100 and clipping it on my person.

 

[FYLegend]

I have the "Maceton" version, and you're correct, it's only SBC. It's decent and the mic is good, but I ended up going with the ES100 and clipping it on my person.

Odd, the Maceton receivers definitely should have AptX. It might be a software issue with the phone as some people have reported similar issues with not getting AAC to work with true wireless earbuds. Mine has AptX but still sounds rather distorted in certain songs regardless what headphone I use - it sounds even worse if I switch to SBC (bass becomes boomy and increased distortion ni highs). WM4SO was the one with the recessed plug but it too lists AptX. On Android, if you have Poweramp disabling DVC and absolute volume both help decrease the chance of audio clipping.

Does h.ear on 2 WH-900N have a recessed plug like the 1AM2? Hagbis X2 promo shots show it attached to the h.ear on 2.

 

[romanrex]

Tested Sony MDR-1AM2

Sony MDR-1AM2 presented several reports, which are different levels of difficulty.

Professional reports contain graphs and tables
Simple reports – a description of the characteristics in a simple language
On-line comparison and selection services for Sony MDR-1AM2

 

[kane1371]

I have just received my pair of mdr 1am2 and I have to say I have had my eyes on this series since MDR 1r model as MDR v6 and its iconic look has been a part of my childhood in my subconscious which I realised a little while ago.
That blue tag with the word professional on them is just a beautiful sight.
I also bought a pair of MDR 10rc a couple of years back and was surprised at the quality it could produce but alas I really dislike on ears.
I have tested many headphones that are easy or hard to drive, cheap, entry or premium
Crazy quality for price and garbage expensive crap and I have to say these are just so satisfying.
They are considerably colder compared to 10rc and some older Sonys but yet when listening to Norwegian wood with them I noticed so many new details in the bass line today and it isn't even burnt yet.
I am so excited to listen to music with these on amp which I haven't done yet.
I loved the weight and comfort, also I can't believe how thin the ear pads feel and yet they are soft and comfortable, there is some real magic going on in there.
I never tested 1a mark 1 and those supposedly had better pads? Can't imagine

Btw, these are pretty loud and I like it

 

[RestUnknown]

I wanted to buy a Sony MDR-1A until I saw the MDR-1AM2.

What made me look at the MDR-1A was that everywhere it receives 'the most comfortable headphone' tickbox. I assume the 1AM2 is basically the same?
Another thing is that 1A has great sound and I do read the 1AM2 is slightly different and even a bit less bass, is this correct?

I do like some added bass as long as it sounds good, something that seems to be in place with the 1A.

Currently after reading some reviews, I'm not that convinced about the 1AM2 and since I have some bad experiences with previous headphones, I want to make the right choice. Previous headphone is the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0, which gets extremely uncomfortable for me after a short while.
The headphone will be used at my desktop listening to all kind of songs but mostly EDM.

 

[kane1371]

I wanted to buy a Sony MDR-1A until I saw the MDR-1AM2.

What made me look at the MDR-1A was that everywhere it receives 'the most comfortable headphone' tickbox. I assume the 1AM2 is basically the same?
Another thing is that 1A has great sound and I do read the 1AM2 is slightly different and even a bit less bass, is this correct?

I do like some added bass as long as it sounds good, something that seems to be in place with the 1A.

Currently after reading some reviews, I'm not that convinced about the 1AM2 and since I have some bad experiences with previous headphones, I want to make the right choice. Previous headphone is the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0, which gets extremely uncomfortable for me after a short while.
The headphone will be used at my desktop listening to all kind of songs but mostly EDM.

Well it is a sony sound.
It is neither cold or warm, it is a sweet spot really.
I don't know for edm, let me go listen to something real fast... Back.
So I listened to Starting over by Aligator and some Avicii and some Skrillex.
I would say it will need some eq work if you want a warm sounding edm experience, the bass was very satisfying to my taste and didn't feel like an unwelcome experience. They feel just the right amount of bass and the loudness is real good with these.
Currently sitting on a busy tram, can't hear anything outside.
On top of that these sound great on a stronger sound card like on pcs.
Then again my pair is not even burnt yet.
The sound is just satisfying.
And the comfort is top notch so far and the crazy thing is how thin the pad is compared to something like their on ear mdr 10rc.
Go for it

 

[Windseeker]

What made me look at the MDR-1A was that everywhere it receives 'the most comfortable headphone' tickbox. I assume the 1AM2 is basically the same?
Another thing is that 1A has great sound and I do read the 1AM2 is slightly different and even a bit less bass, is this correct?

I do like some added bass as long as it sounds good, something that seems to be in place with the 1A.

IMHO, the biggest improvement from 1A is treble. Clearer, more articulated, more natural. Bass is certainly slightly tighter. I prefer IAM2 as bass feels slightly less bloated, relatively speaking. It all comes down to personal taste, so I definitely encourage you to audition it somewhere.

In terms of comfort, it got even better, because 1AM2 is meaningfully lighter. It does feel incredibly light. However, as it is essentially an “on the ear” HP, you may want to test it yourself for 10-15 min to make sure that the pads don’t bother your ears.