Hi,
I had MDR-F1s for a very long time (over a decade) and am looking for a replacement. What are the options? This is for general use including music, movies, and maybe gaming. Comfort is the most important thing and the MDR-F1 did that better than anything else I've encountered. Soundstage was/is sort of otherworldly too. The only time I heard better staging was through K1000s but those aren't very comfy.
I'm looking at either
- MDR-F1 used
- MDR-MA900 used or NOS
- or ...
any recommendations are appreciated.
Kindest regards,
Chris
I have 9 headphones, of which one is F1 and five are MA900 (two are factory sealed as backups). I think that tells how much important this headphone is to me. I could not live without it now.
Because the MA900 has a significant opening on the side (although much smaller than F1), it allows me to use it the whole day without heating my ears. The F1 is even better in that respect, but the MA900 sound is much better than the F1, so I use the F1 only on extremely hot summer days/nights.
Unlike the F1 which has very weak bass (level wise), the MA900 has a very good bass, although much lower in level than the Philips X2 or Meze Empyrean.
Independently of that, I love the overall MA900 sound. It may not be technically perfect, but it is so enjoyable to listen. Airy and engaging. I just love it. BTW I use it always with Mojo.
The MA900 weights only 192 gr, so it is a feather.
However I usually mod it slightly, I insert some padding below the earpads, to make the original pads higher, so that my ears do not touch the drivers. Several materials can be used, but lately I have been using windows isolation tapes (foam or rubber). I use the same on the F1, same earpad design.
So, the best to put it is, grab one while you can.