[doggrell3000]

dear forum

sony currently sells two good phones --- the mdr ma900 and the mdr 1r . i have not listened to either phone but this forum has favorably reviewed both cans .

sony mdr ma900 :




sony mdr 1r :




i listen almost exclusively to solo classical piano . bach , mozart , beethoven , chopin , debussy , rachmaninoff , scarlatti , and all the great composers . i also enjoy the great composers' concertos and orchestral works . i am not a rock pop folk or beats snob . i just can't stand listening to what most people inexplicably seem to love .
my question is : which of the two sony phones ( mdr ma900 or mdr 1r ) is the best for classical piano . the ma900 is open back and by all accounts very comfortable . the 1r is closed back and more appropriate for outside the home . i rarely ever listen to music outside my home so i am thinking that the ma900s would be a better choice for me but i would like to get some feedback from classical piano lovers who have tried either or both of these sonys . even if you do not listen to classical piano and have experience with the mdr ma900 or the mdr 1r please offer your opinion about each model . they cost about the same money -- the mdr 1r is around fifty bucks more . the mdr 1r has the distinct advantage of not bugging anyone else in the room but there is never anybody else in my room anyway .
i wish i could buy them both . and perhaps one day i will . which phones should i get first ?

thanks for your valuable input .

doggrell3000
new york ny

 

[Sound Quest]

The MDR-1R headphones are tuned to get the best sound out of modern day music. Thats why sony got a couple of modern pop artists  to help fine tune their sound.
 

 
On that basis, they probably aren't the most suitable headphones for your own musical tastes.

 

[BillsonChang007]

Hello!
 
The MDR-1R is like what Sound Quest said it is better off with modern music like rap, hip hop, pop etc. having to try it, I wouldn't recommend it for fast music, and that need good soundstage. 
 
I have yet to try the MA900 but the MA300 that I really like it for it's excellent mids for the price. Believing MA900 is a step up from MA300, I would highly recommend it for your genre of music and needs!
 
hope this help!
Billson

 

[viralcow]

Quote:

i listen almost exclusively to solo classical piano . bach , mozart , beethoven , chopin , debussy , rachmaninoff , scarlatti , and all the great composers . i also enjoy the great composers' concertos and orchestral works.

 
Echoing the earlier posts, the MDR-1R's aren't very suited for classical in general.
 
Just wondering, why does it have to be the Sony's? Solo piano repertoire is a picky genre even within classical and some headphones that excel with orchestral may not do piano very well. I haven't heard the MA900's but from what I've read they don't sound too geared towards classical either.

 

[doggrell3000]

thanks for the feedback guys . no -- i do not necessarily need to go with the sony but i do not see anything else out there that can do any better at the $200 price point . please suggest another headphone if you have one in mind . i am now leaning toward the sony mdr ma900 . the acoustic grand piano is notoriously difficult to record and play back with any true accuracy . probably the best cans for a good piano recording would be the audeze lcd 3 . i don't happen to have $2000 dollars laying around but i can probably swing $195 for the sony mdr ma900 .

sony mdr ma900 :




fazioli f228 studio grand ( the finest instrument currently made in italy ) :




doggrell3000
new york ny

 

[robm321]

Wondering if something for your application exists in that price range myself.

 

[Sound Quest]

Have you considered the AKG K702 headphones?
 

 
 
These are highly regarded headphones for your type of music. The impedance is low enough to use without an amp, although they do benefit greatly with one.
 
The headphone is famous for its broad soundstage and its sheer honesty/accuracy.
 
They're very unforgiving headphones as they reveal everything in a recording (including any mastering errors in the recordings). But if you feed it a perfect recording, it will give you perfection back.

 

[Sound Quest]

Double post

 

[doggrell3000]

thank you sound quest . i will research the k702 as you suggested . they are probably more accurate and professional sounding than the sony mdr ma900 . also they are almost a hundred bucks more money . i have always read great reviews of the akg k702 and k701 . one thing i don't particularly like about these phones is the way akg designed the two large metal pieces that stick up with the leather strap between them which fits on your head . but it seems that studio techs use nothing but akg 701 / 702 so they must be doing something right .

 

[disastermouse]

Why do you prefer classical piano to classical strings?

 

[viralcow]

I like this trend of posting oversized pics of headphones.

 

[doggrell3000]

dear disastermouse

i am a piano player . i still study stringed instruments . the beethoven piano trios ( with violin and cello ) are some of my favorite pieces . classical piano is as much an ensemble instrument as it is a solo instrument . i love all classical instruments . in my humble opinion there is more music in a single beethoven piano / violin / cello composition than all popular music written since 1956 to the present combined .


dear viralcow

here is another oversized photo ..... but it doesn't plug into an iphone .

 

[disastermouse]

There's someone, the opinion of whom I respect, who regards the MA900 over the HE-500 and indeed turned me on to the HE-500 (Katun).  It makes me think the MA900 might very well be worth looking into.

 

[viralcow]

Quote:

dear disastermouse

i am a piano player . i still study stringed instruments . the beethoven piano trios ( with violin and cello ) are some of my favorite pieces . classical piano is as much an ensemble instrument as it is a solo instrument . i love all classical instruments . in my humble opinion there is more music in a single beethoven piano / violin / cello composition than all popular music written since 1956 to the present combined .


dear viralcow

here is another oversized photo ..... but it doesn't plug into an iphone .

 
Very similar to what I used to think. The hours upon hours of practice that goes into every phrase, maybe even every measure of a piano score seems to be quickly forgotten and unappreciated in today's sound-bit culture.
 
However, that can also lead to being elitist/snobbish... belittling other genres of music that are also quite enjoyable.

 

[Sound Quest]

Quote:

thank you sound quest . i will research the k702 as you suggested . they are probably more accurate and professional sounding than the sony mdr ma900 . also they are almost a hundred bucks more money . i have always read great reviews of the akg k702 and k701 . one thing i don't particularly like about these phones is the way akg designed the two large metal pieces that stick up with the leather strap between them which fits on your head . but it seems that studio techs use nothing but akg 701 / 702 so they must be doing something right .

I suppose the headband could be a nuisance to those who don't have a lot of thick hair to protect their scalp from the ridges.
 
I'm actually surprised that AKG hasn't modified the headband on this model as it seems to be a minor qualm for a lot of people, for a headphone that would otherwise be next to faultless.
 
I'm so tempted to grab a pair, just to hear the hype for myself.