Sony MDR-1A Review - I was SURPRISED
- Avichai Elimelech
- Aug 17, 2018
- 3 min read
I've been looking at over-the-ears headphones for a while now, I've tried many brands and models and I tend to like the sound signiture coming out of the Sony brand headphones (As you can see here). I am fortunate enough to surround myself with friends with great taste, so when my friend bought the Sony MDR-1A, I've jumped on the opportunity to review it!
The Sony MDR-1A is the first generation of Sony's over-the-ear consumer high-end headphones. The price isn't cheap as MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) coming at 299$ though sales are usually make it much cheaper.
I'll go through the things I was looking for and how these headphones met the criteria:
Comfort
I've tried many many over-the-ears headphones - from gaming, wireless, DJ and many more... So I was very skeptical about being surprised but hey! I was wrong... These are among the most comfortable headphone I ever wore, with lightweight design and plush leather ear padding - I can wear these for hours on end.
Having said that - these headphones might cause a little bit of ear sweat, but seriously, this is just nitpicking - these are very comfortable compared to everything I wore so far, my advice is - try them on yourself - as every head is different and comfort may differ from one another, and the lucky thing is - most shops keep the over-the-ear headphones out for you to try before you buy.
Performance - Passive Noise Cancelling (Noise Isolation)
The seal around the ear here was my main concern but as far as passive noise cancelling these are great! These headphones are meant to reduce environmental noise significantly - Trains, Airplanes, wind, traffic and so on - you can find yourself sitting in a noisy room and ignoring people talking to you just because the noise isolation is that good!
Performance - Music
The great noise isolation makes the listening experience much more immersive as you only concentrate on the music, the sound performance here is great too! With a driver of 40mm and a ridiculous frequency response of 3-100,000Hz (which is a lot! usually headphones go from 20-20,000Hz) I was expecting bass heavy headphones but I was surprised as bass isn't heavy but very much present, mids and highs are good and clear and overall it's a fun listening experience which even in high volume won't lose it's clarity.
FAQs
What's the length of the included 3.5mm cable? Approximately 1.2m or 4ft of detachable cable.
Does it come with a carrying case, and if so - what does it include or can contain? YES! Soft carrying case and additional cable with a microphone and a single button which works with Android or iOS.
Do these headphones considered Bass heavy? By no means these are Bass heavy, but the Bass is very much present. If you want more Bass - look elsewhere.
Are they water / weather proof? NO! There is even a specific section in the headphones manual recommending avoiding water scenarios.
Bottom Line
These headphones aren't cheap, but they provide you with one of the best experiences out there! Top notch noise isolation, great sound quality and great comfort. They are not perfect as they induce just a little bit of ear sweat, but that's because their passive noise isolation is better than most - the better seal makes the moisture stay inside the ear cup, but again - nitpicking! Sony keeps surprising me with great headphones over and over...
Yes, there are other cheaper headphones out there but they lack the great noise isolation, the sound quality or the better than most comfort!
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