This kind of bass emphasis is of course the norm among style headphones, but is a sign that the ‘Hi-Res’ tag is there for the most part because these are supposedly ‘high-end’ headphones and that Hi-Res Audio is the current buzzword in hi-fi. The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x offer greater bass control and a ‘higher-resolution’ sound for slightly less money, for example. It’s been over three years since Sony introduced their MDR which was headed by the MDR-1R which were described as being able to produce “prestige” sound. Even though they were pricey, the MDR-1R was an impressive pair of over-ears and delivered in both performance and build quality. From the moment you plug them in and pop them over your ears, everything sounds exceptional whatever your musical genre of choice. Bass response is top drawer, punchy without being over the top, while mid-level and higher frequencies are crisp and clear. The separation of sound gives an all-encompassing stereo listen that's really engaging - more so if you have high-resolution audio files - and although it's not a neutral listen, the Sony MDR-1A add the exact kind of pomp we like our audio to have. These things feel luxurious. Perfect clamping-force. . .it is low, but high enough that they stay firmly on my head, even when I start bobbing my head or am walking around. This is notable as I have a fairly narrow head. It's very easy to form a good seal with these over the ears, and the space inside the ear-pads should be sufficient for most folks unless they have ears that are seriously quite large. I can wear these for two, three, four, five, however many hours without it ever causing me any discomfort due to pressure. The ear-pads are super-soft, like feather pillows. The bass is aided by sculpted vents which maximize airflow and a liquid crystal polymer diaphragm with an aluminum coating and works well even at loud volumes. Audio is distortion free and you will be able to make out even tiny details even when the sound is turned up.

The ear candy factor is its own lure, though, and the smooth, expansive-sounding Sony MDR-1A are a great choice if enjoyment is a greater concern than pure accuracy. A timely elevation in the 8-10kHz region of the treble cuts through the bloat in the bass, preventing the MDR-1A from being a muddy disaster of a headphone.

User reviews

Tonally the wired and wireless sound from the Sony MDR-1ABT is similar, but the treble appears ‘tamed’ in the wireless feed. It’s a little smoother, a little less pronounced. Neither is particularly harsh, though, and both offer good detail. When it comes to the mids, I can get an impression of detail. Not as detailed as it could be, but still competitive. Vocals are, for the most part, spot on. The Sony MDR-1ABT get a partial pass for being wireless headphones, but it does tell you you’re paying a fair bit extra for the privilege of wireless. Ultimately, they don’t look or feel like a truly luxurious pair. These aren’t clear-sounding headphones, and as mentioned previously the elevated bass bleeds into the mids and kills dynamic range. You aren’t going to hear the hiss of the singer’s mic, or even the distant footsteps in your favourite first-person shooter.

A bit less clarity and more muddled than mdr600. Especially with high hats and cymbals which sound unnatural and a bit splashy when compared to the 600. Snare drums also sound low quality like it has been downgraded from 320 to 128kbps. I suspect the 1A’s unnatural sound could be attributed to the massive peak at around 9khz and a big drop off from around 12khz onwards (thanks to rtings.com frequency graph). Sound test is based on the cable without the control button as the cable with button sounds awful. I will talk more about the button cable later. I will be mostly comparing the 1A to the Sony mdr-zx600. Throughout this review I may refer to the mdr1A as the '1A' and the mdr-zx600 as the '600'. I am very happy to say that even one year after having owned these, they have held up beautifully and remain my favorite pair of cans I have used in the price range. So much so that I have had no desire to search further, higher, or wider to find a better pair.

In our review set there was a tiny bit of creakiness when stretching and twisting the arms, but our pair had already been put through the wringer by a previous wearer. You don’t get the all-out luxury feel of, say, the Bowers & Wilkins P7 here, but it only becomes apparent when you get your hands involved — they are certainly eye-pleasers.

The MDR-1A has 40mm drivers which are capable of delivering frequencies ranging from 3 – 100,000Hz which exceeds human capabilities in both the high and low ends. No wonder then that these headphones sound astoundingly good. My only (slight) issue with the comfort is that the pleather on the ear-pads is prone to making the ears get warm and sweaty. This is a common issue with over-ear headphones with pleather (rather than velour or alcantara or the like) ear-pads, so it's something I really don't mind very much at all, and it's not to an excessive degree since the pads are still quite breathable. You'll notice that I still gave these headphones maximum marks in the comfort category on the rating-scale here, so obviously the warmth/sweaty-ears issue is only a slight one, IMO. YMMV, however. I loved the SQ of these. They sounded very balanced, not exactly neutral, but very dang close to the middle. My only other pair I could use for reference was my old pair of HD 429's. Of course, it wouldn't be a very fair review if I compared an item that costs nearly 6 times more. To summarize that short rant, I love them. They included 2 removable cables, one with a mic and play/pause button. Very wise decision indeed. These, are just comfortable. no beating around the bush. They weigh almost nothing, and the pads are very comfortable (Pleather) They do get a little hot, but that's a after hours and hours of listening. Durability is another huge plus, although they're made from plastic, the headband's metal, which make these pretty durable. Cable's removable, so if a cable breaks, just swap it out. Although the design is something subjective, I will nonetheless give my opinion on it. They look awesome. I'm especially fond of the red streak that goes around the housing of the headphones. It's clear Sony put quite a bit of effort into the design of the circumaural (over-the-ear) MDR-1A—it is one of the more simple, beautifully executed headphone frames currently available. The first thing you notice when holding the good-looking MDR-1A ishow exceedingly cushioned the earpads and headband feel. You almost can't wait to put them on, and the fit doesn't disappoint: The MDR-1A is very comfortable, even over long listening sessions. Sony talks pretty confidently about the MDR-1A sound, positioning it as a good complement for Hi-Res Audio – digital audio rendered at a quality higher than that provided by good old CDs.These are pure, plain headphones – no wireless, no noise cancelling, no extras. However, there are some more advanced, and expensive, models in the series too. The MDR-1ADAC have an inbuilt DAC to let you get the digital feed from a computer or USB audio-enabled phone (like an iPhone 6), and the MDR-1ABT offer Bluetooth. There is some bass-bleed into the lower mids, however, in songs with heavy bass. That's definitely a flaw with the lower-mids on these. However, it isn't a huge amount of bleed like is heard from the vast majority of overpriced mass-consumer-oriented headphones out today.