Everything Specs
Sony MDR-1A is are wired headphones from Sony. They’re characterized by a good-looking black or silver body, and it’ll be up to you to choose. Whichever your favorite color is, they both look quite classic and simply awesome. So, in the sea of wireless headphones like Bose SoundSport Wireless, and Sony WH 1000XM2, Sony decided on this pair to be wired. Is this a weird decision? Not really, because having cables has some pros, the high-res sound being one of them definitely. We’ll see how good they really are very soon, but for now – let’s stay with the design.
They’re pretty stylish and not bulky at all, but more than everything – extremely comfortable on the ears. We can thank the elongated pads that sit over the most of your ear, covering it with soft material. You shouldn’t worry about listening to music for prolonged periods of time at all with these. What about compatibility? We’re mostly talking about controls that come with it and the microphone integrated. Well, Sony MDR-1A specs favor Apple devices by default, but you can download Sony’s Smart Key app. It will allow you the same for Android devices, so there’s no problem with that.
Something custom in the package – you get an additional headphone cable without volume control and microphone. It was intended for home-usage purposes, when you’re not making calls, just enjoying your favorite songs. It does add some additional music quality, in our analysis. Next up – the performance. In our opinion, they sounded pretty convincing and simply exciting to listen to. They’re optimized for both bass-heavier songs and slow, painful ballads. The sound was clear and detailed, but vocals sounded just a tiny bit less natural, and the bass could’ve been reduced. We think it’s because of this new trend of bass-boosted songs mainstream people enjoy.
But to each his own – we’ve all got our opinion. We must mention the price of Sony MDR-1A, which is just under $300. Not extremely affordable, but in range with headphones like Bose QuietComfort 35, maybe a little cheaper. It has some additional features over them, for example, you can rotate the earcups to your liking. That means they’ll sit more comfortable over your collarbone when worn around the neck. The weight isn’t an issue like we already mentioned, and they were surprisingly big for being 225 grams light. We liked the carrying pouch that came with the package, it was pretty classy.
To wrap up, Sony improved some things with this model, mostly in terms of sound quality. Because that’s what matters most after comfort, right? You get a good listen with these, the only shortcoming is – they’re wired. But that might not be one for you, depending what you like. In case you’re looking for more of a high-end version, take a look at Sennheiser Momentum 2.0. In the end, it will be completely up to you to decide which one you liked best, we’ve presented you with a couple of great pairs. Whatever the choice, you can’t go wrong.
Launched |
Dimensions | 9.5 in x 11.1 in x 4.5 in |
Weight | 7.94 oz |
Colors | Black, Silver |
Headphone Form Factor | Circumaural |
Connectivity Technology | Wired |
Sound Output Mode | Stereo |
Frequency Response | 3 GHz |
Sensitivity | 105 dB/mW |
Impedance | 24 Ohm |
Diaphragm | Liquid crystal polymer - 1.6 in |
Active Noise Cancellation | |
Microphone |
Cable Type | Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm 4-pole |
OS Required | Works on Almost Any OS |
Hardware Requirements | 3.5mm Jack |
Compatibility | PC, Laptop, Smartphone, Tablet |
Included Accessories | Carrying pouch |
I've always liked Sony headphones because of their performance and design so i decided to buy Sony MDR-1A and i wasn't wrong. They are a little robust but fit nice on my ears and head, cancelling enough noice and providing me with a decent sound quality. Proper buy!