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.

The Sony MDR-1ABT use a kind of digital processing called DSEE HX that claims to upscale non Hi-Res audio to a quality comparable to the good stuff.DesignIt'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 is how 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. OK so the lower frequencies absolutely steal the show with these Sonys. Bass is elevated by a significant margin, which makes some genres like rap, grime and hip hop come absolutely alive. It’s a perfect combo. Mids: Quite prominent sounding, despite the boosted bass, due to the slightly rolled-off lower and mid treble. Very smooth and creamy sounding. It makes for a very pleasant, fun, and easy longterm listening experience, but I myself prefer greater levels of detail in exchange for some of that smoothness, as long as a headphone still sounds engaging and fun. Some detail is certainly sacrificed in achieving that smoothed-out sound, especially a good bit of micro-detail. But, for those who want something with very sweat and creamy mids (and treble, see below) which will always be completely non-fatiguing and make for very easy listening, these headphones are great. The foam padded ear cups have a soft finish and are extremely comfortable even when used for long periods – great for a long commute or for extended music sessions. There is not even a slight hint of discomfort or pinch. Weighing in at 225g, it feels buoyant, which is helped by the plush headband. The fact that it is not leather might disappoint a few people.

No matter what genre of music you throw at them, the MDR-1A handles it well and there is no need to tinker with any adjustments or the equalizer. Everything from vocal ballads to heavy metal sounds fantastic. 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. Are we trying to point you towards the ATH-M50X instead of this pair? To an extent, yes. They offer a slightly higher-fidelity sound at a lower price. I just got these cans and I'm liking them so far. I'm not an audiophile by any means, my daily drivers are the HD598. I don't have much experience with other cans, so I can only make direct comparisons to the 598s. When people talk about the wild, clear, dynamic Grado sound - they are talking about this. I used to own Grados, but I sold them all. I couldn't stand them at all, and I always wondered what people heard in them. They talked about punchy bass, clear treble, etc, but all I heard was a shrill midrange and colored sound.

Price comparison

There’s almost nothing to say for how comfortable these are, for they simply disappear on your head. I can imagine people with massive ears or a particularly large head may find the cups and headband a little restricting, but for me it does absolute wonders. The Sony MDR-1A are not the most portable set in their class, though. While the ear cups swivel by 90 degrees to make the headphones ‘flat’, the cups do not fold inward (into the headband) to save space. There’s also no case supplied. As long as you’re not after lean, accurate bass we think most people will sink into the Sony MDR-1A very happily. In balancing a warm, fairly easy sound with a nice mid-range tone and sophisticated-sounding treble, it offers sound that reflects the characteristics of the set’s look and ear-hugging comfort.

There exists a number of different schools of headphones with many different classes. In elementary school we had Apples Earpods as required reading, middle school saw the kids wearing their cool looking skull candies, and in high school all the popular kids, who either had jobs or parents with money, could be seen donning their colorful and fun sounding Beats By Dre headphones. Going into college, interests and style becomes more refined while education in sound becomes more advanced. Some headphones are on the “5-year program”, while others are hard at work getting 4.0’s and prepping for their masters.They are also age-agnostic. Style headphones often skew towards a younger crowd, but the Sony MDR-1A are low-key enough to avoid such associations, especially in their silver and brown version, which we’re looking at here. The light construction also helps make the Sony MDR-1A among the very most comfortable headphones in this class: they are extremely comfortable. However, comparing them to some of the best non-wireless headphones at the price, we start to see where their deficiencies lie. We put them up against the Sennheiser Momentum (we’re still waiting for the wireless set to arrive) and Oppo PM-3, and both show up the Sony MDR-1ABT mid-range.

It’s so limited at present it’s not worth putting too much emphasis on, unless you already own an LDAC device. Still, the Sony MDR-1ABT also support the next best thing, aptX. And what may arguably have more of an effect in some cases than LDAC is actually the processing that goes on after the headphones receive the audio signal. The Sony MDR-1A have one important win, though. They offer a wide and expansive soundstage that is not only involving and, well, big-sounding, it also helps to stop the chunky bass from sounding like it’s drowning everything else. See the full article here: https://jamesfiorucci.wordpress.com/2023/05/07/simple-audio-review-sony-mdr-1a/However, if you don’t care too much the Sony style or the super-soft fit, the Audio-Technica ATH-50X still trump them in some respects for less money. So I landed on the Sony MDR-1A. An absolute BASS monster, so muddy and bloated you’d start puking to the beat of Starboy. I’ll maybe put these on on a Saturday night to listen to some house music, so I can imagine what it might feel like to go to a nightclub (I’ve never been). That touch of treble sparkle prevents the Sony MDR-1A from being a true “in your head” listening experience, but it’s not really a soundstage king by any stretch of the imagination. Vocals don’t have as much presence as 600. Too smoothed off for my likings. As a result, less detail and clarity. This vocal recession is evident when looking at the frequency graph which shows a dip in mids with the lowest amplitude at the low-mids.