MDR-M1 Professional Reference Closed Monitor Headphones

These are absolutely fantastic headphones for enjoying music. No frills. No special tube amps, silver cables, or $1000+ stacks. No custom PEQ. No FR graphs or Harmon targets. Literally just plug them in and enjoy. I own several Sennheiser, Fiio, Audeze, and HiFiman headphones that are $1000+ and "audiophile grade". I am quite familiar with expensive and high quality headphones and amps... And I also know that once you hit a certain price range, headphones are not "better" - they just come in different flavors that fit your preference or genre of music they sound best for. These Sony MDR-M1 headphones are simply phenomenal. Sure, they don't have the MOST bass I've ever heard, but they have PLENTY (of both Sub Bass and mid Bass). Midrange is clear and balanced in the mix without sounding shouty, and Treble is clear and well represented but not peaky or offensive. Sony has absolutely NAILED IT making a one-size-fits-all, ultra-light, ultra-comfortable headphone. EVERY genre of music sounds fantastic on these. They are a jack of all trades. I would say that literally everything is 8.5/10, which is damn good for being so cheap and comfortable for all-day use. AND they fold flat for easy traveling in a slim hard case! What more could you ask for!!? If you want great closed-back headphones for lounging, chilling, or wearing at work (without looking like a helicopter pilot), these are going to be hard to beat. If you want to get the best out of them, spend the extra $20 on a USBC-3.5MM DAC/AMP with the X31993 & MAX97220 combo (you can find these by searching those chip models). They are super cheap and simple but make a HUGE difference compared to basic usbc-3.5mm adapters, including apple's. I also replaced my ear pads with Soulwit Cooling Gel pads and they sound great and are much more comfortable (I have big ears). But this was not essential. Don't listen to the nay-sayers and old people complaining that these aren't as good as the MDR-7506. These are fantastic headphones that everyone should buy.

Bought as a set to augment my wonderful but creaky sounding headband equipped Audeze LCD-1’s. I love those, but the headband has always made an annoying creaky noise with every little head moment. These don’t do that aside from appearing to use what very well could have been Sony parts for their headband system. They look very close if you compare images of the 2. Even the BT WH-1000x3’s are a similar design. Regardless, these are quiet from a mechanical noise perspective. Here’s my mini “review” from a headphone group I’m in on Facebook: “2 channel hifi on the go. Or on the couch when I don’t want to disturb anyone. These are the most recent versions of the ubiquitous and long time standard issue recording and mixing headphones but boy, they sure don’t sound like I recall the venerable 7506’s sounding. These are good. Not just for a professional application product but also a hifi enjoyment pair of headphones. They’re actually quite neutral to my ears but not in a way that makes things dull or boring, or even critically revealing to the point of merely being a studio tool like NS-10’s or Auratones. Something built for a specific purpose but not because they actually sound amazing. No, these are just plain good all around. For closed backs they actually throw a decently wide soundstage and their imaging is pinpoint precise. The have adequate bass and sub bass when called for but it’s not overdone to the point where it bleeds in to the midrange which remains crystal clear, full bodied and tonally correct. The treble range has appropriate energy and sparkle and air, but avoids being bright, harsh or sibilant. It’s just right. I’m super happy with these so far. I may investigate different ear pads to get a little more breathability as they can become a little warm on my ears for extended sessions. And I think something a little softer that perhaps uses a different material be it nylon, micro suede or something like a fenestrated sheepskin could work. As is though, pretty darn great. And I hear their open back siblings the MDR-MV1 are even better. I look forward to trying them. But Sony nailed it with this set IMO. And I’m happy to have them. These are the Sony MDR-M1. I dare say a potential future classic continuing Sony’s long standing professional product range, but one that also absolutely works for enjoyable music playback with a nice warm cup of coffee or beverage of choice and your favorite tunes.” So yeah, as you might have guessed, I’m very pleased. As mentioned the ear pads can be a little cramped and also don’t breathe super well which is common for closed backs using pleather pads. An easy fix for not much money. Not everyone may even feel the need to do this. Fed out of my iBasso DX-180 these are just plain silly good and a lot of fun to listen to. Thought about the MV-1’s and the HD-550 and Sennheiser HD-490 Pro, but probably as a companion to these, not a replacement. As for now I’m simply too busy enjoying my music. Btw, these come with 2 cables, a 1.2 meter cable for portable use with a 3.5mm single ended plug and a 2.5 meter cable with a standard 1/4 inch jack. The packaging could have been a little nicer for the price. A included case or storage bag at least. But that’s a nit pick.

Update after many months: Still liking these a lot for voiceover recording. Many hour comfortable sound and fit. I have owned Sony MDR7506,7509,7510, 7520, and Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro in my professional film and recording career. The new M1 will replace my Beyers for audiobook recording for three reasons: superior physical comfort (better fit, lighter weight, less clamping, better cushions), and more comfortable sound. The Beyer have overhyped, super-detailed highs which create ear fatigue over many hours in the studio. In that way, they are like the harsh precision digital sound of CDs. The Sony M1 are more like an analogue LP, warm vinyl sound. More natural and less harsh and hyped. Infinitely better than 7506. At half the price of the former 7520, and a more even response with no overemphasized punches, the M1 are much more listenable for long recording sessions. No storage bag, but totally great to have TWO detachable cables of different lengths and NOT CURLY!!!! Very exciting and useful! (Curly weigh too much and pull on the headphones, especially lightweight ones like this.) I personally like the shorter cable and I know that is counter to what a lot of people might say. But for professionals of one kind or another, we don't need 6 extra feet of cable on cans; we are close to the gear, not laying on the couch. So for us, the shorter uncurled cable is great.

Very good sound quality. They produce a fairly wide sound field for closed backs with great bass response, open mids, and smooth highs. Fairly balanced with a slight emphasis on bass without sounding bloated or boomy. Good value if you can catch them on sale! They're comfortable to wear but can get warm over long listening sessions (new ear pads would help but could change the sound slightly).

So I really wanted to like these, i really did. I did end up returning them, but not till I gave them a good honest try, but the sound was too colored for me to accept. I am a gear head/ audiophile type of person, and i love accuracy but I will accept some coloration if it adds to the emotion (I love my McIntosh gear). But, if it impedes the music, or layers of it, I will find myself focusing in on these "flaws" and not enjoying my music. I have multiple Sony cans (V6, 7506, 1000mx5) so this is not a bashing of Sony to bash Sony, again I really wanted to like these. They are wonderfully comfortable, light on the head, good isolation for passive cans, swappable cords, so much good going on. Then the sound. Too much bass! I like bass, but it must be balanced, this was not. The texture was ok, not great, but it overpowered everything else giving everything i played a darker tilt. Now i listen to a variety of genres (classic rock, prog metal, pop, classical, jazz, instrumental, not so much on the hip-hop or rap side of things though) so i put these through a lot of styles, the pattern was consistent, a darker tilt. Now, if you are a bass head, buy this now, it has tons. But if you do like balanced sound, this is not balanced at all. if you get away from the bass, everything else is wonderful, highs are clear, mids are slightly recessed but clean. But when the rest of the band comes in, drums and bass guitar, organs, you will lose the mids, the highs are still there, but also swallowed up somewhat. I really really wanted to like these, broke them in for about 60+ hours, did level matched comparisons (using a Fiio K9 pro ess dac/amp). I kept thinking maybe it was me, but after a lot of direct comparisons across a bunch of different styles of music, I still came to the same conclusion (note, i used AKG 240's, 702's, Hifiman 400se's, and the 1000mx5's passively for comparisons in additions to the other Sony's). The excess bass was distracting for me, pulled me out of the music. For some, this may be perfect, but sadly for me it led to returning it. It has all the quality we expect from Sony, but the sound was not, I will go back to my MDR v6's (the wife has the 7506"s). 3 stars is because this may come down to taste thing, it just didn't match mine, solid cans, just too much bass.

First off, these were super light and comfy. I wear glasses most of the time and these are by far have been my most comfortable headphone. I did end up returning these mostly because of the sibilance I was experiencing. Yes, I KNOW I can eq out the highs to reduce it, but I am the type of person who wants a product that works out of the box. A buy once, cry once type. Some things I liked about the headphones: - Very lightweight - Love the little headband adjustment lines. Had no issues with the sizing at all. (Fits my big head) - The bass is present, but not overwhelming. Do not expect a THX experience with these reference monitors - Sound stage is intimate in my opinion, but clear separation between voice and instruments.

Extremely lightweight and comfortable. These headphones have relatively low impedance and high sensitivity. This means that your amp/audio source will be able to deliver a good amount of current that will transfer to sound without much waste, and you'll go from inaudible to comfortable to loud in just 15% of the volume range. Most software controls will not be great for fine adjustment but it's still usable —I connected it to the Apple USB-C 3.5 mm dongle US version. I am not an expert but sound quality is amazing. Quality and durability look good to me. I like that the cable is removable.

I've been using the Sony MDR line since the late 1980s, when I bought my first pair of MDR-V6s and would've happily kept replacing them every 5-10 years or so had they kept making them. Along the way, I picked up a pair of the supposed superior successor the 7506, but for some reason the sound never clicked for me. Then in 2020, Sony stopped making the V6 (boo). I was due for a new set and went back and forth between a new 7506 or spring for the M1—and I'm glad I did. What I've never liked about any of the Sony headphones are the earpads, whether it's fake 'pleather' that inevitably cracks and begins to flake. The headband does eventually, too. And they make my head sweat, especially in summer or when worn a long time. What you're seeing on these brand new Sony MDR-M1s are an 8yo pair of Beyerdynamic EDT250V replacement earpads from my last MDR-V6, still in great shape, which fit -perfectly-, and a generic headband cover. Way more comfortable. (They appear still to be available, by the way.) As for the MDR-M1 set, WITH the replacement pads, they've super comfortable. Sound quality is superb and I'm hearing layers in the music I hadn't heard in years (and thought it was just my aging hearing). Dynamic range is excellent and audibly not quite as bass-muddy as the old V6s could sometimes be. One thing I noticed when I removed the existing M1 pads is the drivers in the cups are angled, unlike the old flat design. I do rather having the option of two different cable lengths and no more coils to deal with—the short one is a good length to connect to the DAC on my desk, although it'd be nice if it was maybe 1/3 longer. The alternate long cable, for what I'm using this for, is definitely longer than I need. I'll admit the sticker price is high, but I feel it was worth it.

Phone Sony de alta Qualidade sonora Capta bem as frequências. Tem boa flexibilidade é confortável Aguenta bem um áudio em bom volume alto com equalização pesada de médios graves e agudos.

値段は国内仕様よりも高価だったが、値段なりのすばらしい商品でした。私の身近ではここでしか購入できない商品でしたので、その機会があることそのものは所有欲が満たされてとても良かったです。

Me parecen unos audífonos increíbles, algo caros, recomiendo comprarlos en descuento para que valgan más la pena. Los uso como segunda referencia de mezcla junto a mis Neumann NDH 30, dan una buena referencia de tú música de como sonaría en audífonos cerrados. Son muy cómodos, para escucha en tu día son perfectos. Si vas a decidir usarlos como audífonos de diario debes comprar un DAC si o si, esto para sacarles el jugo al máximo, si usas un dongle o entrada jack tradicional, puede que se queden cortos (obvio, son audifonos de grado profesional, esto pasa debido a su impedancia) (Edit: probándolos más tiempo, noto una imagen estéreo muy bien representada para ser cerrados, son una buena opción para mezcla, no los he probado para mastering aún)

note that i picked up this headphone for a somewhat challenging task- can i find a headphone which accurately represents delicate instruments like acoustic guitar / harp ,without weird EQ and without sounding exaggerated? this is quite difficult, btw - most HP tend to show their weakness in this area , they are usually not able to recreate the delicate transient string attack of acoustic guitars without harshness or without sounding somewhat dull and uninspiring. these HP are a surprising winner in this category ! i even tried it for recording my high end acoustic guitars with an earthworks mic and these HP are surprisingly good for studio tracking - the mic'd sound in your HP is ~same as your real guitar(!) overall, there is nothing in these HP which are exaggerated and the sound is quite natural when listening to all kinds of music - i used lossless tidal and an RME fireface interface. even banging club songs from the chainsmokers come out quite nicely , the big bass was very clear without being too boomy. having said that, these HP have a slightly laid-back attack/transients in the mids. so they may not be best if u are expecting bangers. but this also means ear fatigue is less. the hp dont look remarkable, simple and functional all-black , included are cables of 2 different lengths which is cool. time will tell how long these will last and then i can comment on build quality. lastly, i got these at a "discounted" price of Rs 18k, which is absolutely perfect for the sound quality. but no way i'd pay the full MRP of 40k for them.

He tenido algunos meses probando los audífonos desde que los compré los he utilizado directo mediante el jack 3,5 a un estereo, a una MacBook, un iPod y mediante un dongle Dac a un iPhone 16 Pro y he utilizado tanto CD’s como Apple Music con música en calidad Lossless, High-res y Dolby Atmos y debo decir que los audífonos se escuchan excelente tomando en cuenta la calidad-precio, estos audífonos son realmente versátiles ya que cualquier género de música que le pongas hace un buen trabajo, ejemplo canciones con mucho énfasis en los graves los resalta excelente, si son los medios o los agudos igual creo que hace un muy buen trabajo “sin ser un audiofilo”, creo que lo único que en lo personal se me hace incómodo son las almohadillas ya que no disipan el calor y después de poco tiempo 10-15 minutos se vuelve algo incómodo a la oreja “probablemente si fueran de otro material la experiencia sería mejor”, no son muy pesados pero si algo cansadores para traerlos puestos durante varias horas. Finalmente los considero al igual que muchos usuarios en una excelente opción de compra.