This is my review for the Sony MDR-1AM2 headphones. I am not a professional reviewer and the unit that I am reviewing is purchased using my hard earned money. Questions and and comments are welcomed.

Disclaimer: The price of these headphones has been reverted to their original retail price. The price that I manage to get was during a promotion as all reputable sellers accross the board slashed the price during that promotion.

Product features:
The following are the features provided by Sony.
-Enjoy clear, lively sound across all frequencies from 40mm HD drivers.
-Hear deep lows and euphoric highs with a full range response from 3Hz to 100kHz.
-Newly developed 40mm lightweight HD driver with an aluminum-coated liquid crystal polymer (LCP) diaphragm delivers clear, lively sound, especially on mid to high tones - perfect for vocal-focused styles - and a smooth, precise response across the entire frequency range.
-Specially-designed, Fibonacci-patterned grills protect the drivers while minimising sound damping of high-resolution frequencies, so you can revel in every detail of the ultra-high notes.
-A balanced cable fully separates left and right channels by including an additional ground connection to reduce cross-talk and increase audio efficiency, for superior sound quality.
-Four silver-coated oxygen-free copper (OFC) cables minimise resistance and signal-transmission loss. The result is less sound degradation, finer detail and smoother treble.
-High-Resolution Audio compatible
-Responsive Liquid Crystal Polymer driver for clarity
-Smartphone compatible with in-line remote mic
-Heavyweight bass with Beat Response Control
-Swivel ear cups for portability




I was looking to give myself a nice Christmas present and went shopping for a nice pair of headphone. I am not an audiophile but I am sufficiently aware of what a good pair of headphone should sound like. I have always been a value shopper. I always go for the best value per cost ratio option. My old pair of headphone was a Noontec Solo HD and what a great sounding headphone they are for that pricepoint, but their cheap cost leads to its downfall in terms of build material. They are falling apart but I digress. Looking for the best value always involves taking a gamble. In the end I opted against the tried and tested Audio Technica M40x and M50x because I believe you can only enjoy your music when you are comfortable and these headphones are know to be uncomfortable, so say many users.

When I cam across MDR-1AM2, I was skeptical. My impression of Sony budget series was not good. Those I have tested mostly sounded bloated with bass, even the WH-1000xm3 sounded muddy to me. Same goes for Bose Quiet Comfort. There are not many reviews of the MDR-1AM2, but the few out there sing praises for its comfort and balanced sound. I was intrigued. Then I noticed the big drop in selling price. They first release at the selling price of around RM1299 beginning of 2018, now you can get the for slightly above RM600. If that is not value I don't know what is. I was intrigued and took a gamble without auditioning it because to go to somewhere that has these would have added probably another 15% to the total cost. I got my unit for RM 589.

First Impressions:
These are well build headphones despite being majority plastic. No creaking, great finishing as one would expect from a reputable brand from Sony. The comfort level is really superb. It fits well without uncomfortable clamping force. The ear pads are really soft, fluffy and can accommodate my glasses. There is only a cloth carry pouch but I don't mind. It comes with two cable, one a balanced cable for those true audiophile white balanced source and the other is the standard cable with phone microphone. The cables are well built and inspires confidence. The entire headphone is very light and does not feel bulky.


The Sound:
I belong to the camp that believes in burning in audio equipment. This headphones sounded lifeless out of the box but I have gone though a few audio equipment investments from headphones to speakers to hold my judgement until it gets burned in. So after more than 3 weeks of natural listening, the sound starts to blossom. Before burn in, the 1AM2 has aggressive highs and as they get burned in, they get smoother. So now after burned in, they sound really awesome.

Bass:
I really love how the bass is handled. These are not basshead headphone. The bass is controlled, tight, textured but slightly elevated to give a kick for casual listening. They don't bleed into the mids.
Mids:
The mids are quite neutral so the vocals are clear, not muddied by the bass. You hear a lot of details. Vocal-centric songs sound lively.
Highs:
The highs are very controlled and crisp most of the time. When the unit is new certain recordings sounded quite aggressive on the highs. Be patient and give it time. It is my experience that it gets smoother in time. I have seen many review which pointed its aggressiveness but I believe those reviews did not spend more time with it as they don't have the luxury.

Other characteristics:
- Clarity: great clarity and details but not to the point of critical listening purpose. These are for enjoying music, not for analyzing them. This is not to say it lacked details. There is plenty of details but the sound is slightly colored towards listening pleasure and not neutral as needed by sound editors.
- Balance: I would call this a very balanced headphone. Note that balanced is not flat. To me balanced means having that light bump for bass for the impact , non recessed mids for vocal clarity and sweet crispness without getting fatiguing.
- Imaging: Very good imaging, you will be able to tell the direction of the instrument on good recordings. The 1AM2 does this reall well.
- Soundstage: Moderate. You can't achieve the level of an open end headphones but for a closed one, its better that many of the ANC headphones these days that sound compressed and claustrophobic.


Closing:
The MDR-1AM2, offers great value in terms of build, comfort, sound and style. Wired headphones are slowly slipping into niche category as more are jumping to the wireless camp for mobility. However those who care to look or hear deeper will still find in terms of sound, wireless hasn't caught up yet. At its original released retail price, the 1AM2 would seems overpriced compared to other options but at the current price it could knock out the aged competition like the M50x. Those looking for a balanced sound targeted for casual listening should definitely give this a proper consideration. The 1AM2 surely deserves more attention than it is currently getting.

Let me know if you have questions on this headphone. Signing off.

This post has been edited by killdavid: Aug 31 2019, 06:35 AM

great information

May I know where you buy from?

I got my unit for LZD during sales. Please make sure its reputable seller.

Oic, thanks.

The latest check shows retail prices have revert to RM 1K ++. I guess the ship has sailed.

fully agreed with your review especially from the comfort and sound signature's perspective. i am also owner of Sony MDR-1AM2 and been using this headphones for more than 6 months. really like the whole music listening experience.

put in on, play the music and close your eyes. you would then start smiling and enjoying or even tapping your feet

Nice review. MDR-1AM2 have more lows and highs to give those that like it sound richer. It is much more higher than the previous MDR-1A. I found a frequency graph comparing the two and also with Audio Technica. Btw for M40x and M50x uncomfortable issue, just change to thicker pads, most stock headphone pads are not thick enough to feel comfortable.

I just got it and about the play the music, close your eyes and smiling part. I can attest to that. It's super enjoyable!
I also have a Wi-1000x, but of course bluetooth will never ever beat the quality of a wired headphones!

Glad to see there are people who share the same enjoyment as me for these cans
I was really surprised by the fluctuating prices though.


Thanks. The sound is so enjoyable that I didn't even bother to plug it to my dac and headphone amp. I just plug in to my phone and enjoy. Must do it one of these days.

I got the silver one, for less than 1K. I think the black one is more popular for sure.

mine is Black. use a DAP+AMP

Can it play really loud with minimal distortion? Thanks.

Really loud is subjective to each person. But so far it plays loud enough for me with no distortion.

I don't hear any distortion either.