NEW! Sony MDR-MA900 headphones, The Ultimate in Home Listening

[HiFiInsider]

Just got this new headphone today from Sony. It features a LARGE 70mm diver and Open Back design. Should be very good. I get to have it for a couple of weeks before sending it back to them. Thought you guys may like to see an unboxing video. Stay tuned for my impressions and review.

 

[video=youtube;1_k8w5-_C9w]

[HiFiInsider]

Initial impressions are very good. The sound is wider than the Sennheiser HD600 & HD650. Bass is tight with good control. Mids are a bit forward, but not too much. Its so light, it doesn't feel like anything is on my head. Need more ear time.

[dalethorn]

Initial impressions are very good. The sound is wider than the Sennheiser HD600 & HD650. Bass is tight with good control. Mids are a bit forward, but not too much. Its so light, it doesn't feel like anything is on my head. Need more ear time.

 

So do you get the idea that Sony has a special commitment to high fidelity to compete with Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Shure and others? And do you have the impression that their specs will be tight enough that the different samples of this headphone will all sound the same?

[HiFiInsider]

This is A LOT more comfy than the HD6xx. The bass on the MA900 may be the deepest for Open design. With electronic music, the bass goes deep. Sound signature not neutral like a AKG K701. It has a slight upper midrange bump like most Sony headphones. It's not bad at all. It's just Sony sound signature. I personally like it. I think the key feature is comfort. It's very very light and can be worn for hours on.

 

I don't think a in-store audition will show much of it's features and sound. You really have to spend some alone time with it without distractions.

[dalethorn]

In that price range, the Philips L1 (with bass reduction) goes flat to below 20 hz, has very audible 15 hz fundamentals, no midrange or treble problems - in short a near perfect headphone. But so far, of the 100 reviewers I have asked to try the L1 with bass reduction, only one of the 100 has complied.

 

If you have an L1, my suggestion is don't waste potential buyers' time reporting at length on the bassy sound - try with EQ first (iPod equivalent bass reduction curve), then at the very least report the results of that up front.

[jamesg11]

Check out extravagant review in Oct HiFiNews. Only Senn HD800 betters it ...

 

Likely to get SQ improvement with quality cable + 6.5mm plug upgrade?

(have to be a re-wire job).

[dalethorn]

This audiophile thought the Philips L1 was much better.

** Sony MDR MA900 Review **

 

Checking Google, there is a remarkable lack of real reviews for this major brand headphone. Looks like it's not a big hit with audiophiles.

[jamesg11]

That's 2 reviews now. It's Sony & you can get them for ~$200? Not in audiophile expected cost range?

[dalethorn]

That's 2 reviews now. It's Sony & you can get them for ~$200? Not in audiophile expected cost range?

 

I still can't find the hifi news review. Is that a real (non commercial) review? The guys on headfi had quite a chuckle with the HD800 comparo. It probably is worth $200, but that's assuming Sony has a real service shop to service these, and not some fly by night outfit in Florida who were their *only* service station for laptops purchased in *California*.

[jamesg11]

Found a copy of original review (I had the mag itself). His sum up on another page contained this: "An Audiophile Find ... I can think of only one headphone I've reviewed that may better it: the far costlier Sennheiser HD 800."

 

http://http://www.stoneaudio.co.uk/resources/products/downloads/hi-finews_oct12-mdr-ma900.jpg