Sony MDR-M1 Professional Headphone Review - A New Closed-Back Studio Standard?

[@askdrtk]

If you are looking for accurate sound for critical listening and require the isolation closed-back headphones offer, these are worth checking out. I was impressed with the M1's combination of transient and frequency response accuracy, combined with imaging and soundstage that outperforms many open-back designs I work with regularly. At a suggested price of $249.99 usd, there is compelling value imo... Thanks again to SONY for providing these so I could work with them in advance of release.

[@haskell3702]

Do you think they sound better than MDR-1AM2?

[@mokobigbro]

I've been working with the 7506, cd900st, z1 for quite sometime. This review is so helpful and I intend to get one due to this review. Thanks Todd! Subscribing right away!

[@klaymoon1]

Impressive. MDR-M1 adds just a little more space or ultra sonic to the music, but other than that it's very accurate. Those 15k-20k resonance in my opinion happens because the driver is not overly damped but set to decay naturally, which I personally prefer compared to the overly damped drivers which tend to produce an artificially clean sound. I think there is a chance MDR-M1 is one of the most accurate headphones. Thank to you for sharing this video! And thank to Sony for releasing a true 7506 successor!

[@askdrtk]

My pleasure to share, and thanks for sharing your detailed observations. I’m very pleased to learn you were able to hear the subtleties in the context of my KZbin review. One of the challenges with audio reviews in general is the uncertainty as to the monitoring environment viewers are listening in, clearly yours provides a high degree of detail and you are very familiar with how important physics are behind the sound we hear. Having spoken with Sony about the technology and design process behind these headphones, I can tell you that a lot of work was put into developing the drivers, mountings, and housing in consideration of your observations - many prototypes were rejected along the way. I’m always impressed when a manufacturer goes to such lengths to produce the product they are trying to deliver. Cheers!

[@sylvieMori]

very very extremely detailed reviews of the Sound, and I kinda want one now. Thank you for the review ❤ love from Malaysia

[@aaronthomas7790]

Thanks for mentioning transient response. This is often over looked but as important as frequency response IMO for mixing.

[@askdrtk]

Thanks for drawing attention to this, I agree 100%. Transient and frequency response are among the considerations absolutely vital for critical listening. Without them, it is impossible IMO to account for the subtleties that allow for high quality mixes to be reliably created. Cheers!

[@jhonnybee0238]

Another great review, and I wholeheartedly agree with your approach to reviewing headphones. It puts the consumer in a place to make their own decision upon listening. My own experience closely matches what I hear on your demos, despite some concerns expressed about your review technique. As far as these new Sony headphones though, to my ears they have excessive bass (around 80hz) and too much sizzle in the highs (around 6-7kHz). Thx JB

[@expatbratgaming]

I always come directly here to find out the real info. I have been using my AKG 361s since your recommendation way back when and have had great use out of them. The pads are starting to go on mine and the cable is getting a bit tired so would be interested in picking up a new pair of reference phones. Would be very curious to see how these stack up next to some of your previously reviewed cans like the AKGs.

[@RobKristjansson]

Was I the only one who heard a weird buzz coming through the right channel during the spoken word example of the headphones? (6:51-6:58) I listened with both my Beyerdynamic DT-770 and DT-990 Pros, and it was there.

[@Joeknowsit-ALL]

Not only you..me too... And the low end is so much compared to the real sounds

[@d.g.o4410]

Great review Todd! Get the MDR-MV1, it’s the open back version of the M1. I would like to see you review them and run some audio tests on them.

[@askdrtk]

Thanks again, and yes, MV1 are on the radar...

[@d.g.o4410]

@@askdrtk great job! I will also like to see you review the Audio-Technica ATH-R70x.

[@klaymoon1]

From what I am reading, MDR-M1 and MDR-MV1 use the same drivers with the different acoustic chambers. However, Sony decided to go $249 for M1 while as MV1 was released for $399. Perhaps, MV1 did not sell well? Or, Sony really meant MV1 for the consumers while as M1 was truly targeted for the professionals. I also read that MV1 has more colors to its sound - a bit warmer than M1.

[@x-techgaming]

Fantastic testing method!!

[@vojaoi88]

Great review! Could you please provide us any additional impression about the soundstage? It's a bit confusing since contrary to analyses as this one which consider it being very open, some reviewers describe it as quite intimate. It's clear that we can't expect it to be as immersive as some open backs, but how would you compare the soundstage of this headphones to let's say DT 770 pro?

[@nicolasandresalvarezarangua]

I was going to import a pair of MDR-CD900ST and SONY just release this, thank you very much for the review I think maybe is better to wait to get one M1 in my country.

[@agondistortion]

I got a pair of Sony mdr 7509hd just changed earpads and they work like new sound great to, hit me up if you interested

[@Ag89q43G0HyA]

incredible review. I want you to try the sony mdr-xb550, these headpones are incredible, probably not for monitoring but they are incredible sounding. please try them, and the bad thing is that many sellers of the xb550 (cable verison) know that sony discontinued them. Its tragic.

[@askdrtk]

Thanks, I’m glad you enjoyed it…and thanks also for the suggestion on the xb550, I’ll see if I can make that happen. Cheers!

[@cremersalex]

With the synth pop track, the difference in sound between 'direct' and the 'Sony MDR M1' is actually quite noticeable. With the Sony I hear less mids and more of an emphasis on treble.

[@haskell3702]

Amazing review!!! Do you think they sound better than MDR-1AM2?

[@Harut_Hajin]

This is Studio headphone.

[@haskell3702]

@@Harut_Hajin 🫤

[@bijitpattanaik6638]

As a sound engineer, for me definitely yes. But as a casual listener wanting to enjoy with lots of bass treble etc, No.

[@haskell3702]

@@bijitpattanaik6638 thank you!!!

[@uhMaxx]

@@bijitpattanaik6638why thiugh? they have a shit ton of bass and are neutral which is a rare mix do they sound more boring than bluetooth cans? sound quality cant be as good either

[@JakobDam]

That is an AMAZING performance, especially for that low price! Damn, now I need to buy them. I hope for a more clean reproduction than my Beyer Dynamic DT-770 PRO's deliver. If they can do that, the Sony's will be my new mains for headphone monitoring. Thanks for this detailed and great review!

[@TheKlangSeven]

Haha, anything is clearer than dt 990 or 770 These lie hard on the sound

[@soulstart89]

How do you both mean regarding the beyer dt770 or 990 not being clear? I’m a bass guitar player and I’m looking for a headphone for recording and also silent practice. The Sony mdr 7506, DT770 and audiotechnica m50x. 200 pounds is my limit

[@soulstart89]

How do you both mean regarding the beyer dt770 or 990 not being clear? I’m a bass player and I’m looking for a headphone for recording and also silent practice. The Sony mdr 7506, DT770 and audiotechnica m50x. Bass production and mids are important I feel for bass. 200 pounds is my limit.

[@krollpeter]

To me sounds like the highs lose a tiny little shine but overall very neutral, as what you said. For the money = good

[@askdrtk]

Value is good with these, I believe they will be very useful for anyone trying to make good mix / production decisions in a less than ideal space... Cheers!

[@douglaslove1422]

I was so close to pulling trigger on the neumann closed backs. I really need good, accurate sub bass monitoring. If these can deliver that for £200 then holy shit, take my money.

[@askdrtk]

lol, that was one of my first thoughts when working with them. Accurate, not over/under emphasized sub bass / bass - EDM, HH, Modern Metal...

[@artureff3046]

Got them all 😂. 7506/900st/mv1, and many others, just a headphone freak, but not consumer ones (too boom bassy). Will order them blind, just like Victor 100z if they are fully manufactured in Japan.

[@soulstart89]

@@artureff3046I find it weird that there aren’t many reviews over 5 mins for these. They all seems like prob vids. I would love to hear someone compare to other headphones

[@msd5808]

I wonder why they are cheaper than the MDR-MV1 Open Back despite being newer and seeming to be just the closed companion to that one

[@andyfeldman2590]

How do they compare with the recently discontinued Sony MDR 7520 headphones?

[@Morsella]

why I hear more thin sound pn the mdr-m1 compared to the referance?

[@LargeStyle]

I seriously don't get why a flat response is deemed reference when it's only accurate in a measured form but inaccurate in a perceived form. To have and more importantly hear the latter in equal loudness form (perceived flat) then a bass-orientated curve needs to be applied. I have the ATH-M50xBT2 which measure just as flat / non-"coloured" as these Sony's but they lack equal loudness and I've spent a year dialing in EQ settings (using my DAW with Pro-Q3 and a custom made pink noise filtered calibration test) and now they sound great and I've even say perfect. Maybe these Sony's are (alike the AT's) great for reference as the starting point, but that's just not the end goal (in my opinion).

[@alexbreyer6921]

The idea, at least, is if you hear your bass guitar playing in the headphone, it's going to sound as realistic to your bass guitar sound in the room, and not some other treatment of music for listening pleasure. Trying to hear your performance and make choices in settings, hand use, etc can all be impacted by a sound that might not be so accurate to what the mic is picking up.

[@LargeStyle]

​​​​@@alexbreyer6921Thanks for your input, but the way I see (or hear) it is that a measured flat response at typical household dB (70-80dB) sounds lacking in the bass area and the noise sounds like it's coming from a speaker (aka unnatural) that's trying to replicate reality but slightly failing instead due to not compensating the reduced perceived frequency receivership within our ears. The vast majority of recognised studies (Fletcher Munson, dBA, dBB, Dolby Reference dBC, ISO226, Harman etc) state that a curve (relative to listening volume) is required to make the perceived sound to match reality. It's not treating anything, it's just making it accurate. A flat response would only be applicable in extreme volume requirements - basically a loud-as-hell concert. Cinematic/ Dolby standard with peak reference output of 105dB has a +6dB boost on LFE channel (although it's around 9dB @ 40Hz in total after factoring dBC weighting). Typical household music listening is around 70dB which using dBB (I think is the best calibration for that volume) has a boost of around 14dB @ 40Hz. Most of these curves become flat in the mid-range or lower (Dolby boosts slightly around 1k but LFE starts to sound at 120Hz but doesn't hit its peak until 80Hz and lower. My AT headphones have a similar curve to dBB applied (my EQ) but with a slightly reduced curve as I go up to around 80dB so I target around 10dB @ 40Hz. Sounds not only pleasurable, but accurate / realistic. If you calibrate to a bass-boosted standard like dBB then bypass the EQ to run flat, then flat will sound absolutely terrible. Completely night & day difference. One day most people will hopefully realise that a flat response is generally flawed and non-applicable for mainstream use.

[@gizzy2403]

​@LargeStyle hey, I also have the AT m50xbt2, and I was wondering if have any problems getting enough volume out of them in BT mode on certain things??

[@LargeStyle]

@@gizzy2403 No volume issues for me. I listen to music around 70% and movies nearer 90% and that's plenty loud enough for me. This applies to when connected via BT to PC, TV or phone (I don't normally run wired). Just double check your sources output levels maybe? If it's massively quiet & tinny sounding then disable side-tone in the mobile app, and on PC disable hands-free in device settings.

[@artureff3046]

Bluetooth is compressed. Not acceptable.

[@NetvoTV]

Hey Askdrtk, my name is Johnny and I'm a freelance logo designer, I found your cjannel through this MV1 review which I'm try to see if it's right for me too, I noticed your logo is quite too complicated that it's hard to see the details without zooming in and display largely, I think it can have a redesign to show what your channel is about while still elegant and show what you do in a creative way instead of all isplay out directly way. Let me know if you are interested and I would love to make it happen! :-)

[@fernyb15]

about sound quality, do you prefer these or cd900st?

[@seanwieland9763]

Is the MDR-M1 the same thing as the MDR-M1ST? 🎧

[@Morsella]

same question

[@garfyvalerie4094]

Is the foam around the ears really interchangeable with the foam of the MDR 7506? Have you heard a difference between the two headsets, MDR-M1 and MDR-7506? Thanks

[@saricubra2867]

How these compare vs the DT 770 Pro's?

[@artureff3046]

I have 770 pro X/990 pro and MV1 which are similar but better midrange to my old ears and great to listen to quietly (don't lose bass control).

[@saricubra2867]

@@artureff3046 I mean the OG DT770 Pro, not the Pro X.

[@garfyvalerie4094]

250, a bit too expensive for me.. 180 to 200 I could

[@AG-mm9wn]

Are these aluminum like the Sony MV1?

[@hs3204]

How do they compare with m50x...thanks fornthe review

[@askdrtk]

They excel in similar ways to the 50x (low end extension - great for HH, EDM, modern metal), but the M1 have a more neutral sound signature across mids and highs and superior imaging / soundstage which can help with translation when mixing. In the end though, once you learn either of them, good mixing decisions can be made. For general listening, it would come down to preference, but if you enjoy a wide range of music or listen to a lot of podcasts, I would give the edge to the M1. I will note that I find the M1 more comfortable for long listening sessions, lighter and cooler...

[@NickG6489]

Todd, It feels like these headphones have a peak around 11 KHZ, but you never acknowledged the existence of such a peak. Interestingly, it's a similar rise as on your narration for this video. Will I be hearing this if I buy a pair?

[@666dreamboat]

He does a few times and even circles the deviation at 3:42. Cheers.

[@NickG6489]

@@666dreamboat damn, thank you. That kind of sucks! I really do wonder how audible it actually is, but we’ll see. Reason I didn’t catch it was because I’m totally blind, so thank you for filling in the gap.

[@666dreamboat]

@@NickG6489 no problem, thanks for not being annoyed at me. At 250 you have to compete with the hd6xx which may have a sound you are already used to and the beyerdynamic offerings and honestly if don't haven't completely dropped the ball this will probably best them as a reference. I'm interested to see what the open back sounds like personally!

[@NickG6489]

@@666dreamboat I have DT700ProX and DT9000ProX. Sound different from each other that i really can't use them as a common platform, which was my hope. I'm probably going to try these to see if they are better than the 700ProX, we'll see if my ears break in and get used to that 12 K peak. ...THey got used to the issues in the 700ProX...

[@666dreamboat]

@@NickG6489 honestly think if you are cursed with terrible ears like me something harman, something v shaped and something flat helps a bunch. Most of the time I use audeze lcdx, yamaha hs8 speaker check, and akg k371 for sanity. By far the most useful is the audeze with reveal running on my control room.

[@Derek-m1w]

Question 🙋🏾‍♂️ So I’m assuming that you are able to do spatial mixing with these as well?

[@askdrtk]

Yes, if you need closed-back headphones to mix in Dolby Atmos, Sony 360, etc, these are a very good option. Positioning is represented very well by these headphones.

[@damon2755]

How does m1 compare to dt 700 pro? Both are neutral sound profile but which one has the edge for details, vocals/mids, overall tuning?

[@askdrtk]

I like both, but I would give the edge to the M1 because of its imaging and soundstage. Vocal / mids detail is similar when mixing. It is hard to explain, but to my ears the M1 have the low end extension of the 700 pro x, but without seeming like it is somehow enhanced...if that makes sense...

[@Jaytecks]

@@askdrtk So on 700 pro x - due to fatter bass it will be more enjoyable to watch films during breaks?)

[@cowboytonydee]

Hearing the headphones was like listening to comb filtering...

[@x-techgaming]

How do these compare to K553, and DT700?

[@nodirbeksaidov]

Which better for mixing and mastering ATH m50x or Sony MDR-M1 ?

[@MeanKoreaNZGamer]

ATH m50x has almost zero sound stage and very uncomfortable small ear pads. I gave it to my wife just 20 mins after bought this. Currently using AKG K702 and I am super happy.

[@airun5362]

sony s7506 was bad, huge drops on low freq and high. Glad that they seems nailed the harman curve a lot better. On m1 timbre on male/female voice is a bit off. Also sound a bit "boxy". Well, anyway big upgrade from previous models.

[@Morsella]

it sounds thin, no?

[@Shredhub101]

It sounded a bit thin when i listened it through my m30x , i dont know... Might only be me.

[@JobbyFraggle]

Well I mean this test isn’t exactly a good representation… I think it’s novel and all but yeah… listening to a recording of headphones on different headphones kinda defeats the purpose in the end.

[@askdrtk]

@@JobbyFraggle Yes, it's not possible to actually hear headphones or monitors over others, but the idea I'm trying to share with recorded audio is to listen for the difference between the original and the headphone recording to get an idea of what coloration may be introduced. I haven't been able to come up with a better way to review headphones without falling into the usual collection of descriptions that mean different things to everyone... Only way to hear the actual sound (which is different for everyone due to the physics of our ears) to to listen in-person...worth it in this case imo... Cheers!

[@JobbyFraggle]

@@askdrtkoh yeah, I’m not bashing the inclusion of those tests. I actually enjoy them, but I do take them with a grain of salt knowing that experience should not be something I base a purchase on without testing the headphones on my own ears 👌 always enjoy your reviews!

[@Morsella]

yup me too its thin

[@donvittoriosierra]

I don’t understand why it is recommended. The deviation from the original souund is huge. Even the k240s is more neutral. Am I missing something? Is the recording rig not representative of the real life sound va the original?

[@Morsella]

do you also feel the vocal is thin?

[@calvinyip364]

Please review the Fiio ft1 and aune ar 5000

[@askdrtk]

Great suggestions, I’ll see if I can make that happen. Cheers!

[@Shredhub101]

Can you please review the AKG K182?

[@askdrtk]

Great suggestion…on my list. Cheers!

[@Shredhub101]

@@askdrtk thank you!!

[@ArchDragoon-Arm]

is this the clone of MDR-M1ST? I've been using MDR-M1ST for few years and this one just show up with pretty similar appearance and spec.

[@brash_hown]

The pads on these definitely look a bit thicker than the M1ST but not sure if anything else is different

[@jackpytleski7750]

Siblence in the ssss

[@FVDaudio]

mmmm... 🤔🤔

[@thatchinaboi1]

Sony once again disappoints. Sennheiser HD620s is more faithful and has angled drivers for better imaging. Out of all the headphones you have tested, the HD 400 Pro is the most accurate (to the human ear) at Studio Reference Level. If you listen at ear damaging levels the HD 400 Pro will sound a bit harsh in the frequencies the human ear is most sensitive to (Equal Loudness Contour). I can rely on the HD400 Pro to tell me what exactly is going on. They are so accurate that they can be used for binaural reproduction. They are pretty much transparent.

[@michaelsi6770]

lol Sennheiser lately releases disaster after disaster, HD660S2 is a disaster with muffled mids, HD400 sound cold and distant and it has very very low resolution, HD620s is a disaster just listen to sound tests on youtube it's base sounds like wet poop, while recently released Sony MDR-MV1 are absolutely phenomenal..........dude

[@thatchinaboi1]

@@michaelsi6770 You are a moron. 😂

[@artureff3046]

​@@michaelsi6770agree, hd600/650 are still much better, but mv1 are really good. Similar to 900st but more detailed. I am currently waiting for the new Fostex t50rp mk.4 and Victor 100z (His Master's Voice). As a collector and audiophile I prefer studio detailed approach rather than consumer one, not even mentioning Bluetooth (except for Grados, with modded detachable cables).

[@annekedebruyn7797]

I am not sure how to read your comment. Did you actually listen to the HD620 and the Sony or are you basing this on specs? There are a lot better headphones out there which don't have angled drivers. It's really not a make or break thing. It's a design feature for specifiek dynamic driver designs.

[@thatchinaboi1]

@@annekedebruyn7797 🤡