Customer Reviews

Sony MDR-F1 Full-Open-Air Headphones with Impedance Compensator

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The Sony MDR-F1 Headphones are a respected headphone in the industry, and for a good many number of reasons. You don't know what 'music to my ears' really means until you hear these. In this review, I compare them to many of my large collection of headphones, which I reference in the review, and major differences are included. I rated the sound of the MDR's without an amp on a 1-10 scale, with 1 at disgusting and 10 for unbelievable.

For lower frequencies like a bass guitar or the main beat of an R&B song, they get the job done, but not perfectly. In their description from Sony, it is pointed out that they have a special driver on the speaker that aids in clarity and pronouncement of the bass. They work wonderfully, and make those Bose cans sound like garbage. If you are a person who demands bass, go Sennheiser HD 595 for can style or Ultimate Ear triple-fi's for in-ear design, but these still work great. 8/10 for bass.

For mid-tones Sony did what they do normally, giving it the standard design aimed for those mid frequencies that include slightly lower voices and classical music. But don't underestimate the beauty of Sony and mid's. If your music is more male singing and has guitar, look no further than here. Beyerdynamic beat these out due to how they can make any voice sound like it's in the room with you, so those are a great option for spoken vocal and indie music. For the MDR's, I give it 9/10 for mids.

The High Notes; To me this is the most important, and can make or break a listening experience. However even on the highest pitches, there was no hiss or the very common rattle most headphones make. Absolutely perfect. Cymbal crashes and clapping sound so real they can send shivers down your spine when you realize it isn't live music. The other headphones didn't come close to the MDR-F1 for any frequencies at and above 8000 kHz, where most make it sound like high pitches are an afterthought, coming out unpronounced and lifeless. I have yet to hear any better sound from a headphone in this range, and that's coming against Grado GS1000's and AKG 7000 cans. 10/10.

Now a word on the open-air design of the MDR-F1's: due to the round rings by the speakers, there is no place where they even graze your ear, even with a large ear like me. And since you have nothing else there, any other environment sound comes in. So depending on where you will use the headphones means a great deal. These won't do if you live on airplanes, as you will hear the hum constantly due to their open style. If you plan on using these at home, walking on campus to class, or in the office, these are a very viable option, as these environments are less noisy. They won't block out the environment at all; rather, they make you feel like you're at the concert or studio. And when someone needs to talk to you, they don't have to yell and punch your arm to get your attention, which is good for everyone. 8/10 for design, but is highly subjective to the user.

When you wear them, you may forget after a while; They weigh practically nothing on your head because of the band that lifts them from your head. They float on your head like they are on shocks, and keep evenly balanced at all times. They look a little weird with the two wires sticking up, especially if you have a flat head. But unlike any other headphone I've ever owned, you can wear these for hours both safely and comfortably. 8.5/10 for style.

However what happens when all of this comes together is the sweet spot for music. A full song will meld in perfectly, where nothing overpowers anything else and a wonderful soundstage is created. This is why I give full props to these headphones. If you get a bass-centered headphone, the rest of the music can be lost in the background; for most listeners you want the full song, not just part of it. These give it to you in a shiny, gracefully made bow. Since my music tastes are so broad, I wanted a headphone that could play it all, making the MDR-F1's a blessing from God.

EDIT 6/9/2010: I've had these headphones for what I think will be 8 years now, and the sound has molded into something so wonderful I can't really describe. I have never had such a good break-in on any of my headphones before. The padding on the ears has completely worn off, and one of the hinges broke, but they still work perfectly when I'm listening at the computer or somewhere stationary. If you can get these headphones and take care of them over time, you will have made one of the best investments in music.

I use these with my Astro Mixamp connected to my Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 to deliver 3D soundscapes that really blow my mind. I have tried the Audio Technica's ATH-AD700 and Sennheiser's HD555 which I'm aware are less than half the cost of these Sony's, but the sound is not as great. The Sony's are just not clearer, but the sound feels more elegant and subtle, not to say they are a lot more comfortable.

On games and movies, the positioning of the sound sources is clear and the distances between one sound and another are really palpable. It's so natural that you don't feel anything special until you try another pair of headphones that aren't as good as these ones. Their sound has this quality that I like; it feels natural, not bombastic nor plain. I can wear them for 8 hours straight and not get a headache, thing that I had got using other headphones that crush your skull or overwhelm your hearing, or even worse, make your ears sweaty.

Another great feature is that they are so light that sometimes I forget I'm wearing them, I'm serious, even more when I use them with the Dolby Headphones effect on the Astro Mixamp when I feel I'm listening my blu-rays as if I were in a movie theater, it's uncanny. I know it sounds absurd but it's true. The spatiality of the room really gets bigger and noticeable. And that might be the thing I love the most, not only comfort-wise but sound quality wise, I never feel I'm wearing any headphones.

On games that have good sound mixes, these headphones with the Astro Mixamp really give you an edge that make a lot easier to spot enemies and sound sources. I know competitive multiplayer FPS people, would for sure adore them and make their gameplay more precise and immersive.

People get crazy about new huge HD Tv's and forget that sound is half part of the experience. If you live on an apartment or you like to game or watch movies at night and don't want miss the total experience that the images are giving you with limited sound, you should consider getting a pair of these.

Just a note, they are open headphones, so they are not completely silent to the people outside, but they sound as if you left your ipod headphones on a table playing music at a considerable volume level. Nothing to worry about if you are in a room next to a person sleeping, but if you are on the same bed, well, they are noticeable.

On the other hand, you can get a powered splitter for the Astro Mixamp, that they sell as an accessory on their page and connect two headphones to it! So now your partner can join the experience.

These headphones are only sold in Japan, and they used to cost around $200 but with economy they are about $300 these days. I would try to get them at the original price; anyway I have been reading that they are really built to last. I take care of mine putting them on a small printer case that fits them perfectly along my mixamp and all the cables and accessories, it's perfect for traveling. The model is the HP Photosmart Metro Style Carrying Case. They are obsolete now and are hard to get, but try ebaying them.

To this day, I have never felt strongly enough about any product to write a review about it.

But, for anyone considering this set of headphones, i must tell you this.

You will never find a better sounding AND incredibly comfortable set ANYWHERE.

I purchased more than one just in case the one i had somehow broke.

You cant go wrong!

I got great results since this headphone is optimized for the MDR-DS8000's amplifier. With other amplifiers you could get varying results so I can't comment on the performance in case you use another.

I've listened to headphones costing $1000, and I'm not sure that these aren't better. I have a friend who says they are a gold standard for sound engineers. I hope not, after all this time, because they are long out of production.

The earpiece foam will get tattered, and there never was any way to replace them. DON'T THROW THROW THEM OUT, if you have the urge to get rid of them when they get ugly. Some buyer out there will be very glad to have them.