The MDR-1A, as the brand product of Sony earphones, is now 4 years old. Although a classic earphone can endure for a long time, when Sony launched the MDR-1AM2, it seemed to tell everyone that Sony was ready and the new successor was also excellent enough.
From the perspective of modeling design, Sony MDR-1AM2 and 1A do not seem to have changed much, but after careful use for a period of time, the author found that MDR-1AM2 is a comprehensive upgrade from inside to outside. As Sony said, this is the brand headset that Sony is proud of.
Sony MDR-1AM2 hereinafter referred to as 1AM2
Sony MDR-1A hereinafter referred to as 1A
appearance
In terms of official support, in addition to the headphone storage bag and 3.5mm wire controlled headphone cable (1.2m), 1AM2 also provided users with a 4.4mm balanced headphone cable (1.2m).
1AM2 has simplified and adjusted the lightweight direction on the basis of the design concept of the previous generation. At first glance, the main part has not changed much. The head beam and earmuff parts are obviously 1A designs, but it is obvious that 1AM2 has replaced the red part of 1A with gray silver in color matching, Sony's official explanation for this is that "users will not show excessive tool sense when wearing and using", which is actually“ Let users look low-key, luxurious and meaningful when wearing headphones ”。
One of the major features of the design of 1AM2 is "Lighter" As a 40mm drive unit, the covered earmuff earphone weighs only 187g, nearly 40g lighter than the already light 1A (227g).
The Sony logo is still clearly printed on the earmuff
Left: 1A Right: 1AM2
The design of the earmuff of 1AM2 is basically the same as that of the previous generation. The earmuff adopts a covered design. The ear pad is made of low elastic polyurethane foam, and the leather part is synthetic leather that absorbs moisture and dissipates heat. We can directly see the 40mm HD driver unit and Fibonacci pattern grille inside the earmuff from the outside.
On the role of "Fibonacci Pattern Grid", Sony gave the official explanation:
Fibonacci pattern grille is the first grille used in the MDR-Z1R launched in 2016. Although the grid is of great significance in protecting the diaphragm, it sometimes forms a heavy shape due to overemphasizing the strength, causing acoustic waves to be blocked and adversely affecting high-frequency playback. To overcome this weakness, Sony developed the Fibonacci pattern grille. Fibonacci pattern grid has the characteristics of balanced openings, which is not easy to hinder air transmission, has small fluctuations, and can achieve natural treble with tension.
The overall size of 1AM2 is similar to that of the iron triangle MSR7, even in the earmuff area. However, because the iron triangle MSR7 uses more metal materials as a whole, its ear pads are not lightweight materials. As we can see, the overall structure of the Iron Triangle MSR7 is much thicker than that of 1AM2. Its earphone weighs 290g, more than 100g more than that of 1AM2.
Wear
The problem of "ear clip" is basically common for the wrapped (ear clip) earphones. No matter how the earphones are designed, if users wear them for a long time, they will still feel the ear clip. However, from the manufacturer's point of view, the "clip ear" problem cannot be avoided, but it can be alleviated.
At present, the problem of "ear clipping" of wired earphones is basically solved from two aspects: one is the overall weight of earphones; The second is the design and materials of earphones
In the above, we also mentioned that the weight of 1AM2 is very light, only 187g. Users who have a little knowledge of covered earphones should know that, Basically, in addition to the fake earphones that cut corners, the wrap earphones of big factories are generally larger than this value, generally more than 220g.
In design, 1AM2 adopts the same ergonomic 3D three-dimensional cutting ear pad as 1A, which can increase the contact surface between the ear pad and the head and reduce the pressure on the ear.
Thanks to the ergonomic design and lightweight materials of 1AM2, in actual use, 1AM2 gives the author the impression that it is very light and has become less expensive. It even makes people wonder whether it is a fake earphone. Its voice tells me that it is genuine Sony.
The NW-ZX300A is used for the sound quality evaluation, and 3.5mm ear wires are used.
tone quality
Since there are many users listening to music on their mobile phones, let me first talk about the power of 1AM2. The 1AM2 is the kind of headset that is easy to push, with an impedance of 16 ohms and a sensitivity of 98 dB/mW. If you just want to push with a mobile phone, then the iPhone is easy to push. As a Sony brand headset, the author certainly does not recommend that you do so. Good push is one thing, and good push is another.
The sound quality of 1AM2 is more comprehensive than that of 1A. The three frequencies have been improved, but if it is the biggest improvement, I think it should be the high-frequency and intermediate frequencies.
The performance of the mid-range voice of 1AM2 is very clear, with rich details. It is a very bright and broad voice. The voice has obvious protrusion, which is separated from the low frequency of background sound and dynamic beat. When it comes to preferences, the author believes that 1AM2 should be the taste of male voices. The high-frequency part of 1AM2 has a very natural transition. The sound continues to moderate and fade. It is also a very clear and bright high-frequency.
In terms of low frequency, 1AM2 keeps Sony's consistent low frequency of "cheerfulness without ringing". It has a sense of speed and atmosphere, but the sense of quantity is not great. The diving performance is normal. In short, it does not ringing, but it is definitely not the low frequency of "knocking on the wood floor". This low frequency can be said to be more in line with the listening preference of most people.
The overall feeling of the performance of 1AM2 in high frequency and intermediate frequency is that its resolution is much better than that of the previous generation. Although this 1AM2 is still a 40mm drive unit, this 40mm drive unit was re developed by Sony, which is completely different from the previous generation. At the same time, the aluminum plated liquid crystal polymer coating used by 1AM2 this time is likely to be the main cause of this sound quality improvement of 1AM2.
summary
Four years later, Sony MDR-1A finally stepped down from the throne of Sony's brand earphone, and MDR-1AM2 took over the baton. The MDR-1A series is not only Sony's benchmark, but also a Sony style music attitude. In this C-bit product, failure is not allowed. After a period of experience, the author believes that Sony MDR-1AM2 can improve the user's wearing comfort while improving the sound quality. It further solves the problem of "good sound quality but poor wearing feeling". As a brand headset of Sony, it is qualified.
