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Most audio engineers work in a professional or personal studio designed to be perfectly noise-free. However, there are times when working in a studio just isn’t possible. Sony has a pair of high-quality reference monitors that are designed for those times. The company unveiled the new Sony MDR-M1.
There are times when you have to work while not in your studio, which means that you’ll be in a more noisy environment. Your open-back headphones just aren’t made for environments like these. There’s more than enough noise to interfere with your mix.
This is where the Sony MDR-M1 come in. These are closed-back monitors that are designed to faithfully reproduce the audio as if you were in a studio.
The Sony MDR-M1 will let you bring the studio with you
Sony is one of the top companies on the consumer audio scene, and these new monitors seem to go against expectations. People mostly choose open-backed headphones for mixing and engineering. The fact that the MDR-M1 are closed-back might turn some people away.
However, the beauty of these headphones is that they’re designed to block as much ambient noise as possible. This will be helpful when you’re trying to mix in a less-than-ideal environment. Obviously, if you’re trying to mix on a plane, you’ll get more noise than if you were trying to mix in a hotel room.
High-quality drivers
This is Sony we’re talking about, so you know that these headphones come with some quality hardware. Sony fitted these headphones with two custom-made drivers that will deliver some rich and highly detailed audio.
This is for two main reasons. Firstly, there’s a soft outer layer for the drivers. This outer layer helps produce deeper and richer bass. This is coupled with a hard internal cone. This cone helps when producing higher tones.
This two-pronged approach to audio helps make these some of the best that you can get in this price range. The drivers can accurately represent the music you’re listening to.
Amazing audio
The Sony MDR-M1 promise to give you studio-quality audio, and we have no reason to doubt that. They have an Ultra-wideband range from 5kHz to 80kHz.
Sony included a tuned port, which the company says “acts as a ventilation hole to control low frequencies.” This is great for people who are mixing music with a fair amount of bass. It’s best to have control over the bass because having muddy bass can really ruin a mix.
The Sony MDR-M1 are designed to be worn for long periods of time. They have soft ear pads that conform to the shape of your head. This way, you’ll be able to wear them for hours without feeling any sort of discomfort at all.
What comes in the box?
There’s not a lot that comes in the box, but what you’re getting is useful. They come with two cords included. One of them is a replaceable cable that comes with a stereo mini-plug adaptor and plug adaptor. The second cord is shorter, and it can be used depending on what equipment you have.
Specs
Type: Closed dynamic
Driver Unit: 40 mm (1.58 in) neodymium magnet
Power Handling Capacity: 1,500 mW (IEC *1)
Impedance: 50 Ω at 1 kHz
Sensitivity: 102 dB/mW
Frequency Response: 5 Hz – 80,000 Hz (JEITA)
Mass: Approx. 216 g (7.62 oz) (without cable)
Price and availability
You can pick up the Sony MDR-M1 for $249 USD ($349 CAD). They’re not available to buy yet, but you can pre-order them. You can either pre-order them at Sony.com, Amazon, B&H, Guitar Center, Sweetwater, or other authorized vendors.