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[HiResDes]

I thought it was previously reported MH1C > MH1

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Nah, I trust SGS on the matter. He told me he had a C model and tone sweeps showed a rise of 20 DB boost to the low end. It's been corroborated with a few other people over at HF whom I trust. In fact there's a thread over at HF where the guy who engineered the phones posted and he confirms that the C model is hi-fi subjected to severe bass boost To appeal to the bass loving demographic. I got word from James444 that the new Sony H3 hybrid is the same way. It's a true TOTL performer that's been boosted to hell in the low range. You mod the phones and EQ the bass down and It's supoosed to be excellent. Eye level with the best he's heard

 

[Accoun]

you won't see any headphone more frequently in the professional world.

Where are you from? I see them often in studio videos of American bands, but here I mostly see AKG in studios.

 

[HiResDes]

Nah, I trust SGS on the matter. He told me he had a C model and tone sweeps showed a rise of 20 DB boost to the low end. It's been corroborated with a few other people over at HF whom I trust. In fact there's a thread over at HF where the guy who engineered the phones posted and he confirms that the C model is hi-fi subjected to severe bass boost To appeal to the bass loving demographic. I got word from James444 that the new Sony H3 hybrid is the same way. It's a true TOTL performer that's been boosted to hell in the low range. You mod the phones and EQ the bass down and It's supoosed to be excellent. Eye level with the best he's heard

So they're the Fostex of the IEM world, interesting!

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

So they're the Fostex of the IEM world, interesting!

Most def. my friend GnarlSagan posted a nicely detailed post as to WHY the MH1 sounds so good here (even against heavy hitters like the UERM, IE800 etc.):

http://www.head-fi.org/t/664613/rev...ar-f111-cardas-em5813-added/4080#post_9959634

Which is then verified by LuisDent, another hardcore ER-4 guy. I've been in touch with SGS, Gnarl, Eke and a couple other guys there for awhile now, so I find them to be trustworthy with their views. They don't have any allegiances to brands or anything, just SQ. Anyone wanting a crazy good phone for the money would be doing themselves a favor by at least checking out the Sony MH1 and the Fostex IEM later on

 

[Accoun]

Interesting. I've heard enough good about those.
Too bad I don't have any interest in IEMs anymore. ;-)

 

[Azulsky]

What are the current $100 IEM recommendations?

 

[HiResDes]

What are the current $100 IEM recommendations?

Sony MH1
MEElectronics A161P
V-Sonic VC1000
V-Sonic VSD1
JVC HA-FXD80
Sony XBA-2

 

[FoxSpirit]

It's idiots like him who ruin everything.

"A few hundred dollars"!!?? For premium housing, cables and a case.

People with no sense for price value. They will pay whatever they feel, without any regard to the true cost. People like him are the reason why we are price gauged to fucking hell.

Awww ffff......

/end pissed rant

 

[Drame]

The Bose's are purportedly the best, sporting the best comfort and highest level of active noise cancellation. I don't own either of them though, as active noise-cancelling isn't my thing.

Thanks. We'll give both of them a try tomorrow but seems that the Bose's cans are worth the premium.

 

[HiResDes]

I recently got the ATH-M50. Really like them so far. They sound really balanced in sound, not as much bass as I wanted though.

Then again, I don't really have another pair of headphones to compare them too. Just wish I would've read more opinions on them before pulling the trigger. Whatever though, I'm liking them so far.

Also finding them a lot more comfortable than the last pair of Beats I had.

WELCOME!

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

It's idiots like him who ruin everything.

"A few hundred dollars"!!?? For premium housing, cables and a case.

People with no sense for price value. They will pay whatever they feel, without any regard to the true cost. People like him are the reason why we are price gauged to fucking hell.

Awww ffff......

/end pissed rant

Uh, by that account, just about everyone here who's owned a phone that costs more than a few hundred is an "idiot". In the IEM world, something like the Sony MH1 is an anomaly. It's practically a unicorn where price/performance is considered, cause I can't think of a single other $20 phone that has anywhere close to the type of performance he's referencing. (keep in mind that the ER-4 has been around for 2 decades and still sells at around $300!)

SGS was sayin that were the MH1 priced at a few hundred bucks and featured a competent build quality, it'd holistically, slot in nicely in the current IEM landscape and still would be considered a bargain. He's not wrong about that, since we've all been paying out the nose for incremental increases in performances for forever now.

Even when you consider insanely priced TOTL IEMs like the K3003 and the 1Plus2, their performance is definitely comparable to full sized (similarly insanely priced) flagship cans like the HD800 or the TH900, except you can drive them to 90 percent of their potential from a mere iPhone instead of further spending an additional several hundred/thousand on a DAC/amp rig to drive a HD800/TH900.

Again, that makes the MH1 an anomaly, not even like a Fostex since an unmodded T50-RP is still $150. $20 for the MH1 is like cheaper than dinner at Red Lobster lol

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Sony mh1 is in. This micro driver wunderkind is the real deal Mcsteal. With the bass EQed down, this thing is absolutely astonishing for the price. I'll write up some details after class. Suffice to say, at the moment, I'd put these things over some $400/500 phones I've owned, and even full sized stuff like the Mad Dog. The cable is absolute garbage though, I can't emphasize that enough. I'm gonna look into getting these things recabled.

 

[Geneijin]

This Sony MH1 sounds very interesting. So is this the phone in question on Amazon? If so, I wouldn't mind having another pair.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Yes, that’s the one. EQed, this thing is absolutely incredible. It’s very balanced and amazingly smooth and free of grain. I’m gonna be honest, this thing is way closer to the K3003 than I’m comfortable with admitting. I would imagine that the Fostex TE05 prototype that floored people at RMAF might’ve sounded similar to this thing, or at least, that’s how I envision it.

EQed, the bass on this thing is similar to that of the K3003, it’s got more decay to it but it’s actually reminiscent of the bass on my old pair of K3003 before I sent it back to be replaced due to a cabling failure. It’s deep, clean, controlled, and surprisingly solid and impactful when called for. It’s also got excellent extension and texture since it handles sub bass with aplomb. The bass just does its thing and stays clear of everything else; not once did I get the feeling that it was overstepping and obfuscating any portion of the midrange. Hell, this thing even renders a mean contrabass! If anything it reminds me of Ocharaku’s Flat-4 phones, it’s just awesome and very satisfying.

The midrange is very clear, tonally pleasing and highly (!) detailed. A trait that it shares with the K3003 is that I don’t feel like it is too thick, thin, lush or dry, it just sounds right to me. Instruments and vocals (both male and female) sound tonally convincing and carry proper weight but the dynamic range of the K3003 makes itself known here as the attack and decay on notes is much more convincing, and is noticeable on things like acoustic guitar strumming. Aside from that, I’m not getting any sort of grain or shoutiness here in the midrange, and it’s even more linear than the K3003 as the upper midrange isn’t as accentuated (though I do like that). When all’s said and done though, it doesn’t quite scale in the same manner as the K3003 where things sound eerily real, and is always intelligible no matter how chaotic the track, but it gets respectably close on more than a few occasions, and you’ll hardly ever catch it smearing details.

I’d also give the highs to the K3003 due to its awesome timbre. Cymbals actually sound like brass on the K3003 and strings have got that waxy quality and bite up top. The MH1 does have sufficient air up top but the treble isn’t biting. And the treble, while extended and detailed, does ultimately lack crispness and feels a tad delicate and feathery light. In any case, I find it hard to fault at all when the necessary detail is there, and hey, $20!

The soundstage on the MH1 is surprising in how generous and spacious it is, and while possessing impressive depth, ultimately misses the mark made by the best of the best. While not quite as holographic and spacious as phones such as the Flat-4/K3003/334/1Plus2, it escapes that small, “in your head” feeling of lesser IEMs, and I don’t ever get the feeling that it sounds flat and congested. The imaging is quite good as well and it’s capable of throwing cues with good accuracy. Sounds seem to originate in distinct locations in all directions and not just linearly from right to left. Again, this sort of thing ought to be illegal for $20.

Summing up, I’ve spent the better part of the day, surrounded by kilobuck phones and not giving a fuck. If that’s not some sort of endorsement as to their insane quality, I’m not sure what is. These things sound fantastic with just about everything I’ve thrown their way, whether that be rock, pop, electronic, jazz, classical, vocal etc. I’d presently take these things over the SM3, SM64, FX500, HE900, Ex600, Mad Dog, SA5000, ES5, ASG-2 and perhaps even the Flat-4 SUI/KURO. I’m not sure whether I’m that crazy. These things remind me a bit of the Final Audio Heaven C in how they just force me to reevaluate just how MUCH my gear is truly worth. If I had any semblance of sanity, I’d sell off the K3003 and just buy like 5 pairs of MH1s and call it a day.

Anyone who’s ever popped into this thread wondering what to get? Please do me a solid and buy these phones and never question just how good it gets. I’ve been up and down the price brackets and have owned/heard nearly every TOTL IEM there is, and unless graphene changes the game completely, it doesn’t really get that much better than this without paying a downright princely sum. Again, cheaper than dinner at fuckin’ Red Lobster!

 

[FoxSpirit]

Uh, by that account, just about everyone here who's owned a phone that costs more than a few hundred is an "idiot". In the IEM world, something like the Sony MH1 is an anomaly. It's practically a unicorn where price/performance is considered, cause I can't think of a single other $20 phone that has anywhere close to the type of performance he's referencing. (keep in mind that the ER-4 has been around for 2 decades and still sells at around $300!)

SGS was sayin that were the MH1 priced at a few hundred bucks and featured a competent build quality, it'd holistically, slot in nicely in the current IEM landscape and still would be considered a bargain. He's not wrong about that, since we've all been paying out the nose for incremental increases in performances for forever now.

Even when you consider insanely priced TOTL IEMs like the K3003 and the 1Plus2, their performance is definitely comparable to full sized (similarly insanely priced) flagship cans like the HD800 or the TH900, except you can drive them to 90 percent of their potential from a mere iPhone instead of further spending an additional several hundred/thousand on a DAC/amp rig to drive a HD800/TH900.

Again, that makes the MH1 an anomaly, not even like a Fostex since an unmodded T50-RP is still $150. $20 for the MH1 is like cheaper than dinner at Red Lobster lol

But that's the point... it's like a proof of possibility.
Everyone is pricing their phones aligned the performance/price point of the other phones, the regular race for good price points is completely off in the higher end. And sometimes, there are even quality issues.
The paint of the demo HD800 in a local store is FLAKING. You can see the regular plastic below, complete with seams and all. And this thing is €1200. For this money, I would expect a build that lasts 2 decades.

I have on my desk a cheap sub 100 Euro 2.1 setup. It sounds amazing. It destroys any regular price/performance point. It drives home the point what SHOULD be possible for 1k, if audio were a regular competitive market. Instead, we mostly have crap mass consumer ware and severly overpriced good stuff, for the most part.

I remember when the HD360 was 170 Euro new. Noone was buying headphones it seemed. 3 years later the headphone-hype was on and a new 360 shot up to 370 Euro. Boy, those magnets sure have exploded in price. And noone is complaining, everybody seems to say "it's worth it". Especially for the manufacturers.

 

[Antiwhippy]

Why the hell is the MH1 $99 in australia?

 

[andylsun]

Just bought a pair of the MH1 - looking forward to receiving them.

I was in China (Shanghai and Shun De) last week, hoping to find Head Direct RE2/RE0 headphones - all I found was knock off beats and sony headphones, not a single home-grown manufacturer. I even had some locals I was with try to find them, and in the end, they said buy them when I get back to the USA. Real shame that good quality chinese brand gear is so hard to find.

 

[Azulsky]

My MH1s come in tomorrow. Can't wait

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

But that's the point... it's like a proof of possibility.
Everyone is pricing their phones aligned the performance/price point of the other phones, the regular race for good price points is completely off in the higher end. And sometimes, there are even quality issues.
The paint of the demo HD800 in a local store is FLAKING. You can see the regular plastic below, complete with seams and all. And this thing is €1200. For this money, I would expect a build that lasts 2 decades.

I have on my desk a cheap sub 100 Euro 2.1 setup. It sounds amazing. It destroys any regular price/performance point. It drives home the point what SHOULD be possible for 1k, if audio were a regular competitive market. Instead, we mostly have crap mass consumer ware and severly overpriced good stuff, for the most part.

I remember when the HD360 was 170 Euro new. Noone was buying headphones it seemed. 3 years later the headphone-hype was on and a new 360 shot up to 370 Euro. Boy, those magnets sure have exploded in price. And noone is complaining, everybody seems to say "it's worth it". Especially for the manufacturers.

Eh... Not really. There have always been no holds barred statement products from all the major manufacturers such as Sennheiser's Orpheus ($18,000!), Stax's SR-007, Grado's HP-1000, Sony's R10, AKG's K1000.. Those phones are all 2 decades old at least, so exorbitant pricing at the high end isn't exactly a new thing. And if inflation is taken into account, the same $1,000-5000+ the flagships went for back in the day isn't the same $1,000-3000 their successors sell for today.

I'd argue that with the advent of quality portable DAPs we've got it better than ever before since there's been this massive influx of competitors in the headphone/IEM scene as well as OEM design outsourcing and T50-RP modders who deliver amazing value. True, these products won't deliver that final stretch of performance or have absolutely all the bells and whistles, but honestly, 99% of the public isn't buying into these super phones. Hell, every single K3003 is handmade and numbered. I received a replacement unit about 3 weeks ago? My number is 8,864. That means there's only about 8,000 or less K3003s in the wild (some could just be sitting in a warehouse at Harman), and AKG is a company with high visibility. 

Why the hell is the MH1 $99 in australia?

The MSRP of the phone was originally $80 USD or so I believe.

Anyone who's ordered a pair, do get a parametric equalizer (I use "equalizer" on the app store, it's got excellent, transparent processing abilities and the UI is almost as good as Apple's stock music player) and EQ the bass down using these settings: 75 hz. -4 DB, Q= .75. It'll result in a phone that's amazingly well balanced and detailed without spiking the treble at 5-10 hz. like so many manufacturers are so fond of. If you're used to "colored" phones with amped up treble, boosted bass or scooped mids, it'll likely take a while to acclimate to a flatter FR, but you'll then find it hard to go back since those other phones will sound downright unnatural. (I do keep around bass heavier sets for fun, but the MH1 is a true all arounder) Make sure your stuff is like 320 Kbps or so and you're good to go!

Also, don't ever let anyone fool you into thinking the iPhone is anything less than a world class device. I've been tooling around with the FOTM DX50 that's got people selling off their DX100s and AK120s in a huff and while it does sound better than the iPhone, it's only marginally better. iPhone on iOS 7 more than holds its own against the DX50, and its dead simple usability and hyper refined UI make it feel like something from a far flung future compared to the highly temperamental and DOS like interface of the DX50. That and the random crashing, super, duper sloooowwwww file scanning made me call it quits days later.

 

[andylsun]

Anyone who's ordered a pair, do get a parametric equalizer (I use "equalizer" on the app store, it's got excellent, transparent processing abilities and the UI is almost as good as Apple's stock music player) and EQ the bass down using these settings: 75 hz. -4 DB, Q= .75. It'll result in a phone that's amazingly well balanced and detailed without spiking the treble at 5-10 hz. like so many manufacturers are so fond of. If you're used to "colored" phones with amped up treble, boosted bass or scooped mids, it'll likely take a while to acclimate to a flatter FR, but you'll then find it hard to go back since those other phones will sound downright unnatural. (I do keep around bass heavier sets for fun, but the MH1 is a true all arounder) Make sure your stuff is like 320 Kbps or so and you're good to go!

On the head-fi thread about these headphones (the engineering thread, not the review thread) the headphone designer suggests blocking the rear vent, and shows this drops the bass by around 4db - worth trying that first before playing with software EQ?

http://www.head-fi.org/t/634193/sony-mh1-r-d-story-and-discussion See the update from 7th November 2012.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

On the head-fi thread about these headphones (the engineering thread, not the review thread) the headphone designer suggests blocking the rear vent, and shows this drops the bass by around 4db - worth trying that first before playing with software EQ?

http://www.head-fi.org/t/634193/sony-mh1-r-d-story-and-discussion See the update from 7th November 2012.

Yeah I remember reading about that. It's a trick that Rin Choi over at http://rinchoi.blogspot.com/ employs a lot to flatten bass, and it's definitely worth trying, but a parametric EQ costs like $4 on the app store and allows for massive tuning flexibility, along with the assurance that you are indeed flattening the bass by 4 db

The engineer also mentions tricks to bring the midrange forward etc. get more treble presence etc. but I honestly think the bass EQ makes these things nearly perfect

 

[andylsun]

So I'm a bit worried that my ordered MH1's may not work with my iphone.

I ordered MH1 not MH1C. I don't care about button control, but will audio work on an iphone 3GS and 5? The 3.5mm jack is wired differently between the two headphones.

I've got older music players that I can use if I need.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

I've only used it with my iPhone 5 thus far and it works perfectly, you won't be able to use the remote controls though. Again, I must reiterate that the cable is absolute bollocks. If you're handy with a soldering iron and have deft hands, recabling would definitely be in order. I'm gonna try hitting up Brian Goto at BTG Audio and see if he can't do a cheapie $40 recable job or see if a DIYer on HF would do it for me

 

[SteveO409]

For those looking for a good headphone to give as gifts,

http://tech.woot.com/offers/sennheiser-over-ear-headphones

HD518 - New - $35 (plus shipping & tax). Lowest its ever been on camelcamelcamel is $90


edit: wow it just sold out right when i posted this. sorry

 

[Geneijin]

My initial impressions on the Sony MH1: I might order a few more...

Edit: My first complaint already. If you need to use the larger eartips for a better seal, I pray yours aren't bent like mine. I'll probably have to buy some new eartips now. The medium sized ones are alright, but any movement I make dislodges them from forming a proper seal. It sucks.

Edit2: Don't want to doublepost so I'll continue here.

Thanks to HiResDes, Dynamite Ringo Matsuri, and this thread for bringing this to my attention.

I’d also give the highs to the K3003 due to its awesome timbre. Cymbals actually sound like brass on the K3003 and strings have got that waxy quality and bite up top. The MH1 does have sufficient air up top but the treble isn’t biting. And the treble, while extended and detailed, does ultimately lack crispness and feels a tad delicate and feathery light. In any case, I find it hard to fault at all when the necessary detail is there, and hey, $20!

I agree about the MH1's treble. Considering how much treble definition that's there, I find it hard to be bothered by how smooth it is. I do have a preference for a brighter sound, but even then, I like the tonal balance of this already.

The soundstage on the MH1 is surprising in how generous and spacious it is, and while possessing impressive depth, ultimately misses the mark made by the best of the best. While not quite as holographic and spacious as phones such as the Flat-4/K3003/334/1Plus2, it escapes that small, “in your head” feeling of lesser IEMs, and I don’t ever get the feeling that it sounds flat and congested. The imaging is quite good as well and it’s capable of throwing cues with good accuracy. Sounds seem to originate in distinct locations in all directions and not just linearly from right to left. Again, this sort of thing ought to be illegal for $20.

The MH1 makes me regret getting the Philips Fidelio S2 that I blindly bought here. The S2s are enjoyable, but it suffers from the left-right-in-your-head sound imaging. These MH1, however, don't. Wow. I have zero complaints about the MH1's soundstage so far, whereas, the S2 lacks depth to really appreciate some of its imaging. Lots of width, but at times, the detail feels like it's stuck at the back of your ears/head trying to perceive them. I also like the decay. It feels faster than the CALs (my only reference point).

 

[Azulsky]

So the MH1 sounds fine when I hold down the Call button but otherwise it purposely drowns out the audio? Do I need to get an App or is this some problem with Google Music?


Running Android 4.4

 

[Geneijin]

So the MH1 sounds fine when I hold down the Call button but otherwise it purposely drowns out the audio? Do I need to get an App or is this some problem with Google Music?


Running Android 4.4

Try seeing if this is the reason first by process of elimination? Mine sound perfectly fine.

 

[Azulsky]

Try seeing if this is the reason first by process of elimination? Mine sound perfectly fine.

Nah it happens on my laptop and desktop too.

Must have gotten a bad pair.

I guess I will try taking it apart over the weekend. What a bummer

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

My initial impressions on the Sony MH1: I might order a few more...

Edit: My first complaint already. If you need to use the larger eartips for a better seal, I pray yours aren't bent like mine. I'll probably have to buy some new eartips now. The medium sized ones are alright, but any movement I make dislodges them from forming a proper seal. It sucks.

Edit2: Don't want to doublepost so I'll continue here.

Thanks to HiResDes, Dynamite Ringo Matsuri, and this thread for bringing this to my attention.


I agree about the MH1's treble. Considering how much treble definition that's there, I find it hard to be bothered by how smooth it is. I do have a preference for a brighter sound, but even then, I like the tonal balance of this already.


The MH1 makes me regret getting the Philips Fidelio S2 that I blindly bought here. The S2s are enjoyable, but it suffers from the left-right-in-your-head sound imaging. These MH1, however, don't. Wow. I have zero complaints about the MH1's soundstage so far, whereas, the S2 lacks depth to really appreciate some of its imaging. Lots of width, but at times, the detail feels like it's stuck at the back of your ears/head trying to perceive them. I also like the decay. It feels faster than the CALs (my only reference point).

Isn't it nuts? If you had more expensive phones available it'd blow your mind as to just how capable the MH1 is. It's got no egregious flaws that I can detect. The treble could be more defined/have better timbre, the resolution isn't the best (but it's FAR from bad), it doesn't have the most pinpoint accuracy nor the widest dynamic breadth... but MORE importantly, it excels from a tonal perspective and is far above average in all areas. They're balanced without coming across as clinical; music just shines thru them. Again, nuts for $20. The more time you spend with them, the more you'll realize how much of a steal they are; they're just versatile across all genres and if it weren't for the awful cable, I'd wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone

 

[HiResDes]

Definitely have to cop some.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Nah it happens on my laptop and desktop too.

Must have gotten a bad pair.

I guess I will try taking it apart over the weekend. What a bummer

Definitely a bum pair. There should be NO interaction with the remote circuitry whatsoever unless you're running an Ericsson phone. It doesn't do a thing when I press the buttons with the phones plugged into my iPhone for instance. I think the QC of these phones must be spotty cause some people were getting pairs with hilariously boosted bass. Hell, when I got my own pair, I thought they must've been mismanufactured cause the cable was incomprehensible bad. Like I could not understand how someone could tune a driver to be so fuckin good and then put it into the worst god damned package ever.

Over at Rin Choi's blog, are ways to mod the phones even further (if you've got the tools and hands for it I suppose); the microdriver is crazy good for what it is

 

[Got the Shakes]

Are the MH1-WO the same as the MH1's just white colored?

 

[Azulsky]

Definitely a bum pair. There should be NO interaction with the remote circuitry whatsoever unless you're running an Ericsson phone. It doesn't do a thing when I press the buttons with the phones plugged into my iPhone for instance. I think the QC of these phones must be spotty cause some people were getting pairs with hilariously boosted bass. Hell, when I got my own pair, I thought they must've been mismanufactured cause the cable was incomprehensible bad. Like I could not understand how someone could tune a driver to be so fuckin good and then put it into the worst god damned package ever.

Over at Rin Choi's blog, are ways to mod the phones even further (if you've got the tools and hands for it I suppose); the microdriver is crazy good for what it is

Im going to try to get the remote bit open and see if I cant just bypass it altogether. Hopefully I can still preserve the remote physically as it will probably be better at strain relief than heatshrink on these cables

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Are the MH1-WO the same as the MH1's just white colored?

I'm honestly not sure about that one. Best to get the one that's linked in the thread to avoid getting the wrong one, as these thing don't have the best QC it seems

Im going to try to get the remote bit open and see if I cant just bypass it altogether. Hopefully I can still preserve the remote physically as it will probably be better at strain relief than heatshrink on these cables

Why not just claim they're a faulty pair and return thru Amazon?

 

[Got the Shakes]

I'm honestly not sure about that one. Best to get the one that's linked in the thread to avoid getting the wrong one, as these thing don't have the best QC it seems



Why not just claim they're a faulty pair and return thru Amazon?

From best I can tell the ones linked are BL for black lime color and the WO are the same but white orange color. I'll probably buy the BL to be safe.

 

[Azulsky]

I'm honestly not sure about that one. Best to get the one that's linked in the thread to avoid getting the wrong one, as these thing don't have the best QC it seems



Why not just claim they're a faulty pair and return thru Amazon?

I am burned out on returning stuff due to a continuing fiasco with Dell. I will probably need a year for my patience to recharge for anything small like this.

I also havent had a good excuse to solder in a while

 

[andylsun]

Nah it happens on my laptop and desktop too.

Must have gotten a bad pair.

I guess I will try taking it apart over the weekend. What a bummer

MH1 or MH1C?

The mic and gnd pins are in different locations. If it's perfectly clear when mic and gnd are connected, then it may be this. Try pulling the headphone jack out slightly, so that the gnd pin in the jack contacts the other ring on the headphone jack.

 

[Geneijin]

Yeah, the QC is really awful on these. Just a moment ago, I tugged these accidentally when they were plugged in an amp, and the MH1 exhibited the exact symptoms of what Azulsky had - I had to hold the call button for them to sound right. Yet it magically fixed itself when I unplugged and plugged them again. I even checked if they were loose from the adapter I was using before I did that and it wasn't.

Isn't it nuts? If you had more expensive phones available it'd blow your mind as to just how capable the MH1 is. It's got no egregious flaws that I can detect. The treble could be more defined/have better timbre, the resolution isn't the best (but it's FAR from bad), it doesn't have the most pinpoint accuracy nor the widest dynamic breadth... but MORE importantly, it excels from a tonal perspective and is far above average in all areas. They're balanced without coming across as clinical; music just shines thru them. Again, nuts for $20. The more time you spend with them, the more you'll realize how much of a steal they are; they're just versatile across all genres and if it weren't for the awful cable, I'd wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone

Strictly speaking of expensive earphones, I've owned the Etymotic MC5 (until they broke and I won't ever recommend them because of how they did) and the Philips Fidelio S2 now; yet, I adore the MH1s more than the S2 already. The MH1 doesn't exhibit the same imaging issues I have with the S2 or headphones in general - that in-your-head headstage where you know know what's coming from the left or right. It's the sort of immersive soundstage I've grown accustomed to in more expensive setups (speakers or headphones), and the compromises I have to make to get that is negligible coming from the S2. Sure, it would be nice to have more resolution, but the MH1s are proving to be not so revealing phones yet having enough to appreciate quality mixing. I'm crazy enough to own more than 1 pair of these now. I might considering a 3rd because of how cheap and inexpensive they are. To exaggerate, it's like being able to own $200 earphones for $20. Why not at that price?

It's like "where have you been in my life Sony!?"

Are the MH1-WO the same as the MH1's just white colored?

They should be. I opted for black because I like the color more. Global Mobiles was selling the black and white ones earlier. The black version went OOS earlier in the afternoon.

 

[Azulsky]

MH1 or MH1C?

The mic and gnd pins are in different locations. If it's perfectly clear when mic and gnd are connected, then it may be this. Try pulling the headphone jack out slightly, so that the gnd pin in the jack contacts the other ring on the headphone jack.

"MH1-BL LiveSound Hi-Fi Headset" is what the package says.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GDVBAE/?tag=neogaf0e-20

That was the link.

They would flat out not work if they needed a TRSS adapter. This is attenuation caused by a circuit fault. Im trying to think about a pair of shitty buds I might have lying around that i could just solder them to.

They do sound decent for a $20 pair of buds i guess. My only previous experience with IEM's are Shure e4c's which gave out on me a few years ago.

 

[Geneijin]

God, this cable is dreadful. It does not want to cooperate with my Sansa Fuze at all. I'm getting what Azulsky has, yet it sounded perfectly good on my desktop.

Edit: I feel like saying it should be considered a cardinal sin to whomever was involved in designing the MH1's cable.

 

[Geneijin]

Yes, this absolutely deserves a new post. I solved the problem.

Azulsky, before you start soldering, find a smart adapter. I'm basically using a 3.5mm stereo plug to 3.5mm stereo adapter,and it works now with whichever device I use it with whether it's my phone or mp3 player.

Edit: I feel elated solving this myself (before realizing I should have tried to google it). I now need to buy a few more adapters just in case.

Edit2: For more reason why for anyone's future reference:

Variation and Confusion
Bear with me here in this section as it is quite important if you are interested in getting a MH1. Let’s begin by explaining two standards used in making the 3.5mm TRRS plug on headset – OMTP and CTIA (both are organizations for mobile standards). For OMTP, the TRRS plug is wired as [Left-Right-Mic-Ground] (from tip-to-sleeve); for CTIA, the TRRS is wired as [Left-Right-Ground-Mic]. Since OMTP was initially endorsed by Ericsson (and Nokia, which still uses the OMTP standard), all of their cellphone, including those under the Sony Ericsson branding, uses this standard. It also got adopted by a few other cellphone manufacturers as standard before mid 2011, such as LG, Motorola, Sony and Samsung. In mid 2010, the OMTP organization transitioned itself into another organization (the WAC, if you are interest to know), and the OMTP standard for headset was subsequently being phased out by most manufacturers within the following year (* it takes time to sell off old models) in favor of the CTIA standard. Part of the big reason for adapting the CTIA standard might be due to the fact that it is the standard used by Apple on their iDevice, which represent a big share of the headset market. Standardization demands from political groups (i.e. the EU) also played a role to push for one headset standard that will work on both Android and iOS, as well as most dumbphones (except for Nokia, which doesn’t like to play with other for now).

Now that we have learned about the two standards, let talks more specifically in MH1. When MH1 was first announced, it was named ‘LiveSound’ under the Sony Ericsson brand and complied with the old OMTP standard. But when Sony bought out Ericssion’s share of the company and began to introduce their own Sony Xperia brand of Android smarphone, they start to adapt the CTIA standard on all their headsets. The new MH1 (*referred as MH1C, ’C’ is short for ‘CTIA’ presumably) is then renamed as ‘Smart Headset’ to differentiate itself from the old ‘LiveSound’ version. It was supposed to be a fairly easy and clean transition, but unfortunately it isn’t. Some of the new MH1(C) with CTIA wiring is still being sold on various part of the world under the ‘LiveSound’ moniker while other parts of the world already use the new ‘Smart Headset’ moniker. One thing for sure, if you see a MH1 with an old Sony Ericsson logo on the side, it is the OMTP version and not compatible to the newer Android smartphone. If it only has Sony logo stamped on the side, and being referred as ‘smart headset’ or with model name MH1C, then likely it is the new CTIA version. However, the only sure-fire way is to check with the seller for compatibility. In the event that you have acquired the wrong version for your cellphone, don’t despair – an inexpensive TRRS smart adapter will allow OTMP headset to work on a CTIA cellphone (and vice versa).

- credits to ClieOS

 

[paskowitz]

I remember there was a topic a while back, but do "5.1/7.1 surround sound" headphones actually produce a surround sound effect?

Is there a noticeable difference between simulated surround sound headphones and actual surround sound headphones?

If surround sound headphones actually do produce a genuine surround effect then continue... if not we are done with this line of questioning.

I have ~$250 to spend on a pair of headphones.

Priority #1 is great sound.
Priority #2 is a good, real, surround sound effect
Priority #2.5 optical in on the base as oppose to USB so I can avoid PS4 incompatibility
Priority #3 it would be great if they were good for games and music
Priority #4 is if they are a gaming headset the mic HAS to be either discrete or removable. No mic is best.
Priority #5 it would be nice if they did not look ridiculous (LEDs, bright colors, etc)
Priority #6 wireless would be nice, but is not absolutely required.

So GAF, suggestions?

No the other ranges of the headphone are good, but yeah the peakiness of the treble is definitely kind of noticeable once you've heard something more natural sounding.



Is noise isolation a priority?

Nope.

Indoor use only. I have four really nice speakers (2x Klipsch bookshelf and 2x Athena towers). I use the Athenas in stereo but they are so loud they disturb my roommates and even my neighbors. I do not have the money to buy a high end sub and center speaker to match them... so my next best option is a good pair of headphones.

Sony MDR-1R

Just tried these out and found them to be very weak. Volume was extremely low and overall sound was merely ok.

Looking for more suggestions.

 

[HiResDes]

My apologies if they weren't your thing, but hearing the volume was low has me kind of skeptical...They aren't too power hungry at all, so it was probably your source. My second suggestion would be the Logitech UE600, but I really do suspect that either the pair you received were defective or your source is to blame.

 

[Animator]

After years of using AKG headphones I bought a Audio Technica M50 today and holy shit I should have switched looong ago. What an amazing headphone for making music/listening to music/anything.

 

[andylsun]

Sony MH1 arrived!

I ended up with the Sony Ericsson MH1-BL Livesound, in the plastic bag. Came with 4 pairs of dark grey tips and 4 pairs of neon green tips.

Put in the large dark grey tips and tried with my iphone 5 (apple lossless music).

Oh Wow!

To give you some idea of what's I'm comparing them too, on IEM's I have Sennheiser CX300-II and the Sony PS Vita buds (I use at the gym). These are so so much better than either of those from a SQ perspective. Much fuller, good mids and highs and really nicely balanced.

On the large headphone front, I have Sennheiser HD595 and HD25-I, and the MH-1 have a similar profile. Nothing overly exaggerated and nothing really lacking - nice and neutral with plenty of detail. Never thought IEM's could sound like this.

Instrument separation on MH-1 is the best I've heard on IEM's. I listen to a lot of music that's cut and pasted or found sounds (Darkslide/Nicolas Jaar, The Beta Band, DJ Shadow etc) and you can hear when sounds are faded in and out. Very revealing.

To use them on my iPhone 3GS I had to use a headphone extension cable - plugging them straight in gave a echoy sound, until the Mic button was pushed. This is due to the 4 pole connector. I'm going to add a little bit of copper tape to the 4 pole 3.5mm connector to short out Mic and Ground so it should work on anything without needing an extension.

The cable is bloody horrible. Wearing behind the neck with the shirt clip installed keeps them in place comfortably but they do pick up every movement. Will try over the ear and see if that's better.

Going to use them for a week before I tape up the vents at the back. I'm not finding these too bassy, but sometimes (and it may be because they are new) the bass can sound a little thumpy and not smooth.

Edit: Just tried EQ'ing them with Bass Reducer on my iphone - ooh, bass is still there but it just takes the edge off it. Nice. Mid come a little more forward

 

[paskowitz]

My apologies if they weren't your thing, but hearing the volume was low has me kind of skeptical...They aren't too power hungry at all, so it was probably your source. My second suggestion would be the Logitech UE600, but I really do suspect that either the pair you received were defective or your source is to blame.

I am grateful for your suggestion though.

It was a Sony Store display unit. I hooked it up to their Walkman and my iPhone 5. I used an app that plays FLAC files on my iPhone. What would you recommend?

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

Glad people are enjoying the MH1, my friend VWinter shared some new parametric EQ settings he cooked up for the MH1, I haven't tested them yet, but I'll forward any new settings I get. V is pretty good at the EQ thing since he's kinda obsessed with it :

20hz (Q = .175) -4dB
600hz (Q = .500) 0.25dB
1250hz (Q = 2.0) -2dB
4000hz (Q = 1.25) -3dB
4500hz (Q = 1.25) 1dB
6500hz (Q = 2.25) 2dB
9000hz (Q = 1.0) -0.15dB

Oh and just anecdotal, but I've recommended the MH1 to all the HF peeps I keep in touch with, and of those, pretty much everyone was blown away by it. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, signature wise, but the consensus is that that they are stupidly good for the money. One of them has a main rig that consists of the HD800/TH900 driven by a Cavalli Liquid Fire, and ordered another pair before his first test song concluded, so yeah, that MH1 man lol

 

[andylsun]

Can never leave alone for long enough.

Put some electrical tape over the vents, tried running the cable over the ear to reduce microphonics and hit the gym. Perfect! Sounds incredible and the cable isn't much of a problem in this configuration. Nice isolation and lovely SQ

Might order a second pair to recable.

Are the fluorescent green tips any different technically or just a cool colour. The large dark tips fit perfectly.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

I'm pretty sure they're the same tips. Doesn't hurt to roll thru different tips though since sometimes they can affect the SQ due to insertion depth/diameter of tip opening influencing sound characteristics.

Oh and if you go the recable route, you might wanna give this a look:
http://m.ebay.com/itm?itemId=261260217197
Cheap and good looking cable