Sony's iconic reference headphones return with enhanced comfort and improved sound

Last week, Sony announced a new pair of budget earbuds for casual listeners and fitness fanatics. This week, the company announced the latest generation of its professional reference headphones, the Sony MDR-M1 over-ear headphones.

The MDR-M1 are closed-back, wired, over-ear headphones best suited for audio professionals. Their closed-back design blocks out ambient noise, helping professionals who record, mix, or master audio focus on the task without extraneous noises leaking into the headphones.

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Sony says the new MDR-M1 headphones have a wide frequency range of 5Hz to 80kHz, and the 40mm dynamic drivers achieve ultra-wideband playback. 

Sony's line of MDR professional headphones has remained largely unchanged since their release in the 1990s, and audio professionals have always praised them for their detailed sound and lightweight build suitable for hours in the studio.

The MDR-M1 have an expanded frequency range compared to their predecessors, as the original MDR-7506 could only achieve 20kHz. Additionally, Sony says redesigned ear pads make these headphones extremely comfortable, and newly developed drivers decrease audio distortion and accurately reproduce ultra-high-frequency sounds.

Sony implemented a tuned port as a ventilation hole to tame low frequencies. The tuned port, which Sony calls Beat Response Control, regulates the diaphragm's movement to better produce a tight bass response.

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The MDR-M1 comes with a 2.5mm to 3.5mm headphone jack and an adapter for plugging the headphones into professional audio equipment. The Sony MDR-M1 headphones are available now for preorder for $250.