Crisp, clear and incredibly comfortable

Usually when headphones are linked to a portable music player or a smartphone with a Bluetooth connection, the music is streamed at standard audio quality.

Not so the MDR-1ABT phones, which use Sony’s LDAC codec that is optimised for above-CD sound quality via Bluetooth streaming.

The Bluetooth LDAC codec, developed by Sony, takes wireless music streaming to a new level by supporting up to a bit rate three times greater than typical Bluetooth.

When paired with a music player that supports LDAC codec, such as Sony’s NWZ-A15 Hi-Res Audio Walkman, the MDR-1ABT allows you to enjoy hi-res audio music wirelessly.

Connect the headphones using a headphone cable the audio player’s stereo jack, and you will enjoy the richer music quality of hi-res audio songs, the quality of which is five times higher than an audio CD.

The headphones reproduce high quality music thanks to powerful 40-millimetre drivers that respond quickly to precisely reproduce vocals and mid-high range notes. The headphones also use large vents to help deliver punchy, rhythmic bass.

Each 40mm driver uses an aluminium-coated, Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP) diaphragm, which handles the heaviest beats with the utmost precision. There are two high-energy neodymium magnets inside each driver and they vibrate to produce sound with enhanced impedance to deliver a high-quality performance.

These HD 40mm drivers support ultra-wide frequency of 4 Hz to 100 kHz, which is a key characteristic of high-definition audio. This frequency capability allows you to hear deep lows and a full range of sounds when the headphones are used with an audio cable. With the supplied audio cable, the MDR-1ABT has very high sensitivity of 98 dB, resulting in top-quality music reproduction.

The headphones have built-in amplifiers to enhance the sound quality when the phones are used in the Bluetooth mode. Sony’s S-Master Full Digital Amplifiers use a fully digital process that successfully avoids distortion and ensures your music sounds just like the original recording.

The amplifiers also have Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) that restores the depth and detail lost in the audio compression process.

The headphones also have a touch sensor to control music playing on the Bluetooth-linked music player. You simply touch the right earpad to pause or play tracks, swipe left and right for previous and next track; or trace and stop to scan back and forth through your music. Swiping up and down adjusts the volume. These functions are very handy when you put the Bluetooth-linked music player or smartphone in your pocket while enjoying the music.

The phones have built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery for powering the Bluetooth connection and amplifier along with a micro USB port for recharging the battery.

Once fully charged, the earphones can be used to enjoy wireless playback of up to 30 hours. The battery can remain in standby mode for up to 200 hours.

One of the benefits of using the phones with a smartphone is the built-in omni-directional microphone. This supports a frequency range of 100 Hz to 4,000 Hz. That means you can use the headphones and microphone as your smartphone’s high-quality headset.

The headphones also look sleek and are comfortable to wear. The black model tested had a red trim and aluminium covering the outer parts of the cups. The rest of the set, which look like metallic outer parts, are in fact plastic. The headphones are light at just 300 grams and comfortable.

The phones can be worn for several hours thanks to the soft leather earpads with pressure-relieving cushions. Even the headband is soft.

The swivelling earcups are designed for easy storage and enhance portability when you’re travelling. The package comes with a carrying pouch as well.

High-resolution audio is expected to grow in popularity among the coming months. Sony and many other brands have released several models of headphones and music players that support high-resolution audio, all of which take the listener closer to the original studio recording.

There are several hi-res audio formats. A popular one is lossless FLAC encoded at the sampling rate of 24bit/192kHz, compared to the 16bit/44.1kHz of audio CDs. While CDs and MP3s top out around 20kHz, high-resolution audio supports frequencies above 24kHz and the MDR-1ABT supports frequencies as high as 100kHz.

To enjoy high-resolution audio music, you need the headphones, player and music files that support the technology.

I tested the phones with the Sony NWZ-A15 Hi-Res Audio Walkman that came complete with music files but you can purchase hi-res audio music files online from HD tracks, Linn music and Blue Coast Records, among others.

Sony also allows its customers to download 20 hi-res songs for free during a six-month period for each hi-res audio product bought. The songs can be downloaded from www.Bandit.fm simply by entering the redeem code provided with the product.

During the test, I found that the headphones reproduced very good-quality sound with realistic instruments and a great deal of detail.

For example, I listened to Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, a 24bit/192 kHz file which I downloaded from www.Bandit.fm and was impressed by the reproduction of the piano and percussion.

I also listened to AC/DC’s “Rock or Bust” album encoded in 24bit/96kHz and was blown away by the powerful bass guitar and bass drum. For example, the chaotic ending of “Dogs of War” with blaring lead guitar and shouted vocals was clear and I had no trouble sorting out what was going on.

I also enjoyed testing the headphones with my favourite Pink Floyd “The Wall” album in 24bit/192kHz FLAC format. All the ambient sounds that were used to enhance the songs’ meanings could be heard clearly, making the tracks very enjoyable indeed.

What’s more, the earcups effectively shield outside noises. I enjoyed listened to music while riding my bicycle to the front of my soi and whilst riding a songtaew and a bus to my office. 

Don the phones in the office and you won’t hear the chatter of your colleagues. On the other hand, you won’t hear your boss yelling at you either but that’s another story.

Sony MDR-1ABT retails for Bt12,990.

Key specs: