“The MDR-1000X are not just Sony’s best-ever noise-canceling headphones”, Sony Electronics director of mobile audio Dunja LaRosa said in a statement.
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Sony is updating its line of products for audiophiles with the new MDR-Z1R headphones, TA-ZH1 ES headphone amp, and NW-WM1Z Walkman.
Sony says it worked with one of its best mastering engineers at Sony Music Battery Studios to flawless the sound of its high-end MDR-Z1R headphones ($2300). It has a personal noise-cancelling optimizer that tailors the performance for your ears.
You can also tap the “Ambient Sound Mode” setting which cleverly cuts out background noise but still lets you hear particular sounds such as voices.
For those who listen to compressed audio such as MP3, fret not as the headphones will come with DSEE HX technology that can help to upscale compressed music to “near Hi-Res Audio” quality.
The right ear cup features touch controls for music playback, with swipes right and left skipping or repeating tracks, and up and down swipes adjusting volume.
He also noted that because the headphones amplify the sound of what they interpret to be human voices, they do sound robotic, making it hard to imagine – as Sony does – that this feature will allow people to converse without having to remove their headphones.
The Sony MDR-1000X will be available in black or grey-beige in October 2016, priced at £330.
The MDR-1000X include a mammoth 20 hour battery life and can be folded to fit in your bag. They will be sold on Amazon, and at most Best Buy, B&H, and InMotion stores. The headphones utilize a 70mm, magnesium dome HD driver for the widest frequency response (up to 120kHZ) possible; along with a lightweight aluminum coated LCP edge diaphragm, and a powerful neodymium magnet, ensuring greater velocity, less signal loss and more natural sound.
Sony also has a couple of new Walkman models. The NW-WM1A Signature Series Walkman is $1,200. Sony teamed with Kimber Kable to engineer the MDR-Z1R’s cable, as well as the internal wiring in the NW-WM1Z Walkman.
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Finally, the Signature Series marks the introduction of the TA-ZH1ES, the first headphone amplifier to carry the coveted ES brand.
