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Sony MDR-1ABT Hi-res Wireless Bluetooth® headphones

Item # 158MDR1ABT

Modern music listening often requires a trade-off between convenience and sound quality.

Modern music listening often requires a trade-off between convenience and sound quality.

1 question - 1 answer

Item # 158MDR1ABT

Shop all Sony Wireless Bluetooth Headphones

About the Sony MDR-1ABT Hi-res

Jeff Miller

Better-sounding Bluetooth

Modern music listening often requires a trade-off between convenience and sound quality. I guess nobody told Sony. Their handsome MDR-1ABT headphones have a sound that I'd find satisfying from a good pair of "plugged in" 'phones. But they also offer the freedom of listening without a connected cord.

Better-sounding Bluetooth

Modern music listening often requires a trade-off between convenience and sound quality. I guess nobody told Sony. Their handsome MDR-1ABT headphones have a sound that I'd find satisfying from a good pair of "plugged in" 'phones. But they also offer the freedom of listening without a connected cord.

Music plays wirelessly from your Bluetooth-enabled phone, tablet, or listening device. Pair the headphones up with the Sony NWZ-A17SLV Hi-Res walkman for an even higher-quality wireless sound. Both devices include Sony's new LDAC technology, a Bluetooth codec that efficiently streams more data, retaining the musical detail that gives songs their personality.

with phone

The Sony MDR-1ABT headphones pair wirelessly with your Bluetooth-enabled device. They sound very detailed and feel incredibly comfortable.

Perhaps the most comfortable pair of headphones I've worn

It seems obvious, but it's often overlooked — if you're wearing something on your head for long periods of time, it needs to feel good. Of all the headphones I've slipped on, the Sony MDR-1ABTs were the most pleasant and fuss-free. The large, soft leather pads fit around your ear, with extra cushioning in known pressure points. There's also padding on the durable headband, helping hold the 'phones tight enough to keep them in place — but not too tight. I listened for over an hour, and never felt the fatigue that often sets in with headphones.

Impressively pure sound

Taking out the trash one day, I kept the MDR-1ABT headphones on and played music wirelessly from my smartphone. I left the phone inside and made it out to my driveway, roughly 30 feet away. I could still hear my BB King playlist —Lucille singing sweetly up front with the other instruments spread out behind. I may have been breathing fresh air, but it sounded like I was in the middle of a smoke-filled club.

How do the headphones produce sound so accurately? The 40mm drivers have a strong-yet-light aluminum-coated diaphragm that can move fluidly. Capable of a quick start-and-stop, they reproduce detailed vocals and mids. Specially-designed vents allow air to pass through, accentuating the bass. Sony's S-Master® HX digital amplification ensures these headphones have plenty of power — a real difference-maker that gives your music more dynamic punch.

Touch pad

A touch panel on the right earcup lets you swipe to the next song, along with several other controls.

Control music and calls by touch

Since your phone might be clear across the room, Sony included cool touch controls on the MDR-1ABT earcup. You can control music and calls with just the tap or swipe of a finger. Slide your finger forward across the panel to skip a track. Move it up and down to control volume.

Got a call coming in? Tap the panel twice to answer — the built-in microphone on the headphones ensures clear call quality.

A whopping 30 hours of battery life...and you can go wired

Fully charged, these 'phones offer up to 30 hours of wireless playback. But what about when wireless isn't necessary, and you just want to plug in? A cable with a gold-plated miniplug is included, so you can connect these headphones to any 3.5mm headphone jack on a smartphone, tablet, or other device.

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Product highlights:

  • closed-back, over-the-ear headphones help block out external noise
  • dynamic 40mm drivers with an aluminum-coated, Liquid Crystal Polymer diaphragm for powerful, accurate sound
  • Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity for wireless music listening and phone calls with compatible smartphone
    • aptX™ and AAC decoding provides high-quality music streaming from compatible devices
    • LDAC Hi-Fidelity wireless music streaming from compatible sources
    • NFC-compatible for one-touch pairing with compatible devices
  • built-in rechargeable battery offers up to 30 hours of wireless use
  • S-Master® HX amplification offers detailed playback of wireless music
  • Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE) restores high-frequency signals to compressed digital formats like MP3 for more natural, expansive sound
  • earcup touch controls let you answer calls, play/pause music, skip tracks, and control volume
  • built-in microphone for making calls with a smartphone
  • detachable 47-inch cable with gold-plated miniplug connector for wired use
  • includes USB cable for charging
  • soft cloth carrying pouch included
  • frequency response: 4-100,000 Hz (wired)
  • sensitivity: 98dB (wired)
  • impedance: 24 ohms (wired)
  • weight: 10.6 oz.
  • warranty: 1 year parts, 90 days labor
  • MFR # 11718676

What's in the box:

  • Over-the-ear stereo Bluetooth headphones
  • 49" Audio connecting cable (right angled 3.5mm plug on one end and a straight 3.5mm plug on other end)
  • 23" USB charging cable (Type A USB on one end and a Micro USB on other end)
  • Storage pouch
  • Reference Guide
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Touch sensor operation guide
  • Warranty sheet (US)
  • Warranty sheet (Canada)

Customer reviews for Sony MDR-1ABT Hi-res

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More details on the Sony MDR-1ABT Hi-res

Mark G.

Features & specs

General
Fit Style Over-the-ear
Earcup Type Closed
Earcup Width x Height 3.217" x 1.988"
Noise-canceling No
Bluetooth Yes
Bluetooth Version ---
Single-earbud Operation ---
Mic For Taking Calls Yes
Voice Assistant Access
Amazon Alexa No
Google Assistant No
Siri No
Connectors
3.5mm No
1/4" No
Lightning No
4.4mm balanced No
XLR4 balanced No
2.5mm No
Other None
Specs
Frequency Response 4-100k Hz
Sensitivity 98 dB
Impedance 24 Ohms
Weight 10.58 ounces
Cord Length 49"
Parts Warranty 1 Year
Labor Warranty 1 Year

Product Research

Features

Overview: The Sony MDR-1A BT wireless over-ear headphones feature exceptional sound quality that supports high-resolution audio. Equipped with Bluetooth technology, the headphones let you easily stream your favorite music or conduct phone calls from your smartphone without a wired connection. These ultra-comfortable headphones have soft leather earpads that provide an acoustic seal around your ears. An on-board touch sensor allows you to control your music playback or answer/end calls. A 49" audio cable is included, along with a 23" Micro USB charging cable, and a black storage pouch with a drawstring closure.

Drivers: The MDR-1A BT is equipped dynamic HD drivers with ALCP (Aluminum-coated Liquid Crystal Polymer) diaphragms that deliver a wide frequency response, ranging from sub-harmonic lows (4 Hz) to ultra-sonic highs (up to 100kHz) for natural, soothing sound reproduction. Behind the LCP diaphragms are precisely sculpted vents that enhances the airflow inside the headphones for powerful, punchy bass response. The headphones feature a closed-back design to seal in the music and keep out external sound.

DSEE: The headphones are equipped with DSEE, the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine. DSEE restores the high frequency elements that are lost when music is compressed, giving your music more detail and richness.

Bluetooth: The MDR-1A BTs feature Bluetooth 3.0 to wirelessly deliver crystal clear audio from a compatible digital music player, smartphone, tablet, or computer within a range of approximately 30 feet (10 meters). The headphones are compatible with the following Bluetooth Profiles: Headset Profile (HSP), Hands-Free Profile (HFP), Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), and Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP). Built-in apt-X, AAC, and SBC codec support provides maximum signal quality when streaming your audio wirelessly. LDAC, a new codec developed by Sony, supports up to 3x greater bitrate than normal Bluetooth streaming, and sampling rates up to 96kHz for superior quality playback.

NFC: With compatible Android smartphones (Android 2.3.3 or later), you can pair with the headphones using NFC (Near Field Communication) using the one-touch connection method. You will need to download and install the free NFC Easy Connect app on your smartphone. By simply touching the device to the "N" mark on the left ear cup (when the app screen is displayed on your device), the phone and headphones are instantly connected.

Touch Sensor Controls: On the outside of the right earcup is the touch sensor where you can control the headphones by touching, tapping, and sliding your finger. The touch sensor only operates when you are listening to your music via Bluetooth. You can start and pause playback with a light double-tap, or stop playback by holding your finger on the sensor for about 3 seconds. To change tracks, you can swipe forward (next track) or swipe backward (previous track). To change volume, you can swipe up repeatedly (volume up) or swipe down repeatedly (volume down) until the volume reaches the desired level. When a phone call comes in, you can take the call by double-tapping the sensor. A double-tap will terminate the call when you're finished your conversation.

Detachable Cable: The headphones come with a 49" detachable audio cable with silver-coated OFC (oxygen-free copper) conductors. OFC cable ensures maximum signal transfer with minimal degradation. These 4-conductor cables have separate ground and signal cables for each channel for enhanced separation, expanded sound, and tight bass.

Rechargeable Battery: When connecting via Bluetooth, the headphones are powered by a built-in 3.7 volt Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery. The battery is charged by either connecting the cable to a PC with a USB port or the optional AC-UD10 USB Charging AC Power Adapter, using the supplied Micro USB charging cable. The battery fully charges in approximately 4 hours, which provides a maximum of 30 hours of music playback time, 26 hours of communication time, or 200 hours standby time. You can use the unit for about 8 hours after a 1 hour partial charge. You cannot use Bluetooth while charging the battery, however, the headphones can be used while charging by connecting the audio cable.

Note: Operating System requirements for USB charging: Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista (SP2 or later), Mac OS X v.10.3 or later

Specifications:

  • Frequency Response: 4Hz - 100kHz (when using the headphone cable)
  • A2DP Transmission Range:
    • 20Hz - 20kHz (sampling frequency 44.1kHz)
    • 20Hz - 40kHz (sampling frequency LDAC 96kHz, 990 kbps)
  • Impedance: 24 ohms at 1 kHz (when using the headphone cable)
  • Power Handling Capacity: 100mW (when using the headphone cable)
  • Sensitivity: 98dB / mW (when using the headphone cable)
  • Microphone:
    • Type/Directivity: Electret condenser / Omni-directional
    • Effective Frequency Response: 100Hz - 4000Hz
  • Weight: 10.58 ounces (w/o cable)

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Customer Q&A

1 question already asked

Q
Is this correct...sound range of 4hz to 100,000 hz ??? How can you get so high ?? and low ?
bernie  Aug 20, 2016
1 answer
A
The widened frequency response is due in large part to Sony's Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE); which restores the higher and lower frequency elements that are lost when music is compressed, giving your digital music collection more detail and richness. I hope that helps! My Bio: http://www.crutchfield.com/Support/Bio.aspx?bio=159
david  Aug 23, 2016 (Staff)

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