The Sony MDR-MA900 ranks #43 out of 249 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Sony
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#43 Sony MDR-MA900 Discontinued eBay
Pros: A cult favorite open back with a light, airy fit: oratory1990’s measurement scores 86 on the Harman scale with a 1.99 dB spread, and bass from 60 Hz up plus the lower mids sit within about 0.5 dB of target. Its 12 ohm load runs easily from a phone.
Cons: Discontinued, so it is mainly found used. Sub-bass falls steeply, about 12 dB short at 30 Hz, so deep bass is largely missing, and upper treble sits about 5 dB low with a 7.6 dB dip near 9.9 kHz.
| Released | 2012 (14 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 1.99 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 70mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 86 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 12 ohms |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 47 Hz (-12.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.23 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.6 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +7.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 97 Hz | -3.8 dB | 0.56 |
| Peak | 1,585 Hz | +4.7 dB | 2.40 |
| Peak | 1,120 Hz | -4.1 dB | 1.92 |
| Peak | 2,313 Hz | +1.4 dB | 1.38 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +3.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 43 Hz | +1.1 dB | 3.94 |
| Peak | 62 Hz | -0.8 dB | 2.79 |
| Peak | 3,986 Hz | -1.3 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 133 Hz | +0.4 dB | 2.62 |
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