Nokia Purity Pro or Sony MDR-1RNC?

[Dang Pham]

Hi I'm deciding between the Nokia Purity pro and the Sony MDR-1RNC. I'm mainly concerned about sound quality, not sure which one sounds better. They both have the same features. Look doesn't matter. Any heard both before? Any recommendation?

 

[Muessig]

A great website to help you make your decision would be the Head-Fi Forums - it's an audiophile community, so if anyone knows the answer it's them!

 

[Beast of Haeven]

Just for the record the guys on that forum reeeaallly don't like anything made by monster for the most part. They seem well informed though so I'm inclined to listen to what they say. I was set to buy a pair of purity in ears as a lot of folks say they sound decent but the guys on Head-fi really like the ATH-M50. I'm torn at the moment between getting a set of buds for 50 bucks that should sound good, or paying 160 for much larger over the ear phones that will sound amazing.

 

[Jay Bennett]

If you're mainly concerned about sound quality then whilst the Purity's are excellent, they're not the best for the money. But I'd say that the Sony's are not a good choice, they are reported to have great sound but not as good as the Bose QuietComfort 15 set which are half the price. Plus unlike the Purity's you can't justify the extra cost with extras like wireless Bluetooth or phone operation.

If you haven't already read my Purity Pro review on the site, give it a read and then decide where you want to put your money

 

[Shaz2012]

Nokia Purity by Monster Premium On-Ear Headset is on sale at the Microsoft Store for $50.
Nokia Purity by Monster Premium On-Ear Headset - Microsoft Store

 

[Dang Pham]

Sorry I should have clarify that I'm looking at the Purity Wireless Pro model not the wired one.
I'm sure that the Sony would sound better. I'm trying to see how much better to make a trade off between sound quality and compatibility. I ordered the Purity Pro HD from Amazon and if the quality isn't on par I would switch for the Sony. I'm just looking for a pair to commute not for serious listening.

@Beast of Haeven: I own the M50 and they're great. I got them a while back for $90. I guess they got extremely popular and the price went up by 50%.

 

[Beast of Haeven]

Sorry I should have clarify that I'm looking at the Purity Wireless Pro model not the wired one.
I'm sure that the Sony would sound better. I'm trying to see how much better to make a trade off between sound quality and compatibility. I ordered the Purity Pro HD from Amazon and if the quality isn't on par I would switch for the Sony. I'm just looking for a pair to commute not for serious listening.

@Beast of Haeven: I own the M50 and they're great. I got them a while back for $90. I guess they got extremely popular and the price went up by 50%.

They can still be purchased for 100 when I look on Bing shopping. If you don't mind can you tell us how the purity pros compare to the m50 when you get a chance?

 

[Dang Pham]

Just got them today. From my initial listens the base is too strong for my taste. I'll do some comparison after work. The headphones are extremely comfy though.

 

[enthuz]

Just got them today. From my initial listens the base is too strong for my taste. I'll do some comparison after work. The headphones are extremely comfy though.

So there isn't an Equalizer app/settings to tweak the audio?

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using WPCentral Forums mobile app

 

[Dang Pham]

Not while I use them with BT. Wired should be fine.

 

[Dang Pham]

Okay so I'm probably returning the Purity Pro and opt for the Sony's. The Purity has punch bass however the mid and high are lacking. Vocals have a screeching quality to them. Some track sounds muddy. It sounds fuller than the ATH M50 but not clearer nor cleaner. You can tell each instrument from each others with the M50 but not with the Purity Pro. I do love the functions that the purity gives. The voice control is awesome especially with Hey DJ! I could just press the button and tell my 920 to play an artist or song. It also read your text to you. Overall I think the sound department could improve.

tl;dr: ATH M50 sounds better than the Purity Pro Wireless Stereo. $350 is for function and compatibility and not sound quality.

 

[Jay Bennett]

Not sure how long you've had them for but my pair definitely took a day of use to break in and for the mid/high frequency replication to improve