Sony MH1C — My Impressions
One IEM that frequently receives much love from the audiophile community is the Sony Ericsson MH1. You must have guessed from the name — “Sony Ericsson” that the IEM we’re talking about is not very fresh. Sony Ericsson MH1 launched in early 2003. Ever since I got caught up in this little hobby of mine, I have received several recommendations to try this IEM. But owning one was not at all easy. I could not find a single piece either on the local market or on Indian eCommerce websites. That’s understandable considering the age of the IEM and Sony probably has long halted the production. After a month of frustration, I decided to take the bullet and placed an order of the MH1C version on eBay from a UK seller. The reason I did not choose the MH1 (Sony Ericsson version) because I did not want to deal with having to buy a TRRS adapter without which the MH1 does not work with modern phones. Finally, I got my hands on the package within two weeks.
Specification
Driver: Closed 5.8mm Dynamic Transducer
Nominal Impedance: 15Ω
Frequency Response: 1Hz — 20kHz
Max Input Power: 67mW
Bass Sensitivity: 125dB/V @ 40Hz
Mids Sensitivity: 115dB/V @ 1kHz
Source
Player: Tidal Hi-Fi via UAPP
Phone: LG V30 (Internal ESS Sabre ES9218P DAC)
My Impressions
In the package, there were 4 pairs of black and another 4 pairs of green colour silicone, single flange tips, and the IEM itself. The medium tips fit well in my ears. Isolation is good. The biggest annoyance to me is the flat cable in J-Cord combination. Even though the cord made of durable rubber, it just looks weird to me.
MH1C closely follows Herman listening curve. The first thing I felt after plugging it to my ear that the bass is a bit much for my taste. As suggested in a Head-Fi thread, I taped the rear vents. It is supposed to reduce the bass response by ~3dB and it seems to have flattened the lows. The overall sound signature can be described as warmish and sweet. The soundstage felt kind of 3D (Hard to describe in words) compared to my BLON BL-03 which is rather wide. Mid is well done but in some music, it feels like the lows are overpowering the lower mid frequencies. Male, female vocals both sound natural without any hint of colouring. Instrument separation is good. Highs are not fatiguing at all, sound very smooth and sweet.
Conclusion
This was a stellar purchase. For the price, you are getting an IEM that sounds many times better than any of the IEMs in this price segment and above. Whether you are in the mood of “Moonlight Shadow” or trying to satisfy your weeb fantasies with J-Pop and K-Pop, you can always count on MH1C to perform with a certain grade of satisfaction.
If you’re interested, you can read about the R&D story of the MH1 here.
