If you any doubts @Rikudou_Goku is very communicative and ships quick. I’ve order a handful of the buds and all have been a very pleasant experience. Might take a bit of time to get them through the mail but, smooth transactions all the way.
Factory been working nonstop with Rikubuds today and funny thing is all the buds I sent out today were to people that start with the letters “ma” in their first name.
The Sony MDR-CD900ST was released in 1989 as a studio monitor and has been the default monitor headphone in Japan for over 3 decades now. Then in 2019, the MDR-M1ST was released, meant to be the monitor headphone for modern music where for example an increased usage in sub-bass frequency is growing more and more popular.
Build wise the M1ST is pretty much taking the CD900ST and combining it with the more modern style that Sony has going for their more mainstream/audiophile headphones (MDR-1AM2). Added a cup swivel function, and more padding in the headband, a detachable cable and pads are bigger. The driver is now angled instead of flat, although this does also make it more likely that your ears will touch the drivers (which mine does a bit). However, be aware that the pads retain heat like a furnace.
Audio:
MDR-M1ST
MDR-CD900ST
Sub-bass
+
-
Mid-bass
=
=
Lower-mids
=
=
Upper-mids
-
+
Treble
-
+
Upper-treble
+
-
Soundstage
+
-
Imaging
=
=
Separation
=
=
Macro-detail
+
-
Micro-detail
=
=
Timbre
-
+
The M1ST does have some more detail but is also brighter in the treble compared to the dark-ish treble on the CD900ST. This is also making the M1ST riskier while the CD900ST is the safer option. Personally, I do enjoy the CD900ST more than the M1ST because of the treble which is much more revealing and will show any hints of a bad recording on the M1ST which is a double-edged sword when it comes to pure enjoyment, and also because of the vocals that I find to be more natural on the CD900ST while also having better mid-bass texture.
Monitor: When it comes to their intended purpose, which is being a studio monitor. I do find the M1ST to be the better-suited headphone overall for that purpose, specifically when it comes to more modern music. Due to the increased sub-bass and brighter treble, it will fit modern music better and be much more revealing than the CD900ST, which due to the dark-ish treble is more suited towards older music, with worse recording/mastering. Although if you are a vocalist and want something for that specifically, the CD900ST is the better one for that due to having less bass and treble.
