If you want a lightweight, spacious open-back headphone for focused listening and studio reference work, choose Audio-Technica ATH-R70x; if you need a monitor aimed at stereo and immersive production with a wider stated frequency range, choose Sony MDR-MV1. For flights, though, neither is designed to block cabin noise: both have open-back designs, so I would choose between them for quiet listening environments rather than as travel noise-cancelling headphones.
• Audio-Technica ATH-R70x: Its aluminum honeycomb-mesh housings and lightweight build suit extended reference listening; its open-back design provides no noise control.
• Sony MDR-MV1: It is designed for stereo and immersive mixing and mastering, with a stated frequency range up to 80 kHz; its open-back design also leaves outside noise unblocked.
• ATH-R70x is for: listeners who value a light, spacious-feeling wired headphone for quiet work or home listening.
• MDR-MV1 is for: people working on stereo or spatial audio who want an open-back studio monitor.
• For flights: neither is the best noise cancelling headband headphones for flights, and neither has active noise control.
The ATH-R70x puts its emphasis on open-back reference listening. Its aluminum honeycomb-mesh housings are described as acoustically transparent, a design choice intended to create a natural, spacious presentation. Audio-Technica also specifies high-efficiency magnets and a pure alloy magnetic circuit to reduce distortion and support accurate high-frequency response. The 45-millimeter dynamic drivers and carbon composite resin structure round out a design focused on detail and transient response.
Comfort and weight are central to its appeal. The headphones weigh approximately 210 grams without the cable, and the breathable fabric earpads and wing support are intended to help during long sessions. Its dual-sided cable detaches and locks in place, with independent left and right signals designed to preserve stereo orientation whichever way the cable is attached.
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-10-09 · 6 min read · Independent comparison
I’d consider the ATH-R70x for a quiet desk, a home listening setup, or professional work where an open-back sound and low headphone weight matter. I would skip it for a noisy commute or a flight where isolation is the priority. It is wired, and its listed impedance is 470 ohms, so buyers should consider whether their intended audio equipment is suitable for that specification.
Sony positions the MDR-MV1 for studio monitoring, including stereo and immersive or spatial mixing and mastering. Its open-back design uses newly developed HD driver units, with Sony highlighting low-frequency reproduction as part of the tuning. The stated frequency range is 5 Hz to 80 kHz, while the Audio-Technica’s is 5 Hz to 40 kHz. That wider figure is a specification, not by itself a guarantee that every listener will hear a meaningful difference.
The MDR-MV1 has 40-millimeter dynamic drivers and weighs 226 grams. Sony describes its build as lightweight aluminum alloy with soft suede earpad material and a secure fit for extended use. It comes with a detachable cable and a mini-jack plug adaptor, making the cable setup a practical point of comparison for someone building a wired studio system.
I’d lean toward the MDR-MV1 if my work involved immersive production as well as stereo, or if I wanted a headphone explicitly presented for those tasks. I would skip it if I needed noise isolation on a plane: open-back headphones do not provide the kind of cabin-noise blocking that travel-focused noise-cancelling models are made for. Like the ATH-R70x, it is wired and has no listed noise-control feature.
• For a lower listed headphone weight → Audio-Technica ATH-R70x. It is approximately 210 grams without the cable; the Sony is listed at 226 grams.
• For a stated frequency range extending to 80 kHz → Sony MDR-MV1. The ATH-R70x is specified up to 40 kHz. Treat these figures as specifications, not a direct measure of which sounds better.
• For stereo and immersive or spatial production → Sony MDR-MV1. Those uses are specifically identified in Sony’s intended studio applications.
• For an aluminum honeycomb-mesh open-back housing → Audio-Technica ATH-R70x. Its housing design is intended to support an acoustically transparent, spacious sound.
• For breathable fabric earpads → Audio-Technica ATH-R70x. Sony instead specifies soft suede earpad material.
• For a detachable cable with a bundled mini-jack adaptor → Sony MDR-MV1. That combination may fit a setup that needs the adaptor.
• For flights where cabin noise is the problem → neither. Both are open-back, wired headphones with no listed noise control. If you specifically want the best memory foam ear cushions headphones for flights, neither product’s listed earpad material is memory foam. In ear headphones for flights may be another category to consider, particularly if a compact travel setup matters more than an open studio presentation.
The core choice is less about one being universally superior and more about what you want from an open-back monitor. The ATH-R70x makes a strong case through its lightweight design, breathable fabric pads, and distinctive housing. The MDR-MV1 makes its case through its stated support for immersive production, its wider listed frequency range, and the included adaptor. Neither has a travel feature that solves the main challenge of using headphones on a plane: persistent background noise.
In my opinion, I would choose the Audio-Technica ATH-R70x for quiet reference listening because its approximately 210-gram weight, breathable fabric earpads, and open-back housing make a compelling combination for long sessions. For stereo and immersive production, I’d give the Sony MDR-MV1 the edge because those uses are explicitly part of its design brief.
For flights, I would buy neither as my primary pair: both are open-back and lack listed noise control. If travel is the deciding factor, I’d look for a closed-back or noise-cancelling option instead.
Neither is designed to block airplane noise. Both are open-back, wired headphones, and neither lists a noise-control feature, so they make more sense for quiet environments than noisy cabins.
The MDR-MV1 is specified from 5 Hz to 80 kHz, while the ATH-R70x is specified from 5 Hz to 40 kHz. That difference in stated range does not, on its own, establish which headphone will sound better to you.
Neither product’s listed earpad material is memory foam. Audio-Technica specifies breathable fabric earpads; Sony specifies soft suede material.
The Sony MDR-MV1 is the clearer fit on the stated use case because Sony identifies stereo and immersive or spatial mixing and mastering. The ATH-R70x is described as an open-back reference headphone, with its listed strengths centered on natural sound, comfort, and lightweight construction.
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