Sony Debuts $60 Wired Headphones With ’80s-Inspired Design

Sony Electronics has introduced the MDR-3R USB-C wired headphones, a modern reissue of the MDR-3 model that launched alongside the original Walkman TPS-L2 player in 1979. The new headphones retain the lightweight, open-ear design of the original and come with two pairs of swappable ear cushions in blue and orange, according to Gear Patrol and Mashable. Sony says the MDR-3R uses the same 23mm driver units found in the 1979 version, re-engineered with subtle refinements to suit modern listening preferences, Gear Patrol reported. The primary hardware change is the replacement of the 3.5mm jack with a USB-C connector for direct compatibility with current smartphones and laptops, and the cable includes an in-line remote with a built-in microphone for playback control and calls, Mashable and Gear Patrol noted.

The standard MDR-3R is priced at $59.99 and is available now at Amazon and Sony, Mashable reported. A Stranger Things Edition, timed to Stranger Things Day on November 6, carries a $79.99 price tag and features red and black ear cushions, an engraved Stranger Things logo on the headband, and special packaging, according to Mashable and Gear Patrol. The collaboration references the headphones worn by the character Max in the Netflix series, which Mashable identified as the original MDR-3.

Mashable's hands-on tester, Bethany Allard, wrote that the headphones sound surprisingly good for the price, with clear audio that handles a range of genres but feels especially right for 1970s and 1980s music. She noted the headphones can get very loud and exhibit noticeable sound leakage at normal volumes, and that the microphone picked up the caller's own voice during a FaceTime test. Allard also said she received unsolicited compliments on the headphones' appearance three times while testing them. The headphones do not fold and include no carrying case, which Allard said means the wearer should be ready to show them off wherever they go.