Sony's MDR-3R, out November 5 for $59.99, revives the MDR-3 headphones that shipped with the first Walkman in 1979. It keeps the 23mm drivers and on-ear design and swaps the headphone jack for USB-C, with an in-line remote and microphone. A Stranger Things edition costs $79.99.
Sony has reissued the headphones that came with the first Walkman. The MDR-3R went on sale November 5 for $59.99, according to 9to5Google, Engadget and Ars Technica. They plug in over USB-C instead of a 3.5mm jack, and they add an in-line remote and a microphone. If you want a light, cheap wired headset for a laptop or phone with no headphone jack, they are a real option. If you take calls in noisy places, they are not.
What Sony changed and what it kept
The original MDR-3 launched in 1979 alongside the Walkman TPS-L2 cassette player. Sony calls the new model a “faithful recreation,” per 9to5Google, down to the packaging and the manual. The reported details:
- Drivers: the same 23mm driver units as the MDR-3, which Sony says it re-engineered for sound “close to the original,” according to Ars Technica and 9to5Google.
- Connection: wired only, USB-C. There is no Bluetooth and no 3.5mm version.
- Controls: in-line remote with volume control and a built-in microphone for calls.
- Pads: the standard model ships with both blue and orange ear pads.
- Materials: Sony uses some recycled plastic, per 9to5Google.
A Stranger Things edition with black and red pads and the show’s logo on the headband costs $79.99. Both versions are available now, according to Engadget.
A $60 USB-C headset for calls, with limits
USB-C wired audio solves two problems on a work setup: no pairing, and no battery to charge before a call. Most current iPhones, Android phones and laptops have a USB-C port and no headphone jack, so the MDR-3R plugs straight in.
Two limits. These are small on-ear headphones with no noise cancellation, so they leak sound and let the room in. Ars Technica notes the microphone has no noise reduction and is not ideal for calls in noisy places. And 23mm drivers are small: Ars quotes a Gizmodo review that found the mids and highs “bright and clear” with good stereo separation, and Ars does not expect strong bass.
I have not tested the MDR-3R. For calls on the move, active noise cancellation matters more than nostalgia; my earbuds for calls and travel guide covers that. If your calls happen at a desk and the mic quality matters, a dedicated microphone for video calls will beat any in-line mic.