Sony wants to take you back to 1979 with its newtro updated MDR-3 wired headphones

Date:
Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Description:
I love my regular wired cans, but as soon as I saw Sonys new MDR-3R
headphones in a limited Stranger Things edition, I said I dump your ass! to those

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Sony has launched MDR-3R, an update on its 1979 'Walkman headphones' The aesthetic is virtually unchanged even down to the packaging Two key upgrades: USB-C (not 3.5mm termination) plus an in-line remote Oh, and for $20 / 20 more, there's a Stranger Things edition Well now. 'Newtro' (a portmanteau of 'new retro') audio kit is trending, and doesn't Sony know it? The company says it sees people embracing wired, physical music products for "both functional and cultural perspectives", and it is seizing the day just as Bose has, with its new $99 wired noise-canceling earbuds .

I am fortunate enough to have lived through the introduction of Sony's original Walkman in 1979, to have seen Julia Roberts singing Prince in a bath tub in Pretty Woman and to have fallen in love with Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, skateboarding with an Aiwa CassetteBoy clipped to his denim jacket pocket in Back to the Future . (Image credit: Sony) Cut to around 40 years later, and the kids are watching Max fight Vecna using Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill and a Sony Walkman WM-8 as her only weapon in Stranger Things . And who could forget Peter Quill's Walkman (a Sony TPS-L2 Walkman and Headset, complete with alternate orange ear pads) given to him by his mom long before he became one of the Guardians of the Galaxy ? Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

Want a bit of that? Yearning for a simpler time, when your copy of a musical recording actually belonged to you and Bluetooth connectivity didn't open the door to sign-ups, account creations and data capture? You're not alone and that's why Sony has just released the MDR-3R. (Image credit: Sony) You can't spell America without Erica, and you can't get this sound without wires It's not hard to see the new 2026 Sony MDR-3R's resemblance to the Sony 1979 MDR-3
in fact, it's incredibly difficult to tell the difference between them (and
I know because I attended a briefing and saw the old and new products side by side). You may like Sony's unveiled two expensive Walkman audio players
Sony's 'mid-range' WH-1000XM4C headphones land, with user-replaceable batteries The best Sony headphones for all budgets, as tested by our audio experts

It's a significant moment. Nearly half a century after the originals launched (Sony says it went back to work on the drivers using Sony's hand-drawn diagrams from the 70s), the new set is in, and one of the only real differences is that they end in a USB-C termination. (Image credit: Sony) So no more 3.5mm jack, but the iconic silhouette and signature aluminium frame, look, hinges and so on are all virtually identical. Theres the trademark cheeky bend (or kink) in the aluminium frame just above the earpiece, the
Sony logo, that soft plastic flexible adjuster piece across the top of the crown, square slider hinges and the sound holes (no, those arent just design flourishes). At 38g, the MDR-3R is also by far the lightest pair of overhead headphones in Sonys lineup. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
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What of the sonic chops? Sony says the original MDR-3s sound quality was "surprisingly good", but nevertheless Sony's audio engineers have taken the classic analog warmth and built on it with a few tweaks. The MDR-3R's 23mm driver is still based upon original hand drawings for the 1979 model, but
Sony claims to have eked a wider frequency range out of it, particularly in the bass registers. Also, you now you get an in-line controller with a mic
for hands-free calls along with the updated cable and plug.

Wondering how youll choose between those Guardians of the Galaxy -style
orange foam pads or the MDR-3's original blue pads? Dont stress, you get both in the box!

The in-line remote also has volume up, volume down, plus a play/stop button that can be double-pressed to skip forward or triple-pressed to skip back.
You can hold it to activate your phone's voice assistant, or press it to answer and end calls. So three buttons in total, but lots of added functionality. What to read next Sony WH-CH730N review: affordable headphones done right Bose's latest ANC earbuds come with something you probably
wouldn't expect (it begins with W and rhymes with 'tires') There's definitely been a return to less technologically driven products: Bose president Raza Haider talks releasing $99 wired earbuds with no app or AI, and why they're only here because his daughter thinks theyre cool Things can get even
Stranger (Image credit: Sony) While the packaging of the 'basic' MDR-3R is very similar to the original 1979 box (think light blue and geometric, but with modern 2026 techniques and nods to sustainability), there is another option as well.

Theres a special Stranger Things- themed edition, complete with red ear pads (you also get black in the box) and a moody black top headband. The box is black, and theres a Stranger Things logo on the headband too.

You may want to go full Upside Down with the themed set. For me, the choice
of blue or orange ear pads and a true 1979 aesthetic is the one.

Either way, for $59 / 49 / 59 (which is around AU$85) for the Sony MDR-3R, or $79 / 59 / 69 (approximately AU$112) for the Sony MDR-3R Stranger Things variant, someone's Christmas present just got sorted and I wouldn't be surprised to see them in our best wired headphones guide, if I can only put them through their paces for a full review The best wireless earbuds for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best earbuds 1. Best overall: Technics EAH-AZ100 2. Best mid-range: Cambridge Audio A100 3. Best budget: Nothing Ear (a) 4. Best for noise-cancelling: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra 2nd Gen Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/headphones/sony-wants-to-take-you-back-to-1979 -with-its-newtro-updated-mdr-3-wired-headphones-built-to-match-the-original-wa lkman-and-theres-even-a-stranger-things-edition


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