ZX Series Wired On-Ear Headphones, Black MDR-ZX110

For a budget wired headphones, these absolutely live up to the Sony reputation and reliability. I bought them very much for the budget reason but therefore limited expectations but I was pleasantly surprised at the how clear and crisp the full audio was with just the right amount of bass suitable to those who want it or those who prefer less. The one con for me and where I see the budget aspect is the plastic headband, while it's not out right cheap or flimsy it is still vulnerable to break if careless but it does fit comfortably for hours and folds up, plus the cord is medium length with a really thick feel that seems heavy duty. Got the no mic option but I’d assume the mic functions would be on par with the said audio clarity but they do have relatively decent amount of noise canceling without having a dedicated feature. I’d bought them also for simple everyday use for when I don’t wanna use earbuds but I’d say these would suffice as your everyday go to pair of primary headphones, wired yes but still very much worth budget friendly price. If you’re a studio pro or bass junky then these probably not best fit but I’d def recommend it for everyone else for your everyday movie or music needs.

These headphones are amazing -- especially when you consider the price! They are well made, with a thick (aka thicker than usual) cable that seems like it will stand the test of time. They are comfortable on my head, are adjustable. They fold into a compact profile (great for travel) -- in fact there is a satisfying click when you re-open them (so, I suppose, they could double as a fidget-toy ;) ). And they sound amazing. I mean, I'm no audiophile, but to these unseasoned ears, they are splendid, with a full spectrum of rich tones that I would only expect from more expansive headphones! I mainly use them to listen to TV via my RoKu remote (which has a headphone jack on the side -- ala Bluetooth [not sure if it *is* BT, or some proprietary audio protocol]). You probably can't beat these for the money--I mean, I'm flummoxed these are so inexpensive! About the cable. I said it is "thick", but it's also flexible. Thus, being *thick* isn't a deficient in anyway. In fact, like I said, it's an asset, because it is very likely far more durable than the typical flimsy cable used on headphones in this price-range.

4 stars because they have good sound (for my phone and MP3s, anyway), plenty loud enough but mostly silent on the outside. I ask people around me if they can hear it and everyone says no. Long-enough cable, nice fold-up, comfortable ear pads; these phones seem about as durable as a plastic one can be. Pack and carry with caution. And they're priced well and I like the sony name on them. The 1-star deduction is the fit of the phones. they're weakly spung and will not hug close to my ears. Fortunately, they still remain quiet to outsiders, but when I manually hold them snug to my ears, I realize I'm only getting about 2/3 the sound when I let go.

I got this for my 100 year old mother-in-law to hear her TV. It works great for her. It's simple, doesn't require recharging, and has surprisingly good sound for listening to average TV shows. She watches a lot of news and voices sound good. They're comfortable enough for her to wear for much of the day/evening. A great deal at $14.88. Though they obviously aren't going to produce high quality symphonic or rock concert sound.

I’ve been using the Sony ZX Series Wired On-Ear Headphones for a few weeks, and I’m really happy with them. The sound quality is clear and balanced, and I can hear details in music that I hadn’t noticed before. They are surprisingly comfortable for long listening sessions, and the lightweight design makes them easy to wear without strain. The cable is long enough to move around without feeling restricted, and the build feels solid despite the affordable price. Overall, these headphones are a great choice for everyday listening.

IN SHORT > Great for the price. Very good sound quality. Very well designed. Comfortable. COMPARED TO EARBUDS > For most uses, mostly listening to audiobooks, I use Panasonic ErgoFit earbuds-HJE120K or Sony MDR-EX15LP earbuds. In comparison, I was blown away with the much greater base response of the Sony ZX headphones -- even though I was expecting the fuller base (which indeed was my reason for buying the Sony XZ headphones to replace a pair of Sony headphones which were falling apart after 20 years of use). The greater dynamic range adds a dimension to most music, even for music which has little base. > GIVE THEM A CHANCE -- My first impression was poor -- they sounded muddy. Then I remembered that I've had similar first impressions of some other new headphones. It takes a while, maybe 12 hours of use, to "break in" some earphones or headphones (and/or there may be some rewiring going on inside your cranium, i.e., "learning"). So, don't be misled by immediate reactions posted by some other reviewers --- nor your own first impression. > After 12 hours of use (and now, about a year later), the mid-tones are still a little muddy, at least to my aging ears, in the music I listen to (Enya, folk, classical)--- a little smothered by the base. I need to reduce the base by using a graphic equalizer (such as in Windows Media Player, or built into some devices) for almost any music to sound best to me---but that's generally true of high quality earphones. That is, audiophile headphones have a "flat response"---meaning that they reproduce what was recorded, as is was recorded, without emphasizing the base, midtones, nor high notes. For listening, adjustment is often necessary. If you've never used an equalizer, you'll be stunned by the difference that slight adjustments can make. FOLDABLE > Folds flat (to about 1" thick X 4" X 6"). Some other foldable headphones fold into balls, which are not easily carried in a pocket. CORD > The cord is 4' and a few inches long. For me, that is long enough to reach my computer audio plug (but, I added a 1' extension to make it easier). However, in my opinion, the cord is much too long to connect to a cell phone, etc. in your pocket. I'd prefer that the cord plugged into the headphones, so that I could simply purchase cords of the appropriate length. > ASIDE --- if the sound is scratchy when you move the plug, or otherwise suddenly deteriorates, the problem may be a bad connection. A tiny bit of cheap silicon grease, well spread, can do wonders to improve any electrical connections---particularly low voltage connections---anything battery or USB powered. > The plug is L-shaped, angled at 90 degrees, unfortunately. That means that it won't "cleanly" connect to an extension. If you pull on the cord, you won't easily pull it out the socket, but you will put on strain on the cord where the plug attaches, and potential damage the cord. In my experience, this is how most headphones fail. So, I consider the angled plug a negative feature, and another reason that replaceable cords are desirable. {{Well, actually, my Senegal parrot is the main cause of failure of my earbuds and headphones, but that's a different story.}} CUSHIONS AND COMFORT > The cushions do not look impressive nor luxurious -- but they are very functional. They are quite comfortable --- essentially unnoticeable -- and they easily stay in place for many hours of listening. The "crinkled-tissue" surface material and the flat design help grip the ears lightly without concentrating pressure. In comparison, I've used other headphones with cushions which, least at first, gave the impression of greater luxury --- but, I remember some headphones which would not stay in place, and gave me sore ears after a half-hour or so. Not the Sony ZX headphones, they stay in place and I can wear them all day long without getting sore ears. > The tightness is not adjustable, so the Sony ZX headphones might be loose on small heads. > How you wear the headset can make a difference on the quality of the sound. Although that's probably dependent on the size and shape of your ears. For me, if I pull the "legs" out a little, so that the headset is barely touching the top of my head, and the earphones are angled a little bit upward into my ears, the sound is best. I use black gaffer's tape to hold the legs at my preferred adjustment. I suspect that wearing the headset this way that I'm getting more "bone conduction" and therefore richer undertones. > Part of the comfort equation is that the whole headset is very light – it’s not going to press down painfully on the top of your head. You won’t have to adjust the tightness too tight (IF you could adjust the tightness) to hold the headphones in place. CAVEAT > (Apparently obligatory if you want to be taken seriously) "Of course, more expensive headphones, deliver higher (audiophile) quality." Yeh, sure. In an era when almost everyone is listening to highly compressed mp3, or even more compressed streamed music. I doubt that more than 1 in 100 people, maybe 1 in 1000, can tell the difference between these headphones and "audiophile" headphones --- and even then, only when listening to high-quality uncompressed recordings. But where are you going to find uncompressed recordings? -- audio CDs are practically extinct (not to mention that vinyl freaks complain that audio CDs are over-compressed). SUGGESTION -- If you've got a CD player, listen to a well-mastered recording, and then try listening to the highly-compressed streamed-crap version of the same music. > RECOMMENDATIONS > For most people, instead of fretting about audio quality, consider other features which may be important to you, such as a plug-in cord, wi-fi, adjustable headband tension, noise cancellation, etc. I'm not saying that you need these features --- I'm just saying that IF you do, then they may be valid reasons to look at other brands and models. If looking at other models, don't forget to consider foldability, and ear cushion comfort. > If you just want good sound (for music) at a good price, you can stop here. For voice (telephone conversations, audiobooks, podcasts, etc.) or when using a battery-powered device, I recommend considering earbuds instead. Sony MDR-EX15LP earbuds are cleaner, clearer and crisper in the voice-range, without fiddling with an equalizer. The Sony MDR-EX15LP earbuds (or Panasonic Ergofit) also provide better isolation (you hear less of the ambient noise around you). Also, the earbuds draw much less juice -- that is, your battery will last MUCH longer. ASIDE---WHY? > There is a direct relationship between the size of a speaker and the sound waves it can best produce. Decades ago, even in home systems, base speakers (woofers) were 2 feet in diameter. Tweaters 1 1/2 inches across were used for high notes, with various size speakers in between for mid-ranges. It is extraordinary that headphones can reproduce base at all, and an engineering miracle that earbuds can produce even a hint of base. But still, the underlying physics remains. So, most audiophiles will insist on 50mm "drivers" in headsets --- the Sony ZX driver are nominally 35mm diameter -- much smaller. But "big drivers" means bigger, much heavier, magnets -- so you have to wear the headphones tighter, and therefore get sore ears. Google it -- there are dozens of websites about how to cope with "headphone ear pain" -- but the best solution, for most people, is to wear lighter headphones, such as Sony ZX headphones. > Also (grossly over simplifying), different frequencies of sound interfere with each other, especially on the cone (or emitting surface) of speaker. In fact, on multiple speaker setups (with tweeters, midtone speakers, woofers, and sometimes subwoofers), frequencies outside the optimal range for the particular speaker are filtered out before they get to the speaker -- so the mid-tone speaker does not get high frequency signals nor base signals. So, if a speaker (such as an earbud) inherently has a minimal base response, the mid-tones will be cleaner and clearer. If you object, "I hear base on my earbuds" --- well sorta, but that's a magnified base with little detail, and never the undertones that you feel more than hear. So (all other things being equal -- which is never the case): earbuds for voice, headphones for music, headphones with large drivers for audiophile quality sound (if you can tolerate the sore ears). In real life, it isn't so clear. > Keep in mind that, for most people, headphones are "bling" --- a fashion accessory, where prestige is the most important consideration, and the headphones are priced accordingly. The sound quality, comfort, etc. of "fashionable headphones" is often a secondary, or tertiary, consideration. Sony ZX headphones make the statement that, "I am a practical person who doesn't care about fashion". If that describes you, and music quality is important to you, and the mix of features fit your needs, then Sony ZX headphones are a an excellent choice for you among headphones priced under $200, and Sony ZX probably delivers higher audio quality than many $200 headphones. > SONY -- In my limited experience, Sony design and execution is uniformly top notch. Not the fad-of-the-moment feature in every model---but a good balance of features in every model. Not the best possible at ANY cost --- but rather, the best quality at the target price -- and often (or usually) very competitive with much more expensive products from other brands. Not necessarily "better" than another brand or model --- because the mix of features, aesthetics, and personal preferences can matter. But, if I had to purchase an audio gift for someone (not knowing their exact preferences), or if I had to grab an audio product when running through an airport for my own use, it would be Sony every time. NOISE CANCELLATION > The Sony ZX headphones do NOT feature noise cancellation, and you don't need it just for listening to music. Beware also that so-called "noise cancellation" means at least four different things. "Noise cancellation" is mostly a highly-abused "buzz word" which is used in advertising copy --- usually deceptively. > The "noise cancellation" touted for most earbuds is really just passive isolation -- which the Sony MDR-EX15LP earbuds (or Panasonic Ergofit, etc) provide. The wifi earbuds for Apple and Samsung phones etc (round balls on sticks, without the cup-shaped rubber cushions) do NOT provide significant passive isolation. --> The Sony ZX headphones provide little passive isolation. Some other brands and models are better, but at the "price" of large heavy cup-shaped cushions which enclose your entire ear. > The "noise cancellation" touted for those "round balls on sticks" wifi earbuds, is really anti-feedback circuitry -- which is necessary only because the microphone and the speaker are not significantly separated -- but otherwise, the circuitry provides little, if any, noise cancellation. If you have earbuds with good passive isolation, and the microphone is several inches away from the earbuds (always the case with wired earbuds), you don't need (and won't get) anti-feedback circuitry. > The "noise cancellation" touted for many headsets is really the addition of "white noise" on top of the ambient noise, and on top of whatever it is that you want to listen to. This is cheap and actually works fairly well (about half as good you'd like it to work), when combined with passive isolation, in noisy environments. I use such a set for air travel. But, in my experience, it gives me a sick headache after a few hours. > True "noise cancellation", more fully called "active noise cancellation" is limited, and is usually very expensive. It is good for low frequency constant or repetitive noise, such as aircraft engines, but is of no help at all for screaming children or other random noises. Caveat, just because the advertising copy claims "active noise cancellation", does not mean that you actually get "active noise cancellation". It's kinda like "organic strawberries" from South America. No-one is enforcing "organic" standards for foreign produce. With electronics, it comes down to trusting the brandname. Especially in electronics, there are very few brandnames that are trustworthy anymore. To the best of my knowledge, Sony is one of the few trustworthy brandnames left.

UPDATE: 6/19/21 I just wanted to update because my daughter just brought her headphones home from school for summer vacation and they are in great condition. Even the cords & the ear pads, which always seem to be the first to go. My daughter said she wants to still use these next year since they're so comfortable, especially while she's wearing her glasses. Honestly, one school year is what I'd hope to get from these at this value. I'm kind of excited they're still going strong! UPDATE: 10/14/20 Bought a 2nd pair for our 3rd grader to use at school. Originally, we bought her the lightweight, on ear styled, Koss brand headphones on here, but she thought they were too tight and uncomfortable to wear for any length of time. Especially because she wears glasses, and now a mask as well. She loved these tho! Said they felt great, and has been using them at school for just over 6weeks with no problems. ORIGINAL: We bought these for my mother in-law to use with her t.v. because she is starting to become hard of hearing. We wanted to check everything out before setting everything up for her, and we found these were made well, had good sound volume and quality, were comfortable for a decent length of time, and overall were good headphones. She wanted to have two different styles. These were the one style that she was able to use in her 3.5mm tablet as well, which was an added bonus. She had hoped both pairs would work in her tablet, but the on ear computer style Panasonic did not fit, but still works for the t.v. set up, which was her main concern. The Panasonic had a smaller pin, so it might have worked in a cell phone. She did not try it, but I will update once she does. I wish we had thought to try ourselves. We purchased everything on Amazon for her setup. This pair fit all of our heads and have a lot of adjustability. They do show which way to put them on by marking the back of the ear pad section with "L" for left & "R" right, as shown in my photos. These are decently padded, and if taken care of should last. Overtime, this padded material may start to crack and chip away, but they're pretty good for this value. The Panasonic ones were more lightweight when wearing for long periods, so she's still glad she got both pair. We waited 2mnths to review so she had a chance to really use these and see how they worked, and we told her we'd return them if needed, but she is happy with them. They've really helped with her quality of life. She had stopped watching t.v. for a time because she just couldn't hear it anymore, so I'm happy the volume and sound quality was good enough so she could use them daily. We may order another pair of these for our daughter. I will update if these fail. I hope my pictures help give you an idea of what to expect in person.

June 2023: Well another pair ... one of the pair I bought in 2022... has failed completely on one side at least. This is the second pair of these "110's" (look at the end of the model number) that has done this in say a year to a year 1/2 at best. I may have gotten lucky but I had a pair of the "100's" (sound basically the same, discontinued, and they have a thicker insolation around the wire .. aka a thicker cable) that lasted me for about 10 YEARS. Under the same condition these last two pair that broke on me were subjected to. I am on the borderline of saying "I cant recommend these" anymore ... but I admit for the right price I may get another pair and just KNOW these will not last and if i get even a single year out of them, that will be great. It stinks and I am NOT happy but, the other options I see do not sound as good in this price range or sound as good but are made even cheaper. I want a pair that sonud decent enough when eq'ed (I do like my music) but aren't 100's of dollars since alot of times i am in the hot Florida heat and humidity. That pair that lasted 10 years at least I am sure I even got them in a unintential rain storm or two over that time. These 110;s dont seem to last. Even the pair of Sony "300/310s" I have in red have an EVEN THINNER cable. Feb 2023: just noticed this yesterday but between that pair that seemed like it was tuned funny and another pair i use at my laptop (main computer i use alot) ... the earpads that NORMALLY flake to pieces in no time ... well in both pair they are a-ok and not even starting to flake off ... from an old pair that broke i still have some memory foam earpads that i can swap on anytime i want (they are more comfortable though the stock pads are decent enough too comfort wise) ... but credit where it's due on the not flaking to pieces issue Jan 2023 Update for "Muddy" pair vs others EQ'd the same way ... well i have to go back and read my review ... I think i adjusted the mids somehow but i have been using this pair constantly and not only does the pair bought in Jan 2022 still work fine, the earpads which i expected to go by now, are still ok and also the sound issue ... EQ'ed thanks to Rockbox ... I dont notice any "issue" (granted my expectations of these NOT being audiophile quality sound but a good clear V-shape with decent mids .. not too back and not too forward) ... yeah i am ok with even that pair, now Feb 2022 update to the newest Jan 2022 pair i mentioned sounding muddy. I have used them a few days and now i think I have the fix ... they need EQ help but they sound decent now, even if not "great". My fix was in Rockbox (Sansa mp3 players running Rockbox was always my main use-case) I left "Treble" and "base" alone and kept all of my prior sound settings I had for prior models sounding good. I kept the i want to say around the 1k and 2k EQ ranges that were at zero and i pulled them down a bit ... THEN I also (based off a youtube video suggestion on muddy sound) i pulled down the low end in the advanced EQ part, STILL leaving a boosted "base" in the individial "base" part .... hard to explain for those that dont know Rockbox but it's like an android EQ where you pull the low end down in the slider portion but also ENABLE a "base boost" toggle or something that an EQ app may have ... that sort of thing only you have more control over how much the "base boost" is "boosted". Not all songs sound great but that could be the source file ....even the one i am thinking of doesn't make me go "wow .. that is not the way i am use to these headphones sounding on that track" .... I still would prefer not having to do this and having them tuned the way they use to be tuned (maybe i got a bad pair) ... but they are usuable now and i like them Jan 2022 Update: I recent bought a "backup pair" this past December and just tested them today ... I do like vs the 2016/2017 versions of the "110's" the cable from the split down to the connect it seems thicker (like the "100's use to be") ... though what I dont like is ... the tuning ... I still have those old 110's and I 100% notice a clarity difference ... turns out I cant return these if i wanted to (not saying I would ... ) but doing an A-vs-B comparsion I totally hear a clarity difference ... these new ones sound balanced, do not get me wrong, but they sound a tad muddy vs the old pair ... and I totally admit i do a combo of a U or a V shaped EQ when using the Sony 100's or 110's ... these dont sound great un-EQ'ed .... .but ... this exact pair while they work sound muddier than any 100's or 110's I have had before ... if this was my own experience with the MDRXZ 100's or 110's ... I'd be considering other brands in the same price range -------------------------------------------------- This review is based on my first impressions with the "110's" on a number of mp3 player, and a number of "100's" (the previous model https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004WODP20/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) that I have had and used over the years. Pro - Sound Quality So far I DO notice more bass in these new (my first pair of the "110's") pair of headphones and unlike prior experience with Sony (and other companies too ...) earbuds where the "new great model" .. didn't sound as good as the prior ones did ... These 110's just add enough to the bass and possibly treble too, that makes it definitely sound better then the 100's though it doesn't fall into the trap I described above, when sometimes they add "more bass" and it turns out the bass is so strong, that it drowns everything else out. I have to say that this is not really a knock on the 100's .. I do still like them but for the same price on either ... I'd go with the 110's but if there is a "good deal" on the 100's and I was getting them again ... I am not against getting another pair of the 100's either. Yes these are "cheap" headphones and probably not as good quality wise as a really expensive pair though I do recall some reviews saying they tried these along side a pair of "$200 Beats" and while the did say their friend's Beats did sound better ... they personally would rather get maybe two or three pair of these and still have say $150 left over ... meaning "they do not sound price-vs-quality of the sound" .. 'that much better' Pro/Con - Build quality These ARE plastic headphones of course, though I do not agree with those that say "oh its like they are from the Dollar store ... the plastic is horrible ..etc etc"... just if your going to buy a much more expensive pair of headphones ... your will probably get better quality too The one downside that ... I admit I see in these, and are a problem in the pair of "the 100's" that was 100% caused by me ... AND EVEN THEN that exact pair, needed fixing but still sounds great ... I am using THEM while typing this review, is the part where the 100's and the 110's ear-cups move. I am not sure "how it could be made better" but that was the exact point of failure for my long-used pair (again 100% my fault for HOW the break,happened) .. note that if it wasn't for me they would still be fine and that is after 3+ years of HEAVY use and they still work ... so maybe it's fine for being able to fold (in both models I mean) Pro - Fit I am not sure if i can say one way or the other "I have a big head" (100% not a small head) but they fit fine .. even out of the box. Heck after that DIY type of repair I did on my broke pair .. .I had to flip them backwards and .. they for the most part still fit great ... these 110's are no different. By the way I have glasses (regular and sunglasses used when wearing these) and just like the 100's, these are nice and comfy ... not too tight or too lose, if you ask me ??? - The cord The cord looks different from the 100's I have and I like the cord ... basically I think some of the cords on others are way way too small and that always leads to the problem of one of the two sides going out for good ... The cord on the 110's looks a tad smaller diameter wise but really if that doesn't mean that issue I just described DOESN'T happen .. I do not really care... I just want the headphones to work for a long time ... if the cord is different but there are no issues ... this change is fine by me. Plug - I will keep this review updated IF there is a change but I have no had these for long enough to comment on some of the reviews who keep having issues with the plug breaking ... NOT on this pair but my other pair of the 100's get plugged into and unplugged from stuff for over three years now and often too ... never had a problem .. but then again I cant comment on these. for now. Summary I would recommend these no question ... though if your expecting a super high end sound (aka are an "audiophile") you MAY BE disappointed though as someone who loves his music ... I think the sound with the right equalizer settings, on the device or program your using... I do LOVE the sound of these. Update - After using a new pair of the "100's" ... aka the prior model Really ... the 110's do have the slightly higher bass and that is not a bad thing either .... the new pair of the 100's I am using I actually thought were the 110's (I just forgot what headphones I was using)... THE POINT? ... they both have great bass and I think the pair that I use to wear daily (the broken pair that still works great.... just doesn't fit perfectly anymore)'s fit actually effects the bass ... that old pair I hold the earcups closer to my ears than how they "sit" now .. .and I hear alot more bass. Between the 100s and 110's ... if the way each one of them fold doesn't matter to you for say fitting them into a caring case .... I recommend both 1000% (no typo) ... find the best deal ... if you can get one a little cheaper than the other ...cool ... there is more bass by a little bit on the 110's but do not think I am saying a new pair of the 100's are weak in that department.

Buen sonido, buena relación calidad precio y duraderos.

The layer on earbuds comes off

Good product

Really good sound quality and comfy fit for the money

Article conforme à la description, bonne qualité du son, excellent