Sony introduces MDR-3R wired headphones with USB-C audio

Sony has introduced a new version of its original Walkman headphone design. The Sony MDR-3R wired on-ear headphones connect through USB-C, use 23mm drivers and are available from November.

The original MDR-3 was developed to accompany Sony's first Walkman, the TPS-L2, launched in 1979. The MDR-3R closely reproduces that headphone's design, with a slender, adjustable metal headband and angular bends near the earcups. Its driver design was re-engineered using the original MDR-3 drawings, while the open acoustic construction incorporates sound holes in the earcups.

The cable includes a built-in microphone and a three-button in-line remote. The controls handle playback, track skipping and volume adjustment, as well as hands-free calls and activation of a connected phone's voice assistant.

The headphones weigh 38g and come with two sets of foam earpads, one blue and one orange. The retail box reproduces the original MDR-3 packaging, and the instruction manual also follows the original. These details extend the reproduction of the earlier model beyond the headphones themselves to the materials supplied with them.

The MDR-3R Stranger Things limited edition has a black headband engraved with the series' logo. That edition includes black and red earpads.