Sony launches MDR-3R wired headphones with USB-C and retro Walkman design
The headphones revive the 1979 MDR-3 design, and Sony is also releasing a Stranger Things special edition.
Key facts
Story- Sony has announced the MDR-3R, a wired headphone with a USB-C port instead of a 3.5mm jack.
- The design is modelled on the MDR-3, which launched in 1979 alongside Sony's first Walkman.
- A co-branded Stranger Things special edition is being released alongside the standard model.
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MDR-3R
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Sony has unveiled the MDR-3R, a set of wired headphones that uses USB-C in place of the traditional 3.5mm audio jack. The company is also releasing a special edition made with Netflix's *Stranger Things*.
The headphones are modelled on the MDR-3, which Sony first released in 1979 alongside its original TPS-L2 Walkman. The new model keeps the lightweight, open-ear build and several visual details of the original. Sony describes the change to USB-C as the main update.
The MDR-3R uses 23mm drivers, the parts that produce sound. It also has an in-line remote for controlling playback and calls, and a built-in microphone. The model has no wireless features, so it does not have a battery.
The Stranger Things edition is a co-branded version developed with Netflix. It is released alongside the standard model. The price of the special edition and the number of units to be made have not been stated.
Sony has used its older designs for several recent products, and the MDR-3R follows that pattern. Replacing the 3.5mm jack with USB-C means the headphones connect to devices that no longer have a standard headphone port. It is not yet known whether an adapter is included for older devices.
Sony has not yet given a full price or release date for the standard model.
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