Most people look out for what’s affordable when they go shopping these days, and it isn’t any different for headphones. Way fewer people are ready to splurge hundreds or thousands of dollars on headphones every day, and it’s not because they aren’t worth it. Almost anyone can get headphones if they’re affordable enough. Nonetheless, the trick still lies with the quality. Though most people are keen to equate cheapness with poor quality, they still expect some level of quality from the cheap stuff. In this regard, the Sony MDR ZX110 comes in as an excellent choice. As one of the most affordable products on Sony’s line of headphones, it offers customers a considerable level of quality while staying pocket friendly.
Some of its major highlights are its active noise cancellation feature, its bass sound, and strong connection cables. It’s a steal, don’t you think? No?
This review article tries to break down the features of the Sony MDR ZX110, reveal its pros and cons, and all other things associated with it. It may be cheap, but does it really live up to the quality tagged to it?
We’re about to find out.
Sony MDR ZX110 Specifications
Here’s a little rundown of the MDR ZX110’s specifications just before we go into the review.
Type: Wire Headphone
Available Colors: Black and White.
Magnet Type: Neodymium
Driver Diameter: 30 mm
Sensitivity: 98dB
Maximum Power Input: 1000 mW
Impedance: 24 ohms
Frequency Response: 12 – 22,000 Hz
Weight: 120 g
Cable Length: 1.2 m
Wearing Type: Over-ear, Headband
Features of the Sony MDR ZX110
Now, let’s take a good look at all the features the Sony MDR ZX110 is able to offer.
Who Its For
People who have a thing for bass sounds but don’t have enough cash will find the MDR ZX110 very attractive. Also, people who want something punchy and aggressive and don’t really care about the clarity of high or midrange sonic frequencies.
Comfort
The Sony MDR ZX110 won’t really cut it for some people because it doesn’t have padding around the headband. However, at 120 g, it’s light enough to keep you from feeling the effect of a headband without padding. If it were heavier, you might not have been able to keep the headphone over your head for too long. The padding around the ears isn’t the best, but they’re not the worst either. You do start to feel a little uncomfortable with the earcups after a while. But you must have had your fill of music by then. After all, you don’t have to be on the headphones all the time.
Design
Sony went for an all-plastic look with the MDR ZX110. It doesn’t make the headphone sturdy, but it’s catchy enough. You just have to be careful when handling it, but aren’t you just as careful for the rest of your possessions? Though the plastic build doesn’t do much for stability, the cable more than makes up for it with its toughness. The 1.2 m cable is even strong enough to resist tangling, which is more of a concern for people who use cords as a medium of connection.
Besides these, the earcups have this swivel quality that can be adjusted so that they can sit comfortably over a customer’s ears.
Portability
The Sony MDR ZX110 can be a good choice for your music or podcasts when you’re on the go. It’s got that pizzazz about it that makes you look cool. But it’s also possible to bring it along with your luggage if you don’t want to wear it on your head. The earcups can be folded inwards making it easier to carry with you.
Sound
The Sony MDR ZX110 is primarily a bass-boosted headphone. If you like your music with lots of bass and have a small change to spare, this headphone would be an excellent fit. It’s so much of a fit that sometimes you may find the bass a little too much. Regardless, the earcups don’t lie too tightly over the ears, giving room for some of the sounds to escape.
The sound of the Sony MDR ZX110 was calibrated to pronounce low-end signatures in music. This has its perks and creates a cozy sound. However, that’s as good as the headphone gets. The sound quality starts to lose clarity as it climbs towards the high-frequency range. But that doesn’t make it a bad fit. Using the Sony MDR ZX110 to listen to songs with a lot of bass makes you forget the cheap price tag. Overall, it produces a decent song quality for the amount you have to get it.
Durability/Battery Life
There may be many headphones better off in performance than the Sony MDR ZX110, but not all of them can measure up when it comes to battery life. With 87.9 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation, you can listen to music uninterrupted for a really long while. If you count how many hours are in a day, you’d see that the Sony MDR ZX110 offers you music for as long as 3 days.
The MDR ZX110 uses AAA batteries. So, if the headphone runs down, all you need to do is replace the batteries.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Has a Quite Solid Bass
- Wide Frequency Range
- Noise Cancelling, especially for its Price
- Sturdy Cables
- Long Battery Life
- Portable
Cons
- Loses Sonic Clarity
- Comfort
- Plastic Build
Final Thoughts
The Sony MDR ZX110 is a perfect strike between cost and quality. It’s not really easy to have the two in a single package, but Sony has gone for it, and they’ve done their best with the result. The MDR ZX110 is not top-of-the-food-chain material, but it’s not at the bottom either. For its cheap price, it’s got a lot of juicy qualities and will definitely carve its own place in the market.