Sony revives original Walkman headphones with a USB-C connector
Sony, the Japanese electronics maker, has brought back its MDR-3 headphone series, first launched in 1979. The new MDR-3R looks like the original but uses a USB-C connector.
Japanese electronics company Sony has revived the MDR-3 headphone series, which first appeared in 1979 together with the Walkman TPS-L2 cassette player. The new model, called the MDR-3R, brings back one of the best-known designs from the early days of portable music while adapting it to current devices.
A familiar design
The first Walkman headphones were originally named the MDR-3L2. They were known for a slim gray plastic headband that adjusted through metal sliders, and for round orange ear cushions. These lightweight on-ear headphones contrast with the bulky headsets popular today, which typically have wide padded headbands for long-term comfort and large earcups that can hold big drivers. Those earcups are often heavily padded to isolate noise.
The new MDR-3R looks just like the originals. It comes with orange and blue ear cushions.
Wired, with a modern update
New headphones are often wireless these days, but the MDR-3R continues the wired approach of the MDR-3. The key change is a USB-C connector.
Sony's announcement says the MDR-3R has been redesigned for modern use while preserving the experience of freely taking music out into the world, which the original MDR-3 helped popularize.
