[FroogalStoodent]

Has anybody listened to the new Sony MDR-ZX310? Do they sound like the older MDR-ZX300? I'm curious whether Sony actually made any changes to the sound, or if they just mildly redesigned them and made them fold up. Any input is appreciated--thanks!

 

[Tibursio]

I tried one in the store but I can't compare it to 300 since I haven't seen one here. It performs well for its price. I also wanna hear some others' opinions I'm tempted to get one coz it's cheap

 

[FroogalStoodent]

I have a pair of the ZX300, and I really like them! They sound great and they're durable--judging by the specs, the 310s probably have the same hardware. 

 

[captainFox]

I've listened to the 300s and 310s back to back. The 300s sounded a bit louder with the same volume setting and I thought the 310s sounded a little smoother overall - could have been the pads its hard to tell.

 

[FroogalStoodent]

That's interesting...sounds like they did change things a little bit then! Probably not worth replacing my current headphones, from the sound of it. I appreciate your input! 

 

[Ticky]

Not sure if I committed audiophile social forum taboo by reviving a dead thread for a non-audiophile headphone.  Here is my quick 2 cents on the Sony MDR-ZX310.
 
I was in shopping around in Japan for some cheap closed or semi-closed cans to be used in my car's rear seat entertainment units.  Didn't want to spend too much since - being the family's driver-in-chief - I probably would never use them.  After comparing various Sonys, Panasonics, Audio Technica and low end Sennheisers, I ended up buying 2 pairs of the Sony MDR-ZX310.  The price was 2,350 Yen ( 20 USD) per can.
 
I did not give the headphones a "audiophile grade" audition at the store given the evening shoppers' crowd and loud background noise.  But, the Sony's did appear to be the least harsh sounding for Japanese brands selling for around the same price.  The Sennheiser was 3 times the price, starting around 7,000 Yen, thus I didn't bother to compare it with the Sony. 
 
After getting back to my hotel room and plugged in the Sony into my MacAir, I was impressed.  
 
To be fair, the Sony is not any where near audiophile grade or hi-fi grade.  So don't bother trying to plug it into a headphone amp or expect miracles.  You can't bend the laws of physics and economics with 20 bucks.  Nonetheless, I actually enjoyed listening it as a casual pair of headphones.  
 
Listened to some piano tracks and the Sony was not harsh.  The sound is somewhat skewed towards the low end, with trebles muted.  Treble lovers might not enjoy this can.  But, IMO, most cheap phones are plagued with harsh grainy treble and thin vocals.  It is quite nice that the Sony did not suffer these detriments.
 
Overall, I was decently surprised that I got this level of audio quality from phones at this price.  It handles itself nicely and doesn't get in the way of the music. 
 
 
Verdict:   If your music taste includes instrumentals, vocals, mellow jazz, and 20 USD is all you got to spend on phones, give the Sony MDR-ZX310 a try.  You might just stumble on something wonderful. 
 
Pros:   Cheap, decent balanced sound for the price, easy to drive, foldable, non-fatiguing sound, comfortable
 
Cons:  Construction is a bit filmsy, lacks dynamic range, mid to low range sound gets boomy sometimes, treble lacks details
 
 
Source:  Apple ACC 256kps quality - iTunes MacBook Air
 
Music auditioned:    
 
Michael Nyman, Film Music 1980 - 2001 (piano tracks)
Amber Rubarth, Sessions from the 17th Ward
Howie Day, "Collide" (single track) 
The Piano Guys, The Piano Guys
Fall out Boy, "Beat it" (single track)

 

[FroogalStoodent]

Not at all; you answered my question very thoroughly. Thanks! 

 
Sounds like this is similar to the older ZX300, of which I have a pair (one ear died about a month ago, so I'm now looking for a new pair). I really liked the sound of the ZX300, especially for the price. I've listened to a couple friends' audiophile-grade headphones, and though I could tell a slight difference, it wasn't nearly enough to justify the extra couple hundred dollars 

 
When listening very closely to the ZX300, I did notice that the mids sometimes sounded a bit muffled, and the treble wasn't always as clear as it could have been--but overall, I very much liked the ZX300, and since your description makes the ZX310 sound similar; I guess those will be my next purchase. 
 
I appreciate your detailed review, Ticky! 

 

[yousakura]

The 300s offer more dynamic mids overall whilst the newer generation, you get much punchier basses

 

[FroogalStoodent]

Thanks, yousakura! 
 
Since I got a pair, I should update: I think the newer ones, the MDR-ZX310, sound a bit muddier at times than the older -300. This is probably due to the extra bass that yousakura mentioned. 
 
Some people may prefer the extra bass, and the 310s are by no means poor-sounding or unclear! They're just slightly less detailed in the mid-range; I prefer the sound of the 300s. But the 310s still sound good (especially compared to the crappy earbuds that a lot of people still use!)
 
The MDR-ZX310 sound better than Beats (though that's a pretty easy bar to clear), and I still think they provide the richest, fullest sound for the $20 price tag. The Amazon on-ear headphones are very highly recommended as a pair of very good $15 headphones, though, and as I haven't listened to them, I cannot comment on any such comparison. 
 
A more balanced, superior sound comes in the $70 range of the Audio-Technica ATH-M30x. But the ZX310s are the best combination of price, sound, comfort, and portability that I've used, with the aforementioned exception of the now-out-of-production MDR-ZX300. There are some competitive headphones in the sub-$30 price range from Philips, Monoprice, Sennheiser, and Koss, as well--but I personally prefer the sound profile of the Sonys to all others that I've heard. 
 
Hope people find this helpful! 

 

[yousakura]

Another one qualm I have with the zx300s is that sound is severely distorted when in windy weather. With the zx310s, the new faux leather ear pads seem to improve on that aspect of the headphones

 

[FroogalStoodent]

Now that you mention it, I did notice that about the 300s, as I live in a very windy area. But, since a hood largely fixes that problem, I guess it didn't cross my mind. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[IXentimenTI]

I'm so sorry not to have a pair anymore, I'd like to see how they differ from mine mdr-zx110 that I bought to replace dead 310.