Personal Electronics Review: Sony MDR-XD100 Stereo Headphones

A Look at Inexpensive Stereo Headphones from Sony

 I've been using these Sony MDR-XD100 headphones since the spring of 2012.  They are still going strong.  Now, I primarily use them on our living room and bedroom stereo systems now.  Here is my original review --

On a Rite Aid run for a few household odds and ends, my wife and I came across a pair of Sony MDR-XD100 stereo headphones. Since they fit our limited budget and since our corner drugstore is the place to buy consumer electronics, we threw them in our cart. We weren't disappointed. For a mere $20 investment, Sony MDR-XD100 stereo headphones sound great.

Comfort. First, these full-sized stereo headphones are a vast improvement over uncomfortable earbud-style "in the ear", and Walkman-style "on the ear" ear phones that we had been using. I found that the padding was comfortable and completely enveloped my ears. The headphones were also adjustable to fit over my big brain comfortably. In an extended music session, they do make your ears a little warm. These headphones do not completely block out external sounds.

Build Quality. These Sony MDR-XD100 stereo headphones are inexpensive and they sometimes feel a bit delicate. If you throw these headphones around, they may not be able to take the damage. The urethane leather that covers the ear pads could also be thicker and more durable. The adjustable headband is made completely of plastic. Amazingly, the cord is 138-inches long so you can plug them in and move around a little bit. For casual use, these headphones should suffice.

Compatibility. My wife and I used the Sony MDR-XD100 headphones to play music on a wide variety of personal electronic devices. While they come with a large plug for a conventional stereo, a mini plug is plugged into the large plug. The mini plug allows the headphones to be used with laptops, portable CD players, and MP3 players. We tried them on a Gateway Laptop, an Acer Aspire, a Sony personal CD player, and a very small Craig MP3 player. The headphones worked on all of our devices.

Sound Quality. These headphones sounded good on all of our devices. However, I did have to turn my volume up to a much higher setting with my tiny MP3 player. In a couple of evening sessions listening to a wide variety of free music via my Amazon Cloudplayer, I found that the Sony MDR-XD100 stereo headphones reproduced sound quite well. These headphones are particularly effective on mid-range and high range sounds. While some Amazon reviewers didn't feel there was enough presence in the bass, I feel that these Sony headphones produce enough bass for casual listening without pounding on the eardrums.

Overall. Sony MDR-XD100 stereo headphones are a delightful product for around $20. While they might not be totally satisfying to audiophiles, they work very well for casual users and completely met our expectations.

Sources:
Personal Experience
Sony MDR-XD100 Product Packaging
Amazon.com

The Sony MDR-XD100 headphones have been replaced by Sony's new MDRZX100 line of headphones. We like those too. However, the new headphones are designed for devices, you will need to buy an extension cord if you want to use them with a component stereo system.