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.
 

Stereo Component Review: Insignia 5-Disc CD Changer

We've spent about a year now with the Insignia 5-Disc CD Changer doing light CD playing duty on our home component stereo system.  It's still going strong and we still like it.  I'm reposting my original review here --

When the CD changer on your stereo goes whirrr, kathunk, kathunk, thunk, spin, thunk, kathunk, and totally ignores two of your five compact discs before starting to play music, it might just be time for a new CD player. There is a real risk that your old CD changer could even scratch or shatter your discs. My quest for a new CD player ended when I found the Insignia 5-disc CD and MP3 disc changer.


I started watching Amazon.com and Sunday Newspaper advertisements and soon came across a Best Buy insert. The Insignia 5-disc CD Changer (Model NS-CD512) was advertised for $79.99. It was an astonishingly low price. Even though CD players are considered old fashioned in a world of streaming Internet audio, I went and got my new CD player in a truly old school way. I got up and made sure that I was one of the first five people in the store on Sunday morning. I raced to the stereo aisle, found the CD player on display, and found a couple of boxed examples. Sure there was dust on the box, but I still felt like I had won the competition. Since online reviews were middling and disc changers are complex, I went ahead and bought a two year protection plan. With tax and the protection plan, I was out of the door for just than $100.

Installation of the Insignia NS-CD512 CD Changer was easy. I simply swapped out the clunky twenty year old Sony and plugged in the Insignia. I was impressed that the unit came with an RCA cable and batteries for the remote. The enclosed documentation and included setup diagrams were easy to read.

The Insignia CD player does a good job playing CDs. The sound is crisp and clear to my non-audiophile ears. However, this unit does not boast of oversampling or vibration protection or any other optional frills. A headphone jack is provide for direct listening. It is a basic disc changer and it does what it is intended to do at an attainable price point. It has an easy to use random play feature that can be activated for a single disc or the entire selection of five discs. Since the vast majority of my music is on CD, I haven't tried playing an MP3 disc on this unit.

As a basic entry-level five disc changer, this Insignia has two drawbacks. One it is a little slow when transitioning between discs and when responding to commands from the remote control. You can press the remote control and wait several seconds before the CD changer responds. The second drawback is the lack of "spiral play" functionality. In the nineties, I had a Technics player that would play the first song on each disc, then the second song on each disc, and so on. I don't see that spiral play feature on this CD player.

Overall, the Insignia CD five disc changer meets my needs at a very competitive price. If you watch Best Buy sale prices and shop carefully, you should be able to get the Insignia five disc CD changer and an entry-level stereo receiver for around $200. That makes this CD changer part of a very affordable way to get into a component stereo system.

In truth, I'm sure that there are many Multi-Disc CD Changers that would fit your needs. If you listen to pop, rock, or dance music, a multi-CD player is almost a necessity.

 

SA-222 Receiver Becomes A Redneck Amp

I was a little discouraged when I discovered a niggling problem with the quartz lock feature of my latest thrift store find: a Technics SA-222 Receiver. It got great reception in Mono, but no reception in stereo. It bothered me because the vintage Technics receiver has a small form factor, is easy to attach to speakers, and puts out the perfect amount of power for a bedroom system.  Fortunately, the miracle of the Y Cable Splitter gave me an idea!

However, as the old cliche goes, when life hands you lemons make lemonade. I came up with a solution that would make Jeff Foxworthy proud. He once joked that you might be a redneck if your good television sits on top of your old television. Well, I guess the same might go for stereo receivers. I set a simple GPX dorm room stereo on top of my Technics Receiver.

Redneck Stereo:  Technics SA-222 Receiver and GPX Micro System

  The GPX gets radio in stereo.  It also can get input from my record player.

Pardon my Dust

Pardon my dust.  You are going to see some construction on this blog.

As a writer, I've always used blogging as a way to complement my efforts on Yahoo Voices.  Over the past few years, it's been an easy way to get paid for my hobbyist writing endeavors.  But, soon Yahoo will be pulling the plug on Yahoo Voices and Yahoo Contributors Network.  As of July 31, 2014, links to YCN will no longer work.

What does that mean to this blog?  Instead of links to Yahoo articles, you'll find the whole article here.  It also means that I'm going to have to up my blogging game.  You'll want to see more and better articles here. 

In short, this blog is going to have to grow up and sustain itself.  It should be fun and it should be a challenge.  I'm looking forward to it.

Vinyl Tip #1: Tips on Buying Vinyl at the Thrift Store

Tip #1:  Don't buy every album you find at the Thrift Store.

Shaun Cassidy was once the idol of America's elementary school girls.  But, I wouldn't buy this album if Goodwill paid me!

Thrift Store Find: Technics SA-222 Receiver

I found yet another bargain-priced receiver at Goodwill the other day.  It's a silver-faced Technics SA-222 Receiver that provides 30 watts per channel.  I had been having trouble with my even older Miida receiver and this one has a nice compact form factor.  It fits well on my dresser and powers my 50 watt Sony speakers quite nicely.  The controls are simple, you can preset a few radio stations, and hook up a phonograph or another auxiliary input.  This unit is simple and easy to use.  Plus, it was only $15 at the thrift store.

Technics SA-222 Receiver

Initially, I was overjoyed with my find.  However, like many thrift store finds, there turns out to be something wrong with this receiver.  The "Quartz Lock" feature of the radio tuner is out.  Thus, it will not seek, lock into, and receive any radio stations in stereo.  When I opt for mono reception, I get nice strong signals and the stations sound great.  It's not the biggest problem in the world, but it is a niggle.  The receiver works great as far as the phonograph goes.  It produces nice sound and powers my thrift store speakers perfectly.

Alas Poor Technics SA-222 your Quartz Lock does not Lock!

However, since I am not an electronics technician, niggles can be really annoying.  Even though I can't hear a problem, I know that it is there.  When I talk to an audiophile friend of mine, he makes it worse with one simple statement:

"You know--when you add up all these $15 to $40 receivers--you could have just bought yourself one nice, modern, receiver."

According to our HR department, strangling a co-worker is against company policy.  However, he does have a point.  While I do enjoy discovering new "old" stereo equipment and I'm really happy with my main system, a Technics SU-V76 amplifier and ST-S76 tuner, the niggles that I've had with other vintage finds are annoying.


Once we move again, I am going to have to bust out with the money for a nice, new, receiver for our bedroom system.  It won't have to cost a million bucks.  As long as the quartz lock works, I'll be ahead of the game.

Good Value Stereo: Sony 2-channel Receiver

If you are on a tight budget, you have to look at value.  If you are looking for a basic stereo for enjoying music, a basic 2-channel receiver from a reputable brand like Sony might be a good choice. For example, the Sony STRDH130 2 Channel Stereo Receiver produces a whopping 135 watts per channel.  That's enough to power a couple of very nice speakers.  It gets 4 stars on Amazon and isn't too expensive.


For many music lovers, a basic receiver is all you need to get started.  If you avoid becoming a bona fide audiophile, you can get years of enjoyment from a basic receiver. There is only one test. Does it sound good to you: Yes or No.