$9 Headphone Review: Sony MDR-ZX110

[tomtoo]

Taken in a shop under my house for € 10

Lets see if we can start a zx110 fan club or we all have to send them to @Amirm, and he will have the next 10 years the trouble to dispose them in a ecological way.

 

[HDavidson]

12€ at mediamarkt.de just ordered one and im so hyped to compare it to my focal clear, using armirm eq or autoeq on both

Ha! I have this headset Sony MDR-ZX on my work desk. I just used Amir's EQ. But added a shelving high filter at 10,000 Hz / + 5db for higher frequencies (not enough). It works quite a bit earlier. Balanced.


ps I also have Focal Clear to compare

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

Headphones. Why aren't they plug-and-play, no significant EQ required, yet considered OK with this shortcoming?

Well, they are.
I do not need EQ for my Clear. In fact, every time I tried, I disliked the end result and went back to "vanilla".

Whether that is me being incompetent at designing EQ curves or the can just hitting all the right buttons with my particular ears, I cannot say.
I do like a bass boost EQ for my DT-880 though, so it's not that I am adverse to the idea.

As for the car analogy: I think it is more "fine tuning of the interior & information display to your particular driving habits" than changing hardware.

 

[HDavidson]

I do not need EQ for my Clear. In fact, every time I tried, I disliked the end result and went back to "vanilla".

I prefer Focal Clear with equalization Oratory. Without hesitation.

 

[Feelas]

Well, they are.
I do not need EQ for my Clear. In fact, every time I tried, I disliked the end result and went back to "vanilla".

Whether that is me being incompetent at designing EQ curves or the can just hitting all the right buttons with my particular ears, I cannot say.
I do like a bass boost EQ for my DT-880 though, so it's not that I am adverse to the idea.

As for the car analogy: I think it is more "fine tuning of the interior & information display to your particular driving habits" than changing hardware.

Just two cents: you are, however, fully aware that you'd probably need at least about 2-3 weeks of acclimatization for new curve to set well in head? On/off EQ switching is nice for tweaks, but getting accustomed to a curve takes time.

 

[tomtoo]

Just two cents: you are, however, fully aware that you'd probably need at least about 2-3 weeks of acclimatization for new curve to set well in head? On/off EQ switching is nice for tweaks, but getting accustomed to a curve takes time.

Why i should get accustomed?

 

[bobbooo]

Hey I want to try the MH755 or MH1C but it seems that all the listings I can find are fake, where do you buy them from?

Try the MH750 instead - similar to the MH755 but actually with a usefully-lengthed cable (plus a handy remote/mic). I got mine from this eBay seller. Looks like they've doubled in price since I bought mine, but still at around $10 they're incredible value (they also used to come free with Xperia smartphones, think they might still do now Sony have brought back the headphone jack on their latest models, thank fudge).

Frequency response of the MH750 is quite close to the Harman target as measured by Oratory:

With his EQ settings to take out the touch of bass thickness they're brilliant, with very low distortion to boot (at 94dBSPL @500Hz as measured by Speakerphone/ClarityFidelity, complying with IEC/ITU standards):

Far lower than the simply awful bass/mids distortion of the MDR-ZX110 reviewed here, the distortion products of which could also creep into the treble. And that's not even considering their mediocre, bumpy stock frequency response and poor treble channel matching which makes effective EQing more difficult.

The MH755 has even cleaner mids/treble distortion than the MH750, some of the lowest I've seen (both likely entirely inaudible though):

Quite incredible, approaching the 0.01% @1kHz distortion of the $60,000 Sennheiser HE-1. Not bad for a $5 earphone!

These bargain Sony in-ears put 'high-end' IEM companies like Campfire Audio and their $1,000 'TOTL' Andromeda model's very wonky tonality to shame, and even supposedly better value offerings from Chinese Hi-Fi IEM companies like Moondrop and their multi-hundred dollar models.

 

[Feelas]

Why i should get accustomed?

I am not urging you to, just mentioning that the process is not instantenous and ear in itself is more sensitive to the differences towards something it knows for months and unless you give yourself time to acclimate, you're always going to change back, merely because of habits.
Anything after EQ-ing will sound strange for some time, just like new headphones do.

Try the MH750 instead - similar to the MH755 but actually with a useful length cable (plus a handy remote/mic). I got mine from this eBay seller. Looks like they've doubled in price since I bought mine, but still at around $10 they're incredible value (they also used to come free with Xperia phones, think they might still do now Sony have brought back the headphone jack on their latest models, thank fudge).

Frequency response of the MH750 is quite close to the Harman target as measured by Oratory:

View attachment 107074

With his EQ settings to take out the touch of bass thickness they're brilliant, with very low distortion to boot (94dBSPL @500Hz as measured by Speakerphone/ClarityFidelity, complying with IEC/ITU standards):

Far lower than the pretty awful bass/mids distortion of the MDR-ZX110 reviewed here, the distortion products of which could also creep into the treble.

The MH755 has even cleaner mids/treble distortion (some of the lowest I've seen):

Quite incredible, approaching the 0.01% @ 1 kHz distortion of the $60,000 Sennheiser HE-1. Not bad for a $5 earphone!

These bargain Sony in-ears put 'high-end' IEM companies like Campfire Audio and their $1000 'TOTL' Andromeda model's very wonky tonality to shame, and even supposedly good value offerings from Chinese Hi-Fi IEM companies like Moondrop and their multi-hundred dollar models.

I think that MH750's are easier to buy, since they've been sold with smartphones (I have mine from when I bought Z1 Compact), not only with the Walkman line. They actually suffer the same problems as K371s - they're very uncomfortable.

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

Just two cents: you are, however, fully aware that you'd probably need at least about 2-3 weeks of acclimatization for new curve to set well in head? On/off EQ switching is nice for tweaks, but getting accustomed to a curve takes time.

While that is indeed true, and something I observed when I repositioned my speakers for a test (sounded fine initially, after a week it was clear to me that the old positioning sounded better), it is only relevant if both test cases are close to the preference.

If you hit a frequency response your ears do not like, you know it pretty much immediately. No need to subject yourself to it for some weeks to confirm.

I also notice it when I turn Dirac Live on/off... eew now that's a jarring transition. After a few minutes though, I no longer want to listen to the speakers w/o it.

I prefer Focal Clear with equalization Oratory. Without hesitation.

Haven't tried that one, will give it a shot. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Feelas]

While that is indeed true, and something I observed when I repositioned my speakers for a test (sounded fine initially, after a week it was clear to me that the old positioning sounded better), it is only relevant if both test cases are close to the preference.

If you hit a frequency response your ears do not like, you know it pretty much immediately. No need to subject yourself to it for some weeks to confirm.

Well, must agree, an incorrect curve is very easy to spot. However, I've myself had severe problems when changing to K371s from very bright KNS-8400, thinking something's wrong, the muffled character was hard to listen to, very brittle and imaging was substandard. All of this disappeared at third-fourth week from using, which makes me think that it's really easy to buy into the whole burn-in nonsense when you don't account for head burn-in.

On the other hand, after EQ-ing the Clears, what was wrong that made you quit the EQ?

 

[Aerith Gainsborough]

On the other hand, after EQ-ing the Clears, what was wrong that made you quit the EQ?

I don't want to push this off-topic, so this will be the last response regarding the Clear. If you wish to discuss it further, we can PM.

Too much bass, loss of detail/clarity when I tried a Bass area EQ. Maybe my soundcard's internal amp could not cope with it correctly, I don't know.

 

[nhatlam96]

unless you give yourself time to acclimate, you're always going to change back, merely because of habits.

This is not always the case. In my experience, after using autoEQ on the Clear for two months I disabled it for testing purposes and never looked back. However, I would definitely give the new EQ or headphone some time for head burn in, because that's a real thing. First time Focal Clear was very intense, I felt like everything was pushed, but now it's more relaxed.

 

[pavuol]

Amir is like an "audio- philanthropist" with this kind of reviews, trying to bring "richer sounds" to poor people general public.

[at the same time he risks his own welfare, as he might be left out of some postcorona "elitist" audiophile parties with some delicious lobsters served.. ]

 

[tomtoo]

I am not urging you to, just mentioning that the process is not instantenous and ear in itself is more sensitive to the differences towards something it knows for months and unless you give yourself time to acclimate, you're always going to change back, merely because of habits.
Anything after EQ-ing will sound strange for some time, just like new headphones do.


I think that MH750's are easier to buy, since they've been sold with smartphones (I have mine from when I bought Z1 Compact), not only with the Walkman line. They actually suffer the same problems as K371s - they're very uncomfortable.

I dont think so, there is my hearing experience. I EQ to have the electronic at my hearing experience, not vice versa.

 

[bobbooo]

I think that MH750's are easier to buy, since they've been sold with smartphones (I have mine from when I bought Z1 Compact), not only with the Walkman line. They actually suffer the same problems as K371s - they're very uncomfortable.

To each their own, but those Sony in-ears are pretty comfortable for me if you use the right tips, for the limited use on the go they were designed for. And you can always get foam tips to increase comfort. For me, the only reason to spend any significant amount of money on in-ears is if you go for custom-molded IEMs. They just seem to disappear in your ears after a couple of minutes and can be worn for hours and hours without any discomfort, in addition to offering excellent passive noise isolation, which not only means your listening isn't disturbed, but actually seems to increase perceived audio fidelity due to less masking of details by environmental noise.

 

[pavuol]

What really bugs me with these headphones (and many other in budget segment, also from other mfg) is this horrible polyurethane (? or vinyl, rubber, whatever) coating of the ear cushions that inevitably wears off after some time. I get also a strong feeling it can negatively affect FR, does someone know? (in a manner it absorbs some frequencies, rather than reflect them.. or leaks them out rather than trap them inside.. bass?)

Spoiler: images from amazon user reviews:

 

[KTN46]

Given the distortion increase below 300hz, can I ask what makes you rate this headphone so highly? Is it because the low frequency performance doesn't matter much in the music you listen to? Or is it because lower frequency distortion is less noticeable? I'm not too familiar with the speaker world so I don't quite understand your comparison.

 

[HDavidson]

I don't want to push this off-topic, so this will be the last response regarding the Clear. If you wish to discuss it further, we can PM.

Too much bass, loss of detail/clarity when I tried a Bass area EQ. Maybe my soundcard's internal amp could not cope with it correctly, I don't know.

it's not me said

 

[tomtoo]

Given the distortion increase below 300hz, can I ask what makes you rate this headphone so highly? Is it because the low frequency performance doesn't matter much in the music you listen to? Or is it because lower frequency distortion is less noticeable? I'm not too familiar with the speaker world so I don't quite understand your comparison.

Dont think so, i have the impression @amirm is a little bit of a bass head. But cant wait to hear it.

 

[soundwave76]

Was this $9 headphone tested with the $9 dongle?

Easy there, Head-Fi will explode...