Sony H Ear On Review | 93 Data compared

The ON-mag review evaluates the Sony h.ear on (MDR-100AAP) circum-aural, closed-back headphones, which were released for the 2015/2016 autumn/winter collection at an official price of 180 €. The reviewer highlights the sleek, carefully crafted design featuring aluminum ear cups available in five distinct colors (red, dusky pink, yellow, teal, or black). On the positive side (pros), the headphones deliver a real sense of luxury for their price bracket, utilizing reinforced metal elements in the hinges and sliders to improve longevity. They are highly functional for travel, offering a foldable design and a flat, detachable 1.2-meter cable equipped with a universal remote button and microphone. Additionally, despite having simple foam padding on the headband and ear cushions, the headphones provide correct comfort, balanced clamping pressure, good stability, and efficient passive noise isolation. However, the review points out several notable drawbacks (cons). The overall construction does not feel incredibly robust due to a somewhat thin headband. While the internal 40 mm titanium-anodized drivers provide an ample soundstage, the reviewer notes that the "Hi-Res" label feels exaggerated. The sonic performance is weighed down...

The Sony h.ear on MDR-100A is a stylish over-ear headphone praised primarily for its eye-catching aesthetic and exceptional comfort. Moving away from traditional utilitarian headphone looks, Sony offers this model in vibrant, uniform colors like cinnabar red, lime yellow, Bordeaux pink, and viridian blue. The physical build is remarkably lightweight at 8 ounces (227 grams) and features heavily padded ear cups alongside a flexible headband, ensuring a pain-free, comfortable fit over extended listening sessions. Structurally, it is designed with mobile users in mind, featuring titanium-coated 40 mm HD drivers, a detachable flat cable equipped with an inline remote and microphone for smartphone calls, and a folding mechanism that allows it to pack neatly into an included matching carrying pouch. From an audio perspective, the review notes that the MDR-100A delivers a very pleasant, smooth, and detailed sound profile with a balanced, neutral tone that does not suffer from overbearing or muddy bass. However, the headphones fall short of being a true "high-fidelity" or audiophile-grade product, lacking the wide soundstage, extreme transparency, and crisp treble extension found in similarly priced competitors....

The Sony MDR-100ABN is a closed-back, active noise-canceling wireless headphone priced at €249 that stands out primarily for its sleek, minimalist matte design and robust build quality. On the positive side, it offers an exceptionally comfortable fit at 290 grams, an impressive 20-hour battery life, and comprehensive high-definition codec support including SBC, AAC, aptX, and Sony's proprietary LDAC. Its audio performance delivers a well-balanced, dynamic sound signature across the bass and mid-tones, making it ideal for "easy listening," though the sound quality drops dramatically if used passively via the included, cheap-feeling jack cable without turning the power on. However, the headphones fall short in active noise cancellation (ANC) efficiency and user control ergonomics. The ANC technology is significantly less effective than its competitors like the Bose QC-35, failing to block out office chatter or heavy city traffic, and requiring higher music volumes to isolate the listener. Additionally, the integrated physical controls are poorly differentiated and non-intuitive to navigate by touch alone, and the device lacks a dedicated companion smartphone app for setting adjustments. Ultimately, while it is not a perfect...

The review of the Sony H.ear On Wireless NC (MDR-100ABN) by Les Numériques awards the headphones a 3 out of 5-star rating, highlighting a well-built but audio-compromised design. On the positive side, the review praises its strong 30-hour battery life, robust construction quality, comprehensive onboard controls, and easy pairing via Bluetooth and NFC. Ergonomically, the device is found to be space-saving and highly comfortable, presenting highly intelligible and clear vocals alongside convincing audio performance, specifically when the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is turned off. Conversely, the headphones face severe criticisms regarding their performance outdoors and with ANC active. The most significant flaw is that the external microphones pick up wind and air currents outdoors and feed them back into the speakers, creating a highly unpleasant listening experience. Furthermore, engaging the active noise cancellation severely distorts the sound profile into a heavy W-shaped signature that muddies the low-end and produces a slightly muffled treble. Additional drawbacks include ear overheating during long sessions, audio distortion in wireless mode, a non-removable battery, and a high Bluetooth latency of 210 ms that makes them...

The Sony MDR-100AAP is a comfortable, over-ear (circum-aural) Hi-Res Audio headset available in five vibrant colors, featuring elegant brushed aluminum earcups. It delivers a warm sound profile rich in detail, performing exceptionally well with uncompressed CD-quality and high-resolution files like FLAC. However, the heavy bass emphasis can easily become overwhelming and invasive, particularly on electronic or RnB tracks like Daft Punk's Get Lucky. Additionally, despite its premium high-resolution labeling, other standard competitors like the Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear achieve a similarly excellent audio quality without the marketing badge. Structurally, the headphones provide excellent noise isolation and long-term wearing comfort, though users may experience slight heat around the ears after extended use. A notable downside is the build quality; while the earcups are metal, the rest of the headband relies heavily on fragile plastic, compromising overall durability. Practicality is also hindered by a proprietary 4-contact audio cable connector that prevents replacement with standard third-party cables. Furthermore, the single-button inline remote lacks dedicated volume buttons, and its multi-press layout makes executing commands like skipping backward highly frustrating and prone to misinterpretation.

The Sony h.ear on MDR-100AAP headphones offer a comfortable, lightweight, and stylish over-ear design featuring balanced sound with clear mids, making them suitable for long listening sessions. Their portability is enhanced by a foldable design and tangle-free cable. However, the headphones are primarily constructed from plastic, which can feel less premium to some users. Furthermore, they suffer from poor noise isolation in loud environments and lack the treble sparkle found in more advanced models.

The Sony h.ear on (MDR-100A) is a comfortable, over-ear wired headphone featuring a solid plastic design, 40mm titanium-coated dome diaphragms, and an adjustable headband wrapped in leatherette ear cushions. Priced at CHF 229.00, it targets a younger demographic with its vibrant color selection and flawless construction. On the performance side, the device excels with an outstanding, perfectly balanced stereophonic soundstage, delivering clear vocals and precise, smooth bass with minimal distortion at high volumes. Additionally, it offers powerful noise isolation and incorporates a high-performing omnidirectional microphone that ensures clear voice transmission during calls. Pros & Cons Pros: Flawless build finish, exceptional comfort, excellent stereo imaging, clear vocals, precise bass, and a high-quality integrated microphone. Cons: Purists may notice a lack of sharpness when listening to jazz or classical genres, and the hardware lacks any built-in volume controls. Ultimately, the reviewer awards the headset a 4.0 out of 5 rating, noting that its competitive sound quality easily rivals headphones twice or three times its price.

The Sony MDR-100AAP (h.ear on) is a wired, over-ear headphone that targets a younger audience by balancing a vibrant, premium design with strong high-resolution audio performance at an affordable price point of around €150–€170. Built with a combination of rigid and flexible plastics featuring a metallic finish, the headphones feature an adjustable headband, memory foam ear cushions covered in synthetic leather, and a folding mechanism for compact storage. The review highlights its exceptional comfort during long listening sessions, evenly distributed pressure that does not interfere with eyeglasses, a secure fit that resists slippage, and an included flat, tangle-resistant detachable cable. In terms of audio quality, the 40mm HD drivers deliver an impressive, balanced sound profile with slightly boosted bass and clear mid-ranges, making them excellent for vocals, movies, and high-resolution FLAC files. However, the headphones come with several distinct disadvantages, primarily concerning functionality and physical limitations. The integrated single-button inline remote lacks volume control, forcing users to manually pull out their smartphones to adjust the sound level. Additionally, while the cable is detachable, the proprietary jack design makes finding third-party...

The Sony h.ear on MDR-100AAP is a closed-back, circum-aural (over-ear) wired headphone released as part of Sony's 2015/2016 autumn/winter collection with an official price tag of 180 €. Weighing in at a lightweight 220 grams, the review highlights its carefully sculpted aesthetic, clean lines, and high-quality finishes available in a variety of vibrant colors. The review serves as an introductory overview confirming that while Sony prioritized striking visual appeal to make a fashion statement, they did not compromise on audio performance, delivering a product that balances style with substance. YouTube· Analyzing the core features of the product reveals a distinct set of pros and cons. The primary pros include its lightweight and highly portable folding design, excellent comfort for extended casual listening, and a well-engineered structure that offers great aesthetic finishes without sacrificing sound quality. On the downside, the cons tied to this specific model are the lack of active noise cancellation (ANC)—as it relies entirely on a traditional wired connection—and an official retail price that positions it on the slightly expensive side for a casual, wired-only headphone market.

The Sony h.ear on (MDR-100A) is a wired over-ear headphone designed with a solid, sleek plastic frame and a foldable headband that fits small to large heads comfortably. It delivers a smooth, precise, and powerful audio experience with a wide soundstage and excellent stereo separation, ensuring low distortion even at high volumes. The memory foam ear cushions provide solid comfort and reliable passive noise isolation for daily environments, though they struggle to block out heavy ambient noise like subways. Additionally, the detachable flat cable features a multi-platform remote button and a functional microphone. However, the headphones suffer from several design and audio limitations. On the audio side, the sound lacks impact and punch, the treble reproduction is imperfect, and the low-end bass is noticeably weak, making them a poor choice for bass enthusiasts. Physically, the ear pads trap significant heat over time and are difficult to remove. The headphones also lack a native volume control on the cable, and the proprietary 3.5mm jack socket prevents users from replacing the cord with standard aftermarket cables. Finally, the outer shell coating is...

The Sony MDR-100ABN (h.ear on Wireless NC) is a well-built, comfortable, and minimalist circum-aural Bluetooth headphone that offers effective active noise cancellation (ANC) and high-quality sound for around €280. It features an intuitive controls setup, stable headband construction with generous memory foam padding, and versatile connectivity including NFC pairing, aptX, and Sony’s proprietary high-resolution LDAC codec. The performance is highly dynamic in active mode, delivering clean separation across all frequencies and a broad soundstage suitable for prolonged listening during commutes and flights. Additionally, it boasts a solid battery life of approximately 20 hours when using both Bluetooth and ANC, and includes a protective zipped carrying case. However, the headphone has notable drawbacks, particularly regarding its volume buttons, which lack texture/relief and require heavy pressure that can awkwardly push the unit off the ears. The ANC system, while comfortable and free of ear-pressure sensations, still falls short of market leaders like Bose since passing external voices can still be heard unless the volume is turned up. Sound quality drops drastically in passive (powered-off) wired mode, becoming flat and muffled with choked...

The Labo Fnac review of the Sony MDR-100AAP h.ear On closed-back, over-ear wired headphones awards the product a moderate technical score of 3 out of 5 stars. On the positive side, the headphones deliver a stellar acoustic performance in frequency response, scoring 8.7 out of 10 for reproducing sound fields with great fidelity and minimal distortion. Additionally, they score a perfect 10 out of 10 for sound leakage (perturbation), meaning users can listen to their music at high volumes without disturbing nearby neighbors. The build also excels in functional design, offering a lightweight 232.3-gram foldable frame, high comfort (scoring 8 out of 10), an integrated microphone, and direct Lightning-port compatibility for iPhone users. Conversely, the review highlights significant drawbacks regarding physical acoustics and external noise management. The headphones struggle heavily with ambient audio control, receiving a mediocre 5.2 out of 10 score for sound isolation. This indicates that both active and passive barrier features fail to effectively block background environmental noise. Furthermore, overall harmonic distortion scored low at 5.2 out of 10, with specific bass distortion weaknesses tracking at 80...