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Scored using Headphones Methodology v1.0
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Products in this category are scored under Frontum Headphones Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
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Sony MDR IF245rk Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£45Form factor:on-earConnectivity:wirelessBattery life:28 hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

Sony MDR IF245rk Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

Sony MDR IF245rk
5.5/10

Overall score

Score
5.5/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 86% of models
Score components

80%

5.1

Technical score

20%

7.5

User score

â–¼Worse than 86% of headphones
6.9

Value for money

Value for money
6.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 79% of models
Score components

70%

5.5

Overall score

30%

10

Price

â–¼Worse than 79%
5.1

Technical score

Technical score
5.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 91% of models
Score components

52%

5.1

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

6.8

Design

8%

6.0

Connectivity

6%

4.4

Battery

4%

5.0

Calls & Controls

â–¼Worse than 91%
7.5

User score

User score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 76% of models
Score components

70%

7.2

User ratings

30%

8.0

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
â–¼Worse than 76%
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Where to buy
*As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Sony MDR IF245rk

Technical score
Technical score
5.1/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 91% of models
Score components:

52%

5.1

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

6.8

Design

8%

6.0

Connectivity

6%

4.4

Battery

4%

5.0

Calls & Controls

5.1
User score
User score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 76% of models
Score components

70%

7.2

User ratings

30%

8.0

Number of reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
7.5
Popularity
Popularity
8.0/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 77% of models
Popularity:
Sony MDR IF245rk has a popularity score of 8 points, which is higher than that of 76.6% of products in this category.
8.0
Value for money
Value for money
6.9/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 79% of models
Score components:

70%

5.5

Overall score

30%

10

Price

6.9
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
no
This pair of headphones does not support active noise cancellation. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
dynamic
Driver size
40 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 40 mm, larger driver size than 28.6% of headphones and equal to 53.3% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
10 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 10 Hz, lower lowest frequency than 67.2% of headphones and equal to 12.6% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not support a noise-canceling microphone. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
no
This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while 15.1% is. 84.9% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
0
Market range: <0 – >4
This pair of headphones has 0 microphones, fewer microphones than 73.2% of headphones and equal to 26.9% of headphones.
Boom microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not include a boom microphone. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
N/A
Show more
Connectivity
wireless
This pair of headphones supports wireless connectivity, more flexible connectivity than 50.8% of headphones and equal to 49.2% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
0 ms
Market range: <40 ms – >222 ms
This pair of headphones has audio latency of 0 ms, lower audio latency than 99.7% of headphones and equal to 0.3% of headphones.
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
Show more
Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
no
This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants. 60.9% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
28 hours
Market range: <10 hours – >70 hours
This pair of headphones offers battery life of 28 hours, lower battery life than 54% of headphones and equal to 0.7% of headphones.
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
24 hours
Market range: <1.5 hours – >3.5 hours
This pair of headphones needs 24 hours to charge, higher charging time than 99.9% of headphones and equal to 0.1% of headphones.
Quick charge
?
Battery capacity
700 mAh
Market range: <290 mAh – >1k mAh
This pair of headphones has a battery capacity of 700 mAh, higher battery capacity than 66.4% of headphones and equal to 3.7% of headphones.
Show more
Brand name
Sony
Form factor
on-ear
Weight
200 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 200 g, lighter than 54.5% of headphones and equal to 1.7% of headphones.
Acoustic design
open-back
Clamp force
?
Show more

Sony MDR IF245rk vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • 150 ms lower audio latency
    This pair of headphones has a lower audio latency than the average pair of headphones (0 ms vs 150 ms). The average headphones have audio latency of 150 ms.
    0 ms vs 150 ms
  • More flexible connectivity
    This pair of headphones offers more flexible connectivity than the average pair of headphones (wireless vs wired). The average headphones support wired connectivity.
    wireless vs wired
  • 8 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (10 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    10 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • On-device controls
    This pair of headphones includes on-device controls, the average pair of headphones does not. 46.8% of headphones support on-device controls.
  • Dongle included
    This pair of headphones includes a dongle, the average pair of headphones does not. 4.6% of headphones include a dongle.
  • Sidetone support
    This pair of headphones supports sidetone, the average pair of headphones does not. 25.3% of headphones support sidetone.
  • 4,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (24,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    24,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • Removable battery
    This pair of headphones has a removable battery, the average pair of headphones does not. 7.8% of headphones have a removable battery.
  • 8 Hz lower bass extension
    This pair of headphones has a lower lowest frequency than the average pair of headphones (10 Hz vs 18 Hz). The average headphones reach a lowest frequency of 18 Hz.
    10 Hz vs 18 Hz
  • 4,000 Hz higher treble extension
    This pair of headphones has a higher highest frequency than the average pair of headphones (24,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz). The average headphones reach a highest frequency of 20,000 Hz.
    24,000 Hz vs 20,000 Hz
  • Removable battery
    This pair of headphones has a removable battery, the average pair of headphones does not. 7.8% of headphones have a removable battery.
  • Rechargeable battery
    This pair of headphones has a rechargeable battery, the average pair of headphones does not. 47.9% of headphones have a rechargeable battery.
  • 150 ms lower audio latency
    This pair of headphones has a lower audio latency than the average pair of headphones (0 ms vs 150 ms). The average headphones have audio latency of 150 ms.
    0 ms vs 150 ms
  • More flexible connectivity
    This pair of headphones offers more flexible connectivity than the average pair of headphones (wireless vs wired). The average headphones support wired connectivity.
    wireless vs wired
  • Dongle included
    This pair of headphones includes a dongle, the average pair of headphones does not. 4.6% of headphones include a dongle.
  • On-device controls
    This pair of headphones includes on-device controls, the average pair of headphones does not. 46.8% of headphones support on-device controls.
  • Sidetone support
    This pair of headphones supports sidetone, the average pair of headphones does not. 25.3% of headphones support sidetone.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 22 hours longer charging time
    This pair of headphones has a higher charging time than the average pair of headphones (24 hours vs 2 hours). The average headphones need 2 hours to charge.
    24 hours vs 2 hours
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • Fixed cable
    This pair of headphones has a fixed cable, while the average pair of headphones has a detachable one. 62% of headphones have a detachable cable.
  • Not headset-ready
    This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while the average pair of headphones is. 84.8% of headphones can be used as headsets.
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1
  • Tangle-prone cable
    This pair of headphones uses a tangle-prone cable, while the average pair of headphones is easier to manage. 64.2% of headphones use a tangle-free cable.
    no tangle-free listening cable is present or specified.
  • No travel bag
    This pair of headphones does not include a travel bag, the average pair of headphones does. 65.4% of headphones include a travel bag.
  • 5.7% worse value for money
    Sony MDR IF245rk has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (6.87 vs 7.3).
    6.87 vs 7.27
  • 7.4% lower user score
    User score
    7.5/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
    When it matters
    When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
    Score distribution
    ▼▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Sony MDR IF245rk
    the average pair of headphones
    Sony MDR IF245rk has a lower user score than the average pair of headphones (7.45 vs 8).
    7.45 vs 8
  • Fixed cable
    This pair of headphones has a fixed cable, while the average pair of headphones has a detachable one. 62% of headphones have a detachable cable.
  • Tangle-prone cable
    This pair of headphones uses a tangle-prone cable, while the average pair of headphones is easier to manage. 64.2% of headphones use a tangle-free cable.
    no tangle-free listening cable is present or specified.
  • No travel bag
    This pair of headphones does not include a travel bag, the average pair of headphones does. 65.4% of headphones include a travel bag.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 22 hours longer charging time
    This pair of headphones has a higher charging time than the average pair of headphones (24 hours vs 2 hours). The average headphones need 2 hours to charge.
    24 hours vs 2 hours
  • Not headset-ready
    This pair of headphones is not headset-ready, while the average pair of headphones is. 84.8% of headphones can be used as headsets.
  • 1 fewer microphones
    This pair of headphones has fewer microphones than the average pair of headphones (0 vs 1). The average headphones have 1 microphones.
    0 vs 1
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • 4 older release date
    This pair of headphones was released earlier than the average pair of headphones (2012 vs 2016). The average headphones were released in 2016.
    September 2012
    2012 vs 2016

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Hands-on video, no verdict

Third-party reviews

Based on ratings from across the web.
Reviews last updated: November 2026 · How we calculate this

What customers like about Sony MDR IF245rk

  • Lightweight and comfortable design for extended listening sessions
  • Convenient self-adjusting headband that requires no manual fitting
  • Reliable rechargeable NiMH battery providing up to 28 hours of use
  • Simple setup for home entertainment systems with multiple connection options like RCA and 3.5mm
  • On-device rotary volume control for quick and easy adjustments

What customers don't like about Sony MDR IF245rk

  • Limited transmission range of 8 meters that requires a clear line of sight to the base
  • Susceptible to static interference or signal loss if the infrared beam is obstructed
  • Sound quality is often described as average or lower compared to modern radio frequency or Bluetooth alternatives
  • Lacks modern features like active noise cancellation or a dedicated mobile app
  • Foam ear pads may cause overheating after several hours of wear

Verdict

The Sony MDR-IF245RK is a lightweight, on-ear infrared cordless stereo headphone system designed for home audio, featuring 40mm drivers and a 10-24,000 Hz frequency response with a 30mm thick ear pad design. Key advantages include an impressive 60-hour battery life (via NiMH pack), a 200g comfortable design with self-adjusting headband, and a 26-foot (8-meter) line-of-sight range. Potential limitations include required direct line-of-sight for audio, a slow 24-hour charging time, and limited range compared to modern RF or Bluetooth technologies.

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