Sony MDR10RC Overhead Lightweight Folding Headphones - White

After going through two pairs of Sennheiser PX 200-II folding headphones in recent years due to them failing on me I was looking for an alternative that possibly offered better audio quality. I received these headphones and I am blown away with the audio quality. I use a pair of Sennheiser HD 499 headphones at home which cost just over £60 at the time and I would say these are a match for the quality at a lower price and more portable. The Sony MDR10RC have more bass than my other headphones but this is not at the cost of clarity and detail of higher end tones. I am hearing new details in songs that I am very familiar with which is a revelation in itself. They have far exceeded my expectations. The build quality is very good and they feel strong without being too heavy. The comfort is really good and I like the carry pouch it comes with. It has an additional pocket inside for the two tables you get (one with mic/smartphone support). I think it's nice that the cable can be removed as if you want a longer cable this is an option however the cable provided is just right if you are using these on the move as intended. I cannot recommend these headphones enough. Fantastic audio quality, great build quality, portable and comfortable. A quality product at a great price point.

I've been using these headphones for about a year and a half now. I bought them to replace my Sony MDR-ZX600 which I broke by tripping on the cable. The former were also my first 'serious' pair of headphones. Before that I had been using your average earbuds that come bundled with your phone. I also currently own the Superlux HD681 Evo. My overall opinion is that the Sony MDR-10RC can be a very good deal for the money but they also have some serious flaws. I got the black ones for 35 pounds but I've seen them go for as low as 30 and as high as 45. I'll start with the things I like about these headphones. The first thing that attracted me to them was the aesthetics. I think they look very stylish, not too plain but also not too flashy. I particularly liked the black variant with the red accents and that's the one I got. Looks are subjective of course but you can't deny that Sony put some care into making these headphones look nice. They are quite compact as well. You might be surprised of how small they are as the photos are a bit deceptive in this respect. The earcups are also quite small but they are on-ear headphones after all. The cushioning on them is very soft and it seems to be made of memory foam of some sort. They are collapsable and when you put them inside the pouch, you end up with a nice compact bundle that you can easily throw inside your bag and not worry about it. The cable is removable and and it plugs into the headphones via a standard 3.5mm jack. No proprietary locking mechanism. That was a major selling point for me. It means two things. Firstly, you can use just about any 3.5mm audio cable with them if you happen to break or lose the ones that are included or just if you want to use, say, a longer cable. You don't have to buy proprietary Sony cables. And secondly, if you happen to trip on the cable the jack will just pop out of the headphones so there is much less chance of the cable breaking in the first place. That's how I broke my previous pair of headphones, as I said above. Don't worry about the cable randomly unplugging when you don't want it to. It fits quite securely into the headphones. I take out the cable when I put the headphones into the pouch almost every time as well and the connector hasn't loosened much. The cables by the way are very hight quality and don't get tangled at all. The headphones also sound very good to my ears. Now, I'm no audiophile and I won't pretend that I am one. I listen to a lot of hard rock and metal but I try to listen to different things like, jazz, reggae, ska, blues, classical, and hip hop on occasion. I'd say the sound is rich and clear. One thing that stood out to me when I first got them is that the bass was more prominent compared to the Sony MDR-ZX600. It kind of seemed like too much with certain genres of music like jazz for instance. Over time I got used to the sound and I quite like it now. I think my Superlux headphones which are semi-open and which I use only at home sound more balanced but I'm perfectly satisfied with the sound quality of the Sony's. Now, on to the issues I have with them. Like many other people have pointed in their reviews, these headphone do not fit very snugly on your head. I can't quite put my finger on it but the design just doesn't work well. When I first started wearing them I always felt like they were about to fall of my head. They are not in fact that loose but that's how it felt. It took me a lot of time to get used to that and to find the perfect spot but after over a year of use they still don't feel secure on my head. I still takes me some time to adjust them every time I put them on. I don't actually fall off my head but they often need readjustment and the fit is never quite snug. Now, I got used to that over time and it doesn't bother me that much anymore. Unfortunately, I have another issue with the comfort. There is that specific spot on my left ear that tends to get sore even after an hour of wearing these headphones. However, I don't think it's necessarily the headphones fault in this case. My left earlobe is shaped slightly different than the right one. I can even see the difference in the imprint which it leaves in the cushioning of the cup. Nonetheless, that's a big issue for me and the main reason I'll be looking for a replacements when I can afford one. Like I said, I don't think it's the headphones fault in this case. They do feel loose on your head but that's a separate issue. I would't actually call them uncomfortable as the cushioning is otherwise pretty nice. Lastly, I want to address something which might be an issue people living in colder climates. Both the cushioning on the cups and the cable get very stiff in cold weather. Like I said I generally quite like the memory foam material of earpads but they get very uncomfortably hard during winter. When you combine that with the loose fit and the fact that my left earlobe gets easily sore after wearing them for some time, it makes the headphone very unpleasant for me to use during winter. The cable also become very difficult to handle. To conclude, there is a lot to like about the Sony MDR-10RC but there are some major cons as well. Sound quality and build quality are great for the price but there is a good chance that you will not find the comfort and the fit satisfactory. It would be best if you can try them on first. Or just make sure you ca return them if you are not satisfied. That was not an option for me because I imported them. I certainly wouldn't recommend them for jogging or working out but they are secure may enough for walking around the city as long as you find them comfortable otherwise. Also, if you live in a colder climate, you should look elsewhere.

Recently after having a set of Sennheiser PX100-ii's die which were in turn a replacement for PX100 I set about getting replacements. Only they don't make them now. I sent a tweet to Sennheiser asking what they had replaced with? A fellow twit replied it was either HD2.2 or HD2.3. So I went 2.3. No bass, or warmth to the sound! I wasted my money not a patch on the PX100. I Also got some Urbanista Seattle. Nice sound but too small for what I now realise is a huge head not helped by glasses. These though my girlfriend now has. I started to wonder if all headphones now had bass removed after being given some AKG K92's for my birthday for use at home. Rave reviews, but no idea why! Again no bass and lifeless. Then one day after a trip to Richer Sounds a fellow customer told me to get these Sony MDR10RC headphones. He described them as a grown ups Beats with full Hi Res support. I went home watched a fab you tube review where the reviewer called them murder 10's! A phrase I love and have started calling them myself. He called them his fave headphones at that time. So I took the plunge and ordered them off Amazon. When I got them and plugged them in all I can say is Wow! The sound is what I was after. There is kick your rear end bass, there is details and space to the sound. Everything I wanted. These are the best headphones I have had for years. I do also have a set of Sennheiser Urbanites that have a really good sound and some good bass, but also crush my head a little after a while. I would say the Sony's are better by a kilometre or ten for sound and fit! I love these headphones and at the price a bargain! They fit me well and do not crush my head and even though some reviews here have said they are loose and fall. Not so for me. I would not wear this kind of headset for sport so this is one area I would not test them, though for walking, moving and even dancing they are fab for me. They way the hinges and ear peices move at first makes you wonder if they are strong enough. But they are and this movement at hinges etc seems to add to their comfort. For a big headed 51 year old currently listening to Elbow these are fab!

I'll be brief. The sound for this price and form factor is good. Typical Sony house sound- slightly recessed mids, flatter treble and a mid-bass hump. Great with a mobile and easily driven. However, after trying these out at work all day then the day after my partner using them, we both found the headphones to fit awkwardly. For me the cups were too small to be comfortable and after an hour hurt my ears. My GF found the headband to be very loose and every time she nodded her head she had to re-adjust them. The price of £39 is what made me buy them and they are definitely worth this amount. Knowing these did cost around the £100 mark, I snapped them up impulsively. However, it ultimately didn't work out. Sound wise they're great and if they fitted well and were comfortable I'd have kept them. 4 stars for sound, 2 for comfort/ergonomics, 3 for build quality. So 3 Stars overall. Phil

So I took the plunge and purchased these with a free 30-day Amazon Prime trial, and I wasn't disappointed. As I began to unwrap them I knew I had bought a quality item, because even the packaging looked first class, if there can be such a thing. I was curious to see for myself if any of the negative reviews I had read matched my experience. With regards to them sliding off heads, they fitted me securely while sitting passively. I cannot comment on their suitability for using on the move as this is not my intention. The on-ear design provides enough insulation from external sounds to not be bothered by them. Going the other way, at an acceptable listening volume of 34%, there was no traceable sound detected outside of my cocoon. The sound is fully immersive with deep bass notes and sparkling high notes. I further enhance my listening experience with the tools within Windows Media Player. The build quality is really superb and the black version I ordered looks truly professional. Although the length of cord supplied (1.2m) is perfectly adequate when in close proximity to my device, I would prefer a longer cable to give me more freedom to change sitting location for example. I found the price point to be excellent value for this product.

I can't understand the 5 star reviews for these headphones - I would have been unhappy with these at £50, but I paid £135 or so - fortunately I could send them back. They are quite small for overhead phones and the first impression is wow - a big bass sound for small phones. After a few seconds that effect clears and you realize the bass is vague and over-done and that detail is missing from the full sound spectrum. Within a minute or so I always wanted to take them off. I tried them from an ipod and from an amp, tried "running them in" for 24 hours - still very mediocre. I compared them with a few other headphones I have - which were all preferable, mostly greatly so. Good headphones should reveal new details in familiar songs and leave you wanting to listen to more. These phones had the reverse effect. Perhaps mine were faulty but they looked well made (and packaged) and each earpiece/phone sounded the same (equally poor). Better phones I compared these against at home : a) my old Grado sr60's were much better (the new versions sr60i and sr80i are both cheaper too) b) Sony XBA4iP Premium Quality In-Ear Headphones - these are more expensive, but really good - better for sound and for noise isolation (being in-ear) and much smaller for travelling with - great on the bus etc. c) also from sony but cheaper : Sony MDR-V55 DJ Stereo Headphones - at under £40 - I actually prefer the sound of these over the sony MDR10RC - though they do not look quite as good. Oddly on mine I needed to apply wd40 to stop the joints creaking.

Great looking headphones, good middle tone quality, however it keeps falling down of head during the gym activities.

I've bought 2 pairs of these over the last few years; because the quality for the price cannot be knocked. The single drivers handle any and all audio very well, with a strong frequency response range. They are comfortable for long periods of use (which I regularly do, due to my job or travelling) What I like about these is that the audio output is NOT coloured or added to in ANY way. So, none of that annoying added base or excessive tinny brightness that other manufactures use that plagues some more expensive headphone models. After all, you want to hear the music as the artist intended you to hear it...and these headphones allow you to do that. For the price, they are excellent and until something better for the same price comes along; I will continue to buy these.