Headphones are an investment. The pricier they are, the more feature-filled and premium they are, as demonstrated by upmarket models like the category-leading Sony WH-1000XM5. But not all of us have $400 to splurge on Sony headphones. Thankfully, you don’t have to go broke to get Sony sound. Take the $20 Sony ZX Series, for example.
Are these a super-cheap alternative to Sony’s flagship noise-canceling headphones? Absolutely not. The ZX series doesn’t have active noise cancellation or any of the bells and whistles featured on most brand offerings priced above $50. They’re also wired.
So what exactly makes these $20 headphones special? I had to hear for myself, and what I heard was engaging sound with deep bass and dynamic frequency range that many affordable options fail to match. Let me tell you why the Sony ZX headphones are my favorite budget headphones.
These wired headphones are a terrific value for brand enthusiasts that want rich bass-heavy sound at an unbeatable price.
How I found the Sony ZX Series Wired On-Ear Headphones
An Amazon ad on Facebook introduced me to the product. Sony headphones for under $20 sound like a steal, so I reached out to the company and was sent the MDR-ZX110AP (with mic) in black.
My experiences with Sony headphones have been satisfying. I’m in agreement with our editors about the WH-1000XM5 being the best over-ear headphones overall. The recently launched $150 Sony WH-CH720N are also brilliant and deliver near-flagship sound and noise cancellation for a bargain. Now, I can add the ZX Series to the company’s list of top performers.
Why they’re a score
The MDR-ZX110AP won’t blow you away with hair-raising bass or immersive audio like Sony’s more expensive models. However, they sound superior to most sub-$100 wired headphones.
Sound is flat right out of the box, but well-balanced. The emphasized low-end gives music an energetic presence. I was rocking out to Kool & The Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging” and loved the reverberation that came from the funky bass line. It was impactful and didn’t bloat up the soundscape. The guitar strums had a nice effect to them. Horns were vibrant. Even the shouting vocals on the hook sounded clean enough to hear the different background harmonies.
Sound quality was great on Apple Music and Spotify, but the headphones couldn’t handle Tidal’s hi-res recordings. MQA tracks (Master Quality Authenticated) engineered for high resolution sounded like standard tracks on Spotify. Pairing the MDR-ZX110AP with a portable DAC (digital-to-analog converter) boosted performance on all streaming services. Clarity and volume increased, and details were more transparent on MQA tracks. My choice of DAC was the Questyle M15 for its portable convenience and superb Hi-Fi audio on mobile devices, though the headphones will work with any DAC.
The controls are basic, with a multifunctional button module built into the wire. A single press will play/pause music or answer/decline calls, while a double press skips a track and triple press plays the previous track. Holding down the button enables the digital assistant. You read that correctly: These headphones work with Siri or Google Assistant. This is the main reason for buying the mic version. I tested the feature on my MacBook Pro and OnePlus 11 and both Apple and Google’s AI bots executed voice commands with ease.
Comfort was adequate. There isn’t much padding on the earcups or headband, but what’s there provides enough cushioning to wear the headphones sporadically throughout the day. I like that the ear pads can be swapped out for third-party pads. You’ll want to keep these bookmarked in case Sony’s pads start to deteriorate or you want to customize the MDR-ZX110AP’s look; black headphones with white earpads are stylish.
On-ear headphones have a poor reputation when it comes to noise isolation. By design, they don’t cover the entire ear, leaving room for external sounds to enter your music. The MDR-ZX110AP don’t completely block out noise, but they don’t let in a whole lot either. I didn’t hear much ambient noise when listening to music on my balcony. Conversations near the pool area were mostly silent. Occasionally, I’d hear a dog barking from another balcony or some minor construction in the garden, but nothing too distracting.
I could nitpick several other things about the MDR-ZX110AP, from the cheap plastic design to the lack of a carrying bag. These are unfair criticisms when factoring in price. What I will complain about is wire durability. It’s not terrible, but it could have been executed better. The bottom part is dual-wired, then it splits somewhere in the middle to connect to each earcup. One rough yank will rip them out.
Besides that, the MDR-ZX110AP prove their worth, which is higher than their MSRP implies. Connecting them to an affordable DAC is a practical solution for audiophiles wanting more sound from these cans without breaking the bank. Simply stated, they’re impressive headphones that serve well as a backup pair when your primary wireless headphones break or need recharging.
