Reviewed in the United States on January 29, 2023
IN SHORT
> Great for the price. Very good sound quality. Very well designed. Comfortable.
COMPARED TO EARBUDS
> For most uses, mostly listening to audiobooks, I use Panasonic ErgoFit earbuds-HJE120K or Sony MDR-EX15LP earbuds. In comparison, I was blown away with the much greater base response of the Sony ZX headphones -- even though I was expecting the fuller base (which indeed was my reason for buying the Sony XZ headphones to replace a pair of Sony headphones which were falling apart after 20 years of use). The greater dynamic range adds a dimension to most music, even for music which has little base.
> GIVE THEM A CHANCE -- My first impression was poor -- they sounded muddy. Then I remembered that I've had similar first impressions of some other new headphones. It takes a while, maybe 12 hours of use, to "break in" some earphones or headphones (and/or there may be some rewiring going on inside your cranium, i.e., "learning"). So, don't be misled by immediate reactions posted by some other reviewers --- nor your own first impression.
> After 12 hours of use (and now, about a year later), the mid-tones are still a little muddy, at least to my aging ears, in the music I listen to (Enya, folk, classical)--- a little smothered by the base. I need to reduce the base by using a graphic equalizer (such as in Windows Media Player, or built into some devices) for almost any music to sound best to me---but that's generally true of high quality earphones. That is, audiophile headphones have a "flat response"---meaning that they reproduce what was recorded, as is was recorded, without emphasizing the base, midtones, nor high notes. For listening, adjustment is often necessary. If you've never used an equalizer, you'll be stunned by the difference that slight adjustments can make.
FOLDABLE
> Folds flat (to about 1" thick X 4" X 6"). Some other foldable headphones fold into balls, which are not easily carried in a pocket.
CORD
> The cord is 4' and a few inches long. For me, that is long enough to reach my computer audio plug (but, I added a 1' extension to make it easier). However, in my opinion, the cord is much too long to connect to a cell phone, etc. in your pocket. I'd prefer that the cord plugged into the headphones, so that I could simply purchase cords of the appropriate length.
> ASIDE --- if the sound is scratchy when you move the plug, or otherwise suddenly deteriorates, the problem may be a bad connection. A tiny bit of cheap silicon grease, well spread, can do wonders to improve any electrical connections---particularly low voltage connections---anything battery or USB powered.
> The plug is L-shaped, angled at 90 degrees, unfortunately. That means that it won't "cleanly" connect to an extension. If you pull on the cord, you won't easily pull it out the socket, but you will put on strain on the cord where the plug attaches, and potential damage the cord. In my experience, this is how most headphones fail. So, I consider the angled plug a negative feature, and another reason that replaceable cords are desirable. {{Well, actually, my Senegal parrot is the main cause of failure of my earbuds and headphones, but that's a different story.}}
CUSHIONS AND COMFORT
> The cushions do not look impressive nor luxurious -- but they are very functional. They are quite comfortable --- essentially unnoticeable -- and they easily stay in place for many hours of listening. The "crinkled-tissue" surface material and the flat design help grip the ears lightly without concentrating pressure. In comparison, I've used other headphones with cushions which, least at first, gave the impression of greater luxury --- but, I remember some headphones which would not stay in place, and gave me sore ears after a half-hour or so. Not the Sony ZX headphones, they stay in place and I can wear them all day long without getting sore ears.
> The tightness is not adjustable, so the Sony ZX headphones might be loose on small heads.
> How you wear the headset can make a difference on the quality of the sound. Although that's probably dependent on the size and shape of your ears. For me, if I pull the "legs" out a little, so that the headset is barely touching the top of my head, and the earphones are angled a little bit upward into my ears, the sound is best. I use black gaffer's tape to hold the legs at my preferred adjustment. I suspect that wearing the headset this way that I'm getting more "bone conduction" and therefore richer undertones.
> Part of the comfort equation is that the whole headset is very light – it’s not going to press down painfully on the top of your head. You won’t have to adjust the tightness too tight (IF you could adjust the tightness) to hold the headphones in place.
CAVEAT
> (Apparently obligatory if you want to be taken seriously) "Of course, more expensive headphones, deliver higher (audiophile) quality." Yeh, sure. In an era when almost everyone is listening to highly compressed mp3, or even more compressed streamed music. I doubt that more than 1 in 100 people, maybe 1 in 1000, can tell the difference between these headphones and "audiophile" headphones --- and even then, only when listening to high-quality uncompressed recordings. But where are you going to find uncompressed recordings? -- audio CDs are practically extinct (not to mention that vinyl freaks complain that audio CDs are over-compressed). SUGGESTION -- If you've got a CD player, listen to a well-mastered recording, and then try listening to the highly-compressed streamed-crap version of the same music.
> RECOMMENDATIONS
> For most people, instead of fretting about audio quality, consider other features which may be important to you, such as a plug-in cord, wi-fi, adjustable headband tension, noise cancellation, etc. I'm not saying that you need these features --- I'm just saying that IF you do, then they may be valid reasons to look at other brands and models. If looking at other models, don't forget to consider foldability, and ear cushion comfort.
> If you just want good sound (for music) at a good price, you can stop here. For voice (telephone conversations, audiobooks, podcasts, etc.) or when using a battery-powered device, I recommend considering earbuds instead. Sony MDR-EX15LP earbuds are cleaner, clearer and crisper in the voice-range, without fiddling with an equalizer. The Sony MDR-EX15LP earbuds (or Panasonic Ergofit) also provide better isolation (you hear less of the ambient noise around you). Also, the earbuds draw much less juice -- that is, your battery will last MUCH longer.
ASIDE---WHY?
> There is a direct relationship between the size of a speaker and the sound waves it can best produce. Decades ago, even in home systems, base speakers (woofers) were 2 feet in diameter. Tweaters 1 1/2 inches across were used for high notes, with various size speakers in between for mid-ranges. It is extraordinary that headphones can reproduce base at all, and an engineering miracle that earbuds can produce even a hint of base. But still, the underlying physics remains. So, most audiophiles will insist on 50mm "drivers" in headsets --- the Sony ZX driver are nominally 35mm diameter -- much smaller. But "big drivers" means bigger, much heavier, magnets -- so you have to wear the headphones tighter, and therefore get sore ears. Google it -- there are dozens of websites about how to cope with "headphone ear pain" -- but the best solution, for most people, is to wear lighter headphones, such as Sony ZX headphones.
> Also (grossly over simplifying), different frequencies of sound interfere with each other, especially on the cone (or emitting surface) of speaker. In fact, on multiple speaker setups (with tweeters, midtone speakers, woofers, and sometimes subwoofers), frequencies outside the optimal range for the particular speaker are filtered out before they get to the speaker -- so the mid-tone speaker does not get high frequency signals nor base signals. So, if a speaker (such as an earbud) inherently has a minimal base response, the mid-tones will be cleaner and clearer. If you object, "I hear base on my earbuds" --- well sorta, but that's a magnified base with little detail, and never the undertones that you feel more than hear. So (all other things being equal -- which is never the case): earbuds for voice, headphones for music, headphones with large drivers for audiophile quality sound (if you can tolerate the sore ears). In real life, it isn't so clear.
> Keep in mind that, for most people, headphones are "bling" --- a fashion accessory, where prestige is the most important consideration, and the headphones are priced accordingly. The sound quality, comfort, etc. of "fashionable headphones" is often a secondary, or tertiary, consideration. Sony ZX headphones make the statement that, "I am a practical person who doesn't care about fashion". If that describes you, and music quality is important to you, and the mix of features fit your needs, then Sony ZX headphones are a an excellent choice for you among headphones priced under $200, and Sony ZX probably delivers higher audio quality than many $200 headphones.
> SONY -- In my limited experience, Sony design and execution is uniformly top notch. Not the fad-of-the-moment feature in every model---but a good balance of features in every model. Not the best possible at ANY cost --- but rather, the best quality at the target price -- and often (or usually) very competitive with much more expensive products from other brands. Not necessarily "better" than another brand or model --- because the mix of features, aesthetics, and personal preferences can matter. But, if I had to purchase an audio gift for someone (not knowing their exact preferences), or if I had to grab an audio product when running through an airport for my own use, it would be Sony every time.
NOISE CANCELLATION
> The Sony ZX headphones do NOT feature noise cancellation, and you don't need it just for listening to music. Beware also that so-called "noise cancellation" means at least four different things. "Noise cancellation" is mostly a highly-abused "buzz word" which is used in advertising copy --- usually deceptively.
> The "noise cancellation" touted for most earbuds is really just passive isolation -- which the Sony MDR-EX15LP earbuds (or Panasonic Ergofit, etc) provide. The wifi earbuds for Apple and Samsung phones etc (round balls on sticks, without the cup-shaped rubber cushions) do NOT provide significant passive isolation.
--> The Sony ZX headphones provide little passive isolation. Some other brands and models are better, but at the "price" of large heavy cup-shaped cushions which enclose your entire ear.
> The "noise cancellation" touted for those "round balls on sticks" wifi earbuds, is really anti-feedback circuitry -- which is necessary only because the microphone and the speaker are not significantly separated -- but otherwise, the circuitry provides little, if any, noise cancellation. If you have earbuds with good passive isolation, and the microphone is several inches away from the earbuds (always the case with wired earbuds), you don't need (and won't get) anti-feedback circuitry.
> The "noise cancellation" touted for many headsets is really the addition of "white noise" on top of the ambient noise, and on top of whatever it is that you want to listen to. This is cheap and actually works fairly well (about half as good you'd like it to work), when combined with passive isolation, in noisy environments. I use such a set for air travel. But, in my experience, it gives me a sick headache after a few hours.
> True "noise cancellation", more fully called "active noise cancellation" is limited, and is usually very expensive. It is good for low frequency constant or repetitive noise, such as aircraft engines, but is of no help at all for screaming children or other random noises. Caveat, just because the advertising copy claims "active noise cancellation", does not mean that you actually get "active noise cancellation". It's kinda like "organic strawberries" from South America. No-one is enforcing "organic" standards for foreign produce. With electronics, it comes down to trusting the brandname. Especially in electronics, there are very few brandnames that are trustworthy anymore. To the best of my knowledge, Sony is one of the few trustworthy brandnames left.
