It’s pretty ingenious of Sony to name the latest audio headphone series as “h.ear”. The in-ear series are “h.ear in” while the on-ear series are “h.ear on”. To match the new colourful Sony Walkman A-series, the h.ear products come with identical set of matching colours. Here I have the MDR-100AAP.
As you can see, the entire headphones are in unison colour, from the ear cushions to the cables, even the metal headband and the soft carrying pouch. If you want to be fashionably seen, this is the series to don.
Sound-wise, the MDR-100AAP is tuned with recessed treble and responsive bass presence. This means you won’t get excessively forward treble nor overly heavy bass. At loud volumes, you can still enjoy high-frequency tones comfortably while retaining the sparkle. The drawback is that vocals might not sound intimate enough. This is nicely balanced by detailed mids, which the MDR-100AAP amazingly brings out amid the usual highs and lows.
When I compared with the Philips Fidelio X2, the MDR-100AAP turns out to have a heavier bass and less sparkle treble, while delivering a cosier sound. I would say that Sony has correctly tuned it for urban use: a stronger but not overwhelming bass to counter the urban noises, a clear but recessed treble to reduce ear fatigue, and forward mids to give balance with audio details.
The earpads do not offer total noise isolation, but once music is played, it will cover up the ambient noises. For MDR-100AAP, the earpads cup over my ears comfortably, and loud volumes do not drive too much pressure on my ears. The detachable cable has a mic and a button to start-stop audio or answer calls. Thanks to the flat cable design, you will never have problems getting it tangled.
Verdict
With various colour options, the Sony MDR-100AAP has a fun outlook, offers a balanced listening pleasure with mid-range details and good bass feel. It is foldable, plus the tangle-free cable, making it a fabulous music companion on the go. Retails at S$249 at the usual Sony authorised stores.
Specs
Type: Closed, dynamic, circum-aural
Driver Unit: 40mm, dome type (CCAW voice coil)
Frequence Response: 5 – 60,000 Hz
Sensitivity: 103dB/mW
Maximum Input: 1500 mW
Impedence: 24 ohms at 1kHz
Cord Length: 1.2m
Weight: 220g
Colour: Red, Pink, Black, Yellow, Blue
