Sony is bringing back the headphones that shipped with the very first Walkman. The new MDR-3R keeps the look of the 1979 MDR-3, light, open and with those bright foam ear pads, but swaps the old headphone jack for a USB-C plug. It costs S$89 in Singapore, where pre-orders open today and sales start in December 2026. Sony has not announced a Malaysian price or date.
Quick facts
Contents
- Sony MDR-3R: S$89; MDR-3R Stranger Things Edition: S$129.
- Pre-orders open 6 November 2026 at Sony Store and Sony Store Online in Singapore, launch from December 2026. No Malaysian pricing announced.
- USB-C plug, built-in microphone for calls and an in-line remote. No battery, no pairing, no app.
- Same 23mm driver units as the original MDR-3, with both blue and orange ear pads in the box.
Sony MDR-3R: the 1979 design, kept
The original MDR-3 launched alongside the Walkman TPS-L2 in 1979 and helped make music something you carried outside. The MDR-3R keeps that design almost line for line: the thin metal band, the lightweight open-ear build and the blue and orange ear pads, which you can swap to suit your mood. Even the box and the instruction manual follow the original.
Sony's argument is that wired headphones are being rediscovered because they need nothing: no charging, no pairing and no updates. You plug them in and they play.
What changed for 2026
The plug is the big change. USB-C lets the MDR-3R connect directly to a phone or laptop that supports USB Audio Class 1.0. Sony notes that some devices or apps may need a setting changed, and it does not recommend using the MDR-3R with a Walkman.
It also adds a microphone for calls and an in-line remote. Inside, Sony rebuilt it around the same 23mm drivers as the MDR-3, tuning the sound slightly for modern listening while keeping the original's balanced character. About 25% of the plastic in the headphone body is recycled, and the retail box is plastic free.
If you would rather go wireless, our look at the Nothing Headphone (1) Pro is a very different and far pricier option.
The Stranger Things Edition
Sony is also releasing an MDR-3R Stranger Things Edition at S$129. It is inspired by the headphones Max wears in the Netflix series and by the show's Upside Down, with an engraved Stranger Things logo and its own packaging.
Price and availability
Both models are sold only through Sony Store and Sony Store Online in Singapore, from December 2026: S$89 for the MDR-3R and S$129 for the Stranger Things Edition. Sony has not said when, or whether, they will come to Malaysia. Last month Sony also refreshed its premium Walkman line-up, so the nostalgia push is clearly deliberate.
