Sony Unveils New In-Ears and Circumaural Headphones at IFA 2013
Included in Sony's slavo of product releases at IFA 2013 are a few personal audio products. These include the in-ear Sony XBA-H, which sports a hybrid driver unit that includes both dynamic driver and balanced armature technology, and the MDR-10R range of circumaural headphones.
Sony has been quite busy at IFA 2013. They have already unveiled a thin, new tablet and a new flagship smartphone. To this they have added a range of new headphones and earphones.
The Sony MDR-10R Headphones
The Sony MDR-10R headphones are a range of circumaural, closed back headphones which are part of an extended series of products that includes the older MDR-1R. We have already had a chance to look at the vanilla model, namely the Sony MDR-10R and dissected its performance as well as shed light on its various aspects and features, such as High Resolution Audio.
The other models in this range include the MDR-10RC, which is a foldable and compact pair of headphones meant to appeal to travelers. The Bluetooth enabled headphones with NFC support is called the MDR-10RBT which the MDR-10RNC comes with noise cancelling features.
Full specifications of the headphones can be found below.
Mode | Sony MDR-10R | Sony MDR-10RC | Sony MDR-10RBT | Sony MDR-10RNC |
High Resolution Audio | Yes | Yes | Yes (in passive mode) | No |
Color | Black, White | Black, White, Red | Black | Black |
Receiver Type | Closed, Dynamic | Closed, Dynamic | Closed, Dynamic | Closed, Dynamic |
Driver Unit | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm | 40mm |
Wearing Style | Around-Ear | On-Ear | Around-Ear | Around-Ear |
Frequency Response | 5Hz to 40,000Hz | 5Hz to 40,000Hz | 5Hz to 40,000Hz | 6Hz to 24,000Hz |
Sensitivity | 100dB/mW | 100dB/mW | 100dB/mW | 100dB/mW |
Impedance | 40 Ohms | 40 Ohms | 40 Ohms | 40 Ohms |
Weight (without cables) | 180g | 165g | 210g | 205g |
Cable | 1.2m OFC | 1.2m OFC | 1.2m OFC, 50cm micro-USB | 1.2m OFC, 1.5m OFC |
Features | Beat Response Control,
Enfolding Structure | Beat Response Control | Beat Response Control,
Enfolding Structure,
Rechargeable 17hr Li-ion battery for Bluetooth operation,
NFC for One Touch Listening | Beat Response Control,
Enfolding Structure,
S-Master Amplifier,
Dual Noise Sensor,
AAA battery for Noise Cancelling operation |
The Sony XBA-H Earphones
The XBA moniker is used to denote Sony's balanced armature series of earphones. We have already shed light on the pros and cons of dynamic drivers versus balanced armature technology along with having discussed Sony's XBA series when it was first launched.
With the new Sony XBA-H earphones Sony is trying to bring the best of both worlds, dynamic drivers and balanced armature, with their new hybrid driver. The flagship XBA-H3 which supports High-Resolution Audio, comes with a unique HD hybrid three-way driver unit (16mm dynamic driver unit and two BA driver units). The XBA-H2 on the other hand has a hybrid two-way driver unit (13.5mm dynamic driver unit and one BA driver unit). Finally the XBA-H1 comes with a hybrid 2-way driver unit (9mm dynamic driver and one BA driver unit).
Full specifications of the XBA-H series can be found below.
Model | Sony XBA-H3 | Sony XBA-H2 | Sony XBA-H1 |
High Resolution Audio | Yes | No | No |
Colors | Black | Black | Black |
Receiver Type | Closed, Hybrid | Closed, Hybrid | Closed, Hybrid |
Driver Unit | 16mm Dynamic (Woofer)
1 BA (Full Range)
1 BA (HD Super Tweeter) | 13.5mm Dynamic (Woofer)
1 BA (Full Range) | 9mm Dynamic (Woofer)
1 BA (Full Range) |
Wearing Style | In-ear | In-ear | In-ear |
Frequency Response | 3Hz to 40,000Hz | 4Hz to 25,000Hz | 5Hz to 25,000Hz |
Sensitivity | 107dB/mW | 106dB/mW | 105db/mW |
Impedance | 40 Ohms | 40 Ohms | 40 Ohms |
Weight (without cable) | 10g | 8g | 7g |
Cable | 1.2m OFC | 1.2m OFC | 1.2m OFC |
Features | Beat Response Control
Liquid Crystal Polymer Diaphragm | Beat Response Control
Liquid Crystal Polymer Diaphragm | Beat Response Control |
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