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We've recently released our Test Bench 1.6 update for Headphones! Read the Latency R&D Article to learn more.

Sony MDR-100AAP/h.ear on Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Reviewed Jul 28, 2016 at 12:06 pm
Latest change: Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:22 am
Sony MDR-100AAP/h.ear on Picture
6.2
Mixed Usage
7.6
Neutral Sound
5.9
Commute/Travel
6.1
Sports/Fitness
6.0
Office
5.3
Wireless Gaming
7.1
Wired Gaming
6.4
Phone Call

The Sony h.ear on MDR-100AAP are average over-ear headphones, with an eye-catching design and a decent sound. They're lightweight and fairly stable, but they struggle a little in loud environments. They don't block much noise and also leak a little at higher volumes.

Our Verdict

6.2 Mixed Usage

The Sony h.ear on MDR-100AAP are average everyday headphones, for casual use. They're comfortable and have a decent sound. But they're also a little flimsy and lack good isolation to be versatile enough for all environments.

Pros
  • Decent audio reproduction.
  • Lightweight, comfortable design.
Cons
  • Plasticky build quality.
  • Poor noise isolation.
7.6 Neutral Sound

Above-average for neutral listening. They have a decent sound quality but a poor soundstage because of their closed back design.

5.9 Commute/Travel

Average for commuting. They're comfortable, but the passive noise isolation is too weak for the ambient noise of flying or commuting.

6.1 Sports/Fitness

Decent for sports use. They're comfortable and lightweight but they're also a bit too unstable and bulky for intense exercises.

6.0 Office

Decent for office use. They won't block the office chatter from seeping into your audio and they leak a little at higher volumes.

7.1 Wired Gaming
  • 6.2 Mixed Usage
  • 7.6 Neutral Sound
  • 5.9 Commute/Travel
  • 6.1 Sports/Fitness
  • 6.0 Office
  • 5.3 Wireless Gaming
  • 7.1 Wired Gaming
  • 6.4 Phone Call
  1. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
  2. Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
  3. Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
  4. Updated Oct 02, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
  5. Updated Aug 10, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.1.
  6. Updated Mar 01, 2017: Converted to Test Bench 1.0.
  7. Updated Jul 28, 2016: Review published.
  8. Updated Jul 26, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.
  9. Updated Jun 27, 2016: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type Over-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless No
Transducer Dynamic

The Sony MDR-100AAP are stylish looking headphones. Their overall design is similar to the MDR-ZX770BN. However, the earcups have a distinct style that looks a bit better than the 770BN. They have bold and bright color schemes, which are eye-catching but also come in an all-black design for those that prefer less flashy looking headphones.

7.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.47 lbs
Clamping Force
0.65 lbs

The Sony h.ear on are above average comfortable headphones, thanks to their lightweight design. They exert the right amount of pressure around the ears and don't feel too tight. Unfortunately, the earcups are a little smaller than some other over-ear headphones, which may become uncomfortable for some, during long listening sessions. Also, the padding on the earcups and headband, although soft, is not that thick. Luckily this doesn't reduce their comfort level by much.

5.6
Design
Controls
OS Compatibility
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use Good
Feedback Decent
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control No
Microphone Control No
Channel Mixing
N/A
Noise Cancelling Control N/A
Talk-Through
N/A
Additional Buttons No

These headphones have a mediocre control scheme that offers minimum functionality. They have only one button on their inline remote, which provides call/music control. The button has a good tactile feedback. However, the lack of volume controls is slightly disappointing.

6.8
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 4.6 °C
6.2
Design
Portability
L 4.72"
W 5.91"
H 2.95"
Volume 82.46 in³
Transmitter Required N/A

The Sony MDR-100AAP are mid-sized over-ear headphones like the MDR-ZX770BN. However, these headphones fold into a more compact format, which makes them slightly more portable. They will fit into smaller bags once folded but are too cumbersome to carry around, on your person. They won't fit into any pockets, even larger jacket pockets.

6.0
Design
Case
Type Pouch
L N/A
W N/A
H N/A
Volume N/A

Comes with a soft fabric pouch that will protect the headphones from scratches. Unfortunately, this won't shield them against hard falls or water damage.

6.5
Design
Build Quality

These headphones have a decent build quality but feel a little flimsy, like the MDR-ZX770BN. They have the same thin metal frame and moderately dense earcups that can handle a couple of drops without breaking. They also strengthen the earcups' hinges by making it swivel less than the MDR-ZX770BN. Unfortunately, the overall design still feels a little plasticky and not durable. Also, they may get faded and scratched by regular wear and tear, which will be a little more noticeable because of the bright colors.

7.0
Design
Stability

These headphones are moderately stable. Their lightweight design and decent tension, prevents them from swaying too much during physical activity. However, these are not sports headphones, and they will slip off your ears if used while running or doing high-intensity exercises in the gym. On the upside, the cable is detachable and will disconnect before yanking the headphones of your head if it gets hooked on something.

Design
Headshots 1
Design
Headshots 2
Design
Top
Design
In The Box

  • Sony MDR-100AAP Headphones
  • Audio cable
  • USB cable
  • Manual
  • Carrying pouch

Sound
Sound
Sound Profile
Bass Amount
1.5 dB
Treble Amount
-3.78 dB
6.8
Sound
Frequency Response Consistency
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.66 dB
Sound
Raw Frequency Response
7.4
Sound
Bass Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.57 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
12.6 Hz
Low-Bass
2.94 dB
Mid-Bass
4.08 dB
High-Bass
4.24 dB
9.1
Sound
Mid Accuracy
Std. Err.
1.23 dB
Low-Mid
1.35 dB
Mid-Mid
-0.29 dB
High-Mid
-0.65 dB
7.6
Sound
Treble Accuracy
Std. Err.
3.87 dB
Low-Treble
-2.74 dB
Mid-Treble
-1.65 dB
High-Treble
-8.32 dB
7.9
Sound
Peaks/Dips
Peaks
1.31 dB
Dips
1.17 dB
8.4
Sound
Imaging
Weighted Group Delay
0.24
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.63
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
2.1
Weighted Phase Mismatch
6.93
7.0
Sound
Soundstage
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
2.97 dB
PRTF Size (Avg.)
4.89 dB
PRTF Distance
15.94 dB
Openness
4.4
Acoustic Space Excitation
5.3
7.5
Sound
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.158
WHD @ 100
0.295
Isolation
5.4
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-13.96 dB
Noise Cancelling No
Bass
0.74 dB
Mid
-10.77 dB
Treble
-32.82 dB

Poor overall isolation. Considering these headphones don't have active noise cancelling, the passive isolation provided in the Treble Range by the ear cups is quite decent. But the passive isolation only becomes effective past 400HZ and does not really block any low/bass frequencies. Isolation in the mid-range is also below average.

5.7
Isolation
Leakage
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
46.41 dB

Poor leakage performance. The majority of leakage is in the 400Hz-3KHz frequency range which is rather broad. However, the overall volume of sound that escapes the ear cups is low relative to listening volume.

Microphone
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
In-line
Yes
Boom
No
Detachable Boom
N/A
Mic Yes
6.9
Microphone
Recording Quality
Recorded Speech
LFE
486.43 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
1.42 dB
HFE
4,627.75 Hz
Weighted THD
0.259
Gain
25.55 dB
6.5
Microphone
Noise Handling
Speech + Pink Noise
Speech + Subway Noise
SpNR
17.32 dB
Active Features
not tested
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
N/A
Continuous Battery Life
N/A
Additional Charges
N/A
Total Battery Life
N/A
Charge Time
N/A
Power Saving Feature
N/A
Audio While Charging
N/A
Passive Playback
N/A
Charging Port N/A
0
Active Features
App Support
App Name N/A
iOS N/A
Android N/A
macOS N/A
Windows N/A
Equalizer
N/A
ANC Control
N/A
Mic Control N/A
Room effects
N/A
Playback Control
N/A
Button Mapping N/A
Surround Sound N/A

No compatible app.

Connectivity
0
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Bluetooth Version
N/A
Multi-Device Pairing
N/A
NFC Pairing
N/A
Line of Sight Range
N/A
Default Latency
N/A
aptX Latency
N/A
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A
0
Connectivity
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
Non-BT Line of Sight Range
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
9.5
Connectivity
Wired
Analog Audio
Yes
USB Audio
No
Detachable Yes
Length 4.2 ft
Connection 1/8" TRS
Wired Latency
0 ms
Connectivity
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
Audio + Microphone
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
Connectivity
Xbox One Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
Audio + Microphone
Xbox One Wired USB
No
Xbox One Wireless
No
0
Connectivity
Base/Dock
Type
N/A
USB Input
N/A
Line In
N/A
Line Out
N/A
Optical Input
N/A
RCA Input
N/A
Dock Charging
N/A
Power Supply
N/A