Those bright orange foam headphones that came with the original Sony Walkman are back. Sony has revived them — one of its most recognizable designs from 1979 — plus a few modern upgrades that don't impact the retro look. The new Sony MDR-3R USB-C Wired Retro Headphones look pretty much the same as the originals, right down to their slim metal headband and neon earpads. Even the packaging and instruction manual are modeled after the 1979 version.
The headphones bring back the original MDR-3 design with interchangeable orange and blue earpads. The headphones also preserve the original open-air, on-ear design, which sits lightly against the ears instead of enclosing them. At around 1.34 ounces, they're among the lightest headphones in Sony's current headband lineup.
And rather than plugging into a cassette player, they connect to modern devices using USB-C. They also include a built-in microphone and in-line controls. Because they're wired, you never have to charge them (anyone who's ever despaired over a pair of dead AirPods might add them to their cart for that feature alone).
Shop this article: Maxell Wireless Bluetooth Cassette Player, Gracioso Bluetooth Cassette Tape Player, Coby Portable CD Player
Sony is also offering a limited-edition Stranger Things pair.
Inspired by Max's headphones in the Netflix series, this version comes with interchangeable red and black earpads, is engraved with the "Stranger Things" logo and has special packaging inspired by the Upside Down. For fans of the show, it would make a great gift, just in time for the holidays.
Maxell Wireless Bluetooth Cassette Player
Your old mixtapes can now play through modern headphones. This Bluetooth cassette player has a brass flywheel to help stabilize tape movement, and the 3.5mm jack lets you plug in wired headphones if you prefer them to Bluetooth. The rechargeable battery delivers up to 11 hours of playback.
Gracioso Bluetooth Cassette Tape Player 5% OFF
This cassette player has a back clip for carrying your cassettes on the move, just like you used to. Its Bluetooth 5.2 transmitter connects to compatible headphones or speakers, but it also offers a 3.5mm jack that works with the included wired earbuds (or your favorite pair). It gets up to 10 hours of battery life per charge.
If your collection has more CDs than tapes, this portable player can take standard CDs, CD-R, CD-RW and MP3 discs. It has 60-second anti-skip protection and an FM tuner and comes with stereo earbuds. It can run on either AA batteries or USB power when plugged in.
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Philips CD Player Portable with Bluetooth
This CD player is a throwback to the old-school boombox experience, with two built-in speakers, an FM radio with digital tuning and a top-loading player for CDs, CD-Rs and CD-RWs. You can shuffle, repeat or program up to 20 tracks at a time to customize how your albums play.
1 BY ONE High Fidelity Belt Drive Turntable
This walnut, belt-drive turntable has built-in speakers, Bluetooth input and an auxiliary connection, so you can use it out of the box or play music from compatible devices. It also has plenty of nostalgic controls, including a magnetic cartridge, adjustable counterweight and automatic shutoff.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
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