Hands up if you thought wired headphones were doomed to live the rest of their lives on the shelf of your nearest charity shop?

Well, after Bose rooted around into its closet and brought out its wired Noise-Cancelling Earbuds, Sony has rifled through the attic to bring a classic back and dress it up for the modern day.

The MDR-3R reimagines the classic MDR-3, headphones that launched with the first Walkman back in 1979. They’re back with a USB-C connector, a built-in microphone, and a sound that “closely” matches that of the original MDR-3.

For fans of Netflix’s Stranger Things, there’s a special edition that celebrates the “spirit of the 1980s”.

Sony says that the new MDR-3R “inherits the MDR-3 concept of headphones designed to let people enjoy music freely both indoors and outdoors.” It’s virtually the same design as before, but comes with more modern necessities such as USB-C and an in-line remote control for playback and taking calls.

The MDR-3R sticks with “iconic” blue and orange ear pads, and even better, the packaging and instruction manual all hail back to the design of the original model. Though, of course, the packaging takes into account the environment with plastic-free packaging. 25% of the total plastic in the headphones themselves is recycled plastic.

Sony describes the audio performance as being re-engineered, the MDR-3R uses the same 23mm driver units, with a tuning that stays close to the original sound signature, with Sony making “subtle refinements” to the audio to suit modern preferences. The result is one Sony claims to be natural and well-balanced.

And given that the original MDR-3 made an appearance in Stranger Things season 4, there’s a special edition of the MDR-3R that launches alongside the standard version. This includes design details such as an engraved Stranger Things logo and custom packaging.

When can you get your hands on the MDR-3R, and how much do they cost? Both versions are available from November 2026 onwards, with the MDR-3R available for a suggested retail price of €59 / £49 and the MDR-3R Stranger Things Edition available for €69 / £59. We reckon these might make for a cracking Christmas gift.