How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a lightweight on-ear headphone for everyday phone calls and casual listening on the move, choose Sony Dynamic Closed-Type Headphones; if you need a sturdier over-ear set built for detailed, isolating monitoring at a desk or in a noisy room, choose Audio-Technica ATH-M30X.
• Sony's biggest strength: Light, on-ear comfort with an in-line remote and microphone, plus active noise cancellation — a grab-and-go headset for calls and music.
• Sony's biggest trade-off: Smaller 30mm drivers, a plastic build, and a short 1.2m cable that limits how far you can roam from your device.
• Audio-Technica's biggest strength: Larger 40mm drivers with rare-earth magnets, a circumcural (around-the-ear) design for sound isolation, and a collapsible aluminum build.
• Audio-Technica's biggest trade-off: Heavier at 7.84 ounces, a long 3.0m straight cable that's awkward for pocket use, and no microphone or remote.
• Pick Sony if you want a lightweight headset for calls, commuting, and casual listening from a phone.
• Pick Audio-Technica if you want durable, isolating, detail-focused headphones for editing, monitoring, or long desk sessions.
The Sony MDR-ZX310 sits in the on-ear, closed-back category, and its spec sheet tells you exactly what that means in practice. The earcups rest against your ears rather than around them, the enclosure is plastic, and the whole thing weighs just 4.5 ounces. That combination is the point: it's a headphone you forget you're wearing, and one you can toss in a bag without worrying about the heft. For someone who moves between a desk, a train, and a walk, that lightness matters more than anything else on the page.
What really sets it apart from a plain pair of headphones is the connectivity story. There's an in-line microphone and a smartphone remote built into the cable, so you can take calls and control playback without pulling your phone out. The remote also works with Sony's Smart Key app on Android, which lets you customize how the remote buttons behave. For a phone-first listener, that's a genuinely useful feature you won't find on every wired headphone. The 3.5mm jack and 1.2m cable keep it simple — plug in and go, no charging, no pairing.
On the audio side, the 30mm dynamic drivers cover a 10 Hz to 24 kHz range with a low 24-ohm impedance. That low impedance is the important number here: it means the Sony is easy to drive straight from a phone or laptop without a separate amplifier. It also lists active noise cancellation, which is unusual at this size and helps take the edge off steady background noise.
Who should skip it? If you care about deep, isolating bass, a replaceable long cable, or a build that survives years of studio abuse, the plastic on-ear design and short cable will feel like compromises. It's a lifestyle headset, not a monitoring tool. And if you want your ears fully enclosed rather than pressed against the cups, the on-ear shape is the wrong fit from the start.
The ATH-M30X comes from Audio-Technica's M-series lineage, and the spec sheet reads like a tool rather than an accessory. The 40mm dynamic drivers use rare-earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils, and the tuning is aimed at enhanced detail with strong mid-range definition. In plain terms, this is a headphone built to let you hear what's actually in a recording — vocals, instruments, mid-range texture — rather than to flatter it with boosted bass. The frequency range of 15 Hz to 22,000 Hz and 96 dB sensitivity back that up.
Then there's the physical design, which is where it diverges hardest from the Sony. The ATH-M30X is circumaural, meaning the earcups contour around your ears instead of sitting on them. That does two things: it's more comfortable for long sessions, and it provides real sound isolation in loud environments. If you edit audio next to a noisy air conditioner or share a room with other people, that isolation is the feature you'll notice every single day. The enclosure is aluminum, which reads as more robust than plastic, and the whole thing collapses for space-saving portability.
The cable deserves its own mention. It's a 3.0m straight cable with a single-side exit — that's roughly nine feet. For studio or desk work, that length is a gift; you can move around without yanking your interface. For walking around with a phone in your pocket, it's a nuisance. There's also no microphone and no remote, so this is not a calling headphone.
The package rounds things out with a 6.3mm screw-on adapter for pro gear, a protective carrying pouch, and a 2-year extended protection plan. At 47 ohms and 7.84 ounces, it asks a little more from your source and your neck than the Sony — but it gives back durability, isolation, and detail.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for phone calls and remote control → Sony Dynamic Closed-Type Headphones. It has an in-line mic and smartphone remote; the ATH-M30X has neither.
• Best for sound isolation in noisy rooms → Audio-Technica ATH-M30X. The circumaural design contours around the ears specifically for isolation in loud environments.
• Best for casual, on-the-go listening → Sony Dynamic Closed-Type Headphones. At 4.5 ounces with a short 1.2m cable, it's the easier one to live with on a commute.
• Best for detailed, mid-focused listening → Audio-Technica ATH-M30X. Its 40mm drivers with rare-earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum voice coils are tuned for enhanced detail.
• Best for long desk or studio sessions → Audio-Technica ATH-M30X. The around-ear fit and 3.0m cable suit sitting at a workstation; the Sony is better for shorter, more mobile use.
• Best for durability → Audio-Technica ATH-M30X. An aluminum enclosure and collapsible frame versus the Sony's plastic build.
• Best for easy driveability from a phone → Sony Dynamic Closed-Type Headphones. Its 24-ohm impedance is lower than the ATH-M30X's 47 ohms.
• Best for travel storage → Audio-Technica ATH-M30X. It collapses and ships with a carrying pouch, which the Sony doesn't list.
• Best accessory kit → Audio-Technica ATH-M30X. It includes a 6.3mm screw-on adapter, a pouch, and a 2-year extended protection plan.
If I had to pick one, I'd buy the Audio-Technica ATH-M30X. In my opinion, the larger 40mm drivers, the isolating circumaural fit, the aluminum build, and the collapsible frame make it the more versatile long-term headphone for anyone who actually listens closely — at a desk, editing, or in a noisy room. The Sony is the better headset if calls and portability are your priority, and it's the lighter, friendlier choice for pure phone use. But for sound quality, durability, and isolation, the ATH-M30X wins my vote.
FAQ
The Sony, clearly. It has an in-line microphone and a smartphone remote, and its remote works with Sony's Smart Key app on Android. The ATH-M30X has no microphone or remote at all.
They isolate sound rather than cancel it. The circumaural design contours around your ears for isolation in loud environments. The Sony, by contrast, lists active noise cancellation, but its on-ear fit doesn't seal around the ear the way the ATH-M30X does.
On paper, the ATH-M30X. Its 40mm drivers use rare-earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum voice coils and are tuned for enhanced detail with strong mid-range definition. The Sony's 30mm drivers are perfectly capable, but they're aimed at everyday casual listening.
The Sony is lighter at 4.5 ounces with a short 1.2m cable, so it's easier to carry day to day. The ATH-M30X is heavier at 7.84 ounces with a 3.0m cable, but it collapses and comes with a protective pouch for storage. Prices change often, so check the current price on Amazon before deciding.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.