The Sony MDR-SA3000 ranks #88 out of 523 total Over-Ear Headphones for sound quality. See all Headphones rankings for every top pick.
Brand: Sony
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#88 Sony MDR-SA3000: $330 Discontinued eBay
Pros: An open back over-ear with a high preference score of 86, a light 265 g build and a midrange within about 1 dB of target.
Cons: Sub bass is weak, falling 6 dB below target at 45 Hz and 11.5 dB short at 30 Hz, and the treble swings between peaks near 8.4 kHz and 10.9 kHz and a 7.4 dB dip near 9.7 kHz. It is long discontinued, and the score rests on a single measurement.
Is the Sony MDR-SA3000 right for you?
Buy it if
- you want the tuning most listeners prefer in blind tests out of the box (Harman score 86).
Skip it if
- you want more bass (about 4 dB below target).
- you need isolation or will use it in public: open-back headphones leak sound both ways.
- you want to buy it new: it is discontinued.
| Released | 2004 (22 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Open |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 2.37 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 2 x 50mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 8Hz - 100kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 86 (1 squig.link measurement, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 70 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 45 Hz (-11.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.01 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (265 g) |
EQ Presets
Neutral target
Set a preamp of -6.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Neutral match with this EQ: 85 out of 100, up from 72.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.8 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +6.0 dB | 3.01 |
| Peak | 30 Hz | +3.3 dB | 2.59 |
| Peak | 80 Hz | -4.4 dB | 0.56 |
| Peak | 2,911 Hz | -4.6 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,873 Hz | +3.5 dB | 6.00 |
Studio flat target
Set a preamp of -4.5 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Studio flat match with this EQ: 90 out of 100, up from 43.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -0.8 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.78 |
| Peak | 58 Hz | -1.7 dB | 3.01 |
| Peak | 132 Hz | -5.7 dB | 0.48 |
| Peak | 389 Hz | -2.6 dB | 1.68 |
| Peak | 1,815 Hz | +4.1 dB | 2.73 |
| Peak | 3,847 Hz | +4.5 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,120 Hz | -3.0 dB | 4.16 |
| Peak | 7,713 Hz | -2.0 dB | 6.00 |
Warm target
Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Warm match with this EQ: 89 out of 100, up from 73.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +4.5 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 36 Hz | +2.1 dB | 1.77 |
| Peak | 80 Hz | -2.2 dB | 1.88 |
| Peak | 309 Hz | -2.8 dB | 0.50 |
| Peak | 1,505 Hz | +2.1 dB | 1.39 |
| Peak | 2,933 Hz | -5.9 dB | 3.90 |
| Peak | 3,829 Hz | +3.0 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,136 Hz | -3.6 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 8,000 Hz | -4.5 dB | 1.48 |
Bass target
Set a preamp of -5.8 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bass match with this EQ: 89 out of 100, up from 69.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.7 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 309 Hz | -3.1 dB | 0.67 |
| Peak | 2,910 Hz | -4.7 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 3,872 Hz | +3.5 dB | 6.00 |
Bright target
Set a preamp of -6.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted Bright match with this EQ: 86 out of 100, up from 55.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +0.8 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 23 Hz | +6.0 dB | 1.77 |
| Peak | 80 Hz | -5.0 dB | 0.92 |
| Peak | 314 Hz | -2.7 dB | 0.80 |
| Peak | 1,547 Hz | +2.1 dB | 2.19 |
| Peak | 2,933 Hz | -4.7 dB | 5.66 |
| Peak | 3,922 Hz | +3.7 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,912 Hz | +2.4 dB | 1.28 |
V-shaped target
Set a preamp of -6.0 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by Speaker Ranking from a single measurement from squig.link, in the filter layout AutoEQ uses. Predicted V-shaped match with this EQ: 86 out of 100, up from 75.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +5.9 dB | 0.70 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -1.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 354 Hz | -2.0 dB | 0.79 |
| Peak | 1,649 Hz | +2.2 dB | 2.65 |
| Peak | 2,947 Hz | -4.4 dB | 5.91 |
| Peak | 3,921 Hz | +3.3 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,631 Hz | +2.7 dB | 0.98 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
Frequency Response
How the Sony MDR-SA3000 measures across the audible range, against the Harman over-ear target that most listeners prefer in blind tests. Where the line sits above the target that range sounds louder (more bass, brighter treble), below it quieter. The curve is a single measurement, and both lines are shifted so their 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB.
Measurement data: a single measurement from the squig.link database of sai. Thanks to them for publishing their work.