Headphones Compatibility

[quidam]

I bought a set of 3-button headphones for Android devices that work fine on every other Android device I tried, but not on the Xperia z3. Spoke to the manufacturer and after some back-and-forth, the representative I was dealing with was surprised to learn that the Z3 has a 5-ring jack, which made the phone incompatible with the headphones. As such, by putting in the noise-cancelling functionality, Sony likely made all third-party earphones with 3-button controls incompatible. Funny thing is that the volume controls work perfectly, but the middle button doesn't, so the phone DEFINITELY has the functionality.

1) Does anyone know of ANY 3-button control non-blueray earphones that work on the Xperia Z3? Hard to tell, for example, if the Sony MH1CWH have three buttons. Also, I don't see Xperia Z3 listed as a "compatible" device for those earphones. Can anyone confirm?

2) Are there any other earphones that use the new noise-cancellation feature other than the MDR-NC31EM, which don't have ANY headphone controls?

[Uliwooly]

You will need the MDR-NC31EM which are noise cancelling headphones that will work with the Z3

[quidam]

So do I understand correctly that Sony Xperia Z2/Z3 users currently have the following options when it comes to Sony headphones?:

a) A single model supporting the noise cancellation functionality, OR

b) A couple of models with a single-button control, which may or may not work due to compatibility issues

...while at the same time, Sony offers 3-button controls on headsets compatible with iOS devices?

Hmmm... Seems like even Sony's Audtio division doesn't seem to believe in the marketability, compatibility, or economic feasibility of this new hardware change.

(When I say "compatible" I mean that the controls work, not that the Mic/Ground rings are aligned as per the CTIA standard... To me, that's the norm rather than the exception nowadays and not even worth mentioning.)

[Zacabeb]

My MH1C headphones work, and have buttons for volume up/down, playback and call handling (with different actions for dual and triple press, e.g. pause/skip forward/skip back), plus a 'Smart Key' which can be assigned to one of a handful of functions through Smart Connect.

Fortunately, the MH1C is pretty good.

I don't think the incompatibility with third party headphones is intentional, but might be caused by the collars of the plug not aligning with the prongs in the socket. The 5-pole socket might be more sensitive to that.

[quidam]

Thanks for confirming Zacabeb. I have just ordered a pair based on your post.

I contacted Sony asking if they could confirm compatibility, but got a standard template response on my first email (i.e. "all CTIA earphones are compatible", "... use SmarKey app to assign function"), and o reply on my follows-up asking them to confirm that specific models will work.

Your post is therefore appreicated. Fingers crossed...

[Danil_Dellos]

I have a decision for you - I have just received a headset with 3 buttons which works perfectly with my Xperia Z3 without any additional app. Search for the Degauss Labs. I have purchased Sabotage Royale - middle priced but the sound is perfect as well as design and packaging. They have some cool headsetsets which are more expensive, and every of them works perfectly with Xperia. You just need to make a note while buying that you will use headset with Xperia and they will send you the appropriate one. The service is also very good - I have asked some questions by mail and the answers were quick, informative and very kind. Hope you ll get what you need. 

[quidam]

Thanks Danil_Dellos, I'll check those out as well. However, as I do not have an unlimited budget, I will wait to see how the Sony ones perform.

[quidam]

Sorry... Wrong MODEL - it should read MDR NC31E below.

quidam wrote:

Apologies for the length, but I'm posting this in the hopes that people may find it useful. Hopefully others can avoid finding a good set of headphones for the Xperia z3 through trial and error as I am currently forced to do due to lack of sufficient information on the net...

I received the MDR-NC31E headphones a couple of days ago after ordering them online, and am actually listening to them as I write this. My thoughts so far:

 - Noise cancellation feature is not as good as some of the bigger over-the-ear headphones I tried, but nonetheless, you can definitely hear it as soon as you hit the "on" button. The phone gives you three options for the type of environment you are listening in (e.g. office, bus/train, etc.). As far as I can tell, this determines how aggressive the noise cancellation algorithm is. It's also pretty cool that the phone recognizes the earphones immediately and pops-up the Noise Cancellation menu in your notifications.

- The earphones do not have ANY controls... This is somewhat disappointing, especially since according to the single picture diagram in the instruction booklet, the microphones in the actual earphones used for the noise cancellation feature can also be used as microphones for making calls.

- Using the microphones situated in the actual ear pieces to make calls didn't seem to work that well thus far. I had complaints from the people that I phoned about the background noise, although this also happens from time to time with other headsets with microphones. I had more positive results when I took one ear piece out of my ear and put it closer to my mouth. This is less than ideal if you are looking for a "hands free" headset. I will run some more tests when I have a few different headsets handy and provide an update on the microphone feature if one is warranted.

- This reminds me about the instructions booklet: basically it just says to go online in order to find out more about your product in several different languages... rather poor. Then again, how much information can you provide on earphones with no controls?

- I am currently running experiments to determine how much the noise cancellation feature kills the battery. So far, it seems that it does drain a battery a bit faster, but for me it hasn't been to the point where it would make a HUGE difference, in regular day-to-day use. I will provide an update if one is warranted after running a few more "controlled" experiments.

- Headphones are a bit on the "cluncky" side, and not the best option for sports (jogging, etc.)

- Headphones did not work in some other devices that I tried (e.g. iPhone 5) - sound came out only from side. I suspect this is due to the 5-ring connectors on the headset not aligning properly with the 4-ring connectors on a "typical" 3.5mm CTIA headphone jack found in all other phones currently.

Overall, the noise cancellation is quite an interesting feature and I actually like having it on while working in the office, for example.. It's really a shame that Sony has just one model with this feature, which is completely without ANY controls and rather sub-par in other categories. Because of this, I am only able to really wear them in settings where I know I won't need to make a call (e.g. office, where I have my work phone), and i have my hands free to use the phone.

in short, the noise cancellation function COULD have been quite a good step forward. However, putting in this function at the expense of a) headset controls, b) a microphone that is positioned well for making calls, and c) compatibility with the rest of the industry, is rather more like 2 steps back rather than one step forward for me (i.e. +1 - 3 = -2 in the end...).Bottom line, for me, these are absolutely PERFECT for listening to in the office while I work, but that's about it.

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[che0po]

It's a shame sony only made one type of earphones which include the noise cancelling feature. 

As you stated, not having 1) control button 2) no 3rd mic for phonecalls 3) poor materials for that price range 

those  3 points just overkill my need for having those earphones. I really hope that when Sony will lanch Z4 they ll make some new earphone with NC and also with the feedback we gave em.