[Editorial] Still (fake) vintage audio in the spotlight: Eighties walkman headphones with orange sponges are back

I have discussed many times, here at TNT-Audio, the theme of vintage audio as a social phenomenon, fuelled by two factors: distorted memories of youth (the good 'ol days) and the inability of many companies to design something truly innovative. Therefore, there's a rush to recreate iconic objects from the past, in the ill-concealed hope of making the hearts of older audiophiles beat again in search of lovely memories of their best years (?), now archived.

Those of us who have a few years of experience in this field will certainly remember the birth of the Walkman and of the fancy headphones with orange sponges/pads and a thin metal headband. To tell the truth, we enthusiasts remember them with a shiver down the spine, because their sound quality was horrible, but they certainly remained well imprinted in our memory. Classic models were the Sony MDR-006 or MDR-010 which can be found on the usual second-hand platforms, as if they were a monument of audio.

Guess what? They are back! Oh yes, a joint venture of three commercial entities (Defunc, Dopest and Monza), founded in 2022 in Sweden, has recreated that iconic design, obviously renewing its technical features. Who are the three actors involved in this project? Monza is an artist management company, Dopest is a lifestyle product platform, and Defunc is the actual audio company. The joint venture is called MONDO by Defunc. The idea behind everything they do, to use their own words, is “Music heritage and audio craft coming together”. Among other products in the catalogue, the series of Freestyle headphones stands out, which fully reflect, especially the orange sponges edition, those iconic products of the 80s. Other colors available are pink, gray and transparent. The catalog also includes circumaural headphones and Bluetooth speakers, with a design that still winks at the past.

The Freestyle headphones, unlike their progenitors, are wireless, use Bluetooth 5.3, a 200mAh battery, two 36mm drivers, a double microphone (for phone calls), guarantee around twenty hours of use with a single recharge and require an hour and a half for a full charge via USB-C. From an audio point of view they are claimed to have a sensitivity of 105dB, a frequency response extended from 20 to 20kHz and an unspecified HD decoder. The volume is adjustable via switches and so is the forward/backward selection of audio tracks. A specific app allows you to equalize the sound to your liking and manage all the features. The price is set at €69 and the headphones can be purchased directly from the MONDO by Defunc website.

Honestly, Mondo wasn't the only one with this idea. Still wireless, but at a significantly lower price, you can find the Jlab Rewind headphones.

However, if the idea of wireless headphones does not convince you, and perhaps the nostalgia of a legendary brand in the world of headphones stimulates your fondest memories, you can opt for a wired version, such as the Koss x Retrospekt P/21, costing around €30. These, at least, should benefit from the technology and heritage of the famous Koss brand.

Finally, if your budget is cut to the bone, you can indulge yourself in the many offers of headphones with orange pavilions that can be found on Etsy and AliExpress for just a few euros.

Summarizing, Walkmans are back, Compact Cassettes too, all that was missing were headphones. I don't know, this rescue of (fake) vintage at all costs makes me smile a little. Who would be the possible buyers of similar devices? Seasoned audiophiles affected by 80s longing? Maybe, but today there are much better headphones at similar prices. Youngsters? I don't think so, they weren't born in the 80s. As you see, my doubts about the meaning of these marketing choices increase, also because I have just discovered the rebirth of another archaeological product... which I will tell you about in another article.

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February 2024 editorial

Still (fake) vintage audio to the rescue!