Strengths: Comfortable once you find the right size of the various ear pieces it comes with. Very good, low bass -- size of ear pieces is crucial given the type of buds these are. Good volume.
Weakness: Highs are OK, but lack some clarity. Not "airy."
Noise cancelling is effective. Would be unsafe to use these if you have to hear anything on the outside that is less than pretty loud, but I'm sure they'll be great on a plane (unless you're travel companion wants to speak to you -- you'll need a nudge).
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TopStrengths: Good Sound. Comfortable
Weakness: You hear the cord rubbing on anything. Crappy useless case.
First off, these things sound good... so no argument there.
Let me try to explain this because I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned this at all...
When you're listening to music or whatever and you turn your head or the cord rubs on anything: your hand, body, desk, whatever, you hear the rubbing. Similar to when you cough or if you go "la la la" then you hear everything much louder. Unless you don't stay still and not even move your head, you're going to hear the cord rubbing and it's annoying as hell!
Also, I'm really surprised that the most expensive line of ear buds do not come with a useful case! you can stick the two ear buds in the case but where the hell does the cord go? Even the cheaper ear buds have the spinning case that holds the cord. If I pay for expensive ear buds, how about giving me that case that the cheaper ones come with?
I use these at work when I'm at my desk. They would bug me if I tried to use them working out. I'm looking at the MDR-Q55SL because I tried the MDR-J10 and they don't even stay snug in the ear.
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TopTechnically, these aren't the most expensive line of earbuds. They *seem* expensive, but you should see the ~$300 ones some companies are selling. Apparently, most (relatively) inexpensive earbuds like these are pretty, well, crappy. Can't find any decently rated earbuds for less than $50 (and I haven't considered earbuds above that price).
Strengths: *Very good Frequency response, even when compared to larger type headphones. *Very comfortable! *Compact *Adjustable earpiece sizes. *Storage Case *Excellent cord design
Weakness: *Weak Warranty for the Price *Storage case only stores earphones, leaving the cord exposed.
I normally do not like Sony products because I have had problems with them in the past. I own a pair of studio MDR-V600 headphones and I am very happy with them. I needed somthing compact and comfortable to carry with my laptop and found the MDR-EX51LP style. I am very happy with them so far and they do infact deliver much deeper bass tones than other headphones. I am very happy with them so far, but would definatley say to shop around for prices.
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TopStrengths: Very good sound! Good bass! (Once you install the correct size earbuds)
Weakness: No volume control on wire.
Very good sound...these headphones come with 3 different sizes of rubber earbuds. You must use the correct size earbuds in order for these to sound good. My only concern is where/how to get new rubber earbuds once the originals wear out or get lost...? (couldn't find them on Sony's web site or at the Best Buy store)...
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Topyou can order replacements earbud pieces from Sony, although they are somewhat expensive
Strengths: Small size, Sound quality
Weakness: case is too small.
I bought these headphones to use them at the gym. They fit perfectly and do not fall even if you are in motion. The sound quality is great. They are much better than other bigger headphones I have used. The only thing I didn't like is the case. It only covers the portion that goes inside your ear. They could have made a slightly bigger case to store the cable.
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TopStrengths: Excellent Bass and transient response. Good exterior noise blocking. Comfortable fit. Reasonable price for earbudds [$25 Amazon}.
Weakness: Strange unequal length ear cords. Joke-like carrier.
Caveat- I am 65+ years old with attendent high frequency hearing deterioration. What I now appreciate most is good Bass and transient response- these earbudds are as good as some of the expensive headset earphones I own!
They come with 2 sets of standard size earpads [which fit me very well] as well as a larger size set. These are very effective at blocking out ambient noise and accentuating Bass response. They are all-day comfortable.
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Topif you don't know already.. since this is a year later. the unequal length of the cord on the ear pieces is to put behind your neck. The longer side goes around your neck so that you can hide the cord.
Strengths: Blocks out external sounds well. The sound is very clear and the base sounds much better than other earbud type head phones I've owned.
Weakness: For the price, I don't think this product provides much better quality than some of the lower cost ($10 or so) headphones I've used. This obviously depends on how picky you are about sound quality.
This is a good product if you're intersted in small headphones with good quality sound. I purchased mine at Best Buys for $41 including California sales tax.
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TopStrengths: Small, compact, snug fit.
Weakness: The cord leading to each earphone is eroding.
The rubber is tacky as in sticky and mushy. The cord from the plug to the split is fine, however which leads me to believe it is not something that came in contact with the cord but simply cheap quality.
When I am not listening, I gently wrap the headphones around my IPOD and use the bud case for the earbuds. But now, when I wrap the cord around and set the thing down on the table, when I pick it up you can see where the indent of the cord is against the cord it was wrapped next to.
Have not had them long. Wish I could just recover the wiring with something else cause the sound is still perfectly fine.
Anyone else come across this problem?
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TopWondering if your wire may have come in contact with anything finished with a brushable lacquer product such as Deft lacquer. These products are often made with stearates, which gives the finish a nice, waxy feel, a satin sheen, and enhances the finish's performance during sanding. I use it a lot in my woodworking. One problem with this sort of product is it reacts with the plasticisers and softeners in soft plastics like vinyl, and some rubbers, and ends up a sticky, gooy mess. There really isn't much of a fix I've found, assuming you caught it prior to it becoming a soup, except washing the wires with a medium strength detergent. Try dish soap then work your way up. Careful, though, as the softened wire insulation can be stripped away, leaving you with essentially useless buds. If you're wondering, once the plastic has reacted with the wood finish, there isn't much one can do but sand it out and refinish with the same stuff. You can't use a different product as the stearates will preclude a bond, so the new and different finish will flake off in short order.
Strengths: Clear highs and very good bass.
Weakness: None so far !
These are the best headphones I ever have. Since you put them inside your ear, you will listen to clean and clear music. The bass is there too ! I highly recommend them.
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TopStrengths: Light, cool, passive noise cancelling, better than the newer MDR-EX71SL
Weakness: Of course it doesn't have the best sound quality of all ear phones, but that is not a weakness but a potential strength for this price range of earphones.
I used to listen to electronic dance music (techno, trance, euro) and I was amazed at how much kick it brought into my songs. I still remember that me and my friends were addicted to our CD and Minidisc players in school, but we would always use my pair of headphones.
Great pair of headphones for such a great price these days.
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TopStrengths: Good sound, very comfortable.
Weakness: Don't like the way the cable/cord is.
Well, I just got these off eBay @ good price (compared to retail and off eBay sites).
I have "tested" them all day (more like listened bunch of different music on 2 mp3 players) and finaly came to conclusion that is ALL ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE LISTENING FROM. If your current player sound good with descent earphones, these will make it a lot better. If it sounds bad, these will still make it better but they are not miracle.
I have ARCHOS JUKEBOX 10 and CLASSIC XP3 CHD1000 (10 gb) mp3 players.
Classic xp3 sound FAR BETTER then Archos. Anyway, I already had "regular" earphones, Sony. These new earphones fit better, more comfortable and do sound better. With classic, sound is perfect with great bass responce. But, with Archos, they are good about 2/3 of the volume, but forget about listening all the way as is distorded. So, I know is not the earphones but what they are plugged into. I am seriously considering putting up my Archos on sale now, as these earphones really showed "who's the boss" between my 2 players.
So, if you have a good player to start with, you will not be dissapointed in these.
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TopStrengths: Really love the noise reduction function. Is soo great that i can barely myself talk. Bass is average but overall really good headphones!
Weakness: Size of headphones is not too flexible...i still think the smallest one is too big for me.
Noise reduction level of the headphone is great. When i use it to walk around campus, people think i'm deaf, because they would be calling my name but i'd ignore them. Bass is average, it could be a lot better. Overall i'm pretty satisfy with the headphones. I would purchase it again, maybe if the price went down a little.
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TopStrengths: Cheap, decent sound quality
Weakness: Cheap, tangle apt wires
It's a shame. The sound quality isn't bad especially for the price. The wires are a constant hastle, though. You can not store these anywhere without the wires becoming tangled in some fashion or another. They just seem to have the natural ability/desire to become tangled. The little plastic carrying case was really no help at all, either.
Also, I hate the off set wire split. When accidently tugged on, one ear bud takes the brunt of the force and gets yanked instead of an evenly split Y design.
So, it's no wonder that my left ear bud has failed recently and I only get sound out of the right ear bud. For $20, though, they did last for about a year (although not constant usage)
Expect to get about 6 months to a year out of these if your generally casual with your headbuds. Treat them gingerly, they might last longer.
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TopStrengths: Very comfortable. Very nice sound. Good bass.
Weakness: If you make any noises (coughing, humming, breathing, etc.) you can hear it really well.
These are the most comfortable earbuds that I've ever tried. Usually earbuds hurt my ears, but these didn't. They have different sized plugs for different sized ears. The sound was really good. And the bass was impressive. BUT...if you make any noises (coughing, humming, breathing, etc.) you can hear it really well over the music. It's like when you plug your ears and make any little noise, you can hear it. Same thing with these earbuds. And if you tap on the wire or if it rubs against your shirt, you can hear that too. It drove me nuts. When I listen to music, I don't want to hear myself breathing or humming! I couldn't take it, so I returned them. If Sony would fix that issue, these would be the perfect earbuds.
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TopThis isn't a stethoscope.. I was amazed at how much abuse (squeezing and twisting the wires) my own pair could handle without the sound quality changing a bit. There must be something wrong with your pair.
Strengths: awesome sound quality exactly what i want from a headphone.
Weakness: the earbuds are easy to loose
well i have used these and loved them but when the earbud came off cause my friends touch it its impossible to find them again. So I have done this to two pairs already and its getting to be a problem.
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TopStrengths: Great fit. Good treble clarity. Decent Bass.
Weakness: Bass could be better.
**I made a post earlier, but I forget that you need like a week or two of use before you can hear the way it's suppose to be heard. So my ratings is slightly changed. I'd give it a 3.5 rating, but I wouldn't purchase them again, thus a 3 star.**
These headphones are built with really small headphone speakers (in comparison to other headphones), which is why its small, but it lacks the power for a satisfying sound in a slightly noisy environment.
Sure it blocks half of the outside noise but thats because its designed like an earplug.
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Topthese were the first close type earbuds ive used and they were pretty good compared to regular earbuds and headphones. ive owned two pairs of these and after a couple of weeks with my first pair the cord ripped showing bare wires and the second pair the left speaker bew out
"Bass could be better" - Would you like a subwoofer to go with that?
Strengths: Comfortable, good sound exclusion, surprisingly good sound quality for such tiny transducers.
Weakness: The rubber ear plug cups pop off too easily.
Of all the in-ear headphones I've tried, these are tops. The sound exclusion is as good as some active noise reduction headphones, and they're one heck of a lot smaller. So they've become my choice for plane flights. As to comfort I've often been irritated by in-ear phones. But not these. You get a choice of three sizes of soft rubber ear plug cups. They're so comfortable that on a long plane flight I have forgotten I had them on. Therein lies the only problem. I got up from my plane seat and when they got yanked from my ears I lost one of the little cups - they pop off too easily, and as far as I can see, you can't get replacements. But I've learned my lesson. Although I'm not a fanatic audiophile, I find sound quality at least as good as that of much more expensive phones. With a little care, these phones are great.
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TopStrengths: Good sound, when not falling out, tight enough so wind noise doesn't exist
Weakness: Due to different length ear piece wires (left side real short) that side does not stay tight in ear, and has a tendancy to fall out.
While this is a fairly nice piece, I would not recommend. Mainly due to different length ear piece wires. It is very irritating to keep putting it back in when it starts to get loose. The ear piece storage protector doesn't stay closed either so that potentially nice feature is mostly useless
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TopStrengths: Excellent headphones if you like to listen to music very loud without any noise. High quality sound, great base.
Weakness: Cable to short but you have the adaptor for that, not to comfortable at the beginning and case is not very helpful.
Very useful for flights or in the office if you are trying to make work less painful...high quality sound at a very affordable price, you won't be disappointed of this product.
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TopStrengths: Percect fit (with tree size attachments); Excellent Highs and Lows, excellent bass without audio player bass boost.
Weakness: Carrying case is terrible. No volume control on wire.
The sound reproduction is among the best earbuds I've listened to. With the sized silicone earbud attachments sound is delivered into the ear with no leakage and blocks outside noises. Highs, midtones, and bass are pure and powerful.
The Left earbud has a long cord and right earbud shoots of the left cord, so that the cord comes down from the left ear to the player instead of straight down from the middle. I don't know if I like or dislike this setup, but it is a minor issue.
My main reason for giving these buds four instead of five stars is the case. The case is a plastic cylinder that will protect the earphones themselves but does not have any cord management. If the earbuds had a wind-up case like on the older Sony earbud phones, I'd give it Five stars instead of four.
Overall, however, these are the truest sounding earbud style headphones I've found from Sony.
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TopFrom amurrayx
These buds were the first replacements for the stock earbuds that come with the Zen Nano. Since this review I have tried several different earphones that sound much better than the Sony's. I would rate the Sony's with three stars instead of four.
Strengths: The headphones are very good quality. They also do a good job blocking out external noises when listening to iPod or airplane radio. Very comfortable.
Would like a better carrying case to keep the headphones and make it easier to fold or wind up to safe storage, so we don't break up. I don't like the little storage kit.
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TopStrengths: Great Sound and three different sizes
Weakness: Get caught on EVERYTHING! Not good for exercising.
I have had these Earbuds for 9 months now and they are truly great sound. Be ready to have them catch on everything though. They stink while exercising becasue of the gold plated weight connection. They keep tugging at your ear when you do any type of exercising not making them the most ideal. I just bought the Fontopia's that are the earbuds but with the wire that goes over your ear. Hopefully this will be much better for exercise.
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Top
Sony Fontopia Headphones
Strengths: Fit is excellent.
Weakness: Not as efficient as OEM resulting in higher volume settings
Purchased a Creative Muxo TX FM player and the earphones are excellent except they are a poor fit and have to adjusted frequently. After considerable research decided to try these EX51LP from Sony.
As to fit it could not be better. Comes with two additional sized ear pieces. Unlike the OEM it stays put. Sound is great. Only negative factor is that they are not as efficient as the OEM. As a result I have to use a volume setting close to 25% higher to get same loudness. Suspect that this will affect battery life somewhat.
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Feb 5, 2005
Try using it for more than a week (few hours of use everyday). For new headphones, sometimes a start-up period of use is required before the right sound comes out.
Aug 10, 2005
it's due to the impedance - muvo is 32 ohm and earbuds are 16 ohms.. the amp in the muvo is not all that strong... Sennheiser PX100 would produce louder...
Aug 10, 2005
also, i think sensitivity should be over 100db - like 108db at least...