Reviews

121

I bought a pair of the LP's yesterday in NYC for $40. They are comfortable and light. The sound is very good, once I figured out how to insert them deep enough into my ears. I was the gym today and immediately noticed how much they blocked out the music from the gym's speakers.

The cord is fairly awkward, as others have pointed out, because the left side is too short. When I am walking around with them, the short cord seems to always tug at the left earpiece.

Posted by baltman in New York City on May 23, 2005 at 10:18 AM (PDT)

122

The sound is much better then the ones supplied with the iPOD. I also like the uneven cord design. I allows me to hang them on my neck when I'm not listening.
The fitting of the earbuds is crucial to the sound quality. I use the mid sized ones, all other sizes sound terrible.

Posted by ArieSchwartzman on June 3, 2005 at 1:12 AM (PDT)

123

Received my headphones a couple of days ago and thought I'd enter the debate.

A lot of people have said they found the earphones uncomfortable or that they didn't fit their ears. Personally I find them to be the most comfortable headphones I've used. Maybe I'm lucky and my ears are just the right shape. I did have to try the different earplug sizes though to find the best fit. I can now go to the gym and go running without perpetually replacing my earphones - they stay in no problem.

I was a little concerned about comfort after extended use because they are in-ear 'phones. The longest I've worn them now is 3 hours and it hasn't been a problem. The normal ear-bud style headphones usually made my ears uncomfortable after a couple of hours.

The uneven left and right cord lengths is a design feature - the cable for the right earpeace goes behind your neck. This keeps it out of the way, reduces the weight on your ears (of the cable), and makes it easier to pull out one earphone to talk to someone without the other side falling out. I prefer headphones like this but, if you don't, I suppose it could be annoying.

I haven't had any of the cable connector problems described above. If I do in the future I'll update this review. The extension cable does seem to be unnecesarily long but I use the shorter cable with my iPod remote so it's not an issue.

And finally - the sound quality. I think they are great 'phones. I don't like too much bass and these give a nice solid bass that doesn't drown out the song. If all you're interested in is a thumping bass from your 'phones then why aren't you buying an enormous pair of over-the-head earphones? Because they seal out a lot of background noise I can also keep the volume lower on the iPod but still hear it much louder and crisper through the phones.

Overall these are the best 'phones I've owned. If they fit your ears and you're not planning on spending £100 then you can't go wrong with them. To be honest, I don't really know what all the complaining is about...

Posted by Wobbly Goblin on June 8, 2005 at 5:31 AM (PDT)

124

I bought these earphones last week for the gym, as I am in love with my EX71s but have a problem with them slipping out of my ears when I get sweaty. I had the EXACT same problem with these - the clips offer NO improvement to the slippage problem. I am totally bummed about this. Avoid these at all costs if you are looking for a good cardio earphone. They will slip out when moist.

pod-e-mouth

Posted by pod-e-mouth in Vero Beach, FLA on June 16, 2005 at 12:21 PM (PDT)

125

I brought these headphone and found although they look cool and fit in perfectly with the ipod, the overear piece doesn't fit properly which in turn causes the inear piece to constantly fall out. I would think these would be OK for men but some women may have trouble like me. I've yet to find the perfect headphones to use with my pod so any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Posted by Tamaz on June 30, 2005 at 8:18 AM (PDT)

126

can anyone compare the 81 with Koss' The Plug? I heard that the plug is uncomfortable though the sound is better sony's?

Posted by 81wannabe on July 1, 2005 at 9:50 AM (PDT)

127

I got the 81s 3 weeks ago and hoped the sound would improce but they still sound like I have cotton wool in my ears. The treble and mid range a very weak. I have an old pair of EL888's and they sound brilliant. They are also more sensitive and hence go louder then the 81's. Do not waste your money on the 81's. They should have a B rating not A.

Posted by Chatak on July 6, 2005 at 12:30 PM (PDT)

128

I love these headphones but has any one tried wearing them to the beach with sunscreen? The rubber sheath melts behind your neck and my wires became exposed??? At first I thought I might have done something wrong, bought a second pair and the same thing happened. Not sure what it is, the sun, the sunscreen, sweat?

Anyone else have this problem?

Posted by khyberny on July 13, 2005 at 6:23 AM (PDT)

129

I had the same thing happen. The rubber coating on the wires turned soft and gummy and fell apart. Figuring I maybe had an exception, I bought a second set, and the same thing happened again. The only thing I could think of was maybe the facial moisturizer I use did something to them. The only spot on the wires affected was approximately where they come in contact with my jawline, and I rub my chin and face on my shoulder when I sweat at the gym. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one. Otherwise, I really liked the sound and the short cord SL version was a perfect match for using my iPod at the gym in my arm band. Now I need to find a similar short corded replacement that has a sound quality I like. :(

Posted by seamus243 on July 16, 2005 at 10:26 PM (PDT)

130

Exactly the same thing happened to mine. I also thought that it was just me who had this problem! I often wear mine while going to sleep, and my night creams/skin treatments made the cords go yellow, then soft and sticky. Last night I discovered that they have actually fallen off the electrical wires. I am so disappointed because I love them. For me, they had a perfect fit in the ears, and great sound and look. The bit that goes around your ears was too big for my little ears, but it didn't effect me using them. I also am now looking for a new brand :(

Posted by Fleur in Sydney, Australia on July 29, 2005 at 7:40 PM (PDT)

131

I had the same problem wiht the rubber coating on what is now 2 pairs of the headphones. I think it was mostly from sweat....but could be sun lotion. Diappointed because was otherwise very happy with them. Now i need to find a new more durable pair.

Posted by tbernard on August 8, 2005 at 12:03 PM (PDT)

132

I bought a couple of sony headphones MDR-EX81, one for Christmas (last year), and the other one 3-4 months ago. The sound is great, but in both headphones the sweat is disintegrating the rubber in the longer cord (the one hanging in the neck), breaking it in pieces, and showing the electrical cables inside

Posted by hherrmann on August 11, 2005 at 8:20 PM (PDT)

133

These earphones are amazing for the $30 I paid. I haven't heard such balance and breadth of frequency response since I used studio headsets, and amazingly, they are actually very comfortable. I ride buses on a big university campus (lots of talking and lots of noise from the bus), and every sound managed to permeate the original Apple earphones. But these Sony earphones block out nearly all outside noise, conferring near-perfect(for the money, and considering they're not designed for active isolation) isolation and giving you more of a soundtrack-to-your-life experience than a tinny, forced sound that needs to be adjusted constantly. Apparently, Sony has heeded the complaints about the mediocre case. Mine came with a hard case. My only complaint is that the wires easily get tangled if you stow everything in a backpack temporarily. But they don't get tangled while you're wearing them, which is far more important.

Posted by sipecannon on August 25, 2005 at 10:54 AM (PDT)

134

I thought I'd update my thoughts after a couple of weeks of use. I see where recent comments are leading about the cords. The white cords look identical to the Apple earphone cords, but the texture is more rubbery and less slick, and hence they seem 1)less durable in the long run, and 2)more prone to becoming snagged (on fabrics, under armpits, under backpacks) and pulling out the plug.

Also, depending on your ear size and how much you sweat, they tend to slip a little while working out (esp. with heavily rhythmic activities like running). I find myself pushing them back in my ears every few minutes during workouts. If you have bigger ears, this will be less problematic for you.

For normal, everyday use, however, they still amaze me.

Posted by sipecannon on September 2, 2005 at 9:01 PM (PDT)

135

I have been using these 'phones for six months, having purchased them from Audiocube. I very much like the sound, though the fit is not ideal due to my small ears (they are made for "spock-eared" folks). I usually wear them while exercising or mowing the lawn or doing other work around the house. I am disappointed that they are showing significant signs of wear: the cords are very dirty and the casing has become sticky, as if it is degrading for some reason (human sweat?). Has anyone else experienced this problem and is there a fix beyond buying a new pair?

Thanks.

Posted by keeffers on September 16, 2005 at 1:43 PM (PDT)

136

I loved the earphones. As a matter of fact, after purchasing mine I bought a second set as a gift.

Audio Cubes, the retailer, provided TERRIBLE service when I had a problem. One of the ear pieces tore after about six months. They charged me for the replacement. Not great service, but I can understand that. Ordered. Credit card charged. Never received them. Finally, a month later, I sent a letter telling them I hadn't received them. Their records indicated the same. They made ME DO AN INVESTIGATION with the local post office, even though the acknowledged that I never received the merchandise. Then, they tried to tell me that they would CHARGE ME FOR THE REPLACEMENT shipment if they hadn't received the merchandise back in their warehouse. They finally confirmed they had. It took me a half-dozen e-mails to get the product that I ordered and paid for to be shippped. When the merchandise was returned to their warehouse, why didn't they re-ship to me? Why did they hassle me time and time again for a low-cost shipment that they acknowledged I didn't receive? Why did they charge me for replacing the torn ear piece in the first place?

Because their service stinks! The ear phones are good, but they're not that good.

Andy

Posted by andybr on October 5, 2005 at 5:16 PM (PDT)

137

I have had mine for six months. I have the black ones and the cord wire sheathing has literally rotted away somehow. They have been squished in my pocket and such. Parts of the cord have become almost gum like in texture and soft sticky. its quite strange. The copper wiring inside is exposed in some places up to 3 inches long. They work and sound great though. Does anyone know if sony has recalls on this. I own the japanese version by the way

Posted by yotaiji012 on October 6, 2005 at 2:12 PM (PDT)

138

I wouldn't recommend these... Having purchased the EX51 headphones and seen these in the store, but use the same disintegrating rubber coating on the cable. They will likely fall appart in a matter of months :(

http://www.flickr.com/photos/76047625@N00/

Posted by gMini on November 24, 2005 at 9:47 AM (PDT)

139

These are excellent headphones for the price, but I have one major issue with them. I don't know if it's just me, but just like their predecessors, the MDR-EX70/71, these headphones wear out very quickly. I had the MDR-EX70s in black a few years back and after about 3 months of use the right ear went dead. I've had these for my iPod since late August and the left ear just went dead last night. Crazy thing is there's no reason for the earbud to die like that. The case mine came in is completely different from this review (comes in a hard oval plastic) and I placed them in that case whenever I wasn't using them. Regardless, I now only have one ear that works on these $60 headphones. I guess these are good if you only plan on using them for 3 months. :-\

Posted by Nuyorican on December 31, 2005 at 2:01 AM (PDT)

140

I just don`t like the fact that with the connector..the left feels really heavy..
the connector adds extra weight on the left side of the ear.

Posted by breakdown090447500 on January 2, 2006 at 10:43 PM (PDT)

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