Reviews

61

I think Jeremy Horwitz and I must be lucky enough to have the size and shape ear that these fit well. I think the fit/comfort/security are incredible.... They don't fit my girlfriends ears at all and a lot of my friends, who were considering a pair and wanted to try mine, could also not get a very good fit. I think getting a good fit out of these is a gamble, Jermy and I won but not everyone does...

Posted by surferchris1 in Southern California on December 3, 2004 at 11:34 AM (PDT)

62

they look nice but the ones that i really want are the ER-6i

Posted by snowboogiethunder on December 4, 2004 at 6:31 PM (PDT)

63

Just got mine in the mail today. I ordered them from 123warehouse.com. Despite the Japanese-only instructions, the only issue I have is the rather long cord. The sound quality is about what I expected, and I understand it takes some time for these type of earphones to "burn in". They are much, much more comfortable than the ear buds supplied with the iPod and I prefer the sound as well.

Posted by TRobison in Idaho on December 7, 2004 at 3:36 PM (PDT)

64

for the people talking about how the right cord is longer instead of meeting in the middle..are you putting the cord going to the right ear behind your neck or allowing it to hang down infront?

Posted by GabooN88 in Windsor, Ontario on December 10, 2004 at 11:35 AM (PDT)

65

Got the 71 (i dont like the over the ear thing) and I must say that they sound better - I expected for much better but maybe I should wait for them to "open up" - any way I notice its very importent to put them right - if you dont then they sound bad - very bad!
And its not an easy task to put them right - but I think I'm getting it.
One more thing - I hope it just due to the fact I dont put them right but then not very comfertble...

Posted by LinkTree in IL on December 14, 2004 at 1:16 AM (PDT)

66

I am looking for head phones and had a question. Sound quality isn't a huge deal to me... I won't ever notice. I was wondering what was more comfortable for just walking around or sitting down, the 71's or the 81's? Please help, bye

Posted by Soulless Dragon on December 16, 2004 at 4:15 PM (PDT)

67

So I just got these, from a great seller on ebay - very fast shipping and well-packed - check it out.

It's my first time with in-ear phones and everything's in japanese - is there some trick to putting them in? And not to be gross, but what's the best way to keep them clean?

I definitely don't like the necklace style cord, but the earhooks keep your left piece from pulling out. And yes, the cord is too long, but you can leave the twisttie on, or buy these new foam doodads for long cords (the ad is on ipodlounge).

Lastly, what's this about "wearing in" drivers - is that true? Do earphones actually get better after you use them a few times? Is there a best way to wear in your drivers? Thanks a lot - I love this site!

Posted by smessvader in Cambridge, MA on December 17, 2004 at 11:22 AM (PDT)

68

OK - so just a few more comments on these...

1. Boy do the wires get TANGLED! Given the hooks, the uneven cords, and the overall length, it can be almost comical (i felt like i was on a sitcom when I was in line at the post office), but usually just frustrating.

2. The white is very clean, but the overall look, I think, is a little messy, with the uneven cords.

3. I think there's a difference between a neutral sound if you want it, and a lack of bass even when you try to boost it - these seem to lack good warm bass, even when you boost it. I think that there is a reason why bass is boosted on earphones - when you're walking around on a noisy street, you don't hear the bass as well as the treble.

4. These are not the kind of headphones you can take in and out quickly (like when you go into a store) - you need to take time to put them in and get the seal, and talking them out isn't a snap either.

5. The silver pipe and the hook mean that wearing a hat (like a skicap) actually interferes with the fit and, as a result, the sound - when I wear a hat, I lose some of the bass.

6. These are still really nice earphones, but the jury's out as to whether they're worth $60.

Good luck!

Posted by smessvader in Cambridge, MA on December 18, 2004 at 7:35 PM (PDT)

69

yes the cords are uneven because one goes around the back of your head. the sound quality is very good. the design takes some getting used to but now that i have i think they are great. they are very comfortable. you forget you are wearing them. they feel very natural and sound quality is good, they match the ipod perfectly in color scheme. overall i would say they are a good value

Posted by mst3k4ever in ny on December 24, 2004 at 3:25 PM (PDT)

70

I have owned tons of Sony products. I have owned about 1/2 dozen earphones including a pair of their last generation noise canceling ones that I paid close to $400 for. I have owned their walkmen, CD players and portable radios, too. The one thing that I can say with a tremensous amount of experience is that Sony really does suck. Every single thing that I have ever purchased from them has ended up broken. Not that I am rough on my things. Rather I take great care of my electronics. It's just that their workmanship is awful and their customer service, repair service is worse then bad. I would rather spend more money and get better quality. It's hard to imagine getting anything worse.

Posted by JeffNNJ on December 24, 2004 at 8:31 PM (PDT)

71

Great sound quality. Lousy fit. Wish I could chop off the over-the-ear-things; I believe they are designed for Japanese ears. I'd have been better off without those annoying white over-the-ear-things. I recommend - go for the earlier version if "fit" is more important than sound quality (for me it is, and i wish i had gotten the earlier version, those over-the-ear-things are absolutely useless).
If you wear glasses (or hats), like I do, PLEASE DONT BUY THESE.
Hope this helps.

Posted by herschel in SC on December 24, 2004 at 9:39 PM (PDT)

72

cord is uneven and these are some of the best headphones(earbud style) that i have heard in the 50-100 dolla price range. i just got mine for christmas, via audiocube, and these can be compared to the shure earbuds.

Posted by Åpple Mån on December 25, 2004 at 9:34 PM (PDT)

73

I bought these because my cat ate my MDR-EX71's (seriously...). I got them on Christmas day (they were actually delivered on Christmas, which was weird).

At first I wasn't impressed with the fit. They took a couple hours to get used to and get a feel for them. After a couple hours of wearing them around the house though, I started to notice that my ears weren't as fatigued as they were with the EX71's (not that they were particularly uncomfortable). And they found there way to a nice natural position soon enough. Now that I know where they are supposed to sit (on my head), it's much easier to put them where they need to go from the start.

The cord is definitely uneven (like the Ex71's) so that helps the fit too, as I am able to hang the main cord down from the left ear, and wrap the right behind my neck and put it in. I can't tell whether y'all like the uneven cord or not, but personally I like it.

The sound is good, albeit a little on the quiet side (have to bump up the volume to 50-60% to hear what my EX71's sounded like at 30-40% (defect? Or just due to less bass?)).

Overall, I like the fit better than the EX71's, but the sound (to me!) just isn't as good. Maybe I'm just one of those guys that likes too much bass in my song, but they seem to be a little weak.

I will be keeping them for awhile though, at least until my cat eats these too...

Posted by Frank Owen in Tampa, FL on December 27, 2004 at 6:46 AM (PDT)

74

I bought these because my cat ate my MDR-EX71's (seriously...). I got them on Christmas day (they were actually delivered on Christmas, which was weird).

At first I wasn't impressed with the fit. They took a couple hours to get used to and get a feel for them. After a couple hours of wearing them around the house though, I started to notice that my ears weren't as fatigued as they were with the EX71's (not that they were particularly uncomfortable). And they found there way to a nice natural position soon enough. Now that I know where they are supposed to sit (on my head), it's much easier to put them where they need to go from the start.

The cord is definitely uneven (like the Ex71's) so that helps the fit too, as I am able to hang the main cord down from the left ear, and wrap the right behind my neck and put it in. I can't tell whether y'all like the uneven cord or not, but personally I like it.

The sound is good, albeit a little on the quiet side (have to bump up the volume to 50-60% to hear what my EX71's sounded like at 30-40% (defect? Or just due to less bass?)).

Overall, I like the fit better than the EX71's, but the sound (to me!) just isn't as good. Maybe I'm just one of those guys that likes too much bass in my song, but they seem to be a little weak.

I will be keeping them for awhile though, at least until my cat eats these too...

Posted by Frank Owen in Tampa, FL on December 27, 2004 at 6:47 AM (PDT)

75

Also thought I'd mention that I hadn't tried these wearing glasses until today and I have not had a problem while wearing them at all.

Also, while they're still not quite the MDR-EX71's sound quality I would have liked, they have warmed up quite nicely over the last couple days. I'd expect that this is pretty much their peak potential, but who knows. They may still have some breaking in to do.

Posted by Frank Owen in Tampa, FL on December 27, 2004 at 9:09 AM (PDT)

76

Last night I tried sleeping with the EX81's in my ear like I used to with the 71's. Not a good idea. With the EX71's I was able to put them in and sleep comfortably in pretty much any position, even laying on them. With the 81's, I pretty much had to lay flat on my back or take the bud out of the ear I was laying on. The long pipe like part is what's doing it. I didn't notice the part that wraps around your ear nearly as much.

Posted by Frank Owen in Tampa, FL on December 28, 2004 at 6:01 AM (PDT)

77

I've noted that many here have gripes with the lack of a proper case for both the 71 and the 81 (as well as earbuds in general). What I've found to work well (at least with my now dead Koss "The Plug" earbuds) was using a round Ice Breakers mint container as it's cheap, round (the cable coils fairly easily into it—though tangling is still an issue), and snaps shut.

I'm not sure if the 81's over-ear piece will fit in one of those, so I'd suggest a rectangular mint tin like an Altoids or Penguin mint tin for them.

Posted by Maikeru on December 30, 2004 at 7:02 AM (PDT)

78

After doing a lot of research and seeing the review on this site I bought 2 sets (one for me and one for my wife) and maybe my ears just suck, but I was very unhappy. Both my wife and I found that they didn't fit well at all. The "behind the ear" part was way too big and provided no support. In fact they tended to cause more problem with the buds staying in. I felt the sound quality was very thin and when I went back to the stock iPod buds, they sounded much better to my ears. Fuller, warmer and louder. Very disappointed.

Posted by Nos402 in Austin, TX on January 3, 2005 at 6:11 PM (PDT)

79

My wife got these for me for Christmas and I'm very pleased. The ones that came with my iPod are blown, uncomfortable and I was always losing the covers for the buds.

The 81s sound great, are comfortable and the way the cord is sectioned (short, with a long extension) works great with the remote on my iPod and I also use them with my PowerBook.

I highly recommend them.

Posted by Cloetus on January 4, 2005 at 8:27 AM (PDT)

80

If you're having fit problems, make sure you try all the earpiece sizes. The fit is dramatically different.

Posted by Cloetus on January 4, 2005 at 8:32 AM (PDT)

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