In-Ear-Headphone Reviews

These in-ear headphones are excellent. They're not quite as stylish as Bang and Olufsen's but I think the sound quality is as good and they also appear to handle bass a lot better at high output. The price is also a LOT more attractive than B&O's.

I would recommend these to anyone that want to use in-ear headphones with portable equipment. They're great.

I just bought this thing from Amazon and all I can say

is WOW!!!!

This is probably the best purchase I have ever made.

This thing is everything I ever expected and more!! It's

very easy to use as well!

I have bought other brands before, and this one just

blows everything else out of the water! I have to say,

everyone out there who is thinking of buying this, stop

thinking. I bought it and I am extremely happy with it

the moment I powered this thing on. YOU ABSOLUTELY

POSITIVELY CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS PURCHASE! I

GUARANTEE IT!!!

I bought these based on the reviews on Amazon. I have to admit to being a bit disappointed. While these earphones are fairly good (better that most stock earbuds) they did not match what people have been saying about them. I found the mid and upper ranges to a bit cold and flat. They were clear, but lacked some dynamics. The bass is almost non-existent. I thought that from these reviews that I'd be wowed. I wasn't.

Don't believe everything you read, try them first. These earbuds are okay, but not of the quality I was hoping for.

Over 6 years ago when I first heard these... I knew these would be the last pair of earphones I would ever buy. I was shocked they still carried these through Amazon, I've repurchased a new set, along with an additional 2nd and 3rd (I've been through many in the past). I've gone through tons of other earbuds and headphones, but none of them come close to matching the clarity and quality these produce. What I particularly like about these compared to others, is that the design is made to go partly down the ear canal making the sound more crisp and defined. The dynamic range is exceptionally wide, and sensitivity is excellent (if you particularly like music at high volumes, these do the job).

One word of caution, never walk through a metal detector listening to these (the ones you find like at Circuit City). It cost me about 4 pairs over the years.

I was looking for some comfortable, inexpensive ear-buds to use when traveling and picked up a pair of these Sony's. I was just blown away! I usually listen at home via a Headroom Cosmic amp and Senn HD600 headphones, or over an audiophile system with Mark Levinson, Bryston, Wilson and B&W components. I have tried Etymotic ear buds, even with custom earmolds, and just don't like the sound balance and imaging. These cheap Sony's are so close to the balance and imaging of my Senn HD600's that I am amazed. Yes given a choice, I'll use the Senn's. But for travel, man are these buds awesome! Give yourself a treat and try a pair.

I'd read a lot of good things about these earphones so I plunked down the hundred to buy them. It was definitely money well spent and they do exactly as advertised. I used them mostly just with my ipod and now I hear things in songs that I never even heard before. I actually went and re-recorded some of my songs at 320 kb and could actually notice a difference. They're also good for using on the tractor as an alternative to earplugs. My only complaints are that they're not AS sound isolating as I thought they would be. I can't hear people talking but I can still hear some of what's going on around me. They work about the same for sound isolating as foam earplugs do. Also, the ear pieces get pretty nasty after a while. But those are just nitpicks for what are otherwise excellent headphones. Definitely the best I've ever used.

Shure's E2c's are 'entry-level' consumer earphones (hence, the 'c') in their line of premium in-the-ear headphones. I recently purchased these at an airport after reading a CNET.com review. As stated in that review, the e2's are designed to be accurate, so dont be expected to be blown away by rattling bass, or sizzling high frequencies - they are just meant to present to you the music that is put into them.

After a bit of testing with the different sleeves, i found that the medium foam sleeves are the best in terms of comfort AND isolation - oh yeah, these go pretty deep into your ear, or else you won't get any bass at all. Before you turn on the music, everything's muffled - you can still hear anything outside, its just more subdued (some report i read said that they provide about 20 decibels of isolation). When you turn on the music, however, you won't notice any outside noise at all, unless its EXTREMELY loud.

Remember - if you want some of the best premium headphones on the market, don't need mega bass, and can take care of your stuff, then get these e2's. You won't be dissapointed. I use these with my iPod daily.

P.S. if you still can't hear quality out of these headphones, either they're defective or you need to encode your music at a higher bitrate - at least 160 for mp3, 128 for aac, and 96 for wma.

I bought these earphones for a combination of uses - travel, exercise, casual listening, etc. They are great. The noticeable background noise attenuation is perfect for flights, busy airports, mowing the lawn or anywhere you want to tune out the outside world. Bass response is very good, I'd call it neutral (which is the best thing a serious music fan can ask for.)

These earphones are very low profile and unobtrusive to wear. They do not create the fatigue I get while wearing regular headphones for a long period and the sound blows away the numerous earbuds I have tried. I use the flex fit sleeves which are very comfortable. By cinching up the sleeve on the cord, they stay in place with minimal fuss even while exercising.

I strongly recommend these earbuds to anyone who wants immersive, comfortable and excellent sound.

I was on my second pair of these when I became greatly disapointed. I absoluty love Sony but I have to give these 3 stars. GREAT sound, but after 2 weeks, the left ear bud lost all bass and became extremly tin sounding. Basicly if you get one speck of dust in the these things your done. I would suggest a pair of behind the ear headphones, sony of corse, Dont get my wrong sony is the best electronics out there next to bose, but these are just too delicate for headphones

I forgot my headphones at home one day, and needed a cheap pair to keep at work for such... emergencies. Surprisingly good bass response, the ability to pick some highs out - a little muddy in the midrange - but... for $12 (not online) - these are quite a deal. They're at least as good as iPod stock headphones. The cord is a little short, and they do feel a little cheap, but hey - they are cheap! They just don't sound like it - which is all that counts, in my opinion.

To start off the price of these is a GREAT deal to compare with the sound that you're going to get. The first thing you will notice is the sleek style of the silver and black which is a plus. (oh, ear size makes no difference, they fit fine in both) Now, once you put them on the first you notice is extremely clear cut sounds, a POWERFUL bass and great volume. I actually use it with my CD player and keep it on lvl 2/10 because of the great sound quality. Now the case, the only thing the picture may mislead you about is that both the earphones and the jack are placed inside the case, the picture of course is for advertisment, but just to make it clear. The case is pocket size and has a place where to place your finger to wind it up. You will be extremely happy with these and should be them once the new stock arrives online. Want it faster? Go to the store. You will love the compact and great quality for such a low price. ( I'm listening to them while typing this)

I think these are very nice headpones and i enjoy the way they are small and not bulky, but a word to the wise: if you have these kind of "in ear" headphones, make sure you have another padded ear headphones becuase at times they can kind of irritate your ear and are not always comfortable if you are laying down with them on.

Whenever I buy a portable CD player, I immediately rip into the package, check out what all the new features I've acquired are, and then I give the headphones away. Why? Because newer style players have all gone the same way the old styles have, with the over-the-ear styles that look more like earmuffs than headphones. Perhaps they enclose the ear in a different manner than in the past, imprisoning it in a different method, but the results are always the same. They convolute the sound, pushing the volume onto the ear but muffling the symphonies that are made. Personally I like to listen to all the sounds within my music, wanting what I paid for, and this is bothersome. In fact, I'd go play records with my grandmother if I wanted to hear a slightly distorted sound. See, I want to hear every synth in the EBM and I want to taste every flavor in the voxing of those voices. So, I go and buy myself a pair of MDRW24V's and I'm set.

There are a few reasons I SWEAR by this design, and one of the more prominent ones (besides the in-the-ear design) is the volume control. The reason I like it is because it: (1) gives me an easy way to turn the player up when I'm too lazy to reach for the remote (2) gives me a back-up in case I break the remote or I accidentally get my player stuck on "hold" and I'm too busy to fish out the player or (3) because it allows me to override the sound restrictions that are there to safeguard my hearing on my discman and to make it louder. All of these work wonders, too, because I'm really not prone to listening to the noises that are manufactured by my fellow human beings. I'd rather drown out the Muzak when walking through the mall and I'd rather have an override switch that turns up the volume quickly if I'm approached by people I don't want to hear. Taking this and coupling it with an in-the-ear design works wonders, too.

Besides that, they are durable, they don't blow out all that often, and you should honestly replace your headphones AT LEAST once a month anyhow - and more if you use them like I do. During the time that you own them, you shouldn't have to worry about durability issues, about its ability to carry sound, and you also shouldn't have to worry about something newly designed that looks nice but that hurt when you wrap it around your ears. Here you have the answers to all your listening needs because Sony products last!

These fit pretty well in my ears and are comfortable even after wearing them for 45 minutes.

The cord is a bit long, but you can always tie or wrap it up. I have some portable headphones that have only a 36" cord and that's too short, so having this one a bit long is better in my opinion.

They do a pretty good job of isolated the ambient or outside noise when you have them on and they do make you slightly more aware of your own body sounds like breathing, but it's not that big a deal to me at all. I like the fact that I don't hear car traffic or the sounds of others in the gym or treadmill sounds.

The sound quality is pretty good. It has good bass as well as treble. The sound is better than any other portable headphones I have. They don't have the quality of studio like headphones costing $100+, but I don't want to wear studio like headphones when I go out jogging or to the gym. These are quite light and have a very low profile which is nice for when I go out jogging or to the gym.

I recently bought both these and the Shure e3c in-hear headphones (which cost about six times as much). The Sonys are for the gym (where they will surely take a beating and eventually need to be replaced) while the more expensive Shures will be used for my daily commute on public transportation (a generally less violent activity).

I really enjoy both headphones, but they are sonically worlds apart. The Sony headphones are a bit easier to insert and sit more comfortably in the ear than the Shures, whose cables have to be looped up and over each ear, newscaster-style. When it comes to ease of use and physical comfort, the Sonys are simply better. Sonically, it is hard to say one set of earphones is objectively better than the other. The Sonys feature a very prominent bottom end while the Shures have tighter bass response and much more mid-range clarity. I would say the Sonys have been engineered to sound "hot" (lots of bass and treble) while the Shures were designed to sound more neutral. In places where a sense of energy is more important than nuance (e.g., at the gym or out jogging) I'd recommend the Sony earphones. For longer periods of more introspective, careful listening, the Shures can't be beat.

These earphones do what they're supposed to do: mostly isolate outside noises and deliver good quality sound at a low cost. The base is very good for ear bud/phone style speakers which explains the popularity of the Sony EX51 & EX71s.

That said, I'm not that pleased with their fit. I've spent the better part of a week fiddling back & forth between the different cushions and finally decided that for my ears I have to use the small size. The catch is that the smalls don't fit *that* well but the next size up is too large to get a good insertion.

All in all I'm satisfied of their value but would recommend seeing if you can find a friend with either these or the EX71s to see what you think of having them in your ears before purchasing. After using these for a week I can see them being used on the bus/plane, but for everyday listening I'm going to keep on using the Apple iPod earphones or just use a much better sounding set of actual headphones for about the same money.

These fit pretty well in my ears and are comfortable even after wearing them for 45 minutes.

The cord is a bit long, but you can always tie or wrap it up. I have some portable headphones that have only a 36" cord and that's too short, so having this one a bit long is better in my opinion.

They do a pretty good job of isolated the ambient or outside noise when you have them on and they do make you slightly more aware of your own body sounds like breathing, but it's not that big a deal to me at all. I like the fact that I don't hear car traffic or the sounds of others in the gym or treadmill sounds.

The sound quality is pretty good. It has good bass as well as treble. The sound is better than any other portable headphones I have. They don't have the quality of studio like headphones costing $100+, but I don't want to wear studio like headphones when I go out jogging or to the gym. These are quite light and have a very low profile which is nice for when I go out jogging or to the gym.

I recently bought both these and the Shure e3c in-hear headphones (which cost about six times as much). The Sonys are for the gym (where they will surely take a beating and eventually need to be replaced) while the more expensive Shures will be used for my daily commute on public transportation (a generally less violent activity).

I really enjoy both headphones, but they are sonically worlds apart. The Sony headphones are a bit easier to insert and sit more comfortably in the ear than the Shures, whose cables have to be looped up and over each ear, newscaster-style. When it comes to ease of use and physical comfort, the Sonys are simply better. Sonically, it is hard to say one set of earphones is objectively better than the other. The Sonys feature a very prominent bottom end while the Shures have tighter bass response and much more mid-range clarity. I would say the Sonys have been engineered to sound "hot" (lots of bass and treble) while the Shures were designed to sound more neutral. In places where a sense of energy is more important than nuance (e.g., at the gym or out jogging) I'd recommend the Sony earphones. For longer periods of more introspective, careful listening, the Shures can't be beat.

These earphones do what they're supposed to do: mostly isolate outside noises and deliver good quality sound at a low cost. The base is very good for ear bud/phone style speakers which explains the popularity of the Sony EX51 & EX71s.

That said, I'm not that pleased with their fit. I've spent the better part of a week fiddling back & forth between the different cushions and finally decided that for my ears I have to use the small size. The catch is that the smalls don't fit *that* well but the next size up is too large to get a good insertion.

All in all I'm satisfied of their value but would recommend seeing if you can find a friend with either these or the EX71s to see what you think of having them in your ears before purchasing. After using these for a week I can see them being used on the bus/plane, but for everyday listening I'm going to keep on using the Apple iPod earphones or just use a much better sounding set of actual headphones for about the same money.

These fit pretty well in my ears and are comfortable even after wearing them for 45 minutes.

The cord is a bit long, but you can always tie or wrap it up. I have some portable headphones that have only a 36" cord and that's too short, so having this one a bit long is better in my opinion.

They do a pretty good job of isolated the ambient or outside noise when you have them on and they do make you slightly more aware of your own body sounds like breathing, but it's not that big a deal to me at all. I like the fact that I don't hear car traffic or the sounds of others in the gym or treadmill sounds.

The sound quality is pretty good. It has good bass as well as treble. The sound is better than any other portable headphones I have. They don't have the quality of studio like headphones costing $100+, but I don't want to wear studio like headphones when I go out jogging or to the gym. These are quite light and have a very low profile which is nice for when I go out jogging or to the gym.

I recently bought both these and the Shure e3c in-hear headphones (which cost about six times as much). The Sonys are for the gym (where they will surely take a beating and eventually need to be replaced) while the more expensive Shures will be used for my daily commute on public transportation (a generally less violent activity).

I really enjoy both headphones, but they are sonically worlds apart. The Sony headphones are a bit easier to insert and sit more comfortably in the ear than the Shures, whose cables have to be looped up and over each ear, newscaster-style. When it comes to ease of use and physical comfort, the Sonys are simply better. Sonically, it is hard to say one set of earphones is objectively better than the other. The Sonys feature a very prominent bottom end while the Shures have tighter bass response and much more mid-range clarity. I would say the Sonys have been engineered to sound "hot" (lots of bass and treble) while the Shures were designed to sound more neutral. In places where a sense of energy is more important than nuance (e.g., at the gym or out jogging) I'd recommend the Sony earphones. For longer periods of more introspective, careful listening, the Shures can't be beat.

These earphones do what they're supposed to do: mostly isolate outside noises and deliver good quality sound at a low cost. The base is very good for ear bud/phone style speakers which explains the popularity of the Sony EX51 & EX71s.

That said, I'm not that pleased with their fit. I've spent the better part of a week fiddling back & forth between the different cushions and finally decided that for my ears I have to use the small size. The catch is that the smalls don't fit *that* well but the next size up is too large to get a good insertion.

All in all I'm satisfied of their value but would recommend seeing if you can find a friend with either these or the EX71s to see what you think of having them in your ears before purchasing. After using these for a week I can see them being used on the bus/plane, but for everyday listening I'm going to keep on using the Apple iPod earphones or just use a much better sounding set of actual headphones for about the same money.

Kudos to Sony.These earphones offer the best combination of isolation, sound quality, comfort, and easy on-and-off design. I am a commuter in NYC, and twice a day I walk a few blocks, take a bus for about 15 minutes and a subway for another 20 minutes. I used to use Koss KSC-35's, but their open-air design had me constantly changing volumes to deal with the various noise levels. I also needed to put the volume on very high to deal with the subway, and I was afraid that I was harming my hearing. I tried the Sennheiser PX-200's and while real comfy, the isolation wasn't enough. Then I tried the Shure E2C's, but the only insert that would fit my small ear canals was the small foam pair. Since you need to take the time to roll these foam inserts up real small before inserting, then hold them in your ears till they expand, that made them very inconvenient for everyday on-and-off use. These Sony's are also a little more comfortable than the Shure E2C's. I have even tried the Koss Plugs, but they do not fit in my small ear canals at all and constantly came out. Thanks to these Sony earphones, I can now travel in comfort and musical bliss for my whole commute without the need to constantly change volumes. As with the Shure earphones, only the smaller inserts fit me on these Sony's. At first, it takes awhile to get used to these, and my ears did get a little sore, but after a few weeks I got used to them. The material that goes into the ear is pretty smooth for easy insertion, and is fairly easy to keep clean. A word of advice: do clean the removable inserts once in awhile in soap and water and keep your ears clean! The sound on these is very good with solid bass. Perhaps not the best you will hear, but better than your average moderately priced headphones of any design and brand. Another word of caution: if you need to operate a bicycle or vehicle these are dangerous as outside sounds are really muffled or cut off. So don't use these in environments where you need to hear sounds clearly.

I recently bought a Rio Chiba 256 cheap off of Ebay and after reading all the glowing reviews decided to buy these from Amazon for a reasonable 34 bucks to replace the 10 dollar Sonys I got from Wal Mart.
While impressed with the Chiba I thought it could stand to be a little louder because I do like loud music on occasion.
Thats where I'm a little disappointed with the 71's.
In my Chiba the $10 Sony's actually sound a little louder than the more expensive 71's.
The 71's have zero distortion and sound better however so they are worth using.
Sitting here typing on the computer on the other hand shows just how great these headphones are.
With the extra power soundwise the computer has vs the Chiba you can really see what the 71's can do.
With some power to them they are truly unbelievable!
I just wish my Chiba could sound like that!
Oh well its probably better for my ears that the Chiba is on the quiet side.
BTW I don't listen to anything less than 128kbps which to real audio snobs I know is garbage but I'll bet more people are using 128 than are using higher scan rates or newer formats.

In closing if you have a high powered portable like I heard the Karma is or you plan on listening to them on a computer then buy them you'll be amazed.
If you plan on using them only in a Chiba or similar MP3 player that is on the quiet side you won't be disappointed but you won't be blown away either.

BTW I really debated getting the 51's without the extention but I'm glad I opted for the flexibility of the 71's. I don't use a armband but the short cord is just perfect for a jacket I own.

Overall an amazing piece of technology. 10/10

After realizing that my current pair of Sony Street-style had reached the end of their lifespan, I began searching for a replacement pair. They had served me well, so I decided to see what Sony had to offer again.

They didn't disappoint me. I decided to look for an earbud type this time for convience and work-related reasons. What I found were the MDR-EX71SL's.

These little babies are a godsend. They fit snugly and comfortably inside your ear...you won't know how comfortably until you try them. The best part is, they sound absolutely amazing! I've never heard bass from earbuds like this before! The treble seems a little dark, but that may just be because I prefer bright treble. And, the closed-type design does a good job of blocking out outside noises, which was an unexpected bonus, I must say.

The cord quite short, but that's so you can connect it to the in-line remote of your CD or Mp3 player without having too much slack. Sony threw in a metre long extension for those of you that don't have a remote, but the combined length is a bit long for use with a portable player. This problem can be fixed with the nifty case that comes with the pair. Normally, it holds just the earbuds, but it also doubles as a cord winder, which is very useful. In the package you also get a cloth carrying case, which is totally useless IMO, unless you have a MiniDisc player, which it might fit, I don't know.

All in all, the MDR-EX71SL earbuds are best you're going to find without splurging on a pair from Shure or another high-end manufacturer. And one more thing, be sure to push them in all the way to get that deep bass, as previously mentioned by other reviewers.