In-Ear-Headphone Reviews

These buds sound great. My only complaint is the short cord since I listen from a PC not a personal player.

I had a great time at the office using these little incognito ear buds. One day, I need to keep an ear out for the phone and somehow I dropped one of the ear buds in my coffee. I tried to dry it out, but to no avail. it is now crackly and sounds bad. I guess I will buy another set!!

SONY's Fontopia Ear Bud Headphones provide a wide range of natural sound. They have a sleek black and silver finish, a Y-shaped cord that is a little over three feet long, and an L-shaped Stereo Mini Plug. The ultra compact headphones fit snugly, and comfortably, inside the ear, eliminating the need for a headband. The MDR-E818LPs come with slip-on ear pads. These are in a small plastic pouch hidden behind the cardboard insert in the clear packaging. Be careful when you first open the container, as it would be easy to throw out the ear pads by mistake.

These particular headphones would be especially good for movement -- such as while jogging, mowing the lawn, running, or lifting weights. They only weigh 5 grams. After a few minutes, you will scarcely notice you are wearing them. The Silent Cap on the ear buds stops sound leakage, so you're less likely to disturb someone sitting next to you while you enjoy your music. I use these with my laptop if someone else in the room is watching TV, or sometimes when I take my laptop out to a cafe, eatery, or Starbucks

The MDR-E818LPs use Neodymium Magnets for powerful bass, and clear treble in a compact design. Neodymium is far more powerful than conventional Samarium Cobalt or Aluminum Magnets, two other kinds of magnets commonly used in the production of headphones and other personal electronics. Neodymium is also common in the production of bass amps, boat speakers, car audio products, computer hard drives, flat panel speakers, game systems, microphones, motorcycle parts, mp3 jukebox players, and travel speakers, in addition to headphones.

Neodymium is not just some marketing tag invented by SONY either, I did some research on the internet and found out it is actually a rare earth metal, and can be found on the Periodic Table of Elements (60Nd). Neodymium is a component of didymium used for coloring glass to make welder's goggles, Neodymium salts are used as a colorant for enamel paints, Neodymium is also used to color glass in delicate shades ranging from pure violet through wine-red and warm gray, and Neodymium is also used in doped glass lasers. Neodymium is also used in electric switches, lense filters, junkyard magnets, phone receivers, refrigerator magnets, magnetic or non-magnetic screwdrivers, and a host of other everyday products you wouldn't suspect. Considering it is a "rare" earth metal, I'm surprised that it's used in so many products.

Other brands of bass amps, boat speakers, car audio products, computer hard drives, flat panel speakers, game systems, headphones, microphones, motorcycle parts, mp3 jukebox players, and travel speakers also make use of Neodymium, such as: Altec Lansing, Apple, Audio Technica, Boston Acoustic, Coby, Creative, Directed, Dynaudio Acoustics, Hitachi, JBL, Kenwood, Koss, Labtec, Microsoft, Morel, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Polk, Sennheiser, Skylon, Stanton, Tech 21, and others. It's not like this feature is unique to SONY.

Neodymium Magnets are apparently the strongest that can be found. I couldn't find a really technically proficient explanation as to why Neodymium produces better sound, but after a little research, I'll accept that as fact.

These SONY Fontopia Headphones were Made in Korea. If you need to exchange them, they can be replaced through the SONY Parts Center in Kansas City, Missouri. SONY has a toll-free line for frequently asked questions. Dial 1-800-222-7669 if you need to know more about their products. If SONY can't answer your question over the phone, you can always write them at their SONY Direct Response Center in Fort Myers, Florida.

I'd just like to point out that these headphones are actually a replacement for an older pair of ear buds from SONY that I can no longer find, and as such were purchased from FYE for only $8.99. They are the best little pair of cheap ear buds you are likely to encounter.

Specifications:

Product Type: Headphones
Features: Silver-plated plug, L-shaped plug
Form Factor: Ear-bud
Frequency Response: 16 - 22,000Hz
Impedance: 16 ohms
Magnet: Neodymium
Power handling capacity: 50mW
Recommended Use: Portable Audio
Sensitivity: 104dB/mW
Weight: 5 grams

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 8.99

When I bought these earbuds, I didn't expect much, but these surprised me with their full-bodied, wonderfully rich sound. They have very-noticeable, deep bass which won't drown out your awesome mids and highs. The tremble is unbeatable at this price. This is probably because of their frequency range, 12 to 22,000 Hz. Most earbuds around this price don't have that good of frequency response. If you're wondering what frequency response is, well it's the sound they capture and put into your ears. The lower Hz means the bass. The higher Hz means the highs. They also have a neodymium magnet, one of the best you can buy. What a magnet does is they determine how good the overall sound quality is. These earbuds also have a silent cap, a cap with no outside holes, just the holes you hear sound out of. This means you won't have to turn up the volume on your player so much, and that you don't hear much outside sound either. I think this is great for mowing or any other noisy activity. They also come with a nice twist-up, compact case. I can slip these headphones easily into my pocket or anywhere else. These earbuds don't have the best comfort but, they're very comfortable when it comes to earbuds when I use the earpads. On top of it all, the quality is the best thing about these earbuds. I think they will last a long time. I hope this review was helpful to you, thanks for reading.

I read the Amazon reviews for these Sony ear-buds and decided to buy them after my daughter stole the ear-buds that came with my Rio Cali MP3 player. Those ear-buds, which hooked on to your ear with a special clip, sounded OK. After receiving my Sony MDR-E829V ear-buds which I bought on sale at Amazon for $12.62 I was more than skeptical about their quality especially since they are cheap.

To say that I was stunned after trying them out is a gross understatement. They sound SPECTACULAR! I am far from a newcomer to quality audio and I own some first-rate equipment but you have to wonder why anyone would pay hundreds of dollars for a pair of top audio headphones when a $12 pair of ear-buds will blow your socks off. They provide deep solid bass (surprise!) and a full clean range of frequency. Aside from a built in volume control Sony provides a cheap but quite convenient plastic case that allows you to quickly roll the whole thing up and pack it away neatly. The unit also comes with foam covers for the ear-piece but they are useless and I quickly threw them out. This is a superb buy but be forewarned that in the ear buds take a bit of getting used to. Once you find the best way to place them in your ear they are quite comfortable and you will truly marvel at the sound they put out. Indeed, this may be the best buy to be had in the audio world today (no joke!).

I recently purchased these headphones because I needed something that didn't irritate my ears like my behind-the-ear style headphones that came with my MP3 player do. They are comfortable in the ears, and (at least for me) do not fall out.

The sound is very pleasing! The bass compliments the higher notes very nicely. There is an equal balance of both, so one does not drown out the other. Yet the bass is powerful at the same time. I really like the adjustable volume control on the cord! The only problem with this product is that the cord may not be long enough for some people, but this is a very minor problem.

I went through 2 of these. Both were very nice before they blew out. They last me a little less than a year. They deliver a nice loud crisp sound especially for their small package but they don't last their lifetime which does not work for me.

From reading the other reviews it is easy to see that these have excellent sound quality. I don't need to say more about that. However,there's one problem. After wearing them for an extended period of time, your ears begin to hurt...not from the sound, but from the fit of the headphones themselves. And if you try to lay down on your side while listening with these, it hurts A LOT. you can probably get more comfortable headphones with the same sound quality.

Way too cheap for what they are. I didn't fully realize this until I got a player with a lot of equalization choices. Then I discovered that the changes didn't make much difference in the way the music sounded in all the various earphones I had around the house (because they didn't have enough frequency response to manipulate), except these. Everyone I've shown them to has loved them.

The comfort issue someone else mentioned is real--it takes a while to build up the calluses to use them for really long periods of time, and you can't use them lying on your side. But it's worth it.

The manual is important. Don't avoid reading the manual, or you'll be confused and possibly void your warranty.<br /> <br /> The manual is made up of pretty small pages. Page 2 of the manual tells the parts of the earphone. The last item on the list is a "wax guard," referring to page 9. Page 9 is the last page of the verbose area of the manual, describing the wax guard.<br /> <br /> The earphones ship with the smallest conical sleeves installed, without any wax guard. You have to take the sleeves off, install the wax guards, and put a sleeves back on, or else you void the warranty. I found that to be the weakest part of the process.<br /> <br /> Otherwise, they seem fine. These are essentially earplugs with earphones attached. I must have small ear canals, because I find only the smallest foam earplugs to be comfortable. The sound is good; the cord seems to be an appropriate length for a hip-mounted monitor pack or personal sound player.

I got these as a present and was initially unhappy with the quality of the output - until I read the manual and realize the special position of the headphones (wiring curled over the ear and behind the head). The tighter the seal with the sponges/earbuds, the more the isolation factor and the better the quality sound. But this puts the speaker tunnel deeper in your ear canal.

Pretty good on the train and helps the 2 hour daily commute - blocks out most conversations. But certain voice pitch will permeate (bad) and the conductor annoucements are heard clearly (not a bad thing).

Excellent in the work place but it is a pain to take the buds out then put them back in.

Overall good for a city person/commuter warrior who is a minimalist and wants to block out the world.

These earphones from Shure are the mid-priced ($130) model in their line of in-ear phones. The E2 is a lower-priced ($90) consumer-oriented version with black cables and a more rounded contour. The E5 has two separate drivers and goes for around $450. The sound quality is excellent with the disposable foam earplugs, which seal out noise and allow good bass response. The reusable plastic earplugs fall out and bass is non-existent due to the poor seal. I haven't tried the optional triple-seal earplugs ($10) or the custom-molded earplugs ($100 from an audiologist). These earphones deliver tight, robust bass (with foam plugs) and extremely crisp highs, and they don't even mess up your hair! They are so precise, you may want to record MP3's at higher than the 128K standard. I read a review that said the pink plastic materials look like some kind of medical device, but I find they blend in nicely and are almost unnoticable. One drawback is that you have to squeeze the earplugs back into your ear canal every time you take them off - unlike conventional headphones that you can whip off and on, but are uncomfortable while resting in an airplane seat! Overall, they're a good value if you need a very small high-fidelity device.

Ok, I'm not an audiophile. I'm not a headphone expert. I'm just someone who really likes to listen to music while working out, and these do a really good job. They're lightweight, produce a clean sound, and don't fall off my head. The ear buds sometimes come out of my ears, but not too much.

Perhaps I placed too much hope on these headphones from reading the rave customer reviews but the earbuds were disappointing.
The Good Stuff:
1. Cord length (not too short or long)
2. Delivers good enough surround sound for earbuds
3. Volume control on cord (especially if you have your player away from your immediate person in backpack or purse)
4. Decent bass
5. Price (can't be beat!)
The Bad Stuff:
1. Music tends to sound a little muddled
2. Fit (keeps falling out of my ears)
3. Wish it had a gold plated stereo plug
4. Feels a bit plasticky
5. Does not block out enough external noise (I have to turn my music way up in public areas or on public transportation)
Overall, these are good stopover headphones as I make my way (and save up cash) towards earbuds like the Shure E2c or the Etys ER-6.

Overall, I'm dissapointed! I have the MX300 and they sound identical and they are like $10 less! Don't get me wrong, they are great earbuds, but I was expecting an improvement from the MX300... save yourself $10, buy the MX300 instead, the volume control doesn't change the level that much anyway.

I've tried any number of earbuds, and these are the best I've heard by a wide margin. I think the bass is quite decent for an earbud -- but since bass response depends quite heavily on fit, I suppose some others might have a different experience. Overall, I find the MX500's sound to be clear and warm compared to other earbuds I've listened to. I disagree with the reviewer who said these are the same as the MX300. I have both and I can hear a moderate but definite difference in sound quality. On the other hand the MX300 is quite decent and at about half the price of the MX500 might be a good choice for some. It should be noted, however, that the MX400 and MX500 *are* the same, differing only in that the former doesn't have a built-in volume control.

Everybody hears headphones and earphones slightly differently, but the MX500 is consistently rated as the top value in its category in headphone chat rooms and is probably the place to start if you're looking for a pair of earbuds.

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.

They look neat, sound fair, and tangle quite easily. Despite their appearance, they really are not well designed for active people. While running, sweat somehow manages to run down the plastic clips and "flood" the ear buds. It did not long before they started to sound weak, and lose bass response. Finally my right side blew, even though my MP3 player has a pretty mild sound output.

I got a few months of use out of them, and am debating getting a new pair. I don't like the idea of disposable hardware; I expected much better from Sony.

I love sony, however these headphones are barely above par. I wear glasses so they don't fit correctly and consequently don't feel comfortable at first. I'm use to them now but they are very sleek and I barely notice them now. I like them because they're not in my hair. I like the tangle free design though it's much better than finding knots in the after taking them out of my bag.

The sound quality is fairly good. However along with all the rest of the reviews, the bass is not very strong. I am also not really into pumping the bass up, but I like a little in my electronica/dance music. It is adequate but I'd like more. Considering that they have only 13.5 mm drivers, it's to be expected. I would advise at least 30mm drivers for you bass people which you won't find in these "in-ear" headphones.

So if you looking for an inexpensive headphones and you don't wear glasses or want big bass, then these are great. Otherwise Sony has tons of other headphones that could fit your needs.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
These are the third set of headphones that I have purchased in 4 years. I also have earbuds from Sony with "mega Bass" capability, and another pair of ear-huggers from Sharp. I use my Sony MDR-J10s for the gym and when I go jogging. I use an RCA MP3 player with DSP capability (bass inducer)

PROS:
-Cheaper than other versions of ear-huggers
-Variable colors allow personalization
-Sound quality is not as 'tinny' (compared to my pair by Sharp), but this might be dependent on the device you use. Not as good as 'megaBass', but if you're outdoors it's good enough.
-The ear 'hooks' are strong/durable enough to withstand small tugs to the headset.

CONS:
-Like most ear-huggers they constantly get tangled. I've yet to see a set withi a good storage case.
-Non-gripping, smooth plastic of the 'huggers' don't always cling to your ear.
-For people with small ears, there is no guarantee they will fit.

OVERALL:
Don't expect superb sound since Sony doesn't claim any 'megaBass' improvement. Ear huggers are designed for active people, but don't think they'll stay in your ears if you pull really hard! They're cheap, and work for my activities. If they break, just buy another (or the better ones that come out in the future).

If you like the slightest bit of bass in your music, DO NOT purchase these earbuds. My ipod now sounds like a cheap, battery powered, one speakered AM radio. Each of my ears gave them a star for the comfort factor. That's the only good thing I can say about these overpriced headphones.

Unlike most people, I'm actually quite satisfied whith these earphones. They have excellent bass response, and the music sounds a lot more full and realistic than the stock earphones that come with the iPod. I can hear parts of songs that I've never heard before!! These phones also do an excellent job of canceling out background noise, so this is especially good for commuters on noisy subways or buses. The only way that you'd get a bad sound with these things is if you aren't wearing them properly....unlike earbuds, you can't just set these in your ears, you have to pull on your ear to open the ear canal, and then insert the plugs. If not inserted propery, you'll get crappy sound and tinny bass. Don't skip out on these!

Okay after reading reviews on another web site, I decided to give these another try. I must say they are a bit tricky to get in your ears, as you must pull back the top of your ear away from your head and "seal" the plugs in. After this is achieved, the result is astounding. No "tinny" sounds and a lot more bass. MUCH better than the original plugs you get with your ipod. Outside noise is eliminated almost completely, which means you don't have to "up" your volume as much for these. And they didn't fall out as I cycled this morning, so that's another plus.