Customer Reviews

Sony Ultra Lightweight MDR-W08L Vertical In-The-Ear Headphones

5 star:		(283)
4 star:		(113)
3 star:		(44)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

I was looking for a good pair of headphones to replace the ones that came with my portable (the kind that just barely cover the ear and then not very well--you know what I mean) when I came across these.

I was a little skeptical because of the price (I was under the misconception that good headgear has to cost a bundle).

Boy, was I surprised.

The first time I put them on (riding on the commuter train) I was amazed at the sound quality. They beat the ones I had 100% in total sound reaching the ear canal. This helped block out the extraneous sounds of engine and multiple conversations. Plus, the bass was solid as well. As an added bonus, they are incredibly light and are plastic so the headband doesn't scratch your head (something that has irked me with other headsets).

With this level quality, and for this price, you just can't go wrong.

As a runner, I need lightweight headphones that don't jump/move/jar around. I hate ear buds (hate them!) as they are seemingly designed for people w/LARGE ear holes! These things are tiny, fit nicely IN your ear and provide great sound without annoying you on a long run! The price is fabulous too! Last time I ordered, I bought 4 pairs (whenever I like something it seems to be discontinued) and I just broke into pair #2 this week (after almost a year w/the others). I've run in these for 3 half marathons and countless training runs, inside and out. If I wouldn't wad them up and throw them in my gym bag, they'd probably last even longer, but eventually one side tends to give out.

I bought these for my Sony mini-disc player, and they are quite the powerhouse! The sound that comes out of these little guys is amazing. These little phones are a tad awkaward (FOR ME),though, because I always snag the wires on something, but it's my fault. I am never too careful with wires. Speaking of wires, the cable has a volume slide-control whuich is very convenient for when you don'r feel like pulling the player out of your pocket to turn up the volume. That is, when not using the remote.

Sony always makes good products, and like always, I am pleased with my purchase. With good compactability, I can pack these guys in my backpack, and because they are so flexible, they still retain their shape and excellent sound and performance standards.

Let's talk about bass. The bass expansion is great and because of the volume control slider, you don't have to go deaf because you forgot to turn down the volume (on your player) prior to using it.

Not only ismodel MDR08L great for MD players/recorders, but it's also great for cassette and Discman's too! Especially when you don't want a heavy, cumbersome headset weighing you down while on the go. And, the plain black color goes well with any of the portable players today.

So, for the price and the brand, get this headset or something similar by Sony today.

Hope the review helped you.

I have spent hundreds of dollars searching for a headset that stays in my ear AND doesn't hurt. Most are too large, apparently I have a very small ear. The ones that have the 'eyeglass' type and hang on your ear? Well apparently my lobes aren't high enough to hold those on. I know it sounds like I'm some kind of earless freak, part bird or some such, but only these verticles stay on my head, in my ear and don't cause me any pain.

Either I am insane or none of you are qualified to review this product. Personally, I've owned six pairs of these and use them for hours on end each week. I wear them on 3-hour runs and I wear them in the computer lab here at school, so I think I know what I am talking about. Firstly, the product design for these headphones is the best I've ever seen. These headphones weigh nothing. That is the reason these headphones are so great. I've looked at other similar products by Sony (they make a model that look similar but are yellow) and by Aiwa and Koss and none of them are as good as these. They're either a folding design, which is a definite no-no, or slightly bulkier and less comfortable. The sound is good. These would be the coolest, sleekest, lightest, most affordable headphones ever, except for one small problem. They don't work!

That's right, after moderate use, the sound invariably goes out in one ear. This has happened in six of six pairs of these I've owned. One pair I had lasted for a year. Another was broken THE SECOND I TOOK IT OUT OF THE BOX. The Mean Time Between Failure for the six pairs I've owned is probably at or around 3 months. So, to sum up: These headphones are awesome. I'd gladly pay 30 bucks for a single pair that worked for year. Instead I pay 30 bucks for 3 pairs that, together, work for a year. I'd write Sony and alert them to the problem, but frankly for an eight dollar pair of headphones, I don't expect much. My advice is to buy six or seven pairs just to keep from running back and forth to the store. Hopefully they'll work out the quality issues on this one and jack up the price.

Ever since 1997, this is the only type of headphones Ive been using. They are very comfortable. Full-size headphones are too heavy for extended or portable use, too bulky to wear them while lying down, and too much like a pair of ear muffs on a warm day! Earphones, on the other hand, always giving me issues: they tend to either sliping out or too tight and uncomfortable. Quality wise, these headphones are also very solid. I've gone though three pairs since 1997. And at around 10 a pop, that's no big deal at all. I'm tempted to buy one of those new and ultra pricy earphones, but at 10 times the price of thse good old Sony, I'll stick to the old faithful.

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.

I use these headphones for running and I have never had a problem with sweat in the ear. The fit nice and always stay on. I have had them for over a year now and I hope to keep running with them for a long time.

I was looking for a pair of lightweight headphones to replace the ear-buds that came with my MP3 player. I am a small person and most ear-bud headphones feel like I'm jamming soda cans into my ear canals. Unfortunately, most traditional headphones are also too big and fall off when I am running. Someone recommended this pair of headphones to me, and I'm so glad they did! The fit is perfect, and the sound quality far exceeds what I was expecting for the price. I am so happy I finally found headphones that sound great AND fit!

When you find yourself searching, in need a pair of headphones, you should ask yourself what you want from your music. Do you want a sound that seems to cover you ear, muffling the noise and perhaps minimizing exposure, or do you want purity of sound that closeness of proximity can bring? Do you want a design that might be right and that might not, with those newer designs that hook behind the ears or those sectional ones that sometimes pinch, or do you want a more basic model that has been time tested? While you might not think of it, how you answer that question makes all the difference in the world. And if you're picky and want something that has met the measure of thousands of hours of this reviewer's personal testing, then this model works.

Before the advent of volume control on headphones, this was only the way to go and is still the type I fall back on when I can't find that type. That's because they have a durable plastic structure, an adjustable fit that is pretty hard to wear out, and speakers that seem to take a sonic beating before giving out. Its actually amazing when you note the beating they can take, with so many other products falling by the consumer wayside. Also, they fit firmly in the ear, seating themselves properly, and the plug connecting the headphones to the player rarely wear rout. Besides that, they have one other thing going for them. They are formed well, especially around the speakers.

While many may not see this as a necessity, I've actually experimented with all types of headphones and I've found something that can happen when straying away from Sony. If you're lucky you'll get something that is wired decently, sometimes popping and giving the equal to a shock in the ear and sometimes not, and at worst you'll have a form with a jagged surface. While that might not be bad with something that fits over the ear, something inserted directly into the ear is dangerous when not formed properly. And that's why I swear by these because I've never, in well over 50 pairs of this model alone, had it happen.

If you look at these and you think they are to basic and that the price says something on lower quality, you'd be wrong in many a right. They are perhaps plain in design, not getting fancy in color or the way they fit, but they deliver sounds in only a way that Sony seems to understand. They also last, allowing you to get your maximum use out of the product. Personally, I find that to be the best way to secure loyalty as a customer and something Sony seems to understand. And they've been doing that for me for well over a decade.