Customer Reviews

Sony MDR-E828LP Fontopia Earbuds with Winding Case

5 star:		(139)
4 star:		(81)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

I owned these for a few years, and I found the sound quality to be excellent... they were very comfortable, and you will notice the difference in sound quality when compared with the standard earphones supplied with most portable CD players. If you know certain songs very well, you will especially notice the difference --- you will actually HEAR the bass guitar when listening to rock bands for instance! I found myself listening to all my favourite songs all over again with renewed interest!

My dog recently chomped on one of these, afterwards it sounded like plastic film rattling inside them, so I ended up replacing these with Sony MDR-ED31LP (supposed to be the next model up), and they are hopeless in comparison (those earphones don't fit in your ear as well as the rubber inserts crumple when you insert them). I should have got these Sony MDR-E828LP earphones again. :-(

I've used many headphones as I am addicted to my MP3 player. But none of them even come close to the sound clarity and comfort of these Sony Ear-Buds. And the best part is, for under $10 it really is a steal!!!

I use these to do nearly everything from yard work to biking to running and I have no problems keeping them in my ears. I do knock them out on occasion, but that is always my fault and not the ear-buds.

If you are getting ear-buds, get these. There is nothing else out there that compares to these and it is going for an unbeatable price.

Comfort: The Sennheiser MX400 earbuds are perfectly circular in shape thus seemingly fitting better inside your ear. While the Sony MDR-E828 are also circular but slightly tapered which initially fits inside your ear, but after extensive listening they cause your ear to ache due to the tapered edge. Thus the Sennheiser MX400 wins in comfort for long-term listening.

Sound Quality: The Sennheiser MX400 has a neutral refined sound with fair bass response and smooth treble. The Sony MDR-E828 has a brighter sound with slightly higher bass output and high treble. Generally fans of rock, dance and rap music will prefer the Sony MDR-E828. The Sennheiser MX400 can handle those genres, but not sound as "pumped up" with the Sony MDR-E828. Sound quality is a matter of personal choice, so you decide who wins.

Features: Both offer the same features: same cord length and winding cases.

Overall this is a tough decision, but if I had to declare a winner I would say the Sony MDR-E828 wins as it is almost $5 cheaper than the Sennheiser MX400.

The sound quality is very good. However, my ears would inevitably ache after about 30 minutes of wear. The earbuds are hard plastic (albeit with a thin foam cover), which means my ear must yield to the earbud and not the other way around. These might be a great buy for someone with average to large ear apertures, but probably not for someone with smaller ears. I recommend the "marshmallow"-style ear buds (such as Sony MDR-EX71SLA), with the silicone gasket that conforms to the ear. They're more expensive, but they're comfortable for hours even in my tiny ears.

I bought these to use with my Samsung Z5 mp3 player. While the packaged earbuds were good, the sound was just drowning in bass. I like good bass, but not when it completely overpowers everything else. I had given the Sony 51's a try and promptly returned them; they sounded ok, but kind of made my ears hurt, and for $40, they weren't worth it. I had read some reviews on these 828's, so I decided to go with these. The sound is incredible. The bass is well defined, but is balanced nicely with the midrange and treble. I was literally hearing nuances in the music that I didn't with other buds. They fit very well (though any earbuds will start to feel uncomfortable after a period of extended use, which is discouraged anyway). A set of black foam earbud pads is included. I always prefer to use the pads, but it is of course your own call whether or not you use them. The pads will wear out, but you can buy exact replacements at Radio Shack (pack of 4 for $4) that fit perfectly. Personally, I usually end up replacing the pads every few months or so.

My only gripe about the 828's (and the only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars) is that the cord is too short for my taste. About another foot or so would be nice. Otherwise, this is a great product and at around $10 is a STEAL.

These headphones do reach the high and low ranges with adequate volume, and for the price are very good. They are better than most headphones that are included with portable audio players.

Compared to Sennheiser MX500 headphones, these have louder bass, but not too loud. The volume of all frequencies is just about right. The MX500's main drawback is quieter bass, which can usually be fixed with a slight adjustment to the EQ if your audio device has one.

The Sony MDR-E818LP do, again, have better overall sound quality at all ranges than headphones that were free with your equipment (or cheap headphones for the same price), but the first thing I notice when using these and comparing them to the MX500 is a difference in sound quality between low and high frequencies. Starting fairly close to midrange and going up, the Sony's have an obvious difference in sound. They are still better than any free headphones I have used.

I prefer the Sennheiser MX500 because I would rather have more even and better clarity accross the board (I find it easier to adjust to lower bass volume than varied sound quality). They are only a few dollars more. However, if you just bought some audio device and the headphones are not good (a near certainty), these will sound fabulous in comparison. If you are very picky about sound quality and generally use more expensive headphones, you might still be pleased with what these headphones will do for the price and want to use them when you want to avoid risk to your more good headphones.

It should be noted that the Sennheiser MX500's are not the best available either, only very good compred to most others, so I am not saying they are an absolute better choice. Take your pick based on the differences, they are both well above the POS free headphones you are wanting to replace.

It should also be noted that some reviews of the Sennheisers say similar things about the high end of THOSE headphones, but those reviews must be comparing the MX500 to even more expensive headphones. The Sennheisers are definitely very good for their own price.

I read several reviews of these headphones here at Amazon about a month ago and decided that I give them a chance when my current headphones broke. My sub-par Koss clip-ons died on me last Friday after 4-months and the standard pair that came with my Rio Cali had broken weeks after purchase, so I decided to purchase a pair.

I bought them at my local Sears for $10 rather than order them from Amazon because I needed them ASAP. These headphones more than exceed my expectations. My previous experiences with bud-style headphones have been pretty bad. These however, had excellent sound quality, above-average bass, and fit into my ears quite nicely. I don't have any problem with the length of the cord and I tend to keep my MP3 player clipped to my waist while I listen to it.

The winding case is very easy to use and is a nice edition as it prevents my headphones from getting tangled in my backpack or purse when not in use. Also included are removable pads that fit over the tips of the headphones themselves for a better fit.

All in all, I'd recommend these headphones even if you're not normally a fan of bud-style headphones. Their excellent sound quality and low price are sure to please.

These headphones, like most headphones, sound great compared to speakers at a similar price.

However, for something this cheap I've always liked Sony ear-buds because of the case -- most headphones are awkward and delicate for traveling. This winding case was great until mine stopped winding after four months.

For the $7-$12 these cost, they are most definitely worth the buy!
When I first got these, I listened to them only in the car and found the bass unsatisfying even with the lower-end bass on my MP3 player cranked up. One day while sitting, I popped them in and WHOA! The bass was overwhelming and I had to actually turn it down a bit! My conclusion is that the open-air-ness of these reduces the bass sometimes.
They are very very lightweight and I'd highly recommend these for travel, but not as a replacement to a stereophone.
The winding case is extremely useful, but I wish there was a small clip going up the cord to shorten/lengthen the line, as in some other earbud headphones.
Once again, very very good buy for the sooo cheap price!

I had the same problem a previous reviewer had -- I kept receiving little electrical shocks in my ears from the earphones! plus, the foam pads kept falling off and the earbuds were too large to securely stay in my ears during my commute. more importantly, the sound is not great. I'm no audiophile but it was impossible for me to find the right EQ setting on my ipod when using these headphones. anytime I found a setting with a moderate amount of bass, the treble would be so piercing that my ears would hurt. this is the third pair of headphones I've used with my ipod and the first time I've had any of these particular problems. they are going back if amazon will let me return them ...