Customer Reviews

Sony MDR-ED21LP Fontopia In-The-Ear Headphones

5 star:		(123)
4 star:		(58)
3 star:		(39)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

I got these headphones and also the MDR-EX51LP, I liked these better than the MDR-EX51LP because the sounds it produced was crisper and overall just much better. My only problem with these is that the chord is a little short, just a little over 3ft.

I didn't choose the MDR-EX51LP because that the bass was way too loud. I know that people like bass, but whenever you listen to songs with lyrics all you can hear is the bass, and the spoken stuff gets drowned a bit.

I like the MDR-ED21LP because it was just right, and it was actually louder. I use them on my IAudio CW200 and I usually set my volume to 25. When I have it in that volume level MDR-EX51LP is just too low to even hear it. Even though it goes into your ear canal it doesn't perform as loud as the the MDR-ED21LP. You can also hear some ruffling noise whenever the chord rubs in your clothes, like the stetoscope effect, as another user reviewed.

For the MDR-ED21LP, everything is great, crisp, loud sound, great bass. My only complaint is the chord length.

First of all, there's one very important thing to be said: I'm using an iPod Mini. I'm really amazed with the sound that this small electronic device can supply.. The sound is so great that I even believed at first that the Apple headphones were great. Of course, after some time I started to notice the lack of sound quality, isolation and bass.

After searching the web for earbuds, I've noticed that there are 2 very different types:
- flat earbuds (just like the Apple's)
- canal phones (very expensive Koss, Etymotic or Shure phones, that you really "stick" in your ear)

Of course there are great quality flat phones, but the bass power is always very week, even on the top ones, as I could see with the Bang & Olufsen Earbuds.
On the other hand, the Canal Phones require some time for you to get used to it. The isolation and bass power are really incredible, but they are very agressive to your ears.

Well, the Sony MDR-ED21LP are the ONLY earbuds that I found, that are really in the middle of these 2 types..
They are not flat at all, which really enhances the bass, but they are really NOT agressive to your ears.
Besides, the sound quality is fantastic (remember that I'm using the Powerful iPod Mini), and you can use them for many hours in a row without even feeling them.

And priced like this, I totally recommend these earbuds.

I've tried all sorts of earphones, and these are the best for under $100 (best I've tried that costs more are the Etymotics). They're cheap, the bass response is wonderful thanks to the extra over the bud 'horn'. You will get much better sound than you will with the flat buds (even the $50 ones) without actually sticking something right in your ear canal.

I use my trusty pair of these with my iPod Nano. For only $10-15 they sound so much better than the headphones that came with the Nano that I feel kind of cheated.

I still think a good pair of headphones (Sony MDR-CD790) are more comfortable for long periods of time, but they're not nearly as portable. Also, the cord on these is sometimes a bit too short (but most of the time it's nice not to have the extra stuff laying around).

These earbuds have a great sound, but hurt my ear big time. The part that goes into your ear is hard plastic, and unless you were the model for the mold on these things... they're not going to fit your particular ear shape. There's only one size/shape, so your chances of a good, comfortable fit are slim. I ended up returning them and buying earbuds that have a soft rubber end that comes in 3 sizes.

I bought to try the following earphones: Koss KSC9, which are earphones with clips over the ears, Koss KSC22 which are with clips over the ears as well. I wanted the clip so that the earphones would not fall out from my ear so easely, And these two models do not fall from the ear no matter what you do. But the sound quality is depending at the way you will insert them to your ears. But Sony MDR ED21LP was a surprise to me: not only they fit so well in my ears, they will hold them selves very nicely within the ears (maybe after some time you will need to push/fit them in a little, but even without doing so, they will not fall out) and they sound much better because they are acting like internal earbuds, without being forced and sealed inside the ear canal, which is very un healthy for the ears. this Sony model does the trick very well, they fit very nice, quickly and locating them selves in the optimal way in the ear cavity, and they have this special rubber part that is gently inserted into the ear canal, but without the pressure of the tight sealing, so you get a surprising louder bass then any of the earphones models that do not have this aditional "sound tube". I am a musician and I can tell very well if the sound is even slightly better. I am going to get me another set of these so well sounding earphones. The sound is balanced all across. I like to hear a good bass sound and this Sony model gives me the best joy of listening so far with these sizes of earphones. (My Mother tang in not English, so please forgive me if there are any mistakes).

I just bought my third pair of these headphones and that would be my only complaint -- they seem to be less durable than other non-earbud headphones.

I inadvertently crushed my first pair while walking. I took out my earbuds, lost my grip, and the right one hit the pavement just in time to meet the sole of my on-coming shoe. My fault on that one.

My second pair started to short after 3 solid years use. I am a musician/producer, and I love listening to music whenever I am walking, traveling or doing anything mind-numbingly boring. I used these headphones with a variety of players and they were thrown in backpacks, suitcases, carry-on bags, pockets -- everywhere. Just recently, they started to lose signal in the left earbud. I think this is related to the L-shaped plug and my wrapping the headphones around my CD player when not listening to it.

Around the same time, I finally joined the rest of the world and upgraded to an iPod. I hate Apple's earbuds and I heard that the iPod EQ was both a battery sucker and a sucker in its own right. I knew I wanted to get my old trusty Sony's to complete my iPod migration, but <gasp> I couldn't find them at all in those crappy, electronics megachains; you know the ones -- tons of equipment, clueless staff, and prices that are kinda good, but not great. I started to fear that I would need to buy those really expensive "iHeadphones" on the market that are made "just for the iPod," cost 10x more than the Sony's and don't sound any better.

Alas, you can get 'em right here on Amazon and I managed to find mine in a local Mom & Pop electronics store here in Manhattan. As I mentioned before, I just wish these headphones were indestructible so I wouldn't need to buy a new pair every few years. Other than that, they are hands down the best portable audio earbuds out there. Great bass response and faithful mids and highs. My iPod sounds great without any EQ. And for $15 bucks, this may be the first reasonably priced iPod accessory for miserly musicians like me. Get your pair before Sony tries to repackage them as an overpriced iHeadphones for the iPod degeneration. Enjoy.

I don't know why some people who post reviews are so incredibly picky. For paying a little over 10 dollars for these headphones, they are absolutely amazing. They play loud and clean at very low volume levels. They fit in the ear very nicely and DO NOT come out with a simply shake of the head. They have a very nice clean bass sound that is strong for such a economically-priced set of headphones. It has great range of frequency response and the cord is a perfect length for any person's application/use. These are simply an excellent set of headphones for the price. For all you music lovers out there like myself, if you want to hear clean crisp sound right in your ear canal at an extremely affordable price, go with the ED21's. Besides, those that go farther in the ear cause canal damage and thus loss of hearing anyways. These are a best-bet, no doubt.

While all bud style headphones have different sound/frequency profiles at different volume levels, these ED21's seem to be a bit more variable than my other sets. Not that it's that much of a big deal, and maybe some wouldn't notice, but I listen to my music in two distinctly different situations. I listen at night at a low volume level, and also at a much higher volume level when at work.

What you may not be able to see from the picture, is that there is a little rubber shape that goes into your ear canal. This is the main reason I bought them, as I was looking to buy something the equivalent of foamies (or whatever you call the foams you put on earbuds) that had a little ear canal funnel built in. There is a company that makes them, but I chose not to get them since they're overpriced and rather large.

[Edited to add: I've had three pair of these in the last six years and will keep buying them as long as they are available and I keep breaking/losing them. The next paragraph mentions sharp tops to the ED21LP, I only had that problem on the first pair. - 11/16/2011]

Both buds have rather sharp tops, so I had to put foamies on these, thus ruining the cool look a little, and cutting out a little of the high range. But even before that, I had a little trouble with the right earbud's rubber funnel thing getting a little folded over. Maybe it's improper insertion technique, but I've since figured out how to have it pop back out while still in my ear (pull back).

Once in, they don't have the irritating ability to move around. Nothing irked me more with my other earbuds than having ear position dictate how much bass and volume I was getting. I routinely have my jacket pull at the cord a little, and these keep the sound constant by not having the bud move.

You can hear when the music is off. I stayed away from the EX51 and 71, and also Koss's Plug, due to a concern about the ability to hear people/cars/etc when needed.

Would I recommend them? Yes. Buy them again? Definately, at least until someone makes the same exact design better. But minus one star because I had to put foamies on them due to the sharp tops. Boo, Sony, you know know better. That said, Thanks, Sony, for the great sounding buds.

I have literally tried a dozen different earbud headphones for my new mp3 player...these are by FAR the best.

The sealing ear-tips block out too much external sound and are expensive, the lesser earbuds are bulky, fat, ugly, and sound horrible.

These are just the right combination...the seal in the ear really well, but don't block out important external sounds, they don't fall out of your ears, they are small and unobtrusive, and most importantly they have great sound! Not to mention, at this price they are about 1/3 the cost of comparable earbuds.

Strongly recommend...I'm buying a second pair in case I lose the first...

It's not surprising to see the Sennheiser CX300's listed as #1 on Amazon's list of best-selling earbud headphones. The most popular consumer magazine recently rated them above a pair costing ten times as much. But it's somewhat surprising that the Sony MDR-ED21 earbuds aren't listed more prominently among Amazon's best-sellers, since they were also rated above the costly "audiophile" earbuds and are currently selling at a sizable discount even to the CX300's.

When my wife borrowed my Sony ED21's and didn't want to give them back, I decided to order the CX300's. While I don't necessarily regret the decision, I do have second thoughts. A few observations:

1. The Sennheisers plug directly into the ear canal; the Sony ED21 design is a "compromise" between the familiar, conventional buds (e.g. Apple's standard issue) that are held in place by the cartilage of the outer ear and plugs that are inserted into the ear canal. The Sony buds enter the canal but only part way, sealing out less sound than the Sennheiser CX300s but compensating for the loss with an ingenious little "sound board" that serves to boost the bass. (Because of this design, it's especially critical with the ED21's not to switch left and right ear-buds.)

2. Bass, or lack of it, is the main issue with any earbuds--the reason that listeners still use full-sized headphones. Both the Sennheiser and Sony buds reproduce the deepest bass frequencies, but both are admittedly quite "anemic" (and I'm someone who's habitually complaining about over-amplified bass). Because they form a tighter seal and are more sensitive (i.e. louder), the Sennheisers have a slight edge in reproducing bass without the use of equalization, etc. (If you expect to have big bass with a pair of ear buds, best wait: Sony has announced the imminent release of a radically new design. Price? Five hundred smackers.)

3. The CX300X buds have outstanding treble, but compared to the MDR-ED21 buds, the balance in the mid-range lacks richness and warmth to my ears, sounding almost "tinny" upon some quick exchanges between the two devices. I'm afraid the resonant vocal tones of Sinatra or Renee Fleming are done the greater disservice by the Sennheiser buds.

4. The 3 pairs of covers, or soft adapters, included with the Sennheiser buds have less to do with the size of the listener's ear canal than with his or her preference. All three are likely to "fit," so the question is how deep the listener wishes the bud to penetrate the auditory canal. The largest one is no doubt the "safest," but the smallest one will provide the tightest seal--along with the best bass and smoothest overall sound. (But best decide which of the three you prefer asap. My guess is that misplacing one of these is more a probability than a possibility.)

5. Some Amazon reviewers have criticized Sennheiser's designers for shortening the length of wire (by two-thirds) to the left earpiece. Sennheiser justifies the asymmetrical length with directions that the long wire (to the right ear) is to be worn behind the neck, thus avoiding superfluous wire hanging from the user's chin. I'm OK by that,, but should it be an issue, the Sony buds employ wires that are of equal length--and, moreover, are adjustable. (Just remember that the Sony mini-cans are essentially ineffective if left and right ear buds get switched around; with the Sennheiser's the only effect would be a reversing of channels.)

6. Possible deal-maker/breaker: the CX300's come with a slightly larger housing for the 3.5mm plug, yet turning the plug in my player or jiggling the cord itself transmits static, "microphonics," and other non-musical sounds, sometimes causing a channel to cut out momentarily. I can't reproduce the effect in the Sony ED21's, which appear to be much better insulated. Runners probably should steer clear of the Sennheisers; either that, or take seriously Sennheiser's directions (on their website) to wear the "long wire" behind the neck to reduce flapping of the wires.

7. The Sennheiser buds come with those 4 extra ear covers--that's it; the Sony pair comes with a little cinch carrying bag--that's it. Take your pick. I'm giving the Sony's an extra star for better durability and insulation, better protection against hearing damage, better price, and at least comparable sound. (Or, purchase both, and use the Sony sack for storing the extra Sennheiser covers.)