Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia In-The-Ear Headphones, White

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 4.5 x 1 inches ; 1.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000779RZU
• Item model number: MDREX51LP/WHI
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (307 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 15, 2003

Product Description

Color: White

Sony's first closed-type Fontopia(R) design reduces outside noise for high-intensity listening, helping to generate powerful, resonant bass response. So exercise, dance, or skate with the new Fontopia(R) Headphones. Featuring a Super-light in-the-ear Design for a snug, comfortable fit inside the ear, eliminating the headband, Super-small 9mm Driver Unit, and Soft, Silicon Ear buds, these headphones were created to enhance your on-the-go listening. Two sizes of ear buds are also included which are washable, removable and replaceable. So move to your music with the Fontopia(R) Headphones. Magnet - 400kJ/mA high-power Neodymium Plug - Gold-plated, L-Shaped, Stereo Mini Plug for exceptional corrosion resistance, superb conductivity, low noise Impedance - 16 ohms at 1,000 Hz Sensitivity - 100dB/mW Power Handling Capacity - 100mW Color - White Supplied Accessories - Compact case, Second set ear pads Streamlined, Compact Case neatly stores the ear-buds and headphone cord when not in use; vivid purple styling; high-impact case is ideal for carrying in a pocket or backpack New Case Design minimizes cord tangle; partial winding can shorten the effective cord length during use

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

141 of 143 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give them time before you decide, April 23, 2005

By 

pm444 "pm444" (Okemos, MI USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia Headphones, Aqua (Electronics)

I ordered these because the Apple headphones that came with my iPod Mini kept falling out at the gym, and also lacked adequate bass response. When I first tried the Sony phones at home, I was disappointed. I did not like how they fit, and the sound didn't seem to be any better than the originals. However, I decided to try them out at the gym, since that was why I got them in the first place.

It took me a while to get used to the cords being different lengths, but now I like that feature, becaue I can have them out and around my neck, even when they're not in my ears. This is convenient when I'm at the airport or on a plane, and have to be listening for boarding calls or announcements, but don't want to put the headphones away.

As for the fit and sound, I found that after I had them in for a few minutes, I hardly noticed them at all, and the sound is a lot better than the Apple headphones. As many other reviewers have noted, you must insert these headphones fully into your ear canal, or they won't stay in and they won't sound good. It sounds a lot more intrusive than it feels, at least for me. I can wear them for hours without any problems at all.

While they are not really noise-canceling headphones, they do effectively isolate you from all but the loudest ambient sounds. This makes them ideal for air travel and other times you want to block out external noise.

I am pleased to have headphones that allow me to enjoy my iPod more fully than the originals ever did.

75 of 76 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A terrific value in inexpensive earbuds with decent sound, May 24, 2005

By 

DavidRoss (Woodland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia In-The-Ear Headphones, White (Electronics)

My EX51s have been trouble free for several months, despite some mild abuse. They stay in place fairly well after fitting the proper-sized rubber sleeves, and they're comfortable enough to fall asleep with. The "behind the neck" cord requires some adjustment, but aftter learning how to wear it properly (entire cord behind neck, main cord clipped to shirt or collar to relieve strain) I adapted quickly.

The sound quality is surprisingly good for buds cheap enough to regard as disposable, though they seemed rather shrill at first. Several hours of burn-in were required to tame the tizzy highs. Clarity & detail are better than with the standard iPod buds. Frequency response is fairly neutral (using my Sennheiser HD590s for comparison), with a slight treble boost and the bottom end rolled off just a bit. Sound isolation seems nearly ideal to me, with perhaps a 15dB reduction of external noise--enough to make outside sounds unobtrusive, but still permitting one to hear approaching cars when running on public roads. Though I've been disappointed by Sony products in the past, I don't hesitate to recommend the EX51s as a terrific value.

UPDATE Dec '09: This review was based on Amazon's price of ~$20. At that price, they were a bargain, but not at $40 or $50!

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Yes, the rubber decomposes., November 2, 2005

By 

Dan L. (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia In-The-Ear Headphones, White (Electronics)

I had the same issue as other people who have written reviews. The rubber started decomposing shortly after I got it, but I didn't notice until I got a mild shock. Then I saw that a good portion of the rubber had definitely lost its color and composition. By the time I called, it was out of warranty (though I'm not sure even if the warranty would have covered it).

I called Sony, and replacements are $25. More than buying them here on amazon. Oh, well, I'll just keep the rubber earbuds as spares for the other Sony buds I have.

Do yourself a favor and get the black equivalent - the black tubing is physically different (a little tougher, and doesn't decompose). They might be a dollar or so more, and they might not match your iPod, but they'll last you a lot longer.

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