Customer Reviews

Sony MDR-EX56LP/BLK EX Style Headphones - Hybrid Silicone Type Earbuds (Black)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(26)

 

 

Okay so I was going to purchase some skull candy ink'd but instead I got these Sony one's instead. These ear phones are pretty great, they have awesome bass which most people prefer, you can also change the silicone earbud if it doesn't fit your ears and that is such a great inovation, it varies from small to large. The construction was pretty sleek it was around the neck type of stereo headphone and for me I hated those because the cords were always too short or too long but thanks to the adjustable cord I'm happy. Well the cord is pretty long this time, it's 3.9ft. They even included a cord adjuster which you roll your headphones cord if it gets too long or too short but it's hand manual not like some others where you rotate the cord. It's very simple to use and it's very simple even for bud novices. The earbuds when put correctly in your ear it will cancel out most background sounds and I can't even hear myself whispering. These are the best I ever had and it has warranty so no worries if it breaks on you or if you break it yourself.

I now have to update this review. After 24 days past factory warranty, right side now delvers no sound. No cord damage or anything on my part, it just decided to give up. If this is Sony's track record, I'll be looking for another brand. So sad, as they sounded great, while they lasted.

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Original Review:

I was looking for buds that had enough bass to rattle my teeth. These are them. Very comfortable fit, hybrid silicone is a better tip than the "bat wing" material used on the NC22. Fair amount of noise isolation, could be better. Uneven cord design is a nuisance, the left connector catches on shirt collar. Wide fidelity range, and when they say 6-23,000 Hz, they're not kidding. Sound doesn't distort before the volume reaches intolerable levels.

I work in an office and listen to music all day long. These earbuds are so comfortable. They don't slip out when I move around and my ears aren't sore at the end of the day. The sound is very clear. They also come with a little velvet-type bag case. I am very happy with these earbuds.

Santa brought an iPod nano last week. Apparently my ears are asymmetrical, because I could not get the left earbud to stay in place.

So, off to a nationwide brick and mortar store to look at aftermarket options to Apple's OEM earbuds. Alternatives ranged in price from $10 to $79. The cheapest were no-names, and the most expensive were "noise cancelling".

I selected this product because:
(1) it fell pretty much in the middle of the price range for available offerings at this store
(2) It came with three different sizes of rubber inserts.

One of the sizes was a perfect fit. Sound quality is excellent. The package includes a cord winder to manage slack in the cord...and a fabric case that can also hold the Nano.

The bass on these is incredible. These earphones are also great at blocking out all noise (which can be a problem when someone is trying to get your attention from 4 feet away). Buy these for the audio or for the price.

But here's the drawbacks you'll face:
- The asymmetric cord is infinitely annoying. You look weird with asymmetric wires dangling in front. Wrapping the cord around the back of your neck is awkward. The unequal weights from the asymmetry results in one of the earbuds frequently falling out of your ear. The asymmetry also makes wrapping and unwrapping the cable more difficult. Lastly, the longer wire is significantly longer than it needs to be to wrap behind the neck (this contributes to all of the above problems).
- The silicone does not breathe. Extended use results in moisture build up in your ear, which itches.
- The earbuds fall out immediately when running and need frequent adjustment when walking.
- The cable is sometimes too long, and the cable wrap can only reduce the cable length by 6 inches

The 90 day warranty on these is just long enough to ensure your product isn't dead on arrival. If an earbud gets yanked too hard, it will no longer function. I'm in search for another set of headphones, and it won't be this model. Overall, the functional construction was short-sighted.

I've been using Sony's ear bud headphones for about 7 or 8 years now. Not the same pair mind you, they break often. But every time one pair breaks, I look around for a reasonable replacement pair, and I always wind up going back to the Sony headphones. The deal is, I KNOW they're not going to last much longer than 12-18 months before one ear piece stops working. But they're also only about $15 for a pair. Yes there are some cheaper models out there, but the sound quality is great, they're very comfortable. And if they do break, I'm not too bummed about it because I didn't buy one of the pairs that are $50-100 or more.

They have also made some improvements over older models... the ear buds don't fall off nearly as easily as they used to (though they do still come off sometimes).

While I can't give them more than 3 stars because they always break, I still recommend them. The breaking seems inevitable with such thin wires (for all brands), so it seems stupid to buy anything more expensive as I imagine the same thing will happen. But as far as cheap headphones go, I couldn't ask for better audio quality or comfort.

Too bad that these Earbuds are so unreliable.

They are really comfortable and they sound great. The frequency response is tops.

BUT

They only last a few months and then one or both sides stop working. Comfort and sound are of no use if the phones don't work. Hence, the 1 star rating.

I bought a pair for both my daughter and I.

Within 3 months my daughter's stopped playing, and during the next month mine stopped on the right side.

In both cases the problem started intermittently and progressed until they produced no sound at all.

Trash can for these, and no more Sony Earbud purchases.

I have been in and out of these head phones for years now, and I'm just sick and tired of replacing them.

I more than likely would have given up on them after year one, but I never use them enough to believe there was a problem with these head phones. I have had 3 pair and every time it's the same problem. The right ear goes out, and will not come back. It's not because of a short, I think the speaker inside of the ear-bud blows out. . .

3 different pair and the same problem with all of them. I have used them on 2 different IPODS, and a cheaper Sansa 4gb. They sound good while playing, but don't expect to get alot of use out of them. . ..

Honestly, these are the best headphones on the market in terms of earbuds. They're not too expensive, I mean they're under $20 bucks. But these headphones sound absolutely fantastic. The differing sizes of the actual ear bud things really helps me as I have small ears. But they're fantastic because they really go in your ear but aren't uncomfortable. If you wear it on a plane trip, it does get a little uncomfortable. And they do, for me, break eventually. They won't last forever, but I wear them over the back of my neck every day, basically at all times, and I have bought these same headphones about 4 times. The one time I decided to try the next level up, I spent the whole time missing these. They're simple, they won't get snagged on things if you like have it zipped into your sweatshirt or something, and have the same level of sound as my studio headphones. I use them everyday, as a double major in English and music college student, and I think I will own a pair of these until Sony decides to stop making them.

I've had two sets of these this year and just recently the same problem I had with the first one just reappeared. The left earbud has just shorted out for no apparent reason. I maintain all of my electronics well. This pair you could hardly tell I've used them though i used them quite a bit. it must just be weak wiring in them but either way unless you want to replace them every 3 months or so i would avoid them