Customer Reviews

Sony MDR-EX71SL Fontopia In-The-Ear Headphones (Black)

5 star:		(203)
4 star:		(174)
3 star:		(101)
2 star:		(91)
1 star:		(91)

 

 

Kudos to Sony.These earphones offer the best combination of isolation, sound quality, comfort, and easy on-and-off design. I am a commuter in NYC, and twice a day I walk a few blocks, take a bus for about 15 minutes and a subway for another 20 minutes. I used to use Koss KSC-35's, but their open-air design had me constantly changing volumes to deal with the various noise levels. I also needed to put the volume on very high to deal with the subway, and I was afraid that I was harming my hearing. I tried the Sennheiser PX-200's and while real comfy, the isolation wasn't enough. Then I tried the Shure E2C's, but the only insert that would fit my small ear canals was the small foam pair. Since you need to take the time to roll these foam inserts up real small before inserting, then hold them in your ears till they expand, that made them very inconvenient for everyday on-and-off use. These Sony's are also a little more comfortable than the Shure E2C's. I have even tried the Koss Plugs, but they do not fit in my small ear canals at all and constantly came out. Thanks to these Sony earphones, I can now travel in comfort and musical bliss for my whole commute without the need to constantly change volumes. As with the Shure earphones, only the smaller inserts fit me on these Sony's. At first, it takes awhile to get used to these, and my ears did get a little sore, but after a few weeks I got used to them. The material that goes into the ear is pretty smooth for easy insertion, and is fairly easy to keep clean. A word of advice: do clean the removable inserts once in awhile in soap and water and keep your ears clean! The sound on these is very good with solid bass. Perhaps not the best you will hear, but better than your average moderately priced headphones of any design and brand. Another word of caution: if you need to operate a bicycle or vehicle these are dangerous as outside sounds are really muffled or cut off. So don't use these in environments where you need to hear sounds clearly.

First of all, I did ALOT of research on canal/earbud phones (including reading all of these reviews and many others on other websites) before settling on a pair for purchase. I am pretty much a audiophile however that doesn't mean I expect pefection with every purchase, I realize there's ALWAYS going to something that I wish sounded, worked or was designed better. I am also a bargain shopper not willing to shell out $500 and up for headphones, mainly because I cannot not afford it and I (like the rest of us) don't like being overcharged.
That being said, let me start with that fact that I actually purchased the Sony MDR-EX51LP's not the MDR-EX71SL's. The reason? After my research I discovered there's not much difference between the 2, save the short cord/extension problem you will read about later and the fact that they carried them at Best Buy which made it easier to return them if necessary (I came across comments that stated Amazon charges you if you decide to return the MDR-EX71SL's).
Let me start by saying I am VERY satified with my purchase. I bought them about 3 weeks ago at Best Buy for $39.99 plus tax, roughly the same price Amazon is charging for the MDR-EX71SL's. I was looking for earphones that would block a significant amount of exterior sound, fit snugly in the ear and not fall out as well as produce a quality of sound I would appreciate. I can say all of those needs are met with my MDR-EX51LP's. There are a few things you should know about these earphones though.

#1 If you don't like having to fiddle with little things to get great sound, don't buy these. The multi size silicon earbud coverings take a little time to figure out. You must have a complete seal to hear clear bass so play with the sizes to see which one fits you. I actually lucked out and the medium size (which is already placed on the phones) fit my left ear perfectly giving me an understanding of how they should fit. My right ear wasn't so lucky and after playing around I found that the large size was the solution.

#2 You must understand that these phones work like ear plugs. You have to fit these babies snugly in your ear or the bass is not distinct and the noises around you will be more audible and not as cleanly "Blocked out". A proper seal is a must!! Now this isn't nearly as hard or annoying as it sounds and once it's done you'll be happy you bought these. As a side note, the silicon earbuds can get quite dirty if you don't use q-tips often so clean your ears! Also this "ear plug" sensation will take some getting used to (For me a couple of days) so have patience.

#3 Part of the complaint I noted from other reviewers was the cord of the MDR-EX71SL, apparently it is quite short and designed for ipod users and players with arm band capability. Sony's solution was to include an excessively long extension cord that again apparently caused problems (read the rest of the reviews) with its connector. The MDR-EX51LP has the same cord design as the MDR-EX71SL's (Right side longer than the left so that the cord can sit behind your head) save one distinct difference. The cord for the MDR-EX51LP has one long cord like every other pair of headphones you've ever owned so it's much easier to deal with. However, due to the similiar behind the head design (Right side longer than left), I do think purchasing a clip is necessary to hold the cord in place. I find the extra length of the right side has too much slack and either gets in the way or caught on clothing. This sometimes tugs on the phones themselves, particularly on the left side. This becomes a nuissance. Also the cord is pretty thin, no problems yet but due to experiences in the past with other earphones I fear it could be in the future.

#4 Most importantly, is the sound itself. Now this is where things get complicated. Everyone has different tastes as how their music should sound so you are going to get varying opinions. I find, with a good seal (I cannot stress this enough), the sound is much improved over standard earphones and earbuds. I found the EQ a little tinny at first but the balance can be evened out with a bass booster, this allows capabilty for heavier bass sounds. My player has 2 settings of bass boost and I find the first setting to be more than adequate, the 2nd was a bit too much bass for my liking. The external sounds around you disappear when music is playing and this allows for quiet listening as not to damage your now clean ears. This is key as I travel alot!

So overall, I'd say that Sony has done a great job. If you want really great sound with the small size and convenience of earbuds and you are tired of tinny treble driven phones then these are for you. But if you expect pristine quality sound and bass that bumps you out of your chair I suggest you stick with over the head headphones or if you're willing to shell out $500 + for the top of the line then go for it. Shure's Ec5's rock. But me, I'd rather shell out $40 for earphones that give me just what I'm looking for. If you check out comparable earbud phones you'll find you'll end paying more for very simliar results in sound and other trade offs of various problems, etc.. I checked out Shure's (Ec2 & Ec3) as well as Etymotic (ER-6)and there were minute differences in performance and design but huge differences in price!!

Final word, I rated these only 4 stars because of the cord problem and the weak excuse for a cord case (Don't bother it's too time consuming and will break eventually) but I'm extemely pleased with my purchase and would highly recomend it to anyone looking for a REASONABLY priced pair of high end earbud phones. However, I would seriously recomend the following: Research all, Physically check out all and then buy what you prefer.

I own several pairs of headphones- Koss' "The Plug," Creative's earbuds, a pair of over-the-ear studio headphones from Sony, and this set. This set excels in some features, and fails miserably in others. First, the good:

SOUND
The sound quality in this pair is excellent. It blows all my other pairs away, hands-down. The sound is remarkably clear and crisp, and reproduces everything from Slayer to Debussy in incredible quality. The bass response isn't the same as Koss' The Plug, but unless you are an absolute bass fiend, you won't really notice. Once properly fit into the ears, these also create some passive noise reduction that helps quite a bit.

COMFORT
The rubber pads are far more comfortable than The Plug's scratchy plastic-and-foam design, which constantly hurt my ears. They're still in-the-ear, which can feel invasive to some people and can get tiresome after some time. However, this is the most comfortable pair of in-the-ear buds I've ever seen. However, note that even with a perfect seal, the rubber means that if you sweat quite a bit, the earbuds tend to come loose.

And now, the bad:

DESIGN
Where this set excels in sound and comfort, it fails miserably in design. I wish Sony hadn't tried to get all fancy on this set, because the poor design has relegated this pair to gym-only usage for me.

First, Sony somehow thought that consumers wanted a cord that went around the back of the head instead of hanging in front. As a result, the left cord is much shorter than the right- the right earbud is designed to go around the back of your neck and then into the ear. I knew this going in and thought it sounded cool. In practice, it isn't. The metal nub where the two cords come together is just heavy enough to constantly be tugging on the wire, so the left earbud always feels like it's being pulled out of your ear. I ended up "modding" my pair by doubling up the right cord and using a twist-tie to make them effectively the same length. It solves the problem, but looks bad.

Second, Sony manages to get the total cord length wrong...twice. The package comes with the initial cord, which has the standard jack and the earbuds. This is about 1' long, which isn't even long enough to connect to a MP3 player in a front jacket pocket without the earbuds being yanked out. The package also comes with a 3' extension cord, which then makes the total cord length 4', a foot longer than the basic set of headphones. This extra foot is annoying; it hangs too low when attached to something in your pocket or on a belt clip, which means it gets caught on things easily and yanks out the earbuds.

Additionally, the cord manages to be both too thin and too heavy at the same time. Like Koss' The Plug, this cord is very thin and tangles very easily, particularly given its extra length and uneven earbud cords. While Koss' set at least then has the virtue of being nigh-weightless, the Sony pair's extension cord uses large gold connectors which add significant weight to the set and, again, make them feel like they're being pulled out of your ears.

Finally, the package comes with two cases. The "carrying case" is junk. You have to wind the cord so tightly it makes a thousand kinks to store it inside, and it takes about five minutes to accomplish this should you for some reason want a cord which resembles an accordion. By contrast, the earbud case is well-designed and the one bright spot on this otherwise dreary design plan; I wish my other headphones came with one of these.

OVERALL
These aren't going to cause you to pitch all your other headphones. They're good for a dedicated purpose, but they're too unwieldy to be the kind you pop in and out of your pocket throughout the day. When Sony makes a version of these with just a basic, no-frills 3' straight-line cord, I'll be the first to buy it and recommend it. Until then, proceed with caution.

Sound reproduction:
- Because it's an earbud and for this price, you can't expect the sound reproduction of a $100 over-the-head headphones. The bass is quite nice for size of the earbud, the bass may become a bit overcoming for some songs, the highs are there, I just think the mids are a bit weak. Size matters, and for such tiny thing to give an output close to my Sony MDR-V600, it's quite nice.

Design:
- I'm amazed how many people do not like the extra length on the right side. I love this design because youcan put the right cord behind your head and you will never have worry about another cord being in your way in front of you. The extension of the cord is meant for people who have MP3 players with remotes, therefore shorter length and you won't have a cord dangling around.

Fit:
- The one I purchased came with 3 sets of different size earbud, and I found the middle ones to fit best. I do not have the problem of others while working as they stay snug in my hear the whole time (treadmill, elliptical machine, etc...)

Value:
- For under $40, it's the best earbuds for the price and some very nice sound reproduction. Design is especially convenient if you have a remote and you like the length to pull the cord behind your head.

Please note that the following review was originally intended for the Sony MDR-EX51LP headphones. Many reviews of the EX71SL's make it very clear that the two models share the same construction issues, and I feel that it is in potential buyers' best interests to include this review. Nevertheless, please take this review with a grain of salt: I am confident that everything applies to both models, but I do not have firsthand confirmation of this. Without further ado, my review:

You're probably confused about the reviews you've read regarding this product. People either give these earbuds five stars, saying that they're the greatest thing since sliced bread, or one star, complaining about a cord made of jelly. And then there are the people who complain about the lack of bass, but that shouldn't be confusing at all: These people are not inserting the earbuds properly into their ear anal. You can ignore these reviews.

The confusion regarding the first two types of reviews lies in when the reviews were written. It seems (from my own experience, and that of others) that around February 2005, which I will from here on refer to as "Day X," the material of the cord was changed. I have no words to describe the digust I feel towards the new material: After a few weeks, it literally turns to mush and starts peeling off. I don't know what Sony is trying to pull, but it's unfair that so many people keep buying these earbuds after reading the good reviews, which happen to be written either before Day X, or before the disintegration starts. It's also quite annoying that those who bought the earbuds prior to Day X keep telling others to ignore the bad reviews on Amazon, as their earbuds have lasted them years. Of course they have! You bought 'em before Day X, people! Oy.

Like the others who are perfectly content, I was totally satisfied with the pair I bought prior to Day X. In fact, I almost went on Amazon to give them a five star review! After a month or two, I had an unfortunate accident involving the earbuds snapping off the cord. That had nothing to do with their quality: It was a fluke. I purchased a new pair around February, and after about a month, the wire resembled silly putty. Attributing this to my carelessness, I got a new pair. A month later, the same thing happened. I didn't have time to deal with the warranty, so I kept this up until I had wasted over $100 on earbuds. That's where I am right now, and I just don't see myself buying these things every month for the rest of my life.

I have to admit that, aside from this enormous issue, I really do love everything about these earbuds, and hence the two stars. The sound is phenominal, with enough bass to surround you in your music. They're so comfortable that once you get used to them being in your ear canal, you barely notice them at all. One cord is longer than the other, so that it can be wrapped around the back of your neck; thus, when you're not actually listening, the buds will dangle from your neck. Finally, they isolate sound amazingly well: If you're not facing someone, you probably won't know that they're talking to you. If only I didn't break my first pair of earbuds! They were made properly, and I would've been content with them for a long, long time.

I have to say that if Sony keeps this up, the horrible ratings of late will finally overpower the great reviews of the past, and once that happens, they'll no longer be able to sell this horrible material on the back of properly made earbuds. Again, I don't know what kind of scam they're trying to pull, but I'm fed up with it. I'm not going to waste $100 every six months for a $25 pair of earbuds. Not anymore, Sony.

Hopefully I've cleared up the issues for you. Do yourself a favor and, at least for now, avoid these horribly made earbuds. Let's hope that Sony clears up the problem so that we can all once again enjoy the great sound these earbuds produce, just as those who bought them a while ago are still doing.

Good luck!

These headphones are by far the most comfortable headphones i have ever purchased. the in ear system effectively blocks out much external sound and allows the user to hear strong treble and powerful bass sound reproduction. the bass is extrememly clearly reproduced because of the very low end of the range (much lower than most standard consumer headphones which often begin their reproductive range at 12Hz or 14Hz)these start at 6Hz

Some tips about other reviews and some thoughts :

- the silicon plugs cause a kind of stethoscope affect (medical instrument for observing heartbeats) whenever the cord hits something (mainly your chest) some reviews say this is a nuisance but fail to mention that it cannot be heard if you actually have your music on :P

- when i first used these headphones i was somewhat dissapointed in the bass. i however listend to a review and waited for them to break in a bit and was astonished at how much more powerful the bass was after a few days.

- you must also experiment with how deep in your ear the headphones should be for good sound reproduction. different ear size = different sized cap and different comfortable depth

These headphones are somewhat pricy in stores but are completely worth the money i would give this product six stars if it was at all possible.

I never bothered using the Apple earbuds that came with my iPod; too many negative reviews and they just looked uncomfortable. My husband researched earbuds exhaustively and presented these as a gift. For the most part, his research paid off.

Noise cancellation: when I'm plugged in, I'm tuned out to the outside world. One little quirk: they can be a bit like a stethoscope. I can hear my footsteps, teeth grinding and breathing TOO well. Also, touching the cord is like tapping a live microphone. At times distracting, but after awhile, I don't notice it too much. Overall: ****

Comfort: The soft, varying gasket sizes allow for maximum comfort over sustained (hours long) periods of wear. They're tight enough to stay put, loose enough to keep from feeling "suctioned." Overall: ****

Sound quality: The bass is satisfying, treble can be tinny at times, but for earbuds, I think these produce great sound. If I were to step up, I'd probably opt for an over-the-head set. Overall: ***

Design: The weak point, I believe. Others have said it and I agree that the uneven right/left cord length is rather awkward (even when the right wraps around the back of the head). Used without the extension cord, the regular cord length is not long enough to fit in a waist-length pocket. With the cord, there is an excess that, if not carefully managed, tends to catch on everything around it. In addition, the cord/extender connector is so heavy, it tends to pull the delicate cords out of the ear; I've resorted to using my cell phone cord clip to solve the problem. Cord itself is very delicate. Overall: **

Case: Nice idea, a bit cramped, but I like how compact it is. Fits neatly into a purse pocket or backpack with no worries about the buds' safety. Overall: ***

Price: Do your research and be patient! I've seen the price go from $50 to $34, down to $25, and, as of this writing, back up to $34, all here at Amazon.

I proudly have a pair of [white] ones. Amazon.com only sells them in black, but if you go to Warehouse123.com, they can sell you white ones. May be more expensive, but if you want [white], that's what you have to pay. It was all in the sake of my iPod to match it's whiteness. They are also available on SonyStyle.com for about $50.

The earphones will be the same, regardless of color. (Of course.)


Sound: The sound is awesome! Because of it's superior quality and closed-type design, you can re-listen to every little sound, echo, filters to acapellas... it's amazing how much details you can hear. It really does pick up EVERY single sound. Imagine this in the aspect of working with digital images. Most earphones can only provided so much sound... let's say 200% zoom. These will provided you with minimum 600% zoom. So that's really good. Bass is great too, you just need to make sure you have the right sized silicon earpieces on the earphones to perfectly fit your ears so they will pick up the bass. Otherwise, if you put on ear coverings that are too small, you will get no bass at all.


Design: It looks great... again, I prefer the white ones. The biggest problem I noticed previous reviewer's reviews was that the cord for the earphones were too short. I thought it couldn't be that bad... but they really are. From the part that the cord splits to the individual earpieces, you'll have 15 inches of cord to connect to your music player. Basically, you have to be holding it next to your neck for it not to be jerking your head around. It comes with an extension cord, that makes it longer. It is approx. 35 inches, almost 3 feet. So... that will definitely give you more cord space. The extension cord in my opinion did not weigh the headphones down at all. Just note that the reason why the cord is so short is because the headphones are "remote-friendly". Thus, ideal for music players with remotes as many Sonys do as well as the remote offered for iPods.

Another part of the design is that the earpieces don't exactly split up into two pieces and go straight up to your ears. Like most Sonys... one of the individual earpiece's cords is short, while the other one is long. You wear the short one to your left ear, the other goes around the back of your head to the other ear (the long one). I prefer this design over the common one because you don't have those situations where the cord runs into your neck or face...


Comfort: I tried the small silicon earpieces, but they were too small and I did not get any bass. Though it was comfortable and I did not feel it at all due to the ultra light-weight of the earbuds. To get bass I had to wear the larger silicon ear coverings, which was very similar in feeling to wearing a doctor's stethoscope. It's just one of those things that you have to get used to, but once you start listening to music you dont's notice it as much. But bass is necessary to have... small price to pay. After wearing a few days, you get used to the feeling.


Price: For the quality of sound... this is definitely a good bargain compared to other similar earphones of the same price range.



Conclusion: Could be improved definitely, comfort for in-ear type earphones is tricky... and it's definitely one of the better ones in that area. Sound quality is exceptional.


*Personal notes:

- The in-ear feeling may be very, very uncomfortable at first. But no need to worry, you get used to it in a matter of minutes with music playing. After a few days of wearing them, you'll have no uncomfortableness at all. Just be sure to test all earpieces out to find the perfect one. One way to make sure is play a song with good bass. The earpieces with the best bass reception is the perfect fit.

- Make sure to be careful with the earpieces. The earpieces may fall out at times, not on its own but it's not un-ordinary to get earphones tangled up or dropped.

I read all the Amazon and epinions reviews on the predecessor of this model -- MDR-EX70LP. And the reviews are mixed. Some complained loudly about the quality of the sound in comparison to the "shure e2c" and any "Etymotic Research" models. Others liked the sound compared to their other earbuds.

I don't consider myself an audiophile. The only reason I'm replacing the Sennheisser MX300 that came with my iRiver ifp-195tc was that they kept falling out when I was on the treadmill. Some people from Google Groups had positive experiences working out using the Sony Fontopia family, and it's way cheaper compared to the other models especially the Etymotic Research models, so I went for it.

I just got them this afternoon, and they worked like a charm while working out. Here come my humble review:

The GOOD:

* short cord perfect for armband mp3 players, no more flailing cords

* I've never used the in ear canal type of bud before and these sound pretty decent. I'd love to try the shure and ER models just to see what the fuss is about if I get the chance.

* the length of wire going into right ear is longer than the left. This style is meant to be worn behind the head. My Sennheissers were like this and I got used to it. It's definitely another plus for armband mp3 players.

The BAD:

* The drawback of the in-canal type of bud, I guess is that when you rub the chord the ruffle comes through pretty loudly, kind of like how kids with cups-and-string phones. I could hear my heart beating and myself breathing in the background of the music, but I got used to it.

* The cord is rather flimsy. They had to keep it light considering the target audience I guess. I like light.

* Because they chose the shorter cord to accomodate remotes and my iRiver type of players, there is an extension portion you can use if the cord is too short. The junction is fairly heavy, but the connection is solid so far.

* As I was doing my pre-buying research, I found that some people lost the rubber fitting tip of the bud, and had to get replacements from Sony. The replacements are more than $10 for a pair before shipping. I haven't had a problem with them falling out, but KNOW that you don't get any backup tips. They give you one pair each of "small", "regular", and "large". Lose one and you're on your own.

That's about all I have. Notice I didn't go crazy describing the audio response in different frequency ranges and stuff. I'm NOT an audiophile. They sound good. They are a bit more expensive than regular $5-$10 buds, but well worth the price. A final plus for this model is that some people describe the Etymotic Research earbuds as providing an orgasmic experience. You won't have to worry about orgasms in public with the Sony! ;-)...

I enjoyed jogging today a lot more without having to tug and organize the wires on my Senns, and the music was great. AND THE BUDS STAYED IN THE WHOLE TIME.

These headphones MUST be fit properly to hear the bass and detail of which they're capable. It took me around an hour of fidgeting with the headphones and my iPod before I finally got decent bass. iPod owners, turn your Sound Check off. I may try using Sound Check again, but am getting great sound at a volume just shy of center. With the Apple headphones, I always needed a higher volume to get crisp sound. These block enough ambient noise out that a lower volume works well. You may or may not want your equalizer set to Bass Booster. Again, make sure they fit your ears properly for decent bass.