Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia Headphones by Sony
|
List Price: Category: CE See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
(Click here)
Digital camera reviews of Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia Headphones
Digital camera Review: Earphones for tiny ears
Summary: 3 Stars
I have really small ears and I've always had a difficult time finding earphones that work. I tried the over-the-ear type, but they don't really work that well when you're trying to work out (they always come off). A friend recommended these. They fit really well and don't pop out of my ear when I work out, but the sound quality is not as good as I hoped.Digital camera Review: Second time's the charm!
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought these earbud headphones a few years ago. I used them ALL THE TIME. I just purchased a replacement pair because the original left earbud is not producing enough sound. In that regard it just seems to have died. That's not to say this is a bad product. Actually this is a great product. As I said, I used them all the time and after a few years they finally wore out.
Also, these are great headphones for working out...biking, running, walking, etc. They stay in your ears and sound great. By contrast, the earbud Apple headphones that come with iPods and iPhones are completely useless! They fall out of my ears just sitting still, let alone doing any rigorous activity. These are far and away better sounding and a better fit than Apple (overpriced) earbud headphones.
And the price has come down considerably since I first purchased them (on Amazon) a few years ago for over $30. I just paid under $20.
Digital camera Review: Decent, not amazing
Summary: 3 Stars
These need to be used with eq- the high end is very brittle, even irritating with some devices. Low and mids are pleasing. The asymmetrical cable, I thought, would be no big deal or a nice change of pace- didn't like it. The cable, going from on earbud to the other, is always hanging close to the neck and pulling more on one ear than the other. Now I know there's a reason 99% of phones are not made like this.Digital camera Review: Excellent all-around headphones...even better with different buds!
Summary: 4 Stars
After having bought several pairs of these headphones in the last two or three years, it is fair to say that this is a great set of headphones for listening to all kinds of music. I have also tried the EX-71s, and I think that these drivers were engineered better and are of higher quality.
It seems that a lot of people have been complaining about the quality of the wire. However, my last pair underwent two bicycle crashes, a few hard pulls and other forms of abuse that would destroy other headphones, and have lasted over a year. A suggestion: Wrap around your cord and store it in a protected case of some sort. This will extend their longevity significantly.
The sound quality is very good, but could be better. The drivers seem to be designed to emphasize the low and high end (bass and treble, respectively), which makes these a very good choice for those that listen to hip-hop or dance music. With a proper equalizer, they can be made to sound more neutral, which is better for classical music or jazz where there is a lot of low, but important, noise in the background. The noise isolation from the stock buds is okay, but not significant.
If you are a DIYer, you can improve the sound quality from these headphones significantly by changing the stock tips and replacing them with earplugs. The instructions for doing so are very similar to that found for the Koss Plugs, and yield similar results when done correctly. I'll link a page here that describes this process. By using earplugs, you can increase the noise isolation by several dBs, amplify the low-end and expose more mid-tones and background noise (largely due to the noise isolation benefit).
Now that these are $20, I highly recommend them. You can't get better headphones for the money.
Digital camera Review: Excellent sound, design, and quality
Summary: 5 Stars
I searched for an excellent set of earbuds to use with my iPod, found them with these MDR-EX51LP, and have been delighted to use them several hours each day under demanding conditions.
Because I listen to uncompressed digital recordings to facilitate deep meditation or deep sleep in the delta state (see [...]), I need headphone with expanded frequency response (to get 20-20,000 Hz, they must be designed for higher and lower frequencies). But--I also need earbuds that won't fall off my head while moving between yoga postures, and I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars for audiophile headphones. I read that the Frequency Response of these Sony's is a large 6 - 23,000 Hz, the in-ear design with several silicone ear piece sizes make them fit perfectly in the ear so that they stay put and minimize outside noise, and the earbud design would not interfere with my movements.
Some user reviews, however, said that these earbuds sounded bad, had awkward cords and earpieces, and fell apart almost immediately. Hmmm... Since these were really the only earbuds that seemed to fit my needs AND I've always been happy with Sony products, I bought a pair.
These Sony earbuds proved perfect for my needs; I could not think of anything that I would change. Shortly afterward I bought a second set to leave by my bed and fit them with smaller silicon earpieces that would be more comfortable while sleeping all night. For 6 months I've been delighted with the awesome sound reproduction and their design (I tried several more expensive headphones and found that they didn't sound as good when I tested them with high and low frequency test sounds--nor were they as comfortable). The fears I had about them falling apart were unfounded; they're still like new despite 40 minutes of daily activity AND wearing them while I sleep on my side all night, every night since laying on my back blocks my sinuses.
These are excellent headphones--try them confident with the knowledge that you can return them if they're not as good as you expect.