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Sony MDR 101LP Open Air
Sony MDR 101LP Open Air
MSRP: $

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Rating
Reviewed by:

harmi11

(Audio Enthusiast)

Review Date
September 21, 2007

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Rate this review?

Review 1 of 2

Price Paid:  $9.00 from Argos

Summary:
The previous reviewer I believe was very harsh to these headphones. It's obvious that the higher price you pay for headphones the more you are likely to get but for me this purchase was the best I'd ever done. I bought these from Argos in the summer of 2000 because I had a walkman that used similar headphones and I liked the type they were, open-air, lightweight yet defined. I used to use a Goodmans portable CD Player to listen to my CD's, it wasn't amazing but it did the job ;) I brought these home thinking I would get the same sound as with my other headphones which were broken :(

I was wrong, VERY VERY WRONG! These were WAYY better!! They had a really nice warm sound which instantly made me feel comfortable and relaxed while listening to music. The sound is really different yet unique. The bass is deep and direct while being not muddy or all over the place. The midrange is crisp and defined and the treble is soft and clean! Sorry for the weird use of words to describe the sound, I couldnt think of anything else. At the time I was no audiophile but I could tell what sounded good.

The whole day I kept listening to different types of music to see where it would struggle or distort but I couldnt find any. I showed my whole family and they too became comfortized (is that even a word?) like I did. I'm writing this review today as of the 22nd September 2007 to prove to you that I'm still as much in love with these headphones as I was 7 years ago. However I need to replace them now as the foam ear pads have become dust :) and the drive units inside are letting out a slight crackle at high volumes probably due to the abuse I fed them. The build quality is really good but as time passes it starts to decline.

BUT! and I MEAN A BIG BUT! These headphones still work like they did when I got them and nothing major has happened. The wire is undamaged, headband undamaged and paintwork unscathed, they've been through a beating aswell but nothings happened. I've had loads of headphones in the past and none of them have ever put a smile on my face as much as these have.

Now A really big thankyou for reading this very length review! I just had to write it due to the really inaccurate review above, no offense to the person who wrote it but I had to say my peace :) By the way I dont work for Sony or anything and have no intention of doing so lol !
Take care reader!

Harmi11

P.S. IF YOU FIND THESE ANYWHERE, BUY A PAIR, YOU WONT REGRET IT!

Strengths:
- Powerful accurate warm sound
- Crisp, lean midrange
- Tight refined treble
- Lightweight and easy to carry
- Extremely tough durability unless you cant survive without breaking something!
- Rubberized Cable for better wire stability
- Amazing Value for Money!

Weaknesses:
- Cable can be bit short for PC users since its 1.0m
- Foam earpads fade and begin to disintegrate from prolonged use
- Due to its 24ohm impedance, some audio sources may need a higher output
- Sometimes high-end treble can be blocked by the bass
- Not enough recognition that its a great pair of headphones!

Similar Products Used:
I tried the Sony DJ line MDR-V150 but I've found it has too much midbass and it seriously lacks upper-end treble. I also tried the Sennheiser HD201 which are a really good pair of headphones also but lack the warm sound of the 101LP's and have a slight distant sound.


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Rating
Reviewed by:
Randy Leong
(Audiophile)

Review Date
November 8, 2001

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 2.00 votes

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Review 2 of 2

Price Paid:  $6.00 from Sears

Summary:
These Sony headphones are cheap to buy - but they're just as crappy as most of the headphones that come packaged with Walkman players. The MDR-101LP suffers from boomy mid-bass, no deep bass whatsoever, recessed lower mids, harsh upper mids and lower treble, nonexistent high treble... blech! (Nope, I didn't use any bass boost whatsoever when I tested these headphones.)And forget about using these headphones with newer portable players - you'll have to turn up the volume all the way to maximum just to hear them at a comfortable volume. Other, more expensive, better-sounding headphones are louder than this pile of s***!

As for duribility... There is none. Even when new, the headband doesn't hold its setting at all; the headband adjustment slides all too easily to their largest position! UGH!!!

Buyer Beware: You DEFINITELY get what you pay for.

Strengths:
Cheap

Weaknesses:
Inaccurate sound, low efficiency, flimsy

Similar Products Used:
Sony MDR-201LP, crappy headphones supplied with portable audio gear


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