tHeYiMyStEr

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $50.00 from Ebay

Summary:
I have heard good things about these earphones. After investing money in other Sony earphones such as MDR-EX70LP, MDR-EX71SL and MDR-EX71SL/W, i decided to give these a try. I bought these on ebay for $50 and after i received them, they good great and comes with a stylish case. I tested them out on my ipod, they sound ok, nothing special. But after about a day of music, these earphones sounds great. Even though they do not sound better than my EX71's, but they sound almost the same. These earphones need to be broken in. Its construction is top knotch, no questions asked. The case is another eyecatcher. It is better to keep the foam on the earpieces for better sound.

Strengths:
Elegant design, great sound, good case

Weaknesses:
NONE

Similar Products Used:
MDR-EX71SL MDR-E848

Price Paid:  $60.00 from ebuy

Summary:
These are hands down the best headphones I have ever heard. The clarity rivals that of my home stereo which is many thousands of dollars. I listen to some punk rock, and you can pick out individual guitars. I like earbuds at work so my co-workers can't hear my music but I can still here them talking to me. I am sure there aren't any better earbuds out there.

Strengths:
Clarity, accuracy, sensitivity, case, comfort

Weaknesses:
price, the soundstage lacks a little, but they are headphones

Similar Products Used:
Sony Phontopia Close-type (unrealistic bass) Philips Retractable (very poor) Aiwa (surprisingly good for $15)

Price Paid:  $35.00

Summary:
As some people may mention in their reviews, these earphones may seem lacking in bass ast first. It may seem so if you are switching from a $15 earphones that tries to give you that "bass" feeling while sacrificing CLARITY and DEPTH. yes that's right, CLARITY AND DEPTH that provides nice, crisp sound with resonable bass with NO DISTORTION AT ALL even when listened at very high volume. Using these earphones, you can really pick up some sounds that you have never oticed before using the cheap earphones. clarity is much better and you can really hear the layers of sounds if multiple sounds are played, instead of hearing a blur of sounds with so called "bass". As far as i know, there are not many, if any, earphones that provide such clarity and rich sound quality, which is usually only available to large headphones. They do cost a little more than those normal earphones, since most people think of earphones as $20 and under anyway. think of it as an alternative to the bulky headphones that you can also take out too. and the lack of bass is mainly due to the sound source itself. i've used it in a cheaper discman without much bass, but when i paired it with a SONY E55 MD player with 2 settings of bass.... you can hear the difference. What can i say. Go buy a pair and try it if you feel you have nice enough audio equipment

Strengths:
clarity, depth, durable (lasted 3,4 years for me with daily use) cord has a nice feel

Weaknesses:
1) not for people who don't want to try new stuff without the "bass" 2) not for people who are on a budget 3) case design

Similar Products Used:
Sony V6, Sony G-52, and various others

Price Paid:  $60.00 from Hong Kong

Summary:
Poor quality control. How come a top of the line earphone have non-balance output right out of the box. Left channel vibrate and clip in low frequency, frequency respond at 15kHz drop off dramatically --> poor quality. Even a $10 sound better than it. (Maybe I'm just got bad luck) In the past, Sony represent good quality, but it seems to change recently. I also got an N1 one weeks ago it work fine, but the construction is questionable. The top body cover got a mark. Line in/out plug hole not aligned correctly with the casing. All in all, just fell that Sony's high quality is gone. Watch carefully and test it before you buy. Otherwise, you risk visit the retail shop again and waste your time. Update: I've re-visit the retail shop for an exchange today. Poorly, I've tried another earphone in the shop and show the same defect. It seems that the lot in the shop all have defect. Too bad that I have to get my money back and stay away for awful Sony quality. Meanwhile, I'll not try Sony product in a short time. I think they are just out. If you can live with the fact that you use only one earphone, buy Sony, at least one of the earphone (left side) are excellent!

Strengths:
Nice look and protective box

Weaknesses:
poor quality control

Similar Products Used:
MDR-E848

Price Paid:  $55.00 from online merchant

Summary:
If you've ever listened through Grado's SR325 headphones, which I own...then the Sony MDR-E888LP could be considered the "in-ear" version of that. These earphones have everything I was looking for, the great sound range, the fit, and of course the portability. One thing though is that they "MUST" be broken in for a day or so to get the "true" full range of sound. These earphones produce a dynamic, and very rich sound for such a small package. It's all there from the suttle bass, the detailed mids, and crisp and clear, but not overwhelming highs, truly coming close to the SR325 sound if it would even be possible to compare at all. I mean earphone to headphone...come on now!! They are very light weight and fit snug in you ear, but the earpiece does seem a tad larger than regular inexpensive earphones. The build quality is excellent and the earpiece is very flexible. It feels like a lot of play when you move it around, but don't worry it won't break in normal use, that's how it's made to better fit your ear. The cord is more than long enough for listening to portables and stays out of way with the tangle free design. I've tried these in straight comparison with my Grados in a home CD player with classical and rock music, and it really does come close in sound and range reproduction. They truly are amazing!

Strengths:
Sound quality and range are amazing after break-in, truly excellent sound in small package. Lightweight, snug fit, very flexible. "Sound leakage" is minimal, so no disturbance. Cool carry case is a plus.

Weaknesses:
Maybe the earpiece might be considered a tad larger than normal, fitting wise.

Similar Products Used:
Sony MDR-ED238LP,MDR-E829V,Koss "the Plug", Aiwa HP-V061, and a few other cheap ones