Price Paid:  $20.00 from Circuit City

Summary:
This is my second pair of A-34's...the first had to be replaced when the cord connection in one ear went bad. The dual cord attachments mean these frequently get tangled when I'm wearing them at my desk on on the train, and it doesn't take much tugging to ruin the earpiece connections.

That aside, the sound from these is pretty darn good from such a tiny driver, and with the folding mechanism, they're much easier to carry around than any other phones I've used.

There's a definite lack of bass on these, probably due in equal parts from the small driver size, and from the way they sit partly in and partly out of the ear canal. If you press the earpiece hard against your ear while they're playing, you can hear a noticeable bass boost, but that's not a practical way to listen.

Anyway, for commuting, exercising, or at work, these phones are ideal. When the cord separates on this pair, I'll either buy another set, or look into the type that insert directly in the ear canal.

Strengths:
Light, comfortable, decent sound, allows outside sounds in (that's a good thing for this type of phone)

Weaknesses:
Lack of bass, flimsy cord attachment

Similar Products Used:
Koss Porta-Pro, Koss Sporta-Pro, various other Sony Walkman phones

Summary:
See my new review on the Sony MDR-A30G's dated 11/12/00.

All of the criticisms of that model also apply to these V.I.T.E. (Vertical-In-The-Ear) headphones as well. No wonder why a leading comsumer magazine (with the initials "CR") gave these and all other vertical Sony earbuds with 16mm drivers a mediocre grade for sound quality.

Weaknesses:
See below

Price Paid:  $22.00 from Best Buy

Summary:
See my review of the MDR-A30G headphones dated 9/21/00.

I am writing this review to refute my previous review dated 6/25/00. The sound from these headphones is surprisingly well balanced for their size and price! My 1996 sample was made in Japan--but newer samples are now made in the Philippines. (My MDR-A30G and MDR-W20G are made in the Philippines.) The only difference is these aren't water resistant. So, if you are leery of yellow, buy these!

Price Paid:  $25.00 from Sony Direct

Summary:
I bought these after I lost an older (~1995) set of Sony "vertical in-ear" headphones that I adored for their suprising sound quality, given their cheapness. I'm happy with the new design and fit, but the sound just isn't the same. Specifically, listening with a variety of sources and musical styles, I found there to be a nasty peak in the high mid-range, that I managed to localize to somewhere around 10kHz with my EQ. It's not just a sample defect- I've listened to two different sets. I know I shouldn't expect much for $25, but I know Sony can do better. I ended up buying them any way, since I haven't found anything better for the money, and earbuds just aren't comfortable for me.

Strengths:
Light, secure for active use, value for money

Weaknesses:
Short cord, harsh sound

Similar Products Used:
Older Sony in-ear headphones, misc. low and mid-range headphones

Summary:
These sounded a bit less even than the yellow-coloured "sports" V.I.T.E. cans, and the pivots that allow them to be folded up are a bit flimsy. The MDR-W20G and A30G are better buys for the same money or less.

In short, I give these 4 stars for value, 3 stars for performance.

Strengths:
Bass output, folding design

Weaknesses:
Slightly uneven sound quality, more fragile than non-folding Sony V.I.T.E.'s

Similar Products Used:
Sony MDR-E827G, MDR-E848LP, MDR-W20G