Bass output, generally good sound

May make ear wax build up in your ears after a while.

This is my second pair of MDR-W20G V.I.T.E. (Vertical In-The-Ear) headphones. For me, these actually sounded better than the MDR-A34Ls because they don't get jammed up as tightly into the ear as the latter. Like all in-the-ear "buds", they tend to allow ear wax to build up inside the ear after an hour's listening, especially if you're working out. They sell for $14.99, not $19.95--and for the former price, they are an excellent value. I rate them the equal of the $29.99 MDR-E848LPs--and far superior to the $19.99 MDR-E827Gs. The headband on this model doesn't fold up like the MDR-A series, but it's flexible and thus has more "give" than the folding models--making these better for workouts than the fold-up cans. The bass and tonal balance of these are better than you'd expect for their tiny size and very cheap price. Therefore, my ratings are:

Value-5 stars

Performance/comfort-4 stars

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR-A34L, MDR-E827G, MDR-E848LP

See below

See below

These "sports" vertical earbuds are slightly less expensive than the MDR-A30G's and the MDR-A34L's because these buds don't fold up and have a corrosion-prone nickel-plated plug tip rather than the gold-plated tip. All of the criticisms that I wrote about the MDR-A30G's dated 11/12/00 apply to the MDR-W20G's as well.

Avoid these at all costs -- you can't audition any earbuds before you buy them. They just didn't floor *me* at all.