Very Comfortable

Pricey

It is very difficult to find a good pair of portable earphones. After the cable in my last pair gave outI made the mistake of purchasing Sony's MDR-E848LP earbuds. The sound might have been good but I'll never know because they would never stay in my ear long enough for me to find out.

After listening to several 'portable' headphones, I actually almost convinced myself to purchase the Grado SR60 or 80 cans. The problem with portables, esp. earbuds is that (rightfully) no one will let you return them after you take 'em for a spin. My problem is that I listen to almost as much Tapes/CD's on the go as MP3's. The MP3's are a serious problem when using the Grado's - you hear all the graininess that are characteristic of the format. I needed something that wasn't too revealing and had decent mid/low end. Fortunately, there is one headphone out there that fit the bill, the MDR-EX70LP. The EX70LP is the perfect compromise in a mobile world that is filled with compressed formats of MP3 and CD's. The highs on Diana Kralls "Only trust your heart" came tinkling through. Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor" is the ideal song for testing headphones for someone with my tastes; it has lots of bass but also shimmering treble. The EX70LP executed these passages without revealing too many format flaws. The Seinheisser and Grado were just too good - and really, what was I thinking? I did purchase the SR80 for home replacing my ancient beaten down MDR-V5's.

I do highly recommend the EX70LP if just for the fact that it will cling to your ears like a newborn to it's mother - you will actually forget your wearing them, which to me, is the point.

3 stars for value, they are expensive (in Canada you can't find them for much below $75).
4 stars as they do sound good, and I haven't totally broken them in yet.

Similar Products Used:

Various Sony's(MDR-E848), Koss, Grado (SR60/80)etc.

Incredible pumping bass. After a few minutes you can't tell where the music is coming from!

Carrying case sucks. Treble could be a smidgen better. Gets dirty easier than other earbuds.

A few weeks ago, I ordered the Sony MDR-EX70SL (smaller cord with extension b/c I use a remote) at Minidisco.com (shamless plug) and have been a happy customer since then. The Ex70's came in a stylish small box that was riddled with Japanese words describing the product and listing its specs (I ordered the imported version (SL)).

I use the medium-size caps (the ones that are already on the earbuds) and am very happy with the sound. The bass is crazy and so is the clarity of the music. The earbuds are so comfortable that after a few minutes of listening, you can't even feel them anymore! It will eventually feel like the music is coming directly from your brain and not from two points where your ears are (this is because the ex70's act as earplugs and block out outside noise unlike the Sony 888's).

If you are having trouble whether to get these or the 888's, get these if you listen to heavy bass music or get the Sony 888's if music that demands treble is more of your taste (ie classical/new age).

Similar Products Used:

Several packaged earbuds and Aiwa HPV161 earbuds (best earbuds under $15 IMO)

3 different sized earbuds
Bass, Bass, and more Bass

Cheap Case

Great in-the-ear headphones to start out with. These babies can isolate so much noise for its size when i pair it up with my DE-J925 with the volume set at 8. I would definitely suggest it if you need it at static environments sich as libraries or dorms. However, in a fluid environment, such as on subways or airplanes, they fail to block out any external noise.

These headphones are definitely great for music i listen to, the contemporary bass heavy selections associated with rock and rap. However, when i listen to classical music, i want to throw these things in the trash because it cannot reproduce the high ranges in classical pieces. However, these tiny headphones are not meant for serious music appreciation anyways. I have my Sennheisers for that :)

Comfort wise, the in-ear fontopia design is comfortable, but i have tried to sleep several times in them and couldn't sleep at all. They are not as comfortable as it appears to be. However, for regular listening, they are the most comfortable in ear designs that i have experienced with my sony MD and CD.

Definitely recommend if you want a good in the ear headphones for your portable music player. Can't say enough about the bass response it reproduces. Bass feels very warm and fills the aural listening space so well. You won't believe that headphones this tiny can pump out clean warm bass without feeling restrained!

good for portable use

compressed sound, lacking midrange

OK not too much to add to the other reviews here. I AB'd these with my audio-technica ATH-M40's. Whilst there is plenty of bass it didn't reproduce frequencies as low as the M40. The Bass tends to overpower the midrange and they weren't as detailed or transparent as the M40 ending up sounding a little compressed.

The effect of the earplug can be a little distracting due to breathing/handling noises etc being more prominent. Despite the drawbacks, I am very happy with these because they are still 100% better than those horrid cardboard-sounding earbuds that fall out of your ears all the time. They are really suited to portable use, and use with a device that offers some EQ for the mids would be a big advantage. If you want to take your music with you - buy some silicon implants to stick in your ears.

Similar Products Used:

usual bland bass-less earbuds

Good sound quality, comfortable to wear for extended periods of time, sound isolation, look really cool

High frequencies are way too harsh (can hurt your ears if u don't have any EQ), sound isolation can be dangerous, CARRYING CASE IS RETARDED!

These earphones are great for loud environments because of their sound isolation. However, this can be dangerous when riding your bike, or running because it blocks out so much sound. The EX70LP's sound pretty damn good for earbuds, are very comfortable, and DON'T FALL OUT of your ears! The bass response is extraordinary and the mids are quite detailed. This can be a bad thing because they make all your MP3's sound like crap. These things REQUIRE a relatively good source to sound good. The thing that bothers me most is the high frequency reproduction. The highs are WAY TOO HARSH and often hurt my ears if I don't adjust the levels with my equalizer on my computer when recording MP3's on my portable MD recorder (or on any other source for that matter). I actually wanted to return the EX70LP's b/c of the harsh treble. However, there are no earphones better than these on the market right now except for the Etymotic ER-4S/ER-4P which are ludicrously expensive.

I recommend this product fully to anyone who needs a pair of good sounding portable headphones. There are tons of traditional studio headphones that sound better, but none of them offer the portability that the EX70LP's have.

One last thing.... that carrying case is RETARDED!! It only holds the earphones themselves or the cord; not both. Whoever designed that case @ Sony should be fired immediately.

Similar Products Used:

Sony MDR-G72LP (crap), Sony MDR-E838SP (best bundled earphones i've ever heard), Aiwa HP-CN5 (OK, but noise cancelling circuit is crap)

Excelllent Midrange, Sony's Neck Chain Design, Excellent Bass, Very Very Comfortable, Very good isolation

Painful Highs(Can be fixed), Not the best for jogging(May Result in Death),

A great value for 50 bucks. These are ideal for me as I am a college student and have a knack for sitting next to people who cant keep their mouths shut in the school library. These headphones block out a lot of noise. So much that I would even consider them dangerous for jogging outside.

This isolation comes with a price. Since these are basically canalphones, any friction between the wire and your clothing can resonate in your head.

Sound quality is also excellent.

Bass response is excellent provided you DO NOT activate any form of bass boost. You really don't need to with these headphones.

Midrange is just right.

Treble is extremely sharp. On some music it even hurts. This can be fixed to a certain degree if you burn them in for a while at a moderately high volume.

If comfort and fit is your main concern, this product is perfect for you. These headphones come with earplugs of three different sizes, so they virtually fit everyone. I have never worn a more comfortable set of headphones

The simple fact is that earbuds are made to be portable. If you expect the HIGHEST quality music to come out of them, then Etymotics Canal Phones are the best choice. If you happen to be a normal person who doesn't want to dish out 300 bucks for earbuds with good isolation, this is an extremely good product.

Sound quality, comfort, isolation, what else could you ask for?

Similar Products Used:

MDR-ED268LP, MDR-NC20, MDR-V600

Great bass,

occasionally peakish highs, poor carrying case.

Got a really good price in Japan for a great pair of nice-sounding earphones. You do need a few hours to get used to it, but it's pretty worth it. Great lows and pretty clear highs. They block out most peripheral sounds as well so perfect for zoning out in public places (only under safe conditions of course).

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser HD580, HD 495, good aiwa earphones (can't remember the model #: WIRED's choice for value earphones)

sounded good at first

audio strength got really weak

I bought the model, MDR-EX70SL, with the short cord from Minidisco.com - its a Japanese grey market model. Same as MDR-EX70SP but with short cord for remote control. The volume strength went so low you can hardly hear it. Minidisco.com says too bad - talk to Sony Japan. Instructions are written in Japanese except for - "This warranty only good in Japan." I suspect these things are junk. I recommend you avoid this model if possible.

Similar Products Used:

MDR-EX70SL

Bass weight
Midrange detail
'Stay in' in-ear design

Treble over-emphasized
Bass lacks detail
Slightly uncomfortable

I purchased these because I can never get most ear buds to stay in. These sit right in the ear which makes them much more secure. It also helps block out external noise and I have found that I tend to use a lower volume when in a noisy environment. Should be good for plane trips as long as you can put up with that 'blocked ear' feeling. Maybe not comfortable enough for extended use.

Sound Quality: Straight out the packet I was struck by two things: much more bass than is usual with buds and a shrill, rather unpleasant top end.

The bass is welcome though lacking in detail and requires a good seal of the bud within the ear.

The treble was terrible. I found some music to be almost unlistenable at first. The good news is that this improves quite a bit after a while. It is never great but easy to live with.

The mid range was IMO pretty good. It is detailed and musical. The problem is that it is too quiet compared to the top & bottom, especially that top end. This is IMO the major failing of this product: what it does best is overshadowed but what it does worst.

Similar Products Used:

Various lightweight headphones
Earbuds supplied with portable MD

Designed to fit in ear canal so it stays in place and isolates noise better than regular earbuds, good bass

Treble can be harsh, midrange sounds thin, bass may be too much for some, still manages to slide out of my ears

I actually bought the MDR-EX70SP, which is a shortened cord model for use with remotes on portables. Since I couldn't afford those Etymotics and the Koss Plug has been know for big bloated bass, I decided to give these a try.

For those who don't like to stick things in their ears, DON'T GET THESE! The way these are designed, you have to stick them in your ear canal for proper fit and sound. Some people seem to have problems with the fit, and as a result the sound suffers (mainly no bass, all treble). I get a good seal with the small earplugs, the larger sizes don't quite fit and the seal messes up when inserted further.

The sound is ok, initially these had a really tight and somewhat thin bass, lacking midrange and with really bright treble. After I burned them in, the sound loosened up, bass was fuller sounding and the treble wasn't as harsh, but the midrange still sounds thin. Compared to my reference headphones (Sennheiser 545, no comparison but it is MY reference), the bass is louder but still pretty controlled, the midrange doesn't have the warmth or flowing smoothness and is a bit lower in volume, and the treble is not nearly as refined, sounding a tad harsh and not as extended or airy. Isolation is ok, it's better than a lot of earphones and even some headphones, but doesn't block out sound like real earplugs. Surprisingly, these are not nearly as sensitive as Sony's other earphone offerings, you need to turn up the volume a bit more and I noticed a surprising improvement when I used a headphone amp (mainly tighter, more dynamic bass and overall sound was clearer).

Overall, if you need some isolation in an earphone and can't spend $300 for those Etymotics, these are a nice and cheaper compromise. The sound isn't the best and fit may be a problem, but if they fit well and you're not expecting perfect sound from them, it can be enjoyable especially in noisey places.