Highs and mids. Clarity, and imaging are good.

They do eventually break. I'm not very careful with them though.

The cable is always the final failure point. Sony added a reinforcement at a bend point in my second part and that helped, but a hard yank eventually did in my most recent pair.

Another common problem that will happen in your pocket is the rubber cups will peal off the driver, you can stretch them carefully to get them back in place, but it is an annoyance.

I will soon be on my 3rd pair of MDR-E888LP's. At 60-80 dollars each I think that says what I think of them. Over many portable devices they are my constant companions.

The reviews that say bass is lacking, are probably correct. But it depends on what you want things to sound like. They don't have a flat tone curve, but for the range they reproduce, the clarity is excellent.

For lack of a better word, many earphones sound muddy. These are always sharp, some might say harsh. But they mellow with age.

In the mids and highs I like them as much as Grado 60s. There is much more bass in the Grado cans obviously in part due to shear driver size, but in the range that the 888s produce, they hold their own. More over, I find the sound of anything else funny at this point. They are easily as good as my mid-grade speakers on my stereo.

Mids and Highs

Bass

I had high expectations for these headphones since they were pretty much top of the line in Sony's line-up. I was replacing the Sony earbuds that came with my Minidisc player. To make a long story short, the mids and high on the 888's are GREAT, but the bass is REALLY lacking. On the other hand, the bass from the headphones that came with my Minidisc player had MUCH better bass. I know a lot of people say you have to work in the headphones, so I setup a Winamp play list with a variety of songs and played them through the headphones 11 hours straight. When I came back in the morning, it sounded the same as before. SORELY lacking in bass. Definitely not the right headphones for my purposes.

Similar Products Used:

Aiwa headphones with 2 gold colour pipes on the back. Many other ones over the years. Don't know the model numbers though. I found Aiwa headphones are usually much better than Sony's priced much highe

Appearance, Build Quality

Sound (Bass and Mid-Range), Price.

I bought the MDR-E888LP as a replacement for the poor quality ones which came with my Sony MZ-N1 NetMD player. I'm completely disappointted with the E888LPs also, as I had expected top quality headphones for $80 MSRP (Paid $40). The bass is lacking, and the mid-range is a bit bright, but the treble sounds pretty smooth. I usually listen to my music without any tonal adjustments, but even through adjusting the treble and bass, I could not find a setting I was completely happy with. I had bought these to use while jogging, so I can live with the Mid-Fi level performance.

Similar Products Used:

Aiwa, MDR-NC11 (Sounds ALOT worse), MDR-Q55

High output, quality sound, comfort

Short, thin gauge cable; sound isolation

The sound is surprisingly good for earbud phones and is comparable to some more expensive earphones. The frequency response is very extended. Their high sensitivity is very well suited for use with portable devices such as minidisc and CD players. Proper placement and orientation within the ear is a must to get the best sound. Otherwise the sound can be thin and lacking in bass. The carrying case is definitely unique.

Similar Products Used:

Variety of Sony, Koss, Sennheiser lightweight earphones & earbuds

great sound, cool case, cool headphone

none

First, let me start by saying I am not an audiophile. I usually find it difficult to tell the difference between products. I just got these phones the other day and noticed an imediate difference. I love these! They have a very full sound that surprised me. I couldn't be happier with this purchase. I use mine with my Nomad II MG MP3 player. They make everything sound better - cleaner and fuller. I had originally bought the Sennheiser earbuds. They weren't much better than the earphones that came with my MP3 player. I'm so glad I made the upgrade. Spend the extra money. You won't regret it.

Similar Products Used:

Sennheiser, creative labs, other Sony phones

One of the best sounding headphones in there class.

Price, they seem very Fragle

I have had a very hard time looking for headphones until I came across a cheep pair of AIWA Acoustic Plus head phones at a best buy for only 14.99 these head phones blew away head phones that cost over twice as much as them. I have tried about 7 different brands before I got the Aiwa’s. I was recently at Sony out let and seen the MDR-E888LP’s, they stood out from any other ear buds they had there. In looks and sound, so I had to take them home. They retail for about 79.95; however, I got them for 39.95. I compared them to the cheep Aiwa’s and to my surprise there was not much different; however, I did notice that the Sony’s where a little cleaner all around and fit my ears much better. On the other hand the AWIAs I seemed to be more durable.
I Tested them both out on my Diskman D-775 and on my STR-DA555ES receiver(which I give thumbs up to as well). The E888LP’s are a very clean headphone ass clean if not cleaner than my MDR-V600’s which a full size head phone.

I would of gave it five stars all around if I have not found the AWIA that sound good do for a fraction of the price.

Similar Products Used:

Aiwa Acoustic Plus in ear headphones, MDR238LP, Various others I tossed like Kross and Panasonic.

Sound Quality, Value, Comfort, Packaging

Short Cord, Poor Sound Isolation

Just received these unassuming Sony earbud style headphones. Initially I was disapointed with the sound until I found the right insertion position, which directs the sound straight into your ears. Hanging loose and downward from your ears, much of the sound does not make it into the ear. However, with correct ear positioning , I was more amazed by the relaxed, accurate sound that the E888's delivered. They compare very favorably with Sennheiser HD580's, yet with much less sound leakage when played at higher levels, making them a must have for late night listening. The HD580's are a much more complete listening experience when making a brief comparison between the two, but after longer sessions with the E888's, I find myself missing the HD580's less and less. Don't get me wrong, the HD580's are still much better and preferred in many different ways, just not a compact travel solution.
I have tested a pair of Etymotic ER4-S's for the past month. The Etymotics are the best you can get for sound isolation, and deliver excellent sound, but I could never get used to the plugged ear sensation, with either the foam or silicone plugs included with the ER4-S. Overall I like the concept and quality of the $300.00 Etymotic ER4 better, but the MDR-E888's sound much better,(having a much higher frequency response and better bass than the ER4-S) and for a price that will not have you kicking yourself the next time you loose a pair.
The Etymotic Phones are fantastic for air travel listening. But I would still choose the more comfortble MDR-E888's as the hands-down winner for sound quality. If sound isolation is really needed, there are always inexpensive, compact noise protection headphones available to wear over the MDR-E888's. The MDR-E888's also have plenty of bass and deliver respectable sound plugged straight into the inexpensive portable CD player of your choice.
The MDR-E888's also include a nifty little storage/carry case that looks like a cross between a Star Trek Starship and a translucent e-insect. The case could also serve as a crude weapon in a pinch, or even a tool for repairing divots on the golf course while also doing a great job of storing and protecting the product. Try matching these capabilities with any other headphone package!
Aside from the short cord on these phones I must give them top marks for value and performance. I found mine for $62.00 delivered, at AromaUnlimited.com. These were not the easiest items to find, but well worth the search. Take notice: These are audiophile headphones at nearly disposable prices. Save your money. Do not purchase pricy audiophile phones until you give these a try.

Similar Products Used:

Etymotic ER4-S, Sennheiser HD580

They fit my ears better than my MDR-E848LP's. They sound better than many headphones many times their size and weight!

Today I just bought a pair of these earbuds (see my review of the MDR-E848LP) and immediately I am very impressed with their sound quality. The bass is rich and strong but not overpowering, and the highs are crystal-clear! And I haven't even broken them in!

In retrospect, these are worth every penny of their $79.99 price.

Similar Products Used:

MDR-E827G, MDR-E837, MDR-E848LP

Superb sound, value

thin cords

I have some fairly good headphones because I have a low tolerance for muddy sound or bad bass. These earbuds are on par and often better than typical $60 headphones.

They have excellent fidelity for all kinds of music. Classical, jazz, techno (from MODs), heavy metal, acoustic, gaming, etc. all sounded excellent. They were a snug fit but one is needed to get good bass (always use the covering, of course). I found the best way to position them was by holding the bud part, not the stalk. Noise cancellation was excellent but if you turn the volume down you can still hear ambient sounds so they are pretty much ideal for casual use. I use them with my PowerBook (which has lousy audio).

My only complaint (if Sony is listening) is the cords are thin and I'm fearful the wires are going to poke through. The wires underneath appear to be splitting and perhaps are too rigid for this application.

The only thing I would do differently is get the short version since I'm always using a volume adjuster with them.

Similar Products Used:

Various earbuds

Sony name

Tinny sound, like a ringing in my ears

Gave these to my sister in law. Couldn't deal with the tinny, treble heavy sound.

I'm sticking to my Paradyne speakers from now on

Similar Products Used:

Koss