Sony MDR-EX71SLW Stereo Earphones - White

These earphones do not fit in the outside of the ear, but go into the ear canal, and feel more comfortable. Not only that, but the rubber earpieces form a seal which excludes a lot of ambient noise. This means you get less disturbance and can listen at lower volumes (which helps the battery life on your player) and hear music more clearly. An added benefit for other people is that less music escapes from the earphones to annoy other people.

I have a pair of these in black for my iRiver player, and my daughter has a pair of these white ones for her Creative flash player. Its the only way I could stop her trying to take mine all the time!

It was a work of genius for Sony to produce these in white, as I am sure that the only thing stopping many iPod owners getting them was the clash with Apple's colour scheme. Forget all the airports, remotes, FM tuners and the rest: this has got to be the best upgrade for an iPod as it actually will improve the listening experience which is what its all about.

On top of that, these accessories come with their own accessories. The cord is quite short and ideal for those who keep ther player in a top pocket and do not want a tangle of wires, but for those who use a belt clip of keep their player further from their head, there is a longer extension lead. To make sure of a decent and comfortable fit, there are 3 sets of earpieces so you can choose the best size for your ears. There is also an earphone holder and a carrying pouch. The pouch is maybe a bit big for just the phones, but comes in handy for holding a Muvo Micro along with the headphones, and is exactly the right size for a Sony minidisc player.

One day all MP3 players will come with headphones this good. Until then this is a must-buy for anyone whose budget doesn't stretch to a pair of Shures.


Great upgrade for an iPod...   January 6, 2005
22 out of 25 found this review helpful

...but with some fundamental flaws which don't ensure 100% compatability.

1. The power of these headphones, providing fluid, effortless bass is obviously a good thing for iPod owners, tired of their tinny freebie pack in 'phones from Apple. However, they require more power from the iPods battery, so consequently you need the volume turned up higher for a similar volume, draining your battery a little bit more.

2. The headphone jack on the extension cord is at 90 degrees to the cable, unlike on Apple's which remains straight to the cable. This can cause a bit of dubious bending in certain pocket scenarios.

However, neither of these very minor cons should put off any potential buyers. The increased sound quality is well worth it. As previously said, bass is improved upon. As is texture. The frequency range is wide so whereas with other headphones you here a low rumbling mush - bass notes and hits can easily be distinguished allowing you to hear music as the artist intended.

After shelling out large amounts of dosh for your music, you might as well get as much from it as possible by buying these.


Simply stunning   April 6, 2005
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

Following a brief period using the earbuds supplied with my iPod, I could stand earache and poor fit no longer. An ear phone that fits as far in the ear as possible made a lot of sense. The Shure range starting at around 60 make no sense plugged into a 140 iPod. Therefore, Sony was the only game in town.
I had no doubt the Sony would offer a good performance per pound but even I was stunned by the quality after a bit of adjustment.
I agree with previous comments regarding harsh treble, but I really don't think you can expect better for 25. Also consider, no speaker can be better than the source material that feeds it. The D to A converters in most portable kit leave much to be desired and treble is often the first casulty.
To get the best out of these earphones you must use the correct rubber ear cushion. You are probably thinking 'obviously', but all three fit to a degree so you should spend some time on this. You will not hear them at their best unless you get it right. The other thing to do is push them in as far as you dare. The Sony's sound a little dull until you do and sense of space you get is a suprise.
As I hi-fi fan of thirty years with some reasonably serious kit (Linn LP12, WAD PREII, WAD 5881, heavily mod'ed Marantz CD63SE, Terratec 24/96, custom designed Audax full range speakers), I am in a position to give the Sony's the workout of their lives. Result, Simply stunning. Controlled bass, treble as sharp as a knife and a soundstage miles wide. I also forgot I was wearing headphones.
If you are in the market for this style of earphone the Sony is impossible to beat in my view.


These 'phones will self-destruct in five seconds...   July 21, 2005
Robot Overlord (floating somewhere...)
17 out of 19 found this review helpful

Regrettably, I didn't buy these from Amazon but from the Sony shop not far from where I live, and therefore wasted 35 instead of 25... The sound quality, it must be said, is very good, and I was really happy with them at first, but the earphones' construction is really, really dicy; after two months, the strange gooey-rubber stuff surrounding the cables - which was nice and soft when new - changed from white to grey and became so soft, in fact, that it frayed, degraded, and eventually peeled away from the wires inside, being no stronger than the little bits of eraser you leave behind after erasing pencil marks. An absolute pain, and worse, the i-Pod in-ear 'phones I got to replace them are simply the worst headphones I've ever owned, so if I want nice i-pod-style earphones without buying a pair of Shure 'phones for around a hundred quid I have to resign myself to the fact that they'll destroy themselves after a few weeks. They're a rubbish design.


Annoying because theyre great, but also not   September 9, 2005
17 out of 24 found this review helpful

I bought these head phones after my ipod headphones began to fall apart. I believed these would not, as they were more expensive and great reviews. But once a bought them I found A LOT of problems.

1. First off, it took several days to get used to the feeling of them inside your ears, as when I first put them in they were extremely uncomfortable.
2. Although generally the sound quality is excellent, often high voices, hard "sh" sounds and cymbal hits were louder and actually hurt my ears!
3. The design is a nightmare! The wire is far too short and so is only convenient if you're keeping your ipod or music player in your top pocket (something you obviously won't be able to do if you're using a CDman). An extension lead comes with it, but this is far too long, as if designed for people who keep their portable music player on their feet! The length difference of the two earphones is also a bit aggrivating.
4. The earbuds don't stay in very well. I found the large size slips out within a minute and the quality is'nt as good. The small size has virtually no bass and sounds very tinny. The medium seemed the best fit and quality, but even then I still had to push them in every now and again as they slowly slipped out.
5. Just as I was getting used to having to push them in occassionally, after a month the wire began the turn grey and squidgy, and I noticed a split near the earphone. A split which will obviously get larger until the actual wire breaks.
6. Finally, the earbuds come off far too easily. I have already lost the only two medium sized ones I have from possibly simply brushing against things as I take them out of my bag. I have also lost one of the two large earbuds which I was using as a temporary measure.

Overall, a very disappointing result for a product that cost so much.