Let me first say that everyone is correct in the comfort that you will receive using these. These are a world of improvement in the comfort factor over the cheap Apple iPod headphones and other ear buds.

Second the sound is good. These are NOT premium over-the-ear headphones and should not be compared to any you own. They do provide the best noise blocking of any in-ear phones that I have tried. Previously remarked by other reiewers: you must put them in your ear fully or the bass is entirely lost. When I first put them on, I though I was in for a return, but after fiddling with them for a few minutes I was a happy camper again.

Lastly, they come with a nice little case to keep them from meeting the same fate of other ear buds by being smashed in my backpack. They also come with a handy extension cord for when you want to lean back from the source.

So if you need a new pair of ear phones, and comfort is at the top of your list - you might enjoy these.


Perfect NYC commuting headphones   October 31, 2003
 296 out of 307 found this review helpful

Kudos to Sony.These earphones offer the best combination of isolation, sound quality, comfort, and easy on-and-off design. I am a commuter in NYC, and twice a day I walk a few blocks, take a bus for about 15 minutes and a subway for another 20 minutes. I used to use Koss KSC-35's, but their open-air design had me constantly changing volumes to deal with the various noise levels. I also needed to put the volume on very high to deal with the subway, and I was afraid that I was harming my hearing. I tried the Sennheiser PX-200's and while real comfy, the isolation wasn't enough. Then I tried the Shure E2C's, but the only insert that would fit my small ear canals was the small foam pair. Since you need to take the time to roll these foam inserts up real small before inserting, then hold them in your ears till they expand, that made them very inconvenient for everyday on-and-off use. These Sony's are also a little more comfortable than the Shure E2C's. I have even tried the Koss Plugs, but they do not fit in my small ear canals at all and constantly came out. Thanks to these Sony earphones, I can now travel in comfort and musical bliss for my whole commute without the need to constantly change volumes. As with the Shure earphones, only the smaller inserts fit me on these Sony's. At first, it takes awhile to get used to these, and my ears did get a little sore, but after a few weeks I got used to them. The material that goes into the ear is pretty smooth for easy insertion, and is fairly easy to keep clean. A word of advice: do clean the removable inserts once in awhile in soap and water and keep your ears clean! The sound on these is very good with solid bass. Perhaps not the best you will hear, but better than your average moderately priced headphones of any design and brand. Another word of caution: if you need to operate a bicycle or vehicle these are dangerous as outside sounds are really muffled or cut off. So don't use these in environments where you need to hear sounds clearly.


Best value for the price...   March 3, 2004
 44 out of 46 found this review helpful

Sound reproduction:
- Because it's an earbud and for this price, you can't expect the sound reproduction of a $100 over-the-head headphones. The bass is quite nice for size of the earbud, the bass may become a bit overcoming for some songs, the highs are there, I just think the mids are a bit weak. Size matters, and for such tiny thing to give an output close to my Sony MDR-V600, it's quite nice.

Design:
- I'm amazed how many people do not like the extra length on the right side. I love this design because youcan put the right cord behind your head and you will never have worry about another cord being in your way in front of you. The extension of the cord is meant for people who have MP3 players with remotes, therefore shorter length and you won't have a cord dangling around.

Fit:
- The one I purchased came with 3 sets of different size earbud, and I found the middle ones to fit best. I do not have the problem of others while working as they stay snug in my hear the whole time (treadmill, elliptical machine, etc...)

Value:
- For under $40, it's the best earbuds for the price and some very nice sound reproduction. Design is especially convenient if you have a remote and you like the length to pull the cord behind your head.


The proof is in the preference   June 29, 2004
 33 out of 33 found this review helpful

First of all, I did ALOT of research on canal/earbud phones (including reading all of these reviews and many others on other websites) before settling on a pair for purchase. I am pretty much a audiophile however that doesn't mean I expect pefection with every purchase, I realize there's ALWAYS going to something that I wish sounded, worked or was designed better. I am also a bargain shopper not willing to shell out $500 and up for headphones, mainly because I cannot not afford it and I (like the rest of us) don't like being overcharged.
That being said, let me start with that fact that I actually purchased the Sony MDR-EX51LP's not the MDR-EX71SL's. The reason? After my research I discovered there's not much difference between the 2, save the short cord/extension problem you will read about later and the fact that they carried them at Best Buy which made it easier to return them if necessary (I came across comments that stated Amazon charges you if you decide to return the MDR-EX71SL's).
Let me start by saying I am VERY satified with my purchase. I bought them about 3 weeks ago at Best Buy for $39.99 plus tax, roughly the same price Amazon is charging for the MDR-EX71SL's. I was looking for earphones that would block a significant amount of exterior sound, fit snugly in the ear and not fall out as well as produce a quality of sound I would appreciate. I can say all of those needs are met with my MDR-EX51LP's. There are a few things you should know about these earphones though.

#1 If you don't like having to fiddle with little things to get great sound, don't buy these. The multi size silicon earbud coverings take a little time to figure out. You must have a complete seal to hear clear bass so play with the sizes to see which one fits you. I actually lucked out and the medium size (which is already placed on the phones) fit my left ear perfectly giving me an understanding of how they should fit. My right ear wasn't so lucky and after playing around I found that the large size was the solution.

#2 You must understand that these phones work like ear plugs. You have to fit these babies snugly in your ear or the bass is not distinct and the noises around you will be more audible and not as cleanly "Blocked out". A proper seal is a must!! Now this isn't nearly as hard or annoying as it sounds and once it's done you'll be happy you bought these. As a side note, the silicon earbuds can get quite dirty if you don't use q-tips often so clean your ears! Also this "ear plug" sensation will take some getting used to (For me a couple of days) so have patience.

#3 Part of the complaint I noted from other reviewers was the cord of the MDR-EX71SL, apparently it is quite short and designed for ipod users and players with arm band capability. Sony's solution was to include an excessively long extension cord that again apparently caused problems (read the rest of the reviews) with its connector. The MDR-EX51LP has the same cord design as the MDR-EX71SL's (Right side longer than the left so that the cord can sit behind your head) save one distinct difference. The cord for the MDR-EX51LP has one long cord like every other pair of headphones you've ever owned so it's much easier to deal with. However, due to the similiar behind the head design (Right side longer than left), I do think purchasing a clip is necessary to hold the cord in place. I find the extra length of the right side has too much slack and either gets in the way or caught on clothing. This sometimes tugs on the phones themselves, particularly on the left side. This becomes a nuissance. Also the cord is pretty thin, no problems yet but due to experiences in the past with other earphones I fear it could be in the future.

#4 Most importantly, is the sound itself. Now this is where things get complicated. Everyone has different tastes as how their music should sound so you are going to get varying opinions. I find, with a good seal (I cannot stress this enough), the sound is much improved over standard earphones and earbuds. I found the EQ a little tinny at first but the balance can be evened out with a bass booster, this allows capabilty for heavier bass sounds. My player has 2 settings of bass boost and I find the first setting to be more than adequate, the 2nd was a bit too much bass for my liking. The external sounds around you disappear when music is playing and this allows for quiet listening as not to damage your now clean ears. This is key as I travel alot!

So overall, I'd say that Sony has done a great job. If you want really great sound with the small size and convenience of earbuds and you are tired of tinny treble driven phones then these are for you. But if you expect pristine quality sound and bass that bumps you out of your chair I suggest you stick with over the head headphones or if you're willing to shell out $500 + for the top of the line then go for it. Shure's Ec5's rock. But me, I'd rather shell out $40 for earphones that give me just what I'm looking for. If you check out comparable earbud phones you'll find you'll end paying more for very simliar results in sound and other trade offs of various problems, etc.. I checked out Shure's (Ec2 & Ec3) as well as Etymotic (ER-6)and there were minute differences in performance and design but huge differences in price!!

Final word, I rated these only 4 stars because of the cord problem and the weak excuse for a cord case (Don't bother it's too time consuming and will break eventually) but I'm extemely pleased with my purchase and would highly recomend it to anyone looking for a REASONABLY priced pair of high end earbud phones. However, I would seriously recomend the following: Research all, Physically check out all and then buy what you prefer.


Absolutely amazing   March 21, 2004
 26 out of 28 found this review helpful

These headphones are by far the most comfortable headphones i have ever purchased. the in ear system effectively blocks out much external sound and allows the user to hear strong treble and powerful bass sound reproduction. the bass is extrememly clearly reproduced because of the very low end of the range (much lower than most standard consumer headphones which often begin their reproductive range at 12Hz or 14Hz)these start at 6Hz

Some tips about other reviews and some thoughts :

- the silicon plugs cause a kind of stethoscope affect (medical instrument for observing heartbeats) whenever the cord hits something (mainly your chest) some reviews say this is a nuisance but fail to mention that it cannot be heard if you actually have your music on :P

- when i first used these headphones i was somewhat dissapointed in the bass. i however listend to a review and waited for them to break in a bit and was astonished at how much more powerful the bass was after a few days.

- you must also experiment with how deep in your ear the headphones should be for good sound reproduction. different ear size = different sized cap and different comfortable depth

These headphones are somewhat pricy in stores but are completely worth the money i would give this product six stars if it was at all possible.