I travel alot, and these are *incredible* on buses, the subway, amtrak, and airplanes. Outside noise is reduced a great deal, and the sound quality is comparable to cheaper studio monitor headphones. This combination has allowed me to listen to very subtle music (classical and Indian) in noisy environments.

The stethoscope effect is alive and well. It is at most a mild annoyance when walking, and if you position the headphone cord so that it doesn't flop around then it goes away. However, these headphones are NOT for exercising, and they are NOT good if you are eating anything remotely crunchy.

The only other complaint I have (as has been articulated earlier), is that the interchangable rubbery earplug parts do come off. I'm tempted to try and glue mine on, so that I don't have to worry about losing them.

Anyhow, I love these. If you want to listen to music while sitting in a noisy environment, and don't want huge studio monitor-style headphones, these are perfect.


WORTH THE MONEY, YOU CAN'T GO WRONG ON THIS!   February 26, 2004
 22 out of 22 found this review helpful

I did an extensive research before buying these earbuds. I had to think for a few days between Koss thePlug, the 71SL, and these ones. First I liked the shape of these better than the higher end 71SLs. I am always skeptical that Sony products are usually overrated both in terms of price and quality. So I wasn't really sure I want to buy another Sony product (after my huge dissapointment with the w.ear Q22SL) But I really wanted light earbuds for travel, jogging, and casual walking. So I decided to give it a shot. And I am telling you, the size of these earbuds will surprise you with the sound that comes out of it. The bass is heavy, gives the real party hall vibration (if you have ever stand next to a huge speaker at a party). The highs are crip and the human voice is very distinct. The midrange frequency isn't very good, but personally I am not usually very concerned about it. I am more for the bass and highs. I would advice you to go for the $29.99 and make use of their free shipping.


DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT   April 25, 2006
 20 out of 21 found this review helpful

The sound from these headphones is reasonably good, but what's the use of that if the "rubber" on the wires starts disintegrating after 4 months? The other reviewers who have commented on this are absolutely right. I have never seen this happen to ANY product I own, let alone a pair of headphones. I would understand if they were called "Sony MDR-EX51LP Disposable Headphones", because that's what they ARE.

After using the headphones infrequently for 4 months, I noticed little random holes in the coating. Now, after a total of 6 months of owning the product, I can see the wiring underneath and big chunks of the coating are falling away.

Conveniently, the warranty is only for THREE months. I called Sony Customer Service, and the woman there ("Val"), said that it's "WAY PAST" the warranty period and I would need to pay $26 to have the thing replaced. HA! I asked her if she herself would be disappointed if she purchased a pair of Sony headphones and they became unusable after 6 months. She hemmed and hawed and finally said, "I have to consider the warranty in these cases. If it's only a 3 month warranty, then, NO, I wouldn't be disappointed at all."

That's great. Well there you have it ... customer-centric service from the Rootkitters themselves. STAY AWAY from these headphones, and from Sony in general.


I don't know, maybe I'm squeamish...   February 3, 2006
 19 out of 44 found this review helpful

I know. I'm the one who's out of touch. I see all you kids with your little headphone nugs inserted into your skulls. I tried it but I can't handle it.

I like my rock as loud as anyone. You've got to feel your music to get those endorphins flowing. In fact, I like all my music loud, from my Slam-Grass to my pre-classical Rococo. But must I submit to penetration from my electronics. If I need earbuds to actually plug in to my auditory canal in order to feel the music, then why not also attach a subwoofer to a sigmoidoscope so I can feel my viscera reverberate with the bass? Are headbands really that much of a problem? Again, I know I'm the one who's out of touch. But I gave it a try. I guess I'll give it three stars because the sound quality was fine, and I know I'm really responding to my own neuroses. By the way, have you tried Sudoku yet? You really should.



The Biggest, The Best, Better Then The Rest!!   January 21, 2004
 18 out of 18 found this review helpful

A lot of customer reviews state that there is no bass response from these headphones (most of them ipod users) and this is simply not true. You need to INSERT the phones INSIDE your ear to experience the full sound of the bass.

These headphones are great because they completely isolate you in a world of sound. You don't have to crank you volume up to deafening levels to hear your music over the traffic or ambient noise. Another great thing about the phones is that no one around you can hear what your listening to, unlike most other products, so you can crank your music as loud as you want without everyone staring at you.

The earbuds do need cleaned regularly but they are rather soft unlike other foam earbuds like the Koss's "The Plug", which I had to modify to make it work. I highly reccommend this product to anyone who wants to hear more music and less noise from the outside world.