The Sony MDR-EX51LP/EX71SL Maintenance FAQ

[Doug Gilmour]

Originally posted by Mediahound
a question then a comment:

is it possible to make the middle hole (where earwax fills in, that you have to clean with a little pin) too big? after i cleaned mine, i noticed the hole seems bigger than it was when brand new. is this a problem? they sound fine but i was just curious.

I don't think it's a problem. Mine are somewhat bigger as well and there haven't been any problems in the 3 months now or so that I've had this pair. Also if anything I suppose it would make the volume louder I suppose as the hole is bigger.

-Dan

[addersop]

I jumped in and bought a pair of the 71's at lunchtime and so far... well, it's like having a new iPod, the bass is simply gorgeous

[Doug Gilmour]

Originally posted by addersop
I jumped in and bought a pair of the 71's at lunchtime and so far... well, it's like having a new iPod, the bass is simply gorgeous

Yep, agreed. Switching fromt eh stocks to the EX51's for me was a worlds of difference. The stocks would clip and buzz and such. I couldn't stand being in high noise areas or areas that had a radio on as I would need to put it on full blast, which in turn caused everything to clip. I am very pleased to own these buds

-Dan

[Lt_Core]

FYI: Amazon has some good deals on the EX51s and EX71s. Don't know how long the sale is on. Besides the different cord lengths, there's no difference right? Make sure you add the EX71s to your cart to see the $33.95 price.

EX71 for $33.95 w/ free shipping: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...onics&n=172282

EX51 for $24.94: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...onics&n=172282

[ZippZopp]

I just got the EX51's from Fry's. the bass is really nice, nice highs, very clean sounding. cord is good length. my question is about the difference in cord lenghts between the 51's and 71's. with the extension cord on the 71's does anyone know how long it actually is compared to the 51's or even the stock Ipod phones??

[Doug Gilmour]

Originally posted by ZippZopp
I just got the EX51's from Fry's. the bass is really nice, nice highs, very clean sounding. cord is good length. my question is about the difference in cord lenghts between the 51's and 71's. with the extension cord on the 71's does anyone know how long it actually is compared to the 51's or even the stock Ipod phones??

Apparently the extension is 3.3 feet. So without the cord it is 1.5 feet and with it, it's 4.8 feet. This is according to Amazon. I believe the EX51LPs are 4 feet long . Again this is all according to www.amazon.com and I am aware that www.Sonystyle.com gives different info. As for the iPod stock buds, I find they are about the same as my EX51LPs, perhaps a bit shorter.

-Dan

[Lt_Core]

The other difference seems to be that the EX51 has 2 different sizes and the EX71 has 3 different sizes. Can anyone confirm this?

[Doug Gilmour]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
The other difference seems to be that the EX51 has 2 different sizes and the EX71 has 3 different sizes. Can anyone confirm this?

Nope, not true. The EX51LPs come with small, medium, and large covers. This is the same was the EX71SLs.

-Dan

[Lt_Core]

Originally posted by Doug Gilmour
Nope, not true. The EX51LPs come with small, medium, and large covers. This is the same was the EX71SLs.

-Dan

Thanks, Doug. If all things are equal except the cord length, I might go with the EX51s at $24 but I doubt Best Buy will match Amazon's price. Great thread, by the way. Very informative.

[Doug Gilmour]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
Thanks, Doug. If all things are equal except the cord length, I might go with the EX51s at $24 but I doubt Best Buy will match Amazon's price. Great thread, by the way. Very informative.

Yep, I would agree with your logic there. I don't quite understand why there is a price difference...

Thanks for the feedback! Glad I could help you.

-Dan

[Lt_Core]

One more question...do the EX71s offer more isolation than the EX51s?

[Doug Gilmour]

Originally posted by Lt_Core
One more question...do the EX71s offer more isolation than the EX51s?

Nope, they are the exact same. Go to www.sonystyle.com and search for any one of the two buds. Than check what the other looks like. You will notice the difference is nill. The only thing I can see is that the EX71SL's are are shiny at the back of the earbud while the EX51LPs aren't.

-Dan

[Asli]

Well I guess I'll go with the ex51s. the only reason i would buy the ex71s is that they can be bought in white, but recently i noticed how noticable white earphones are, and i don't really care too much about it matching up. These headphones are way cheaper than the in-ears and from what I hear they're better.

[Wilder_K_Wight]

I was gung-ho for white, but I'm seeing a lot of people here in the lounge who have had their iPod stolen. Makes me nervous! I went with the EX51, but I'm also getting some Sennheiser PX100 headphones for those times when I don't want to be completely blocked off from the outside world. The 51's are nice- I had the Apple in-ear, but they didn't fit my ears very well and they were uncomfortable and sounded bad (because I couldn't get a decent seal with them). It's not Apple's fault I have small ears!

The EX51 sound great and cost little. I'd recommend them to anybody looking to upgrade from the iPod buds. Just be aware that they really do block sound very well, and they're not practical for bike riding or slacking off at work. They might as well be earplugs for all the outside sound you'll hear.

[Pairaka]

I got the ex71s the other day and I love them. I'm going to have to try wearing them "correctly" (ahem, behind the neck), but I like the shorter cord length because I want to use it with the Apple remote. Between the remote and the length of the cord on the '71s, I get exactly the length I need.

I was leery of buying earbuds at first because I wasn't sure of how comfortable in-ears would be, but these are amazing. I put them in, felt the medium covers were just a little too big, swapped them out for the smalls, and all was well. I wore them all morning while cleaning up and heard things in my music that I'd never heard before. It was wonderful.

Thank you so much for posting this FAQ. Now I know how to take care of my ear buds and how to wear them properly. Hopefully they'll last me a good long time.

Cheers.