View Full Version : Sony EX71SL: My Review
Storm1619
01-18-2005, 02:40 AM
Please choose the appropriate forum for this topic. Thank you. This morning I got my brand new white EX71SL's. I was so excited I practically tore into the packaging. Keep in mind I have never owned a pair of "good" earphones.
So I open the packaging, plug the 'phones into my iPod, and start playing music. WOW, these earphones are incredible. If you have never had in-ear phones before, I HIGHLY recommend picking up a pair of these EX71SL's. The bass is very predominant, but I like my bass. Although the sound is a little muddy, it is only noticable if you really concentrate on it.
The sounds isolation is incredible. With no music playing, I could barely hear people's voices at normal talking level. With music, almost all of the sound is blocked out. I was in my wood tech shop today, and I could barely hear the sounds of people cutting their wood. Very intense.
There are a few negatives. The cord length is kind of annying. Without the extension cable, the cord is too short. With it, too long. However, I just fold it in on itself a few times and twist-tie it, and this works. Also, if someone is talking to you, it takes a while for you to notice them.
Overall I give these headphones a 9/10. If you are looking for cheap in-ear earphones, you should definately look into these.
hey nice review :P .. im thinking about getting one.. oh i was wondering.. do those headphone have one side of the earphone longer than the other side? i find that annoying.. >.<
DaveTheRave
01-18-2005, 07:25 PM
Originally posted by MiNi
hey nice review :P .. im thinking about getting one.. oh i was wondering.. do those headphone have one side of the earphone longer than the other side? i find that annoying.. >.<
yeah they do im afraid :(
Storm1619
01-18-2005, 08:11 PM
Yes, but it is not that bad. The left earphone goes in your ear, and then the right one goes behind your head and then into you ear. I find this actually quite nice, because the earphone just sits dangling on your shoulder if you need to take it out.
c0mplex
01-19-2005, 01:29 AM
how comfortable are these when you have them in your ear for long periods of time? i always find the standard apple ipod earphones to be a bit irritating after an hour or two.
also, can you measure how long the cord is... with and without the measurement? it would be very helpful for us potential buyers.
Storm1619
01-19-2005, 04:44 PM
They are pretty comfortable. When I first put them in, I can feel them but they do not hurt. After about 15 minutes, sometimes I forget I have them in. After about 4 or 5 hours, they can get uncomfortable.
The measurements are:
Extension Cord - 104 cm / 41"
Cord to Split - 42 cm / 16.5"
Left earphone cord - 13 cm / 5"
Right earphone cord - 49 cm / 19.25"
amcluesent
01-19-2005, 05:29 PM
>I have never owned a pair of "good" earphones<
Buyers really need to know that the bass emphasis and muddying of sound on the EX71 is very, very pronounced. The clean, balanced sound of the iPod is pretty much wrecked by these earphones.
archurban
01-19-2005, 05:38 PM
yeah, it's incredible stuff. isolation is perfect from heavy noise. but because of heavy bass, some kind of music (like classic, vocal sound) screw up. it becomes muddy sound especially in high range mode. don't get me wrong. I love this earbud. anyway without extended cable, it's good for iPOD SHUFFLE with lanyard around my neck. it's perfect.
rueyloon
02-27-2005, 04:03 AM
Originally posted by amcluesent
>I have never owned a pair of "good" earphones<
Buyers really need to know that the bass emphasis and muddying of sound on the EX71 is very, very pronounced. The clean, balanced sound of the iPod is pretty much wrecked by these earphones.
good..... I tot I was going crazy, after spending that amount of money on them, I tot they sounded worse, is it muddy and lack the crispness of the apple earphones.
people are telling me it is user error, I'm glad, someone can hear the muddiness of these earphones too. Guess to people who listen to pounding bass type of music they can't tell.
Benco
02-27-2005, 02:48 PM
Originally posted by Storm1619
Keep in mind I have never owned a pair of "good" earphones.
Even keeping that in mind, they are maybe a 3/10 at best. They sound awful, despite their comfort and bass. Pain-searing sibliant highs, and unfocused mids. With those two components in mind, the bass just adds to their dismal performance.
Originally posted by rueyloon
good..... I tot I was going crazy, after spending that amount of money on them, I tot they sounded worse, is it muddy and lack the crispness of the apple earphones.
people are telling me it is user error, I'm glad, someone can hear the muddiness of these earphones too. Guess to people who listen to pounding bass type of music they can't tell.
No, you aren't the only one. I bought a pair after reading GREAT reviews about these headphones, and I thought I had a bum pair. Very muddy sounding, very irritating to my ear, but the sound quality was just not good. I prefer my $10 Sony butterfly headphones. Cheap, but they sound much better.
I think the bass is too strong, and the treble is so muddy it sounds funny. Very muffled and thumpy. I listen to a lot of diffrent styles of music (Electronica, Trip Hop, R&B, Rock), and none of those sounded particularly good to me with these phones.
If you are planning on getting a pair, I suggest trying a friend's pair out first. Some people love and swear by them, but I was very dissapointed in them. Those $10 sony's sound so much better (to me at least), and are a lot cheaper to boot! :)
Pipit
02-27-2005, 05:32 PM
I had a similar experience...had never had 'good' headphones before these. And I always noticed that the highs were shrill, which was irritating.
The thing is, I never did find a pair of earbuds -in the same price range- that sounded better. People go on and on about the Shures and Etymotics, but those seem to start at at least $70, which is $20 more than where the Sony's top out.
AzN1337c0d3r
03-04-2005, 08:48 PM
To me, the highs are anything but shrill. In fact, the high harmonics on the violin solo(s) in Capricio Espagnol can barely be heard. Perhaps they needed to be burned in?
ShInyiPod
03-05-2005, 12:30 PM
They sound good enough to me.
As long as you choose the right earbud size, the EX71's do sound reasonably good. The fit is very important -> (too large = too boomy, too small = poor seal and terrible sound) However, they definitely do over-emphasize the mid-ranges slightly, as well as the bass which can sometimes be muddy.
They are extremely comfortable, even after extended wearing periods. They also isolate some outside sound which can be both convenient and hazardous depending on the situation.
Unfortunately, they're not very durable - out of curiosity how many people have had the EX71's for over a year without breaking?
DBleek
03-06-2005, 10:29 AM
Anyone got a link to a pair of white EX71's?
FallN
03-06-2005, 03:02 PM
Try Amazon.com if you don't mind waiting. I had to go on a trip to Las Vegas so I didn't have the luxury of waiting and went down to my local Radio Shack to get them and paid full retail $49.99 for them... I know, I got hosed but at least I got to go on my trip the very same day with them... the price of convienince I guess...
Right now I'm trying to decide whether or not I should keep them or get a pair of Ety ER-6i's... (I have a pair of brand new Shure E2c's that hurt the Hell out of my ears and can barely fit, so I'm already thinking of sending them back or just selling them).