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.


Simply stunning   April 6, 2005
20 out of 21 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.


Amazing brilliance and booming bass ý staggeringly good   February 26, 2005
Henry Stanley (United Kingdom)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

Having read reviews across the internet raving about how fabulous these earphones are, I knew immediately that I had to try them. Apple's push-and-twist earbuds that came with my iPod shuffle were fine, but they leaked out sound to people nearby and if I so much as moved my head, they would become dislodged. I needed a new pair of earphones, especially for use while out running and in the gym, so I bought a pair of these.

I proceeded to fit the earphones into my ears, trying on the various sizes of silicone earbuds - which are very soft, and not at all hard on the ears. Settling for the Small pair, I plugged the earphones in and pressed Play... and all I can say is - WOW! Suddenly I could hear a real sharpness in my music, a high-end 'brilliance', and a deep, booming bass that went straight into my head. Furthermore, all external sounds were muted or very muffled - perfect for choosing your own music at the gym rather than whatever trash is playing on the stereo, and because you have a choice of earbuds, they fit your ears perfectly. Sheer aural bliss!

The little plastic earphone guard is a bit pointless, but the included drawstring bag is a nice touch, and quite useful. I find that I always have to use the included extension cord to avoid the earphones tugging on my ear. The connector where the cable joins the extension lead does weigh down on your ear a little, but this can be corrected by putting the cable in a pocket. This is the only fault in these otherwise-flawless headphones that I can think of.

Some might say that spending this sort of money on a pair of earphones is an extravagance. I would instead argue that no matter how good an MP3 player you own, the sound quality you get will be tarnished by a pair of cheap earphones, so don't be afraid to splash out on a pair of these.


absolute mint!   January 18, 2005
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

These headphones are awesome! Frankly they are by far the best in ear headphones I have had. I had a pair of sony groove fontopia when they were first released a few years ago, thought they were the best now I have found better! THe sound is superb, with crisp, clear tones and powerful base. Buy these worth the couple of extra quid! trust me!


Fantastic sound for the money   February 25, 2005
RP Cappi (hong kong)
13 out of 15 found this review helpful

I've had these headphones for a month now as a replacement to the standard headphones that came with my iPod (which started to hiss continuously after a week)and I must say they are every bit as good as headphones that cost 3 times as much! I compared them to my friends 130 Shure in-ear headphones and the difference in sound quality wasn't as great as you might think...

There is a BUT - you must have them pushed right in to the ear canal to get the full range of bass, if they sit loosely or you don't push them in enough you won't be able to appreciate the sound quality and they will sound tinny. It feels a bit weird at first to actually push something into your ear but you soon get used to it, its quite comfortable with the added benefit of blocking out external noise. Buy them, you won't regret it...