Sony MDREX71SL Fontopia In-Ear Portable Headphones here
Sony MDREX71SL Fontopia In-Ear Portable Headphones here1) CORD a: Yes, the cord on one side is longer than the other so that you can either put the cord behind your neck or let it hang under your chin. This is a feature. If you don’t think you’ll like this design, then these headphones may not be for you. I do wish it was just a tad longer however. An additional couple of inches would help when wearing thicker clothing.2) CORD b: These headphones are short-cord style headphones, with an extension cord. The short-cord style is ideal for many current portables that come with a wired remote so that you don’t have an extra 6-10 inches of tangled cord. For those who don’t need it to be short, the extension should give you plenty of extra length.3) EARBUDS & COMFORT: The earbuds are made of silicon and the degree of comfort may differ for everyone. Personally, these are significantly more comfortable than *ANY* in-ear headphones I have ever worn. I have not however, tried the Shure or Etymotic’s, but then again, I’m not reviewing $120 headphones. Also, some of you may not like how far down the ear you have to insert these. It practically sits in your ear canal. I don’t mind however. My only complaint about the silicon buds is that it picks up a lot of particles, from your ears or just dust sitting on the desk. Might want to give them a good wipe with a wet paper towel now and then.4) SOUND: The frequency response specs on these are pretty impressive. Hooked into my MP3 player or MiniDisc player, I am pleased with the sound quality, which is mostly rock-based, pop, and some trance. The bass is very very good. So good, that I turned the bass boost on my MD down. I usually have to compensate for poor bass, but with the MDR-EX71SL’s, not so.5) ACCESSORIES: The MDR-EX71SL comes with 3 different sized earbuds, a 3 foot extension cord, a plastic case for the headphones, and another piece of plastic which I think is supposed to enclose the headphones or help wind the length of the cord(not sure yet).6) MISC: I read one reviewer mention, “South Korean-made, Sony badged” and I’m not sure what that has anything to do with it. Sony hasn’t made their products in Japan for a long time, less some of their higher end equipment. These are not rebadged headphones.SUMMARY:If the features of these headphones appeal to you, I am confident that you will be satisfied, or even very happy with them. And it’s hard to beat Amazon.com’s price. I have a fairly discerning ear and I like them very much. I also own Grado’s and Koss Pro headphones. If you can afford to pay 4 times more for headphones, then it’s likely you will enjoy the Shure’s or Etymotic’s, but I for one would rather save the money. If you’re like me, then I think the MDR-EX71SL’s are worth a listen. If ultimate sound quality is your objective and price is no barrier, you might be happier with the higher end cans like the Etymotic’s.
