Sony MDR-EX71SLA Fontopia Bud-Style Headphones with Case

Sony MDR-EX71SLA Fontopia Bud-Style Headphones with Case

Sony MDR-EX71SLA Fontopia Bud-Style Headphones with Case

Flaunt your style with the MDR-EX71SLA/W headphones and custom skins. The earbuds come equipped with super-small 9mm drivers that deliver premium sound with superior bass and also come with a convenient case making them easy to carry. Express your uniqueness and decorate your case with your choice of 5 custom skins. Three Sizes of Earbuds Long-throw PET Diaphragm Neodymium Magnet Oxygen-Free Copper (OFC) Cord Gold-Plated Mini-Plug Streamlined, Compact Case Stylish, Neck-Chain Cord Gold-plated, L-shaped stereo mini plug Frequency Response - 6Hz - 23,000Hz Sensitivity - 100dB/mW Impedance - 16 ohms Driver Unit - 9mm Power Handling Capacity - 100mW Oxygen-Free Copper, Neck Chain Cord Headphone Type - Closed, Dynamic

Amazon.com Product Description

Many noise-reducing headphones feature large, over-the-head or behind-the- neck headbands, making them rather bulky to use while traveling or working out. Not so the Sony MDR-EX71SLA Fontopia headphones, whose ultra-light, in-the-ear design sounds great while minimizing distracting ambient noise. The closed-type construction makes the headphones a perfect fit for airline, train, or bus travel, or while dancing or skating to your own tunes. The phones owe their audio performance to the extra- small 9 mm drivers and neodymium magnets fitted inside each earpiece. The drives and magnets combine to generate high-intensity sound, with a deeper-than-expected bass response (as low as 6 Hz) and refreshingly crisp mid- and high-range tones (all the way up to 23 kHz). Listeners will also dig the three sizes of earbuds that come with the headphones, ensuring that users find the right match for their individual ear shapes while enjoying long-lasting comfort. And thanks to the dual cord lengths--1.65 feet (original) and a 2.3-foot extension--the phones are great for both iPods and MP3 players on armbands or belt clips.

Other details include an oxygen-free copper cord that reduces noise and improves signal transfer, a gold-plated mini-plug that resists corrosion, a stylish neck chain cord, and a streamlined carrying case that slips easily into a shirt pocket. The 100 mW phones, whose white color matches iPods perfectly, is backed by a one-year warranty on parts and a 90-day warranty on labor.

What's in the Box

Fontopia headphones, hard carrying case, 2.3-foot extension cord, three sizes of earbuds, user's manual.

SOUND QUALITY:

These are fantastic little headsets. I've accumulated four pairs (2 black & 2 white) in the last few years and use them in plenty of situations, most frequently on my 5G iPod, DS-Lite and iriver T10 player. The sound clean and can go very deep.

Bass output tested on the SRS-enabled iriver T10 player is phenomenal. These headphones also perform very well on a Pioneer VSX-92TXH, Nintendo DS-Lite, iriver ifp 300T, and a Creative Zen Vision:M. The drivers crack and distort somewhat at high volume on the iPod Gen5, but I attribute that more to the low output quality of the iPod amplifier. An external headphone amp is a good idea here (look it up!).

I've purchased and returned similar plug-style headphones in the sub $50 range from Philips, Panasonic, JVC and KOSS, these SONY heaphones remain my favorite. Haven't shelled out the big bucks for the Shure e(X)c series so I can't compare.

GENERAL USE:

They're very tiny so they fit just about anywhere. It's easy to tangle them so don't wad them in your pocket. I usually wrap them around whatever portable device I'm using, and I've discovered they actually store better if I unplug them from the device and start wrapping from the headphone end rather than the stereo plug end, then plug them back into the jack to lock the wire down.

Keep the extra different sized ear plug tips even if you don't ever expect to use them. Eventually you're bound to lose one and you'll have to make do with a different size.

Experiment with the plug tip sizes, sometimes changing sizes makes sense. In my case the larger size provides a more comfortable fit, but allows for more ambient noise and wind noise. The smaller size plugs further into the ear, blocks ambient noise better and provides louder sound. However you will hear more "bone conduction" sounds (rubbing/thumping when the wires get pulled or brush against things). Also with the tighter fit they don't breathe as well so they might cause sweating and sometimes itching.

ABOUT THE ROTTING..

The WHITE rubberized sheathing has turned to sticky nasty glue on the wires of both of the white pairs I've owned in the last two years. The sheathing peels off very easily now in little sticky clumps. The white pairs gradually turned an ugly green-gray color about six months into daily use. They will still work even with the wires exposed, but will be too easly tangled and the copper sheathing will unravel. I suggest buying a can of rubber/vinyl tool handle dip at the hardware store and re-coating the wires if you have a rotted pair of these and want to keep them alive. I have two sets in the black color both over two years old now and no problems whatsoever. Get over your trendy self and buy the ones with the black wires.