[PeterKG]

I just bought a pair of these headphones excited that they would sound good and stay in ear. The case is nice and holds the gaskets, buds, and cord nicely. I needed the smallest gaskets but unlike my Sony brand gasket earbuds these Apple buds still don't seal in your ear liike the Sony's. They feel like they will fall out. The sound is void of bass and trebile is strong. They sound awful to be honest. I tried numerous EQ settings and only got good sound when I put my Sony buds back on. I know buds all sound different to different ears, but in my opinion, these buds are not worth buying and I would say if you want gasket buds to stick with the Sony brand.

[PeterKG]

Okay, I figured it out. I replaced the gaskets from my Apple buds with the gaskets from my Sony buds and now they sound great. My conclusion is the gasket shape and design Apple used doesn't seal the ear canal like it should. I tried the different sizes and all failed to seal my ear canal as good as the Sony designed gaskets.

[hardcat1970]

thanks. I have a sony mx70 from japan, it is the best earbud i've had. I thought buying the apple one but i guess i'll save it this time.

[::maroma::]

So would you say the Apple earbuds, with the Sony gaskets sound better than the Sony earbuds with Sony gaskets? I have the white EX71's from Japan, and I love em.

[PeterKG]

Originally posted by ::maroma:::
So would you say the Apple earbuds, with the Sony gaskets sound better than the Sony earbuds with Sony gaskets? I have the white EX71's from Japan, and I love em.

I would say they sound the same. I like the cord better on the Apple headphones because it is simple. I also have the EX71's and I think the cord is too long or too short when you unplug the extension. Plus I don't like the short left cord and the long right cord configuration. But I love the way the Sony's sound.

[Mallrat]

Originally posted by PeterKG:
I would say they sound the same. I like the cord better on the Apple headphones because it is simple. I also have the EX71's and I think the cord is too long or too short when you unplug the extension. Plus I don't like the short left cord and the long right cord configuration. But I love the way the Sony's sound.

I was looking for new ipod headphones... I like the sound of the ones that came with it, but they hurt my ears after a while, as I think the buds are two big and press up against my ear.

anyway, does this in your ear headphones feel more comfortable?

Also what brand of sony do you have or recommend?

I'll send 50 bucks if it means comfort but with the smallness of the ipod headphones that came with the iPod.

[Mallrat]

double post, sorry.

[Minty Fresh]

Here's the MDR-EX71's - http://www.hififorless.com/showProdu...sku=MDR-EX71SL

And the MDR-NC11's - http://www.hififorless.com/showProdu...34f05cb44ca601

[tooki]

Originally posted by PeterKG:
I would say they sound the same. I like the cord better on the Apple headphones because it is simple. I also have the EX71's and I think the cord is too long or too short when you unplug the extension. Plus I don't like the short left cord and the long right cord configuration.

To me, that's what makes Sony's high-end earbuds stand out. It's not a mistake -- it's so you can swing the right earbud cable behind your neck so that you can take out the earbuds and have them conveniently just hang there.

tooki

[PeterKG]

Originally posted by tooki:
To me, that's what makes Sony's high-end earbuds stand out. It's not a mistake -- it's so you can swing the right earbud cable behind your neck so that you can take out the earbuds and have them conveniently just hang there.

tooki

Hi tooki,

You are totally correct. I just think the long right side cord is too long. It always seems to get in my way. Then I think the extension is too long and without the extension the cord is too short. My personal beef only.

[Wiskedjak]

This isn't at all surprising. Sony has FAR more experience in designing earphones than Apple does ...

[::maroma::]

I agree the EX71's feel much more comfortable than the included Apple Earbuds. That is just the reason I got he EX71's, because Apple's hurt my ears after a while. I like the over the shoulder design of the Sony's as well. At work, I am always taking my headphones out for a minute or two at a time. Sony's design is much more convenient.

[Eug]

I got the Etymotic ER-4P headphones instead. Pricey though. There is also the ER-6 line for the price conscious.

[mbperk]

I agree with PeterKG the new Apple In-ear's pale in comparison to the EX-71's (White). I really wanted to like the Apple brand, but they do not have the bass response or fit of the Sony's. At least the are a step in the right direction. The ones that are bundled with iPods now are horrible. Way to big for my ears.

And the length is no good (to long) for me since I use the remote when at the gym. With the Sony's I could use the short plug to attach to the remote and it is the perfect length.

[Minty Fresh]

Here's the White EX71's for $46.00USD if anyone is interested.

http://www.audiocubes.com/product_in...9fc0384637300e

[PeterKG]

Originally posted by mbperk:
I agree with PeterKG the new Apple In-ear's pale in comparison to the EX-71's (White). I really wanted to like the Apple brand, but they do not have the bass response or fit of the Sony's. At least the are a step in the right direction. The ones that are bundled with iPods now are horrible. Way to big for my ears.

And the length is no good (to long) for me since I use the remote when at the gym. With the Sony's I could use the short plug to attach to the remote and it is the perfect length.

I wrote an email to Apple, describing my thoughts. Maybe Steve will actually try listening to both the Apple and Sony's, then demand an update.

[Synotic]

Originally posted by Minty Fresh:
Here's the White EX71's for $46.00USD if anyone is interested.

http://www.audiocubes.com/product_in...9fc0384637300e

Thanks for the link... I was thinking about getting Apple's headphones but after reading this thread and seeing what Sony has to offer for a few more dollars I think I may have to go with these...

I'm curious though, can anyone further explain the "cords touching each other" effect that happens with in-ear headphones? I haven't had any in-ear headphones before so I don't know how annoying this would be... I do move around when I listen to my iPod.

Otherwise these earphones look perfect, the stock ones have been hurting my ears as well.

[::maroma::]

Not sure what you mean by the cords touching each other. If you mean the over the shoulder style of the Sony's then I can speak about that. Basically, it's just the right headphone cord is longer than the left. They meet at a point where the 2 cords turn into 1. The point of the right one being longer is so you can drape the cord from the right headphone behind your neck and let the remainder of the cord hang down over your left shoulder. This is so you can take your headphones out of your ears and just let them hang on your shoulders, around your neck. Very convenient. I've had no issues with this at all. Although, they seem to get tangled easier than normal headphones. But that doesn't bother me too much.

[kikkoman]

Originally posted by Synotic:
I'm curious though, can anyone further explain the "cords touching each other" effect that happens with in-ear headphones?

It's like wearing a stethoscope. If the cord rubs against anything the sound is tranmitted through the earplugs. All in earphones have this issue but the Sony design minimizes the effect with the behind the neck cord.

[Hamburglar]

Originally posted by PeterKG:
I would say they sound the same. I like the cord better on the Apple headphones because it is simple. I also have the EX71's and I think the cord is too long or too short when you unplug the extension. Plus I don't like the short left cord and the long right cord configuration. But I love the way the Sony's sound.

I agree with pretty much everything said in regards to apple's iephones (with regards to sound quality - mediocre) - but for whomever was asking, they are much more comfortably for me than the standard "old school gameboy on steriods" phones that come with the iPod.

I'm wondering, if there's any way to order the "gaskets" of these sony's without ordering the phones themselves?

Any info would be great.

[NYGEO18]

try them upside down.
Hold and pull back on your ear while inserting them. I get unreal sound!!!
I love music, and I know how it should sound. The lows are rich and the treble crisp.
ITS ALL ABOUT HOW YOU WEAR THEM.
A complete seal with your ear is REQUIRED for proper sound.

[hagheid]

I've recently read scores of posts about pricing of the mini "$50 too much" etc. etc. etc.
I'm now reading about headphones that can cost $300+
Are these users in any way related?

[yongfook]

Just another earphone recommendation...

http://www.audiocubes.com/product_in...9fc0384637300e

Audio Technica CM5 - they look unique and sound great. Best sounding bud-type earphones I have owned.

[zachs]

Originally posted by mbperk:
I agree with PeterKG the new Apple In-ear's pale in comparison to the EX-71's (White). I really wanted to like the Apple brand, but they do not have the bass response or fit of the Sony's. At least the are a step in the right direction. The ones that are bundled with iPods now are horrible. Way to big for my ears.

And the length is no good (to long) for me since I use the remote when at the gym. With the Sony's I could use the short plug to attach to the remote and it is the perfect length.

If you aren't getting good bass response, chances are you aren't putting them in correctly. You need to open up the ear canal with the opposite hand and insert the buds in and forward to completely seal the ear from outside air.

Once you do, you'll notice the bass immediately, outside noise is almost totally blocked out, and the EQ is flattened.

Instructions here. (For the Etymotic phones, but it's the same for Apple's.)

[TheMosco]

Originally posted by PeterKG:
Hi tooki,

You are totally correct. I just think the long right side cord is too long. It always seems to get in my way. Then I think the extension is too long and without the extension the cord is too short. My personal beef only.

Thats my favorite part of the sony headphones. The short cord is great for my jacket pocket and if i need a long cord i just clip on the apple remote and plug the sony phones into that. It actually makes the remote usable instead of having 3 feet of headphone wire.

[Edit]

The only thing i don't like about them, is that I find them a little muddy when put them in correctly. If you just try and stick them in your ear, the sound is less muddy but you get more background noise. If you go with the pull ear slide in method the seal is better but i don't think it sounds as good.

Now i read that the apple phones sound good when you put them in upside down so i may try and borrow a pair and see what i can do with them.

[SouthPaW1227]

Originally posted by Minty Fresh:
Here's the White EX71's for $46.00USD if anyone is interested.

http://www.audiocubes.com/product_in...9fc0384637300e

Ordered my pair of these Sony's from this place w/ great, fast shipping...awesome earbuds and a great place.

[Synotic]

Originally posted by kikkoman:
It's like wearing a stethoscope. If the cord rubs against anything the sound is tranmitted through the earplugs. All in earphones have this issue but the Sony design minimizes the effect with the behind the neck cord.

Alright sounds good

Originally posted by SouthPaW1227:
Ordered my pair of these Sony's from this place w/ great, fast shipping...awesome earbuds and a great place.

I was about to order from them but I was just searching around and I found this place:

http://i-shopping4u.com/sony_mdr_ex71sl.html

They're four dollars more but they offer free shipping over audiocubes ten dollars... It seems that they work through ebay (anyone know how this works?) and have in general pretty good reviews Three of the bad ones are from one guy and two others just deal with bad batteries.

Any reason I shouldn't go through them? I've set paypal up but haven't used it yet, are there any fees associated with it? Just didn't want to want to overspend. Again, thanks for any help.

[SouthPaW1227]

That place kinda looks fishy man...I've always said, spending $5 extra to make sure you don't get ripped can save you more in the long run...plus, they ship very fast & they're a quality, respected site. However do as you please

As for PayPal, it's not the most secure way to pay a business, but it is common to pay eBay seller with. I'd never buy from a "business" that "only accepts PayPal" for the obvious fraud reasons. There are no fees for SENDING money, however there's a 3% hit on every ACCEPTED transfer (like ppl sending you cash).

EDIT: BEWARE, don't order from that site man...I just noticed at the very top "Prospect Building, 491 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong"...see that "Hong Kong"? 99% of the time that translates into "I'll steal your money". Never trust 3rd-world ran websites.

[Todd Madson]

I posted this at another thread related to this topic you may be interested in:

Hi.

I go through headphones like mad so I'm glad this thread showed up here.

The original Apple iPod earbuds are way to freaking huge for any human to wear comfortably. They were shrill and just not so fun to listen to.

The second generation (about the time the PC version of the iPod showed up) was slightly better but still awful in terms of fit. You'd have to turn it way up to get anything remotely good. They were slightly thinner than the original which were grotesquely huge.

About that time I found out about minidisco.com and their importing of the Sony Japan MDR-70EX nude earbuds. Fantastic sound. I've been thru two pairs of these those and they were expensive. The first lost a channel - the second was a christmas gift and they got lost on a business trip. Grrrr.....

I ordered the Apple buds figuring they were an Apple knock-off of the Sony buds at a cheaper price (me unaware of the new domestic version of the MDR70EX). The largest gaskets on these new buds are still a tad too small although if I press them in they work fine - they just didn't feel 100% secure, maybe 96-97%. My guess was using the huge buds all these months stretched out my ear holes!

The sound was superb on the new Apple in-ear if they were placed in my ears just so. If they loosened the bass receded. It was like the medium size gasket was way too small and the large one was just a millimeter too small. It was so close. I've been using those since I received these.

But:
Tonight I tried what someone recommended here and placed the medium sized gasket from my dead Sony MDR70EX on the Apple in-ear hones and lo and behold - fantastic fit and superlative sound.

I now see that Sony is bringing the successor to the MDR70EX buds to the USA so that's great news. I tried every earbud/headphone $100 and below and they all were horrible - this from a musician/engineer/avid enthusiast listener. I'm very critical and can't imagine how anyone could listen to the garbage that's out there these days.

Etymotic would be great but I have a budget t think of...heh.

If you have small to medium sized earholes the Apple buds will be fine. If you have larger earholes the Sony's might be up your alley.

Still, the Apple buds will probably work for most people - if not, the Sony is your 'phone.

[The Jackalope]

Originally posted by NYGEO18:
try them upside down.
Hold and pull back on your ear while inserting them. I get unreal sound!!!
I love music, and I know how it should sound. The lows are rich and the treble crisp.
ITS ALL ABOUT HOW YOU WEAR THEM.
A complete seal with your ear is REQUIRED for proper sound.

As completely stupid as "wear them upside-down" initially sounds, I tried it and you are absolutely correct.

I think they are worth every penny. They are comfortable and sound great.

[natan]

Originally posted by Todd Madson:
I tried every earbud/headphone $100 and below and they all were horrible - this from a musician/engineer/avid enthusiast listener. I'm very critical and can't imagine how anyone could listen to the garbage that's out there these days.

Did you listen to Shure E2C's/E2's, Grado SR60's, or Sennheiser HD280 Pro's?

[zelig2]

So with the positive results with using the Apple's phones with the Sony earbuds do you think there's a way to get replacement earbuds from Sony?

[PeterKG]

Originally posted by zelig2:
So with the positive results with using the Apple's phones with the Sony earbuds do you think there's a way to get replacement earbuds from Sony?

We have an actual Sony store here in Costa Mesa. I will go there and see if they sell replacements. I know I have been in stores in Japan that do. I will let you know later.