Sony EX-&71

yea thats what ive noticed too. you either love them or hate them. for my pair, ive got alittle of both :)

I must agree that I dislike the EX71s, and in fact "muddy" is exactly the word that comes to mind...

I just got mine and like them alot... only problem is the for some reason it seems like the ss (like in somewhere) sounds is a SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS sound... but over all I love em.

Wow you need to get into headphone rehab.

I've got Sony MDR-EX70s and I really like them - way better than the ones I was using before. Much better sound and I love the way they sit snugly in your ears - much better at keeping out other noises methinks.

Not entirely sure if they are the same ones that you guys are talking about though...

I ordered some of these spny puppies so I'll let you know what I think when they get hear. I'm not too bothered by precise sound quality through headphones and a portable player. I've got a hi fi at home if I want to be fussy.

My priorities with headphones are that they block out the outside noise so I can actually hear what i am listening to and also that they block out what I am listening to from the outside world because I hate being anti social on the trains that I take to work. Nothing annoys me more than being crammed into a Tube or overland train next to some muppet listening to his hard house at full blast so the whole carriage is treated to tinny second hand noise. At the moment with my apple headphones I am constantly having to change volume so I can hear the music when the train is moving and then not blast everyone else when the train reaches a station.

Hopefully the sonys will make my life easier.

Originally posted by uneek
I would have bought my ex71's a lot sooner had it not been for the huge discrepancy of opinions about it....

uneek,
Yes, there have been pages and pages written about the Sony EX70/71's. And no doubt there will be a lot more to come.
But what you have to realise is that, just as with most of our senses, hearing is a very personal thing.
Just as some people love the taste of Marmite, it makes others want to barf.

To a lot of folk the EX70/71 range provide a good listening experience. To others it almost makes their ears bleed. Their descriptions of trill trebles and muddy bass frequencies are not the EX70's that I listen to.

I loaded "Rites" by Jan Gabarek onto my iPod and listened to the album with the EX70's - from the high notes of the Soprano sax, to the double bass of Eberhard Weber, the percussion and piano playing right across their musical scale, all came across clear and crisp. The vocals were as good as listening to the album on my hi-fi, ranging from choral pieces to the rough voiced singer from the Russian steppes.

A good a test for earphones as anything I can think of.

But I think there is a "Love 'em - Hate 'em" divide here. Sadly due to the type of earphone that they are, stores probably consider them in the same category as underwear - once you have worn them, you can keep them!

No doubt the debate will rumble on.......

update on the weird SSSSSSSSSSS sound on my EX71's ... well I turned off Equalizer and it is good now:D

jrandyc,
the air moving over my ear/the earphone creates a slight whistling.
I found this out (http://www.xsorbit1.com/users/dennx/index.cgi?board=ipodgear&action=display&num=1020859707&start=30#32)pretty soon after getting my EX70's - ear muffs could be a solution :D

uneek,
I think there's also a lot of people who just regurgitate the negative things said about it without really know what theyre talking about. I wouldn't be quite so harsh - its really down to personal taste. And how they perceive sound - we're all different and just have to accept others opinions on this just as we do on their musical tastes.

BTW - Shure E2's are now in use!!

I just bought these today and I am a little disappointed. They sound so muddy. Is their a break in period, i have heard of this, how do i handle breaking these in?

The bad news, carlin, is that while they will break in some, they'll still be muddy.

The EX71's are probably the worst sounding headphones i have ever listened to. THey have muddy bases, terrible highs, and the treble sounds like a child crying. I returned them quicky...I drove all the way out to Tower Records, and I spent the same money on Koss Porta Pros. They sound unbelievable and they are a much better bang for your buck. I am hearing things I have never heard before. I can hear Bono say things before "New Years Day" officially starts.

Well I think MadPict pointed out something very important in another post, these earbuds (sony ex70,s and ex71,s) have to be inserted [ha ha] correctly into the ear canal or they will sound like tinny crap. I think these phones compare favorably with sure e2,s and nady studio buds. They seem a little bright a first but settle down after break in , you get a totaly different sound from an in ear bud than other products . At least if you buy them from like say Circuit City if you don't like them you can take them back, no ?,s asked . Scott.

Originally posted by scoto
Well I think MadPict pointed out something very important in another post, these earbuds (sony ex70,s and ex71,s) have to be inserted [ha ha] correctly into the ear canal or they will sound like tinny crap. I think these phones compare favorably with sure e2,s and nady studio buds. They seem a little bright a first but settle down after break in , you get a totaly different sound from an in ear bud than other products . At least if you buy them from like say Circuit City if you don't like them you can take them back, no ?,s asked . Scott.

IMHO the EX's do not even come close to the Shure's--and I own both. I used to love the EX's, until I got the Shure's--they simply aren't in the same league from a sound quality standpoint.

True, everyone has there own opinion and preferences--but most folks will go with the Shure's over the EX's, and by a wide margin (check out some of the audiophile forums, for example). The Shure's IMHO are much more accurate and transparent, an order of magnitude more efficient (the specs bear this one out), and I would consider the EX's much less bright than the EX's, which are a bit bass heavy and muddled. Just my opinion, but the majority (granted, not everyone agrees with this) of folks seem to share this opinion...Again, I think the Shure's are a bargain at $80.00 for the sound quality (For and earphone). I have Grado SR 60's, and I think these are by far the best overall bargain for the price--probably the best set of unamped headphones you can get for the ipod. The sound characteristics of the Grado's are similar to the Shure's (The Grado's are better, but they have similar midranges, a relatively bright treble, and relatively light bass). But, and again it's just my opinion, the EX's just don't touch the Shures...I think the Shure's are more comparable to the Ety 6's rather than the EX's.

Yes, I know how to insert them--and they still sound muddy, which is a fairly common criticism of them. I used to love the EX's, until I bought the Shure's and compared them directly. Ignorance is bliss; had I not bought the Shure's, I would have been just fine with the EX's. But having bought the Shure's, they sound so much better than the EX's, my EX's are gathering dust in my desk drawer. The Shure's, BTW, are actually a bit more difficult to insert properly than the EX's...

True I do enjoy my E2's for classical and bass heavy jazz, the bass does seem a bit boomy on the 71's, I guess I like that sound for say Steve Vai and such. I paid 110.00 for my E2's with shipping- I guess it pays to wait. I also guess I am in the minority with the ex71's. I still think they sound great, but then again I think the Ipod sounds better than the nomad zen[hated it] even with it's 98 db sn ratio-- I guess I am just weird when it comes to sonics. Scott . P.S. can anybody tell me why when I post my envelope is sealed with an orange circle, and I think no one can reply?? I must have something set wrong, because I posted about funny swirling sounds at the begining and end of my tracks[I am using jet audio to rip, but the tracks that seem messed up I ripped with old yepp software] and no one has replied I don't know if they can. Thanks, Scott. sorry a bit off topic.

Thank you MadPict !

Originally posted by loGan
I also don't like the incredibly long cable and the way they hang from one ear so as you walk along the left ear bears the weight of the entire 5 metres of cable which tends to jossle the bud in your ear.


Hmm, I never had any problem with this aspect of the EX70's. I actually found the short cable option great for when I used to carry the iPod in a shirt pocket - it was just the right length.
But even with the extension cable attached and the iPod in a case on my belt I still didn't have the cable drag you mention.

Guess we can add you to the Anti-EX70/71 group? :)