Sony MDREX71SL Fontopia

I got the Sony MDR-71EXSL earphones the other day, they are fantastic. Comfy, amazing quality, bass where there was no bass before. Only drawback is that the cord is too short without the extension plug.

Thanks ya'll, big help. One more question: what color are they? :D Thanks.

The main reason I got the 71's was for comfort reason as i have weired shaped ears and even the smallest and softest of other bud style phones were really uncomfortable.
I originaly used mine with a Sharp MD and had to turn of the bass boost as these babies were given me a headache the amount of bass they were packing.
On a flat EQ setting i found myself hearing parts of the songs i never had before, and this is on ATRAC, so I would most definately recommend them.

If you have to have these muddy, over-bassy, tinny, p-o-s phones, then save yourself a few dollars and buy the EX51s, which differ only in colour and in lacking a case.

But they really are poor....

As you can see from my sig, I use 'em and love 'em. Your mileage, however, can (and will) vary. My suggestion is to get a pair at some B&M store (Best Buy, Circuit City) that will let you return them should you not like them. Know that the kind of music you listen to, and the volume you enjoy are key factors in the suitablility of these phones for you.

Thanks, I'll certainly check these out. So the main problem is the bass, right? I would say more than 60% of my songs (I have 7gb's of music) are rap. So I guess I would enjoy the bass.

Originally posted by Jackonicko
The main problem is that they are crude. Thumping over-simplified bass and shrill hissy highs.
Jackonicko expresses the conventional wisdom on these phones eloquently and often and I too shared his opinion, having rushed out to get the ex70's when they first came out a few years ago and being completely turned off to them.

However, I need isolation since my opportunity to use the iPod rather than a rather good 2-channel home rig is confined to the NYC subway. I haven't had the money or interest in investing in Shure's or Etymotics.

So turned off to the ex70s was I that I poo-poo'd my brother who buys white ex71s off ebay. But he's a mac user exclusively and uses iTunes as ripper/encoder/player/library so we're on different wave lengths.

When I realized even the best buds wouldn't work, and I'd already bought Koss 35's for quieter environs, I got Senn 200s. Never really warmed up to them, sonically or ergomically.

Long story short, one day I walk into the bedroom and my wife is holding up a cable with a mini-plug on one end and severed clean on the other. My Senn 200's had been guillotined! The crime remains unsolved.

Not wanting another pair of the Senns, I broke down and bought the Sony ex71s.

I like them a lot, although I know them for what they are. Very similar to my full-size "studio monitor" Sony mdr-V6's, another controversial cheap phone that sounds really good on loud rock. I've bought 3 V6's over time.

The ex71s fit much better than the ex70s. The originals were altogether too fiddly. The cabling is poorly thought out in the way it's divided, but I think of good quality. I don't think the iPod without distorted eq added has any bass to begin with, so given that "flat" is already colored, perhaps to my ears, the Sony's balance it out. I have no desire to hear the Sony's plugged into better equipment than the iPod.

They have two other virtues: first, they isolate reasonably well on the subway without making me paranoid. Second, they are black, so when I see maybe five strangers on the train in the course of my commute to work, I don't have to nod at all of them.

Not that you're all not perfectly nice, but I'm listening to music.

Amazon was selling black ex71s shipped for ~$33. They might be all you need.

Ron

ronross...great post man!

I have had my iPod since the end of march..40GB, seen in my sig. Mostly listen to iTrip as in the car is most common usage, though in home is growing now that I'm playin games again, UT2004 atm :) frag on baby....

well, i found this forum day one , as I am a avid forum user for all sorts of stuff...

Started reading about upgrading my ear phones, as the supplied ones sound ok, but bother my ears after a short bit O' time. I've PM'd a few folks, gathering info, etc. I wa sready to just jump on the ETY4's. BUT..I have never used canalphones before, so, It really didn't make sense to thro 200$ + at something, if I may not even like wearin' them. The Apple store in Tampa near me, where I had bought the iTrip a month ago, had MDR EX71's, I had seen them there last time. So, instead of buyin online...I went there today. To my surprise, they also had the Shure E2's! hmmm...ex71's..50$, or the Shure E2's 99$. My go for the gusto almost got me...BUT...I remebered why I hadn't yet ordered the ETY4's..I have never used in canal phones and ...additionally, I have like 100 self rip cd's...VBR extreme..192-320 bit rate...but I have like 50 GB's of ummm..well...old napster days etc ... :) ) so my 128 br mpe's arent great qual either. Plus..Apple has a 10 day return for 10%...

So, I bought the EX71's, knowing I can return them if I like canal phones..and go for the E2's...or maybe just keep em for my wife, and go straight to the ETY4's.

So far, Still playin with getting them seated properly, etc, but they are way more comfortable for me than the supplied phones, and qual sounds good to me, admittedly, though, I haven't hear good ones.

Ill report more, and let ya know what I think...Im going to plug in now and frag some peeps in UT2004 :)

UT2004 kicks ###! I love that game. Xbarbarian, how were they? Thanks.

How are these vs. Sharp MD33?

"how to get a white 71s"

One of the main reasons that i'm getting these headphones is because they are not white. You may as well carry a 10 foot pole with a big sign on it saying "IVE GOT AN IPOD, MUG ME"

I'm going to go for the:
Sony MDR-EX71SLB Fontopia Headphones
from:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008XYJL/202-4024626-7454220

Its free shipping for orders over ??18 too at the moment, and they are 25.99

I'd rather get them direct from amazon than save about ??2 and buy second hand off ebay.

Originally posted by adambaz
"how to get a white 71s"

One of the main reasons that i'm getting these headphones is because they are not white. You may as well carry a 10 foot pole with a big sign on it saying "IVE GOT AN IPOD, MUG ME"


I'm a uni student and if I used it ouside it'd be on campus so not worried at all about being robbed. They're all a bunch of wimps at my uni! If I want cool white headphones I'm gonna get them, I dont want the fear of them attracting unwanted attention stop me!

Ordered off an internet retailer in the end. Thanks for the help and offers. Can't wait for them to arrive! I'll let you know what I think of them.

Has anyone jogged with these earphones? I currently hav a pretty cheap wrap around earphone which let's in lots of noise.

Thx

TimJ, keep us updated. I'm gonna go with the one's at amazon for $25, the white ones cost like $50.. twice that... anyway amazon is trusted, and has a return policy.

I know some one already said this but it juts popped out in some one's post. About the cords being un-even and that it's bad. It is because the phones are ment to be worn behind your neck :rolleyes: I love earbuds like that. It's so easy to take them off and let them hang on my neck. No need to tuck them away in a pocket. Rock on! :)

I received mine yesterday and I'm very happy with them. Not really sure what u mean about the hissing Tirppa but when you have them in with a proper seal in your ear they sound very good quality. If its too loud then surely turn it down!?

Very pleased with mine and i think they are worth the investment. Because they are 'in-ear' I can lie down on my side without them hurting!

good quality headphones