Jan 12 2004
Sony Fontopia MDREX71SL
Before I get started, let me answer a question that’s always being asked. “What’s the deal with these “In-Ear” headphones?” Believe it or not, that’s actually easy to answer. Bass frequencies are rather loose, which makes them the least directional of all sound frequencies. Therefore, in typical “Ear-Bud” headphones, the bass frequencies tend to travel out the sides of the headphones, making “bass boost” necessary. The solution would be the new design of these “In-Ear” headphones. These headphones slide into your ear canal, directing sound straight into your ear drum. This prevents the bass (and some mid-range) frequencies from escaping, providing rich and full bass, and also blocks out some outside noise. Most sets ship with three sizes of earbuds, as a tight seal is necessary to hear full sound quality. And, as a warning, never use “bass boost” with these headphones.
As far as I can tell, Sony was the first to offer this style to consumers at a reasonable price (if you consider $49.95 as reasonable). Sony pushes these headphones on their advanced bass support, which they do have. The new bass support works wonders for classical and orchestral pieces, providing the deep, rich bass that should be there. However, the new bass is murderous on techno and similar styles of music. More than likely, you’ll be rendered unconscious by the immense onslaught of bass put out by the occasionally shuffled techno track. All things considered, the overall sound quality is fairly good, but I’m still not convinced that they’re worth their $49.95 price tag. What about the physical aspects of the headphones?
The headphones come with 3 sizes of ear pieces, ensuring a strong seal, which is necessary to get the full sound quality. The headphones ship with a startling 1 foot cord (Argh, it looks like I’m sharing an intimate moment with my PowerBook!) and a 3 foot extension (Argh, now there’s too much cord!). Both the standard cord and extension are gold, which does provide a better connection (and better sound). The included pocket-size case is another complaint of mine. Here I’m provided with basically a plastic box with which to stuff the headphones in (no, the extension doesn’t fit). So, basically, not only is the cord going to be tangled when I pull the headphones out, but I’ll have to carry the extension separately as well. In summary, they’re not worth $49.95.
Pros: Great bass/mid-range on orchestral pieces, gold connections.
Cons: Lousy cord length without extension, really “lame” case.
Product Info
Continue to either the Apple review or the Bose review.
