Product Description

Fontopia® Headphones in-the-ear design --- fits snugly, yet comfortably inside the ear; eliminates the headband so you can enjoy music while exercising, skating or dancing Sony's first closed-type Fontopia design --- reduces outside noise for high-intensity listening; helps generate powerful, resonant bass response New, super-small 9 mm drivers --- are a key enabling technology; ultra-compact drivers produce powerful sound with space left over for the sonic isolation of Sony's newly-designed silicon earbuds

Product Details

• Color: White
• Brand: Sony
• Model: MDREX71SLA/W
• Dimensions: 6.00" h x 10.00" w x 8.00" l, .20 pounds

Features

• Lightweight, in-the-ear headphones designed to minimize ambient noise on the go
• Extra-small 9 mm drivers produce impressive 6 Hz to 23 kHz frequency response
• Soft silicone earbuds reduce outside noise while fitting comfortably in the ear
• Oxygen-free copper cord and gold-plated mini-plug improve signal transfer
• Includes 3 pairs of earbuds and streamlined carrying case; 1-year parts warranty

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.

Customer Reviews

A Little Weird - A Lot Wonderful
SOUND: These exist to reproduce sound. They give nice crisp highs and manage the bass so well I had to change my equalization profile. I've not heard better ear buds. The only headphones I've had that sounded better were full-sized, ear-enclosing models that cost upwards of $100.

ERGONOMICS: These fit my ears quite comfortably. They also function as earplugs when I sleep ... earplugs that play music!

CABLE: Here's the weird part - instead of a normal "Y" between ears, Sony felt compelled to make one side about 4" long and the other about a foot long. It's a little annoying, but I got used to it. The extension cable is a little bizarre, too. Excess length can be wrapped around the iPod, so it's not a problem.

CABLE ROT: I've don't remember how long I've had these. I wear them when walking and when sleeping. It's been months. No problems at all with cable deterioration.

When I bought these they were considerably more than they sell for now. If they wear out or break, I'll buy another pair. I feel I got my money's worth. Now they're a real bargain.

Wire goes across the ****BACK**** of your neck!!!
Sorry for the outburst, but so many of these reviews complain about the asymmetric wire or how the left ear bud pulls out while jogging. Unlike symmetric ear buds, these are designed to drape the right ear bud chord across the BACK of your neck. This configuration takes almost all the weight of the chord off the earbuds, a distinct advantage over typical symmetric-chorded ear buds. Also, if you pull your earbuds out for a moment, they will hang naturally from your neck and stay there rather than forcing you to carry them in your hands -- as you'd have to do with a front-chorded style of wear.

The short cable length is ideal for me. As some note, wearing your MP3 player on your belt would force you to use the included extension chord, which would be a bit clumsy. But if you wear your MP3 player on your upper arm or on a lanyard around your neck, the short length is absolutely ideal.

As far as sound quality goes, good sound overall, a bit weak in the bass department. Non-ported buds tend to be weak in bass. If you want better bass, tune your EQ or go with an ear bud that is ported (has an open hole). Ported buds won't reduce outside noise as much, but in addition to potentially better bass, you probably won't hear the chord noise as much. Personally, for a do-everything pair of earbuds, these are perfect for me.

One downside of the asymmetric chord is that the chord will make it harder to wear your MP3 player on your right arm (the chord will drape towards the left). So if you like to wear your MP3 player on your left arm (like me) or on a neck lanyard, these are a great set of headphones.

Super Comfortable and Perfect for New iPod Shuffle!
The design and price of these earphones may not be ideal for every person or every device, but it suits my needs almost perfectly. Here's the lowdown:

The headset itself has a very short cord, only 22.5 inches from jack to left earbud. Another 21 inches of cord passes from the left earbud, behind the neck, to the right earbud. This short length lets me clip my iPod shuffle to my shirt collar with very little extra cord. The extra 2.5 feet of extension cord will let me put my iPod into my front pants pocket, should I need to. Very versatile.

I have very small ear openings, so any hard-plastic earbuds, no matter how well molded, make my ears ache horribly within 30 minutes. The silicone gaskets come in three different sizes, and the small buds fit my ears perfectly. I have worn these headphones for hours with perfect comfort.

I'm no audiophile, but the sound quality seems to be most adequate, with clear treble and palpable bass. They're noticeably quieter than their hard plastic counterparts; that is, there is less sound amplification, meaning I have to increase my volume when I wear these. The gaskets do a great job of keeping out external sounds; the unfortunate (but acceptable, to me) downside is increased "body" noise. Not the earphones you want to wear if you're eating something crunchy or breathing very heavily (although I've worn these jogging without being bothered by my own breathing).