Rating: 
Summary: Extended Frustration
Review: Sound quality is good but the connection for the extension cord has been bad on both sets (I returned one and the second has the same problem). If I hold it just right I get stereo but once I insert the plug to where it will stay in by itself, I only hear through one ear. If I don't use the extension, there's no problem...except that I need to have my head a few inches from my computer.I also think the design that gives you 4 times the amount of length on one side of your head than the other is bad....but that's a minor annoyance compared to the lack of stereo.
Rating: 
Summary: Major disappointment
Review: Great concept, but faulty beyond belief. The first day I tried them they were quite good. It took a little adjustment to get use to having this plugs in my ear (but more comfortable than the Koss "Plug" I used previously). Sound quality was quite good and a good amount of external sound (loud train noises, rude people talking at the top of their lungs on trains, idiots screaming into cell phones, etc) was blocked. But, by day two, I had to start turning the volume on my portable all the way up to get any appreciable sound (same problem occured on on PC).
Also, the earbuds fall off much too easily (this should not happen in three days of use). I'm going back to KOSS.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent earbuds, but still room for improvement
Review: First impressions of these earbuds are deceptive. I found that a lot of treble cut was needed to get the best sound out of these earbuds. The high treble (above 8KHz) is too resonant, and emphasizes sybillants. Although that may be favored by a majority of the buying public, I find it very annoying. Some years ago I purchased a set of Sony MDR-Z900 monitor headphones in Japan. These are still my standard of excellence, with a cleaner treble than the MDR-V600 available in America. The high treble on the EX71SL are nowhere near as good as either the V600 or the Z900. But the bass is clean and strong. As the doors to 'the machine' open on Pink Floyd's 'Wish You Were Here' you can feel the deep throbbing power of 'the machine', just as you can with the Z900. Similarly, the bass-drum and bass-gong on Orff's 'Carmina Burana' are crisp and clear, and sound like they do in the concert hall. The mid-treble is clear and precise. Midori's rendition of Bruch's 'Scottish Fantasy' is beautiful, with her violin coming through convincingly smooth and precise. For some reason the quality of sound from the EX71SL does improve during the first few days of use. It is really quite strange how the highs become cleaner as the earbuds are 'broken in'. I suggest you leave a new pair of EX71SL to run overnight (at full volume) before trying to evaluate their quality. After a day or two of use, only on the sybillants do these earbuds fail the test for 'High Fidelity'. But the convenience of carrying around a tiny set of earbuds (versus my huge Z900s) has won me over. I just wish Sony would make a decent set of earbuds without tweaking the high-treble to offset the hopeless (lack of) fidelity in their MD players... If Sony engineers want to hear what their high treble should sound like, then they should listen to the Pioneer SE-CL30 earbuds. The Pioneer bass and clarity are lacking, but high treble is the cleanest I have heard in an earbud. ..Trevor..
ps: I have several pairs of Koss "The Plug". The clarity and transparency from either the EX71SL or CL30 both leave 'The Plugs' in the dust.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad (and a tip)
Review: Headphones and earbuds are very subjective, and reviews vary widely for them, especially Sony. Some audiophiles would have you believe these are unredeemable junk, and other users really love them. The truth is somewhere in between for me. They're a nice combination of performance for the money. Better sound quality than the cheap phones that come with most portables, but less expensive than the high-end earbuds (which I personally can't justify buying). One tip on proper use - if you don't get the buds inserted correctly, the sound is awful. Bass is nonexistent, mids and highs are washed, and if you turn up the volume too high to compensate, the speakers can respond with an overdriven crackling. To fit the buds correctly, slip them into your ear canal, then GENTLY tug on your ear, pulling it back and away from your head. The buds should slide a little deeper into the canal and create a seal, dramatically improving quality. Don't just try and jam them in your ear. Also, experiment with the silicone caps to get the best fit.
Rating: 
Summary: Decent for earbuds, but not worth the money
Review: I'm pretty picky about my sound, so I went looking for a good pair of earbuds to use when i'm running. The four I heard about were the Shure ec2's, etymotics, sennheiser mx400s, and these. Spending over $100 for earbuds sounded ridiculous to me, and these were supposed to be comparable to, if not better than, the sennheisers, so I ordered the sonys. My first reaction was disappointment. If anyone said the bass was overpowering, they must have extremely sensitive ears (and yes, I have them in properly). Sound: The bass is weak and the mids are fairly muddled. The highs are pretty decent. I've listened to them on several different things: two computers, two mp3 players, and a cd player. The music just sounds thin, like you're missing a lot of the music. I listened to a song on my computer, and then in the middle switched to my regular speakers (klipsch 4.1s - i know, not a fair competition, but just to see good vs whatever these are), and it was like night and day. I saw how much was lacking in these earbuds. I turned the bass up all the way on my mp3 player, and it still wasnt sufficient. I get much more out of my cheap, $12 radio shack cup headphones with bass on 0. They really aren't horrible though. They are much better than any earbuds that come with mp3 players now, and if you don't care too much about sound, these will sound pretty good to you. I was impressed with the depth of sound though...meaning that i heard very low bass hits that i don't hear on my other, better, headphones. They seal out sound pretty well, and they are relatively comfortable. The sound is pretty even, with the mids and highs not incredibly overpowering compared to the bass. Also, another huge complaint. What is the deal with companies making the cords split unevenly from where they join to the earbuds? They want you to put the left one in your ear, and then there is much more cord for the right one, so you put the cord behind your head to the right earbud. I can't describe it all that well, but it's trying to imitate the behind-your-head headphones. I absolutely hate it. It puts all the weight of the mp3 player (or whatever) on your left ear, so it constantly pulls on your left earbud; meanwhile, youve got 65 feet of cord going from your left earbud to your right one, hanging out everywhere because i've got nothing to do with it. My head isnt 15 feet wide. This is a horrible idea and I don't know why it's catching on in the earbud world. This alone made me want to return them. All in all, they're good enough for me not to return. If I could go back, I would spend the extra money for the Shure E2cs, though. These are ok, but I'm constantly expecting better sound, and it's just not going to come. If these were half the price i'd say go get them now. But they're not.
Rating:
Summary: These PWN!!!
Review: These headphones are pretty awesome. They do sound great, and its really neat to feel the bass thumping your ears (dun listen to them at the highest levels, my ears were ringing for days after i did that) Its true about what others say about not being able to hear anything else when the headphones are on, well thats one of the reasons it was built. I also tested the headphones with my brother, i put them on full blast and he could barely hear it, i put my old pretty awesome headphones( i forget the brand, seinhesser?) and he could hear every detail and namethe song i was listening to. So these are really great for subway goers or those that like to listen to their music loud and not disturb other people. I only downside to me is the price, its kinda expensive but it still rocks, o and if u tap the wire u can hear it in the headphones, i wonder why it doesn that, its like the stethoscope things doctors use to listen to your heart, my solution to that was to keep the wire a bit tight or secured, so that it doesnt bump into things. I truely reccommend these headphones, they are ultmatly comfortable.
I'm a NYC student, my life is music on the train.
Rating: 
Summary: Buying to replace a broken pair.
Review: I bought a pair of these Fontopia from Japan in 2001, and am now having to replace them due to the cable fraying (next to the join with the extension). I've tried many other types of headphone since purchasing these, and none come close for comfort, sound quality and noise reduction from the outside world. I'm on my second set of silicon buds, be wary, they do go walkabout occasionally. Anyone who's scambled around a floor looking for a RGP contact lens will know the feeling.... So buy them, they're good. But be wary of loosing the buds, and be gentle with the lightweight cord.
Rating:
Summary: Good for music, bad for exercising
Review: I was looking forward to a great pair of earphones that I could take to the gym...and while they're great on the subway, these STINK on the treadmill. A little bit of sweat is all you need for them to pop out of your ears, and once that happens, you're out of luck.
Rating:
Summary: Takes a little doing...
Review: These headphones MUST be fit properly to hear the bass and detail of which they're capable. It took me around an hour of fidgeting with the headphones and my iPod before I finally got decent bass. iPod owners, turn your Sound Check off. I may try using Sound Check again, but am getting great sound at a volume just shy of center. With the Apple headphones, I always needed a higher volume to get crisp sound. These block enough ambient noise out that a lower volume works well. You may or may not want your equalizer set to Bass Booster. Again, make sure they fit your ears properly for decent bass.
Rating:
Summary: Nice workout headset for non-audiophiles
Review: I read all the Amazon and epinions reviews on the predecessor of this model -- MDR-EX70LP. And the reviews are mixed. Some complained loudly about the quality of the sound in comparison to the "shure e2c" and any "Etymotic Research" models. Others liked the sound compared to their other earbuds. I don't consider myself an audiophile. The only reason I'm replacing the Sennheisser MX300 that came with my iRiver ifp-195tc was that they kept falling out when I was on the treadmill. Some people from Google Groups had positive experiences working out using the Sony Fontopia family, and it's way cheaper compared to the other models especially the Etymotic Research models, so I went for it. I just got them this afternoon, and they worked like a charm while working out. Here come my humble review: The GOOD: * short cord perfect for armband mp3 players, no more flailing cords * I've never used the in ear canal type of bud before and these sound pretty decent. I'd love to try the shure and ER models just to see what the fuss is about if I get the chance. * the length of wire going into right ear is longer than the left. This style is meant to be worn behind the head. My Sennheissers were like this and I got used to it. It's definitely another plus for armband mp3 players. The BAD: * The drawback of the in-canal type of bud, I guess is that when you rub the chord the ruffle comes through pretty loudly, kind of like how kids with cups-and-string phones. I could hear my heart beating and myself breathing in the background of the music, but I got used to it. * The cord is rather flimsy. They had to keep it light considering the target audience I guess. I like light. * Because they chose the shorter cord to accomodate remotes and my iRiver type of players, there is an extension portion you can use if the cord is too short. The junction is fairly heavy, but the connection is solid so far. * As I was doing my pre-buying research, I found that some people lost the rubber fitting tip of the bud, and had to get replacements from Sony. The replacements are more than $10 for a pair before shipping. I haven't had a problem with them falling out, but KNOW that you don't get any backup tips. They give you one pair each of "small", "regular", and "large". Lose one and you're on your own. That's about all I have. Notice I didn't go crazy describing the audio response in different frequency ranges and stuff. I'm NOT an audiophile. They sound good. They are a bit more expensive than regular $5-$10 buds, but well worth the price. A final plus for this model is that some people describe the Etymotic Research earbuds as providing an orgasmic experience. You won't have to worry about orgasms in public with the Sony! ;-)... I enjoyed jogging today a lot more without having to tug and organize the wires on my Senns, and the music was great. AND THE BUDS STAYED IN THE WHOLE TIME.
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