Review: Sony MDR-EX71SL Earbuds
After asking around for headphone suggestions and receiving some great responses, I decided to go with the Sony MDR-EX71SL earbuds. As I didn’t want to order anything online and wait too long, I went with these earbuds, which were easily found at a local Best Buy for around $50 (although they can be found for much cheaper online). They are what you would call in-ear earbuds in that they don’t just sit next to your ear but are stably fit inside your ear with silicone rubber ear pieces.
In-ear earbuds have their pros and cons and that depends on what you’re going to be using them for. When I first tried the earbuds on after fitting the appropriate ear piece (it comes with small, medium and large sized silicone ear pieces), I was pleasantly surprised at how much noise they blocked out. I immediately thought of the implications of these earbuds on plane flights, Caltrain rides, studying and the like.
Testing
Due to the seal the earbuds make in your ear, bass is impressive and treble is crisp compared to the standard iPod earbuds. I tested the bass in the MDR-EX71s with the standard iPod earbuds with one of the bassier songs in my iTunes library, Timbaland’s The Way I Are, with the following EQ settings: dB +10, +4, +2, +3, -1, -1, +2, 0, +3, +6 with the preamp set to +3. It was a world of difference. The iPod earbuds had absolutely no bass in comparison.
To test the treble performance of the MDR-EX71s I picked a song I thought to have some very high frequency parts: DJ Tiësto’s Walking On Clouds. I set the iTunes EQ to Electronic and pushed the preamp to +3 dB. I received similar results - the 71s make the iPod earbuds look horrible. Many of you will call me out on comparing the $50 71s to run-of-the-mill iPod earbuds but when you consider that a huge percentage of 71 users are upgrading from iPod earbuds, it’s good to compare the two.
Pros
With the proper ear piece, the MDR-EX71s fit very well for me. While running I only had to readjust them a few times and that was because I accidentally pulled them out of my ear. Other than that, I never felt like they were going to fall out.
MDR-EX71 earbuds use a 9mm driver, which is smaller than its non-in-ear counterparts that use drivers around 16mm. However, since there is a seal with in-ear earbuds they are more effective and can get away with the smaller drivers as not much of the sound escapes. In-ear also means that you don’t have to crank up your audio device to overcome background noise, thus saving your iPod’s battery life (although that is fairly negligible unless you have something like the $1,150 UE-11 Pro quad-driver earbuds which are so sensitive/effective that you are only supposed to use 20% of the volume on an iPod).
Cons
Now let me tell you about the cons of the MDR-EX71 earbuds. My main issue with the 71s is more general to all in-ear earbuds; they are so good at blocking out background noise that using them when running or cycling is dangerous, so much so that the back of the package states:
For traffic safety, do not use while driving or cycling.
I definitely agree. I took the 71s for a run and found myself constantly glancing behind to look for oncoming cars/sketchy people in downtown. With in-ear earbuds you hear more internal sounds: your breath, heartbeat, vibrations on the audio cable, sort of like wearing a stethoscope. I found that somewhat annoying when using the earbuds for sports activities.
Furthermore, the design of the audio cable makes me wonder why Sony even bothered to include an extension cord. It’s not like you can use the earbuds without the extension cord as the cable is only a few inches without it. Also, the use of an extension cord means there are two connectors in the middle of the cable, which adds weight. When running I had to hold the connector in my hand or else it would continually try to tug the earbuds out of my ears. I don’t think it would be a problem if the audio cable was just one single cable.
For comparison: Standard iPod earbud plug bottom, Sony MDR-EX71SL earbud plug top.
Thoughts
The Sony MDR-EX71SL earbuds offer great value and performance and can be classified as a mid-range product. I would recommend these earbuds for everything but sports activity. They are great for studying in noisy places, blocking out noise on public transportation and iPod listening while walking around campus. I won’t be using these for sports activity. While they do stay in your ear, they block out too much noise to be used safely and the ~3.5 foot cord is too cumbersome, requiring that you wrap/hold it.
Perhaps clip-on/behind-the-neck headphones are just better suited for sports? As for non-sports earbud applications, I am awaiting the release of Klipsch’s IMAGE in-ear earbuds that are purported to be the world’s smallest (and at $350 they aren’t cheap either).
The search for the ultimate sports headphones continues. For me all that means is a reasonably short cable, ear pieces that don’t fall out yet allow background noise in.
What’s with the ridiculously short audio cables on in-ear headphones? I bought myself some Shure earbuds a while back and was rather peeved to find that the audio cable was so bloody short. I don’t get the rationale of having such a short cable and then provide an extension cord. Not only is it incredibly inconvenient, the connectors also add weight as you rightly pointed out. These companies have some daft product designers :s
@weisheng - I was just thinking this myself and I think I came up with a possible reason why they do it. It’s like a quick release so if you’re at your computer with them on, you don’t have to reach over and disconnect it completely from the computer nor do you have to take off the earbuds. Regardless, I still think it’s useless.
For me, the cable was so short I couldn’t even put my iPod nano in my jacket pocket. I decided to revert to my old white iPod headphones because it became rather cumbersome having to put the entire mass of cables (audio cable + extension cord) in my pocket.
I’m going to try them out in the gym sometime, otherwise I’ll probably have to eBay mine off. I wouldn’t use them outdoors because it’s just too dangerous, they’re way too good at blocking out noise lol. And you can’t eat while wearing them too, or you’ll hear exactly what’s going on in your throat in great detail. One thing though, these in-ear headphones are truly awesome in-flight. They block out everything!
I’ve had these headphones for a bit of time now and I really love them. Good choice Paul! :)
If you don’t like the extension cable, you should have got the LP model. That has a shorter, normal cord instead of the extension. The SL model is meant for people with remotes.
Nice catch Ron. It was the only thing at Best Buy so I wrongfully assumed it was the only kind.
Well to be fair, Sony seems to push the SL models for some reason. Most stores don’t carry the LP models, leaving online orders as the only option.
I know this because I have the MDR-EX71SL’s and hated the extension cord. When buying my MDR-EX81LP’s I had to order online or suffer the annoying cord.
So no good for running? The iPod earbuds are ridiculous for anything other than sitting down. I’m in the same boat of finding the ultimate sport headphone, but still no 100% luck. I await your final discovery, and hopefully it’s under the $60-70 range.
Besides that, I know you love the Nike+ thing. Can that be setup with a normal G2 Nano that wasn’t purchased with the package?
Told yah to go for the EX51’s Paul :P
They don’t have the obnoxious and pointless connection in the middle, its one solid long lightweight cord. Same drivers, same headphone shape, just “older” and less “sophisticated”, which translates to, better!
Return those things and grab some 51 LP’s man!
The “SL” in the product name stands for “short lead”, and it denotes the short-cord-with-extension model. Why does it exist? For people who, say, use an iPod strapped to their upper arm, or a Shuffle around their neck, or some other application where you don’t want yards of extra cables getting in the way. I personally like it on the 3 pairs of EX71s I owned.
3 pair, you say? Yes. 3 pair in the space of a year, to be precise. They kept falling apart on me - specifically, the rubbery insulation on the wires would crumble and fall off. Something potent about my neck sweat, I guess. ;-)
After the first 3 pair of EX71s, my friend Brian recommended the next model down, the EX51s. They’re AWESOME. Cheaper ($25 on Amazon), longer cord that doesn’t fall apart, more rugged, and they sound IDENTICAL to the EX71s. The little silicone earbuds are even interchangeable. I’ve had the pair of EX51s I’m on now for about three years (compared to 3 pairs of EX71s in ONE year). I think that speaks for itself. :-)
Although In-ear earbud provide great sound isolation and excellent audio, they quickly irritate my ears. I can only wear them about 30 mins a day or else I will feel like I have an ear infection.
will these fit the iphone?
They seem like nice enough headphones, but that connector on the cable alone is enough to convince me not to get a set.
Hi Paul. For running I still vote for some cheap Sony Street Style headphones. Cheap, single cord off one side, short cord, they let in ambient noise, replace them if head sweat destroys them.
While those headphones may sound great, they certainly don’t measure up in terms of durability. I went through many pairs of those headphones due to disintegration of the cords. Sony’s customer service was atrocious, as well. I haven’t purchased a Sony product since then. On the other hand, the $20-$25 JVC Marshmallow headphones I purchased are much more well-constructed, especially in regards to the cords. Quite pathetic that headphones costing half as much are of far greater quality.
I’m a fan of the Xtreme Mac FS1 series headphones:
http://www.xtrememac.com/audio/earphones_recorders/fs1/index.php
Great bass. Comfortable.
You need to be head-fi’ed Stammy!
They helped me spend far too much on earbuds over the years and they can do the same for you!
http://www.head-fi.org
A quick search turned up these:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=143424&highlight=recommendation+sport
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t=113587
Good luck!
I had the Sony MDR-EX81LP/B headphones. They sounded great, but after a couple months, the left bud stopped working. I paid over $50 for them and didn’t want to risk getting another bad pair so I replaced them with the Ultimate Ears super.fi 3 studio. These work very well too and are more sturdy than the Sony’s.
Please continue your search for the perfect running headphones. I gave up trying to run with my mp3 player because I was so distracted by them falling out or getting tangled up in the cord.
Also, I freaking love that song. Keri Hilson is ridiculous.
I thought the primary cord with these headphones was a perfect fit for armbands. I use mine with an armband everyday.
But, you’re right: that connector in the middle is a BIG pain in the ass!
I used these headphones and it’s cousin model for around 2.5 years. They are top notch phones and you’ll continue to love them for a while. A few months ago I wanted to go all out audiophile so I got myself the Etymotic ER-4Ps which is - wow. So if you consider an upgrade ever they’re 170$ on Ebay (300$ retail).
Btw, the only problem I had with these phones, the wires, don’t let sweat or water get near them, they disintegrate slowly but surely.
The extension cord is a pain in the rear, but I found that taking it off makes the earbuds a perfect length for an armband. I use mine nearly everyday, whether I’m running, cycling, or weight training. Just throw the right earbud around the back of your neck.
the disconnect feature in the lead is handy for untangling, I’ve found. (just to add a minor thought)
I have been using those headphones for a few years now and they have lasted forever. I recently went and purchased a more expensive Shure in-ear headset and I have to say it is just amazing. You will want to enter the world of high-end audio sometime and starting with something around $100 is a pretty good investment. Take a look our review of Shure’s new $99 SE110 Earphones: http://skattertech.com/2007/10/shure-se110-the-first-step/
After reading this post a couple months ago, I went out and bought these headphones, and was really happy with them. Sure, the cables are awkward-sized, but I got used to them. What’s really astounding is that I accidentally left them in my pocket, put them through the washer AND drier, and they still work. Beautifully. And those nasty black marks that accumulate after a while are gone (not that I’d do it again to clean them). That is why I love Sony; none of their products have EVER died on me.
I just came back from the store with the MDR-EX71SL.. very, very dissappointed. The high tones are fine but there’s no bass at all. Maybe there’s just something wrong with them. To add pain to injury the store refused to take em back.
I used to own the MDRED228LP wich cost me 24.99 in euro’s. The high tone were so and so, but the basses were lovely. After losing those I decided to get myself a more expensive model so naturally I assumed the MDR-EX71SL would be more than sufficient. I was wrong.
these are excellent earbuds — except i’ve gone through three pairs and finally i got fed up with one of the drivers always failing.
the short cable is for situations where you’ve purchased the shure music phone adapter for the iphone, you don’t end up with miles of cable sitting around.
one note is that the 51’s don’t have the same warranty as the 71s. sony will replace the 71s if you have something fail, but they will not on the 51s. i learned by lesson when i got fed up with my 71s and decided to get the 51s. :(