Sony MDR-EX71 Review

Good Points
Comfortable, good sound throughout the audio spectrum with no EQ enhancement (see negative points), attractive appearance (and mine are white so they match my iPod and laptop!). Three sets of ear rubbers in each size means they should fit most grown up ears, big and small.

Bad Points
Not everyone appreciates the in-ear concept, and I notice that unless they are in correctly, the bass drastically deteriorates, which may account for some comments about the bass. More annoyingly, the way the frequency response is tailored to sound 'nice', any EQ alterations on my iPod either makes them sound woolly at the bass end or harsh around the high mids. I don't like Sony's MD tailored short cable with an extension lead, which in practice means the cable is either too short or too long, but I can live with it. I would not be keen on giving these to younger people with a penchant for loud volume, as they are more likely to damage hearing and also isolate you from extraneous noise, which may have safety issues.

General Comments
I really like the Sony MDR-EX71 headphones, and they fit my requirements perfectly, which was to get a small pair of fairly discreet headphones for my iPod and laptop that sound significantly better than the iPod standard ones, and preferably sound nearer to one of my pairs of Beyer Dynamic headphones.



The much more expensive Beyer's respond more accurately to eq, as you would expect. But all in all, even for the over-the-top £40 I paid from the Sony, I still consider these good value, and I would recommend them to anyone who is not put off by any of the negative points raised.