Sony EX56LP

typical sony consumer grade phones. treble and bass doesn't extend too much. not too bad though.

I haven't heard the 56's, but I had the 55's for a while. They were pretty good until I got Altec Lansing UHP336's and later on RE0's. Someone who had heard both said the 56's were much better, but I can't confirm it. DigDub's post pretty much sums it up. They're not bad for upgrading from iBuds, but there's better stuff out there. Great isolation, nice low profile, but SQ is mediocre. RE2's might be a good alternative (I haven't heard them though) unless you need boomy bass.

Sony's entry level to midrange stuff really isn't regarded very highly by "audiophiles." There's probably not alot of people here that have heard them, but that's just my guess. As mentioned before, it's a good upgrade from iBuds, but it's a good step below most $100 and up IEMs. Most reviews and such on these are probably from people who haven't heard anything better. Not necessarily a bad thing, but there are better deals out there.

I looked at HeadRoom, and they have a pretty high value rating. Maybe they really are better than the 55's (which still seem to be around). I'd be willing to bet they have the same boomy bass though. I'm tempted to go out and buy a pair for use out in the woods, but I don't think they're worth $40 (based on my experience with the 55's). I thought the 55's were worth $40 until I got a pair of RE0's...

I think the market price for the ex56lp is $25-30 these days. That probably increases it's value a little more. They look like they would be good day to day travel/spare buds, since they are most definitely an improvement over the crappy iPod stocks.

Well I don't own these particular headphones but I know a lot of people who own a large range of products from very low end to high end headphones including everything in between. They might not use the cheaper stuff all the time but someone might own them anyway.

I know I personally own way too many headphones and earbuds/IEMs for my own good, including some that I basically listen to once a year when the mood strikes. I own a relative of this headphone (and have owned another relative as well in a slightly higher price class) and if I had to guess about this particular headphone based on what I know of Sony IEMs I'd say that one of the major pros is that it will probably be tougher (i.e. last surprisingly long) than it's more expensive and delicate siblings. Just looking at pictures of it you can see that they've used a hard sleeve to protect the cable as it comes out of the buds, versus the more expensive Sony headphones which tend to have tapered cord protectors made of softer materials. If you compare them to the more expensive IEMs that Sony makes you'll notice that the cords on the MDR-EX56 are also significantly thicker. See these two pics to get an idea of what I mean:
EX300 http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...ML._SS500_.jpg
EX56 http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg
The thicker (thicker coated?) cord seems to give these cheaper headphones more impedence, although the volume is fine on most portable devices it might need to be set a little higher compared to headphones with thinner and more delicate cords. Really only obvious if you go back to back with a different pair.

That said the sound is likely not the greatest in the world based on what Sony iems in this price range usually sound like-they're a significant upgrade compared to what's usually bundled with mp3 players and such and obviously are nice that they're probably relatively durable and are in-ear for sound blocking so I would say this type of earphone is really best for something like riding the subway, etc. where it's fairly noisy and durability matters more than optimal sound quality.

If you're going to be sitting down without moving too much in a very quiet area (like studying at a library) then you may want to spring for a more delicate and nicer sounding pair, but if you want a pair to go jogging or to commute with then the EX56 is probably a good choice.

Again, I have not actually tested the EX56's but I am familiar with the design differences between the cheaper and more expensive Sony's.

And this is actually a good reason even for an audiophile to own a cheaper pair like these-sometimes you're out doing stuff where having a cheap and tough pair that sounds good enough makes more sense than annihilating a more expensive pair when noise makes the quality difference moot.

Anyways if you can see these in person and compare them to other Sony's and other similarly priced IEMs it'll give you a good idea of what I mean about how a lot of the design seems to have been meant to make this pair a tough and durable commuter/jogging earbud that's cheap and durable that sounds good. Not super-mega-audiophile good but regular good.

Since we're talking Sony, the MDR-EX85s are much better than these. Those were bundled with my A729 walkman, and I thought they were alright. Treble extension wasn't there, bass wasn't defined. Overall SQ was good enough for working our, or distraction.

I have recently listened to the EX56LP's (which are about to be succeeded by the EX57LP's). The bass is rather emphasized (though not quite as profoundly as, say, a Skullcandy in-ear) while the treble is somewhat spitty. Still, they are worth the $35 I paid for them (they were an "impulse" buy) given that most easily available in-ears selling at or under $50 aren't any better than these Sonys. (I am sure that there are better-sounding in-ears at this price point, but they are not widely available.)

I have a pair. They frequently sell for under $20 on Amazon, from Amazon, and are rarely over $25 (right now they are at $23). For that price, they are a good buy. Bass is very strong, but they sound nice, with good clarity and detail. I was using them in the gym for a month or so. The problem for me is fit. Even with the largest tips, they would frequently slip out of my ear canal and need to be reinserted. Probably wouldn't happen without sweat and athletic movement.