For a bundled OEM headphone, I can't help but shake my head and wonder how much I've enjoyed them.

I actually prefer them, to the Triple and Quad drivers from 1More. They fall short only of my Dunu-1000s and Master and Dynamic earbuds, and very short of my AKG N20 - BUT for what they are, they are really impressive.

Detailed, articulate and airy. Nicely balanced, although not as full sounding as they could be, perhaps. They are also too bright at times for me, but I prefer that to the alternative.

I have right in front of me the Galaxy Buds (2019) and laugh at how I thought they would be so much better if they had the sound quality of the AKG OEMs. The Buds are $130. The AKG OEMs are free. Do the math.

Good one, Samsung.

Lately, I've been reading praise after praise heaped upon pieces of garbage here that don't deserve any accolades at all.

It's here, and it's everywhere. And they are always prefaced by "I got these from the manufacturer in an exchange for an unbiased review..."

Ha. Bull.

Why do you think these guys keep receiving free stuff? Because they say things like they are? Or because they have a following, and manufacturers know that unsuspecting people will eventually buy their crap? I'll give you one chance to answer that question.

The fact is,I've been following the headphone scene for quite a while (22+ years). While at the beginning people were pretty honest about their reviews (having bought their stuff with their own hard earned cash), now manufacturers have realized its far easier to buy a couple of good reviews (from most of the usual sites - except, say, Innerfidelity- ) and a couple of reviewers, who post amazingly good things about pieces of crap.

These are a piece of crap. These are the worst in -ears I've ever listened to . These are $500 in ears. These sound worse than my $10 Samsung in ears. These are awful.

People in these reviews say "they are a hard earphone to get into", but that "in the long run, they shine" or whatever. What a bunch of lies. These sound awful, and the more you listen to them, the more you get used to listen to crap, and think these are listenable. They are not. They are simply, stunningly awful.

No highs. No lows. Weird midrange. Colorations everywhere. They are so incredibly bad I can't even imagine where to start.

This is what happens when marketing people control reviewers and gullible people (including me) on the Internet.

Save your money, and get a real in-ear, with real R&D behind them. Etymotic ER-4SR's. iSine 10's. AKG N20s. Each one far cheaper, and incredibly better performing. If you want to have an idea of how these sounds, buy a $5 in ear at Wal-mart. And no, I'm not kidding.

Not even worth $10. I'm not kidding.

Coming from Sennheiser HD-600, 580s, Ety ER-4s, Fiio X1s, AKG 701s, Momentum 2.0s, etc. I didn't know exactly what to expect out of these headphones. They are, after all, Sonys. And Sony can build really bad stuff.
 
I took a risk reading the reviews in here, and I can say, I'm glad I did.
 
When people talk about the wild, clear, dynamic Grado sound - they are talking about this. I used to own Grados, but I sold them all. I couldn't stand them at all, and I always wondered what people heard in them. They talked about punchy bass, clear treble, etc, but all I heard was a shrill midrange and colored sound.
 
These Sonys? They have bass in spades. Nicely controlled, and taut. They have a silky smooth midrange. The treble is very, very clear and detailed. They are tremendously dynamic. But the thing I like the most is how very well balanced they are. For all the fun they bring to the mix, they never color the sound too much.
 
They are the opposite of my Sennheisers, which are laid back and neutral. These are upfront, fun, and neutral.
 
They don't have the "closed back" kind of sound other headphones have. In fact, they may be the best closed back headphone i've ever heard.
 
They can be powered by almost anything. My Galaxy phone has never sounded better. They really don't need that much power, which is a big plus.
 
Compared to my Momentum 1.0s, 2.0s, and my Adidas Monster Originals (a surprisingly competent headphone, BTW), these things are so much better. In a single word - they are balanced. No matter what you throw at them, they never stop being balanced and neutral. Which is a very hard thing for any headphone to do.
 
The only thing I really dislike about them is how moving around makes the plastic creak. Sounds cheap.
 
But that's the only cheap sound you'll hear from these cans.
 
Very highly recommended. For the price, I can't think of anything better. These are the headphones I'd marry if I could.

There's not much to be said about the HD-580. I've had mine for close to 20 years, and it's still my favorite headphone. AKGs, other Sennheisers, Sonys, Etymotics and Grados have come and gone, but these ones still stay. I've had their headband and earpads replaced, and they still sound as amazing as the day I bought them. They are the only headphone that I have never removed from my gear shelf. They are the ones I use when I try to decide whether any headphone is worth it.
 
I actually bought an HD-600 to replace them around 2002, because I was afraid they may fail or degrade over time. That never happened, and the 600's are still inside their box ever since then.
 
Cons? I don't know. Some people talk about "veiled" highs. I suppose they are if you compare them to a shrieking Grado. Some people may complain the cable is not a Kimber. Good for them. Kimber Cables are more expensive than a used HD-580, anyway.
 
You can get 100% of this greatness by buying a new HD-600, which uses better materials anyway, and that sounds exactly the same (at least my set does). But there's something special about owning a legendary product. The HD-580 is a legendary product, and I'm glad I discovered it. It made me appreciate what a real headphone could do. And today, 20 years later, it still does.
 
Still the one to beat.

I actually have, believe it or not, two sets of the A8 earphones. I bought the first one at a B&O store; someone bought a car and the earphones came as a gift. He didn't care for them, so he gave them to me. One set is black (old ones, bought around 2001 or so), one set is white (2014).
 
Both have one thing in common: you'd be disappointed if they cost $19.95 (from a sonic perspective). 
 
The design is awesome. I've never seen earphones so great looking. They are stylish, even after all these years. They last for ages (my circa 2000 ones look brand new, exactly like my 2014 ones). The earphone and the clip are borderline works of art, like the rest of the B&O gear.
 
The issue is - well, the sound. There's nothing in this earphone to recommend, other than that it's easy to drive from a phone jack. But then again, it doesn't have a mic, so what's the point?
 
They are mediocre in every single way. Bass has no texture, highs are undefined and not particularly extended, midrange - it's there, but again, nothing to write home about. It's an absolutely unspectacular earphone, with a rather special price, that competes with the earphones that came with your phone when it comes to sound quality.
 
Also, although its design is rather good, getting a good seal is sort of difficult. Bass quantity obviously goes down without a good seal.
 
The cable is the worst one I've ever seen. Cheaper than any quality earphone that comes with any phone. Around the same quality as a $1.99 phone (no joke). Same with the connector - my 2000 model is actually rusting!
 
If you are aching to get this one - get it used, get it as a gift, do not pay full price. It's just not worth it.