[Lock]

I'll start by saying I much prefer isolating in-ear headphones than traditional Cans, I have listened to quite a few and the in-ears just seem to give more clarity... maybe I just don't like the distraction of the larger cans... who knows.

Overall, I just wandered what people's oppinions where. I listened to 2 pairs of Grados (not sure which models) too many in ear headphones to list by shure, senheiser, sony, over the years and keep coming back to the Sonys.

I find they give excelent clarity and good range. The only slight downside is they are a bit bass heavy, this is easily dialed out though.

The reason I ask, is they get mediocre (or bad) reviews everywhere. Considering their price I think they out perform Shures offerings at 3 times the price!!! (granted I've not listened to Shure top line earphones at over a ton).

Am I crazy? I'm young, have excellent hearing, like to DJ. Always into getting the best Hi Fi equiptment I can, so I don't settle for crappy sound. Am I missing something, can someone show me the light?

 

[vulc4n]

The EX71's are overpriced in my opinion. When I used them I was actually surprised at the fact that they didn't sound as bad as come claim. But, you definitely can get other canalphones that perform better for less money.

 

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Quote:

Originally Posted by vulc4n /img/forum/go_quote.gif The EX71's are overpriced in my opinion. When I used them I was actually surprised at the fact that they didn't sound as bad as come claim. But, you definitely can get other canalphones that perform better for less money.

I've gotten them for £16. (approx $30). You don't really get much cheaper in the UK...... which are you referring to?

 

[gibson5469]

I've been using them for years, and i see no real reason to switch at the moment. i was thinking of getting some er6i's or im716's but can't justify spending the money right now.

That's a decent price, sony.com was selling them refurbished for $19.99

 

[marvelusjd]

Those were my first phones and are a great set for the gym.

 

[Tomikans]

i own the ex-81's which i overpayed for

. but yea, they're good IEM's. I haven't heard the ex71's but i think they toned down the bass. So it's all fun and dandy..haha. My own gripe about these IEM's is that its design makes it easy to break the seal ( i can't walk around without readjusting my phones)

 

[gibson5469]

yea they did tone down the bass and improve the mids/highs on the ex81's from what i've read. im not a fun of the bulk of the over the ear pieces so I stick to 71's, that and I'm not replacing them until they break

 

[dr dougie]

They aren't terrible and are an upgrade from most stock earphones for sure if you can stand the J cords. On the other hand there are better for the price, notably Creative EP-630 that really does everything better than the EX71.

 

[fatcat28037]

A little self promotion.............

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f10/fs...ex71sl-312815/

 

[intoflatlines]

I had EX71 for awhile. They were my first "expensive" headphones. They sounded good to me when I first got them, but now if I compare them to any of my other headphones they sound like complete crap. They have no bass or isolation and their cable is the most flimsy I have ever seen. There's much better out there for the price.

 

[synaesthetic]

My opinion of the EX71:

They sound like mud.

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

I guess there have been different production runs of the EX-71, and it could well be that they were manufactured in different places.
I got a pair of EX-71 about five years ago and after some hard burn-in (about 150 hours on repeat with tone bursts, sweeps and white noise) they sounded very well. With proper seal, really good, balanced, detailed, smooth, bodyful... great unamped from the iPod.
One of the buds stopped working after about 3 years of heavy but careful use. I ordered a second pair. They were made in China and one of the buds sounded lower in level than the other. I ordered a replacement and these, also made in China -but I must say that fully original and into japanese Sony packagings- sounded very different. I burned them in, but sound was more muddy, heavy in bass, no detail, no highs extension... I stopped using them, they sound like crap.
Now I'm using the EX-85 which sound more or less like my first EX-71, but isolate worse and are less comfy, though are not as finicky with seal to deliver bass.
I wonder if there are two plants producing them, or if they moved production to another factory, or that simply the manufacturing is so crappy and with such a low quality control that there's not an EX-71 sound which is constant and repeatable, hence the so different opinions.

Rgrds

 

[Lock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool_Torpedo /img/forum/go_quote.gif I guess there have been different production runs of the EX-71, and it could well be that they were manufactured in different places. I got a pair of EX-71 about five years ago and after some hard burn-in (about 150 hours on repeat with tone bursts, sweeps and white noise) they sounded very well. With proper seal, really good, balanced, detailed, smooth, bodyful... great unamped from the iPod. One of the buds stopped working after about 3 years of heavy but careful use. I ordered a second pair. They were made in China and one of the buds sounded lower in level than the other. I ordered a replacement and these, also made in China -but I must say that fully original and into japanese Sony packagings- sounded very different. I burned them in, but sound was more muddy, heavy in bass, no detail, no highs extension... I stopped using them, they sound like crap. Now I'm using the EX-85 which sound more or less like my first EX-71, but isolate worse and are less comfy, though are not as finicky with seal to deliver bass. I wonder if there are two plants producing them, or if they moved production to another factory, or that simply the manufacturing is so crappy and with such a low quality control that there's not an EX-71 sound which is constant and repeatable, hence the so different opinions. Rgrds

funny you should say as I have my suspicions.

The first set I had sounded amazing much as you say, but the rubber insulation on the wires was made of a low grade rubber that essentially disolved if you touthced it too much!!! it decintigrated and one of the phones died (over the course of a year). The second set I got had diffent packaging and different wire. The still sound very good but have slightly heavier base. both were japanese in origin.

More recently (about 6 months later) my brother bought some from Amazon. These had different packaging again, but the the phones actually looked lower quality, the sound quality wasn't there either. I personally think they are fakes, clones made in china and passed off as Sony. It is big business at present. the cloning market, just do a search on google. Sony do make some suspect products but never of visbly questionable build. some cheap yes but not to the extent these were. I'd advise people to be weary buying online from unknown sources, most are good but anything you can get original, you can get an almost identical fake from china..... just the way it is.

 

[Cool_Torpedo]

Mine were all original, purchased at Audiocubes (japanese packaging but clearly labeled as Made in China the second and third pairs). I have another pair purchased at a Sony store, so I don't think they're fakes hehehe. I haven't listened to them yet, I purchased them at the same time as the EX-85 and since I'm liking these, I keep the others as spare.

There are many Sony and other brands fakes out there. Most of them sold at Ebay for ridiculous prices, and probably some Amazon affiliated stores are selling counterfeit Sonys too.

Rgrds

 

[ch28kid]

I just want to let everyone know

Sony just release a new replacement for EX71. Its EX75.

MP3 Players - Digital Music Players - Walkman - Headphones - Portable Headphones - Sony Style Canada

I think EX71 is good if you are paying 30 dollars for it. If you are paying 60, you will be better off getting EX90. I've had 2 EX71 and 1 EX70 and all of them broke because of the low quality cable.