[Nielo TM]

I am looking to upgrade from MDR-EX082, (which came included with the Sony A816), and I came across these two.

The EX500 retails at £50 and the EX300 retails at £30 here in UK.


My query is, is the EX500 worth the extra £20, and are there any better alternatives for the price?


BTW, my preferred e-retailers are Amazon UK and Play UK ^-^


Thanks for reading


PS: Passive Noise Isolation is a big factor here, and so is the sound-quality. The trains I take to my Uni are very quite, and I don't want others hearing my music. One passenger (who was sitting ~1.5 meters) already asked my lower the volume and he was in his late 60s

 

[Nielo TM]

anyone?

 

[knights]

i think none still use or bought this two here... there were some rumors that ex500 is still based on ex90 just with dif.casing... why dont go straight to the top, the ex700...

 

[Nielo TM]

That's way out of my budget

 

[MPorts]

MDR-EX500LP is currently available on Amazon.co.uk for £39.99 plus postage, HMV have them in the high street for £49.99.

Sony MDR-EX500LP with Multi Layer Diaphram: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

IMO for the price they sound great, bass is very clear and for the money (£39 + P&P) I don't think you can complain too much !!

Personally I can't get on with the EX90's I find them very uncomfortable to wear, as are my Shure E2's and my UE Super-Fi 3's - I'm very impressed both the sound and with the whole idea of the vertical design, they're supremely comfortable to wear and are quickly becoming my favorites for out and about.

They come with a good case to protect them, the only slight negative I have is the fact that the cables look a little wimpy - Time will tell I guess.

 

[mark2410]

i have a pair of ex500, and they are not bad do have a rather warm sound signature though, worst thing about them is the stupid bloody j cable the have

 

[Aerotec]

This may be a bit naff but...

If you have a Blockbuster near you go buy some ex-rental copies of Grand theft Auto IV for the PS3. They are 2 for £18. These can then be traded in at HMV for £18 A COPY. So spend £18 and get £36 store credit. Do this twice and for £36 you now have £72 to spend so pick up some E500s and a couple of CDs!

 

[browser of hi-fi]

I have the previous Sony EX-90 headphones which look very similar to the EX500's (updated version now with speaker angled 90 degrees around, priced very similar). Whilst the sound quality is excellent, they leak considerably more sound than other in-ear headphones that I have used. I listen to my music at moderate to fairly low volume but the leakage disturbs my wife when we are in a quiet environment (bed).
In comparison to my UE ear phones, the Sony's do not burrow deeply - due to the speaker unit stopping any opportunity to push them in a little further. This (I believe) tends to affect amount of leakage. Obviously, I have played around with the different size buds, but no joy.
Hope this helps

 

[mark2410]

well seing as the ex500 and ex300 have more or less the same driver in them i dont see how wildly different they can be, plus amazon has lobbed a tenner of the ex500 anyway. did you get either and if so how did you find them?

 

[micgao]

.

 

[GoldMember]

I absolutely love my EX500s.  Balanced, yet with full bass in the mix.  Excellent imaging as well.  Love 'em.