Sony MDR-EX90LP Sound Awful!

[Teanacious Sloth]

Hi,

After a lot of research online I recently got myself a pair of EX90LPs. Thek look exactly like Pic 2 in This Thread and came with a soft leather bag which seems to be different from the firmer leather carry case I've seen on other threads. I'm fairly convinced that these are genuine items as I got them from Amazon.co.uk.


They were very easy to insert into my ears and I find them to be extremely comfortable.

I plugged them into my iPod Touch and fired up my reference track (Dido - Here with me) expecting to be bowled over by the quality of sound compared with the stock iPod buds.

The sound was awful! Particularly the vocal which was so glarey/boomy it didn't sound like Dido at all. The sound stage was non-existent, it was almost as if there is too much competing sound with nowhere to go. I tried all three sizes of silicone pads and could easily get a good seal with the small and medium sizes without having to apply any pressure. Strangely, it's when I have a good seal that the SQ goes down the pan; if I wear them without any of the silicone pads fitted at all, the sound stage opens up and the vocals become lucid and clear, but the phones are not as comfortable and don't feel very secure.

I removed the gauze from the end of the tubes expecting to find a foam insert that could be taken out (as per the modding thread) and was surprised to find that there was no foam in there! Is this because Sony have been listening to the opinions of users and now supply them without the foam?

I've also tried burning these in for about 20 hours but this doesn't seem to have made any difference.

Anyone got any ideas, or similar experience?

 

[LFC_SL]

I presume you mean direct from Amazon and not from a marketplace seller? Saying that, you probably do have a genuine pair...

Apologies, but I know nothing of these. Especially having been scorn by the EX71s. (Twice

)

 

[Teanacious Sloth]

Actually, they were from a Marketplace seller, perhaps they're not genuine?

As I mentioned, they look exactly the same as Pic 2 in the other thread, but forgeries are so good nowadays it's difficult to tell by just looking at something.

Interestingly, the image displayed by Amazon looks just like Pic 1.

 

[PeterDLai]

Marketplace sellers can be anybody, so it's possible they aren't genuine.

The dealer you bought them also has very little feedback.

 

[soozieq]

I bought the EX90 from Amazon (not from the marketplace though!) and returned then because I wanted better isolation. But I had no complaints about the soundstage at all. When you say it's narrow with a good seal - have you tried easing them out a little till the soundstage improves?

If nothing helps, then it's possible they're not genuine. They shoudn't sound like you've described.

Someone over at Atraclife just bought a fake pair for $7 (knowingly) and he reckoned they sound superb!!! You just can't tell. I'd return them to the seller and get them directly from Amazon - if you still feel they're lacking, simply send them back again.