[Dweebgal]

becuase i cant always be bothered to take my eggos everywhere with me, and i cant wear my mx400s for longer than about, oh, 10 seconds without my ears hurting like hell. (that was a good purchase!)

whilst out and about with them today, i popped in the local sony centre as i was walking past and picked up a pair of MDR-ED31s for £25. (i'm sure not the cheapest, but this was about conveniance)

i could have got some ex71s (shures and the like being out of my price range for now) but i refuse to buy them anymore after having 2 pairs crap out in the left channel in less than a month for both.

here's a piccy of the buds:

i thought "meh, even if they sound like crap, it's only for odd occasions"

i've been listening all afternoon, and they are surpirsingly ok sounding (notice i say ok, let's not go overboard here).

not as comfy as ex71s, but not as ear bleedingly uncomfy as my mx400s (that was with foamies on btw).
FYI: i have quite small ears

the sound is comparable to the ex71, but doesn't sound as boomy and bloated in the bass to me as the 71s did (not that i found this a problem

but sometimes i did feel a tad overwhelmed)

i'm not worried about the cable crapping out either as it has a braided cable, and also has a nice little windy case thing to keep it all up together.

the little bumpy bits help keep the buds in your ear better than standard buds, and also provide a nice level of isolation.

i've been listening to it from my ihp-140, and i am pleasantly surprised.

like i say, it's no great shakes, but it's certainly a nice little bud for the price, and does it's job (being on the bus, walking around whilst shopping) quite well

 

[doctorjuggles]

I have them too. I use them for when I want to do some manual work or whatever. I also use them occasionally when I can't be bothered to stick the E5s in my head. I agree, they're alright. Decent sound.
My only complaint is that they break easily. Before I found headfi, the ED31s and ED21s were my bud of choice, and I've gone through about 4 pairs of them in two or three years. Either the stereo jack itself develops a fault, or the cables lose contact with the drivers.

Still, I used to buy them form duty free, for £14 for the 21s and £17 for the 31s.

 

[Dweebgal]

by all accounts it comes with a years garuntee, so at least (unlike my previous ex71s) i can get them replaced if they break

 

[Eagle_Driver]

BLEH

Though I haven't heard the ED21 or ED31, I've heard the previous line of "Groove" Sony Fontopia buds. The previous line has too little treble response to match the generally overboosted upper-bass response.

 

[doctorjuggles]

And you were expecting exactly what from a £14 set of buds?

It's been emphatically pointed out that we're not recommending these as high end audio, but rather as a better alternative to the EX71s which are twice the price.

Considering you've never heard them, I'm wondering what the point of your post was.

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Actually, I've found the previous series of Groove Fontopias pretty wretched, even when compared to a $10 (retail) pair of MDR-E828LP buds. But the previous line cost at least double that of the E828LP - they had cost $20 to $50 at retail. And again, I have not heard the current series: "If you can't say something nice (about the ED21LP and ED31SL), then don't say anything at all."

 

[Dweebgal]

see, i've not heard the previous models myself, but i having spoken to someone who has heard both that and the new ones, and he said that the new models were a considerable improvment over the previous ones

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dweebgal see, i've not heard the previous models myself, but i having spoken to someone who has heard both that and the new ones, and he said that the new models were a considerable improvment over the previous ones

Maybe I'll go to a nearby Tweeter store to check out the ED21LP. Sony USA distributes only the ED21LP ($20), as far as the new line is concerned.

 

[Dweebgal]

i would just like to mention, that getting the right fit on these things is crucial. just playing about with them now, and the slightest movement the wrong way can make the bass go all icky sounding. however, they seem to stay put when you move them yourself though.

 

[HiroshimaJoe]

I thought Sony had a one year garuntee on all Sony products, and within the EU there is two years on all electronics if I'm not mistaken.

 

[Dweebgal]

well, the european garuntee in the packaging states 1 year on materials and workmanship

 

[Eagle_Driver]

Too bad. Every Sony headphones below the MDR-V700DJ that are sold in the US have only a 90-day replacement-only warranty. And even the pricier Sonys have one-year parts but only 90 days labour warranty.

 

[D-EJ915]

I think we've already found out that Sony USA was evil, I mean, what other force would make us have the dreaded bubble-form plastic except the satanic hordes??

Well, I'm glad we have somewhat decent buds for a cheap price.

OT!! (sorry)

 

[Ticky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by D-EJ915 I think we've already found out that Sony USA was evil, I mean, what other force would make us have the dreaded bubble-form plastic except the satanic hordes??

<Rigorous nods in agreement> I can't agree more. Those plastic shell wrappings are horrendous. The only thing Sony USA guarantees is that purchasers cannot return the products in "like new" condition for refunds. I smell scheming corporate executive rats.

I had a portable MD die on me once after 5 months of use. Guess what? The Customer Service (what an oxymoron) told me that repair cost comes out to around $100 for labor and parts. The unit only cost me $130.

No wonder Sony Corp. is no longer doing as well as it used to in the consumer electronics market.