[commando]

So get 51s and the 71 replacement sleves - if the 71 and 51 are identical they'll fit perfectly. It means the 51s will cost the same as the 71s, but won't have the extension cord thingy.

Incidentally i'm using one medium sleave and one large one at the moment, trying to work out which is best. The only time it makes a difference is in the gym when i'm jumping around. Because the rubber's so soft it doesn't make mich difference to me which one I use.

 

[lojay]

And one more thing (sorry for interupting)....when I go to camp or go to really messy places, the EX71's are a true saviour! ^0^

And the isolation is enough for blocking noise from bars to parties, but it doesn't block machinery noise such as trains or even more, airplanes, very well. Using it on the subway is OK for me though, but usually I'd have the Shures on subways. When I go to very crowded places and I cant take care of my earphones, then I'll surely bring my EX71.

 

[sagrr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by commando So get 51s and the 71 replacement sleves - if the 71 and 51 are identical they'll fit perfectly. It means the 51s will cost the same as the 71s, but won't have the extension cord thingy. Incidentally i'm using one medium sleave and one large one at the moment, trying to work out which is best. The only time it makes a difference is in the gym when i'm jumping around. Because the rubber's so soft it doesn't make mich difference to me which one I use.

Gotcha! I'll do exactly that.

I can't wait!!!!

 

[quke]

My EX51 came with three tips. The cord is just a tad too long to my trouser pockets even if I am about 195cm (whatever that is in your precious feet

), but it certainly isn't an inconvenience. The extension cord would be just an unneeded extra plug atleast for me.

I'm the mr. Sweat-a-lot but the silicone tips still keep surprisingly clean. Of course they don't absorb anything so cleaning, if indeed needed, is a wipe-and-go operation.

commando if you don't need the extension cord (and it's even annoying you?) maybe you should buy the EX51. You could do the A/B then too and verify they're the same. After all they aren't exactly the biggest investment to hifi you'll do.

 

[commando]

The cord's not that bad, and i'd have to order them from japan. Not worth it for me right now

 

[ticomojo]

by the way, the case included with the EX71SL sucks... the little cover on mine broke on the first day. I'm planning on getting a little round mint tin to keep them in... will be much better than the ziplock bag I have them in now. Anyway... good luck.

 

[SunByrne]

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Reeves IMHO emphasised muddy one note bass, and shrill treble. This was my experience even before I joined Head-Fi and emptied my wallet.

My sentiments EXACTLY. Horrific, horrific bass...

 

[Steve999]

Is this just a difference in preference or is there another problem here...

Alright, jpelg, tracyrick, terrymix, kurt, chadbang, John Reaves, Sunbyrne...

For future convenience, I'll call you guys the "DETRACTORS"!!!

I am trying to get a handle on the disparity of opinion.

Is it fair to say that jpelg has never heard the EX71s?

Tracyrick, have you heard the EX71s? If so, do you have them currently?

John Reaves and Sunbyrne, and the rest of you DETRACTORS, it sounds like at most you are basing your judgments on distant memories, perhaps pre-head-fi ones at that... no?

As I say, the Linkwitz fellow is no lightweight, to say he knows What he's talking about is a massive understatement, commando and superbaldguy have pretty good taste in phones if you ask me and have exercised good judgment in their purchases if you ask me, and all the people who currently have the EX51s and EX71s in their posession seem to like them and to have the same general impression of them.

Now, DETRACTORS, here is your chance for a counterpunch (if you have one)!!!!

Do any of you have a) objective evidence or b) recent listening experience regarding the EX71s or EX51s?

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunByrne My sentiments EXACTLY. Horrific, horrific bass...

 

[fureshi]

i used to find the bass overwhelming at times but using the medium silicone tips from my e2c's smoothed it out and calmed the bass down. in fact, i find the highs to be a bit less piercing with the shure tips. i haven't tried the tape mod yet but soon. using the shure tips also cuts down on ambient noise but it doesn't achieve the isolation of the shures or etys because of the three open holes in the back.

as for the extension cable, i think it's a great idea for those who are always using their ipods or irivers. with my ipod and remote, the ex71's without the extension cord are the perfect length when clipped to my shirt.

overall i find them to be a fun set of cans that i can kick around without worrying about getting them damaged. when i'm on the subway, they're a lot easier to take in and out compared to my shures or etys and they provide just enough isolation so that i can enjoy my music.

 

[SunByrne]

As a detractor, err, wait, a DETRACTOR, let me clarify, then.

What I actually have (and I'm sure I still have them somewhere) are actually NC11s--these are EX71s with noise-cancelling stuff. One of the things that got me to Head-Fi was that I never liked them. First, I realized that I don't like anything in my ear canal like that (which rules out Shure and Etys for me). Second, I didn't like how they sounded--big muddy bass was my major complaint. I now use PXC 250s for air travel and I'm a lot happier. I will admit that since I got the PXC 250s that I have not listened to these Sonys (that'd be last September, so not THAT distant). I could dig them up and given them a re-listen, I guess.

Perhaps it's not really a knock on the EX71s--maybe there's something in the noise-cancellation circuitry that screws these up. However, they otherwise look and spec as the same, and every time someone posts what they don't like about the EX71s, that matches up very well with what I don't like about the NC11s, for whatever that's worth.

I will note that I suspect at least some of the disagreement is probably due to fit issues. I tried all three eartips for these things and I never did find one that I thought really fit right. Could poor fit be responsible for unsatisfying sound? Sure. But then, there's always the possibility that you'd get a poor fit, too.

There may also be a quality control issue in play, as suggested by GokieKS. Maybe I just got a crappy, muddy-bass-heavy unit. <shrug>

IIRC, Steve999, you're the one who said you favored the Sony CD780s over Senn HD580s. Well, I've not heard the HD580s, but I finally had to replace the CD780s (I went with with Senn HD595s) because I couldn't stand the mushy bass and smeary performance on transients. I'll be up-front about my bass preferences: I prefer tight, controlled and moderate bass to "tons of bass." I like a really balanced response (so I guess I'm a non-bass-head). However, I could see how someone could like that bass-heavy sound. With these buds, though, it wasn't just "too much bass" it was also "too muddy". If the muddiness is a function of bad fit or quality control, and the bass-heavy-ness is just how they sound, then maybe these would be OK for you.

 

[Steve999]

You've never heard the EX71s. The NC11s are not just the EX71s with noise cancelling. They don't spec the same. For starters, the sensitivity of the NC11s is 4 db higher even without the noise cancellation engaged, a major difference. It's 6 db higher with noise cancellation.

When you think about it, it makes sense. They probably tweaked the NC11s so that the sound quality would be suited for use with the noise cancellation circuit, and as a consequence the NC11 design and sound signature would be a little different than the EX71. Further, in my experience, there is likely to be a sacrifice in overall sound quality to cater to the noise cancellation technology.

It seems pretty tangential, but I'd take a pair of HD595s over a pair of CD780s, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SunByrne What I actually have (and I'm sure I still have them somewhere) are actually NC11s--these are EX71s with noise-cancelling stuff... Perhaps it's not really a knock on the EX71s--maybe there's something in the noise-cancellation circuitry that screws these up... I finally had to replace the CD780s (I went with with Senn HD595s)...

 

[mariowar]

Message deleted

 

[Kurt]

Well, I own the EX71 and wrote I find their sound horrible. OTOH I find the Sensas decent. There is no need to become defensive. Be happy that you like such a inexpensive phone. Upgradeitis will catch you soon enough and your wallet will not like it.

 

[Steve999]

That's entirely cool. I don't own the EX71s, I am just trying to get good information on them and foster a useful thread on them and fight a nagging desire to buy them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurt Well, I own the EX71 and wrote I find their sound horrible. OTOH I find the Sensas decent. There is no need to become defensive. Be happy that you like such a inexpensive phone. Upgradeitis will catch you soon enough and your wallet will not like it.

 

[Steve999]

FWIW, the Best Buy in my neck of the woods has scads of Sony EX51s (which are EX71s without an extra cord attachment) for $40. They come with three sizes of silicon tips rather than two. You can see the three sizes of tips in the packaging. (SonyStyle.com apparently incorrectly indicates you only get two sizes of tips.)