Earphone Users: Look No Further
Written: May 09 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Outstanding sound quality, fit, and durability
Cons: Lacks the ability to resolve the lowest bass notes with authority
The Bottom Line: A must-try for anyone seeking an upgrade to cheapie earphones at a moderate price.
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| andrewkchen's Full Review: Sony MDR-E848LP Consumer Headphones |
Ergonomics
Sony provides a clamshell case with the earphones, but I have not touched the case since I took them out of the package. In other words, its nice to look at, but certainly not required for everyday use. The fit of the earphones is very good, as Sony supplies the standard issue foam pads to provide a snugger fit for those with larger ears. The shape of the earpieces is a little long, but that does not affect the comfort or fit in any way. I had no problems with the buds slipping, even while jogging or using a Stairmaster in the gym. The cord is the necklace type—that is, the left earpiece has a shorter cord than the right. I appreciate this design because it offsets the main cord so that it doesn’t get in my way as much as if the leads to the earpieces were of equal length. I rate the ergonomics 5 out of 5.
Sound Quality
The sound of these earphones is excellent if the foam pads are used. Without them, the bass is anemic and so makes the sound quite treble laden. However, I always use my buds with the pads to enhance the fit, so the bright sound of the pad-less ‘phones is not an issue. The highs are exceptionally detailed, and are accompanied by a well-balanced frequency response without any unusual peaks. The bass is tight and is sufficient to get the impression of all the low frequencies that may be in the music unless you listen to pipe organs. Other earphones may have more bass, but they either sound boomy, or are of the over the ear variety with a much larger driver. The sound quality is 4.5 out of 5.
Durability
The build quality of the buds is excellent. I am on my second pair of these (the first pair was destroyed when someone stepped on them), and they are holding up well after a year and a half. The only thing that could possibly go wrong with them is if the rubber surrounding the earpieces gets hard or cracks, but that would take quite some time. 5 out of 5 for durability.
Overall
A superb in-ear speaker for active use, with well-balanced sound that will satisfy all but the most hard core headphone users.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
andrewkchen
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
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