I have little ears. Not my actual ears which are about an average size I think; but narrow ear canals. So for most of my life I've had two choices: over-the-head earphones which can be cumbersome and uncomfortable and sometimes give me headaches; and earbuds that are too large to fit comfortably in my ears and either fall out or cause pain.

In the past several years most companies that make earphones have added a third option. Many earbuds now have an over-the-ear hook to help keep them in place. But some of these styles cause me the same problems as traditional earbuds: the speakers either fit too snugly and hurt my ear; or aren't secure and, while they don't completely fall out thanks to the hook, they don't fit well enough to give good sound.

That was, until I discovered Sony's Fontopia earbuds.

The Earbuds
There are several versions of these earbuds, some in special colors to match special music players (like white to match the IPod). The ones I got for my own use are just basic black with a little metallic accent. But what caused me to reach for these on the rack is not the color, it's the size. The drivers on these headphones are only 9mm – roughly 20 to 40% smaller than other earbuds I've seen. Those tiny drivers are what make these a relatively pricey set of earphones at a list price of $39.99 (though they are discounted by many retailers).

These earbuds come with 3 sets of soft silicone covers so you can adjust the fit to your personal preference. The smallest set is the same diameter as the drivers – 9mm, the medium set is 11mm and the largest set 13mm. I usually wear the middle size, but I can comfortably wear any of them. The smaller ones allow me to hear a little more of what's going on around me. The larger ones probably sit in my ears a little more securely if I'm moving around much, but maybe fit a little too securely – they're not uncomfortable, but there is a very slight pressure which becomes mildly irritating after extended wear.

The cord on these headphones is roughly 4-1/2 feet long to the right ear and 4 feet long to the left ear. Instead of the wires being connected in a capital 'Y' formation, they are connected in sort of a lower case 'u' formation. Sony calls this a "neck chain" setup – what it means is that the wire doesn't hang straight down the middle of your chest, potentially helping to keep it out of the way while you're doing things. I've also found that I can run the wire behind my head instead of in front if I'm afraid of catching on something.

Also included is a dual purpose earbud holder. When not in use, the buds themselves fit inside this oval box to help protect them as well as keep them from getting tangled. Unfortunately, the wires dangle free – there's no wire keeper or pouch. If you don't want these floating free in your CD player case, you will have to figure out how to wind up the cord yourself. The other use for the earbud holder is to shorten the cord if you need to. You can wind the cord around the open case, then close the case over the loop of wire. It's also a handy way to store the case while you're using the earphones so it doesn't get lost.

The Sound
My primary use for these earbuds is with my minidisk player. Generally speaking, they deliver excellent quality sound when playing digital music – surprisingly robust in the bass for such small drivers. While there may be some quality loss when compared to high end, standard headphones; they are, in my opinion, far superior to any other earbuds I've heard in the $20-$50 price range.

The only caveat I have about the quality of the sound is that when I've used these with analog sources – either cassette tapes or the radio – there seems to be an inordinate amount of upper-end noise. It's not hiss exactly – it's more a harshness to the tone in the upper range that I find irritating. Since I don't have this problem with either CDs or my minidisk player, I suspect that it's more an issue with low quality source than with the earbuds.

A Word of Caution
My one real complaint with these headphones is that for a price nearing $40 I would expect them to be a little more sturdy. I'm currently on my 3rd pair of these. The first pair lasted about a year and a half before the right ear went dead. But prior to failing completely, the covering on the wire pulled free where the cord splits. This left about a half inch of exposed wire which I was forced to cover – only partially effectively – with electrical tape. They did last about 6 months after that, but I didn't love them quite so much with a gob of sticky black plastic hanging from my head.

The second pair, which I bought to replace the ones that finally quit on me, also quit on me. About two weeks after purchase one side (again the right – a design flaw perhaps?) went dead for no apparent reason. This time I was able to make an exchange at my electronics store for a pair which (so far) works perfectly. But I have to admit, as much as I really love these earbuds, I won't be buying another pair if this pair fails on me too.

Final Thoughts
Despite their faults, I really do like these earbuds. They are small and light, fit my ears comfortably and securely, and sound exceptionally good compared to similar products. They cost a little more than many other earbuds, but I was willing to pay extra (within limits) for both the comfort of my ears, and the quality of the sound. While I wouldn't recommend these for people who are happy with the average $10 or $15 earbuds from the local superstore, if those don't work for you these are worth a shot.

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Product specs for those who care
+ Type: Lateral, In-the-ear, Closed, Dynamic
+ Driver Unit: 9mm diameter
+ Diaphragm: PET, long-throw
+ Magnet: 400 kJ/ma high-power Neodymium
+ Cord: OFC; Neck Chain, 4 feet (1.2m)
+ Plug: Gold-plated, L-Shaped, Stereo Mini Plug
+ Impedance: 16 ohms at 1 kHz
+ Sensitivity: 100 dB/mW
+ Power Handling Capacity: 100mW
+ Frequency Response: 6 - 23,000 Hz


Recommended: Yes

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