For the impatient lot, here’s a quick summary of the review for your first, before we jump to the full length review right after the image gallery.

Quick summary

Packaging & Accessories: 7/10
Build Quality: 7/10
Design & Look: 8/10
Microphonics (higher ratings means lower cable noise): 8/10
Isolation: 7/10
Comfort: 9/10
Audio Quality: 8/10
Value: 10/10
My final Rating: 9.5/10

Purchase Date: January 2009
Purchase Price: £40

Pros

• Good noise isolation
• Fit isn’t bad, although it’s vastly improved with comply tips + the noise isolation become much better
• Great differentiation between sounds
• Bass response is excellent, better than the rest at its price point
• J shaped wire between the Left and Right bud. Great for portability.
• L shaped jack, which means improved flexibility, and better cabling life

Cons

• Warranty is only 1 year in comparison to all other competitors out there.
• They are loud for others. People can hear them when you have them in your ears
• Reasonably big phones, you can’t sleep on them unlike the Sennheisers
• Harsh sound out of the box
• Quite a lot of fakes rolling around on the internet – Buy it from an Authorised dealer to save yourself the hassle.

Conclusion

Once you get a good fit with the Sony’s they turn out to be excellent, better than any other phones I’ve heard for under £50. More so, after 1 year and careful use, the J splitter fell apart, meaning I had to glue and tape it back together to prevent it from getting damaged further. So be warned, the cable isn’t the best aspect of these earphones.

Sound Quality Ratings
Lows: 8/10
Mids: 7/10
Highs: 7/10
Soundstage: 8/10

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