Sony MDREX32LP Headphones
- Design: Ear Buds
- Usage: Consumer
- Sound Mode: Stereo
- Connectivity: Cable
- Compatibility: Personal Audio
- Overview
-
Reviews
- Compare Prices
User ReviewRead All Reviews »
579
A Great Stereo Headphone Upgrade for Your iPod or other MP3 Device
Pros
Excellent sound.
Cons
Dangling buds and total silence when you may need to hear other sounds.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Theses are a great replacement for your stock headphones.
When the Sony Walkman came out a few years back, it was a wonderful device. You could walk around and take a small device with you about half as big as a brick, and when you popped a cassette into it, with a pair of headphones, you could go for a walk along the river and listen to a private symphony as you took in the beauty of a fall day.
Technology, over the years, replaced the cassette Walkman with the CD player, and now we have the iPod. One day we shall probably have a small satellite transceiver similar to portable XM/Sirius radios of today, where our audiovisual library, with unlimited gigabyteage, will be available in the Electronic Cloud. But for now we have the ubiquitous iPod and all of its competing MP3 or MP3-type competitors.
The problem with the iPod and most of its siblings is, that when it comes shipped to you, the basic product, the player, is primo, but alas, the headphones that come with it are only so-so. Or so it would seem. It is almost like Apple and the other manufacturers are saying, "Here are some headphones that will get you by, but from here on every customer is different, so go get the connecting sound upgrade unit you want."
On one level, this is understandable. Today most people actually use the headphones for their iPod, but many don't. What? How could you not use headphones with an iPod? Simple. More and more people are connecting their iPods into a speaker system and using them as a home/office stereo, while others are simply connecting their iPods to their car's sound system where they spend their life in the glove box.
And for the majority who actually do like headphones, there are a lot of ways people like them. Huge over-the-ears headphones. Earbuds. You name it and it's out there.
Yet the plain and simple fact is that the "stock" headphones that ship with the iPod are plain and simple. They will get the job done, and probably most buyers go ahead and use them for the life of the device. But that is like settling for a black-and-white TV when you can get an LCD digital color TV for a reasonable price. You simply need to upgrade your headphones.
Sony, who originally made the Walkman, the first widely successful portable sound device, has been making excellent headphones since the beginning. Most of these today are of the "earbud" variety, and though I have never fully adapted to the earbud concept ("Stick it in your ear!"), it 's an okay way to hear sound. And Sony generally offers earbuds in three manifestations. They have a "Good" set ($), a "Rich Sound" set ($$), and a "Wonderful Sound" ($$$) set.
Most people will probably appreciate the "Rich Sound" (MDR-EX32) set which generally retails from $15-30 (amazon.com, for example, sells tham at $29.95.) These are a high-performance earbud and they give off a sound similar to those big and sophisticated over-ther-ear headphones that stereo connoisseurs use as they listen to the opera on NPR on Saturday afternoons. The sound quality and bass response of these earbuds may not be 100% equal, but they are close enough, as they say, for jazz, and are probably close enough for most any other kind of music as well. Not to mention movie soundtracks.
The nice sound is accomplished, according to Sony, with the use of neodymium magnets. I'll take their word for it on that. All I know is that the sound is great, very full, and the bass is profundo extremo.
The earbud soft silicone rubber material is very pliable and easy on your ear skin. Comfortable. Wearable.
The headphones have only a couple of downsides. First of all, I never know how to manage the things when I'm not using them. I have a "jacket" for my iPod which lets me spool the wires around a bracket on the back, but even so, the earbud units dangle free and that is a hassle. I know, this is not the fault of the headphones themselves, but I wish Sony or someone would market a "jacket" in which you could safely store and enclose the headphones without the dangle problem. The second problem is that with headphones like this you can't hear anything but the sound coming off the device so don't wear them while driving. You may miss a sound that could be critical. So both downsides are actually generic for all headphone/earbud units. No biggies. Just use a little common sense.
Overall, these headphones are a good value for most MP3 player users. They may not be the greatest for finicky stereophiles, but for those of us who simply want great sound when we're taking that stroll down along the Hudson, these are a real treat.
Five Stars/*****
Technology, over the years, replaced the cassette Walkman with the CD player, and now we have the iPod. One day we shall probably have a small satellite transceiver similar to portable XM/Sirius radios of today, where our audiovisual library, with unlimited gigabyteage, will be available in the Electronic Cloud. But for now we have the ubiquitous iPod and all of its competing MP3 or MP3-type competitors.
The problem with the iPod and most of its siblings is, that when it comes shipped to you, the basic product, the player, is primo, but alas, the headphones that come with it are only so-so. Or so it would seem. It is almost like Apple and the other manufacturers are saying, "Here are some headphones that will get you by, but from here on every customer is different, so go get the connecting sound upgrade unit you want."
On one level, this is understandable. Today most people actually use the headphones for their iPod, but many don't. What? How could you not use headphones with an iPod? Simple. More and more people are connecting their iPods into a speaker system and using them as a home/office stereo, while others are simply connecting their iPods to their car's sound system where they spend their life in the glove box.
And for the majority who actually do like headphones, there are a lot of ways people like them. Huge over-the-ears headphones. Earbuds. You name it and it's out there.
Yet the plain and simple fact is that the "stock" headphones that ship with the iPod are plain and simple. They will get the job done, and probably most buyers go ahead and use them for the life of the device. But that is like settling for a black-and-white TV when you can get an LCD digital color TV for a reasonable price. You simply need to upgrade your headphones.
Sony, who originally made the Walkman, the first widely successful portable sound device, has been making excellent headphones since the beginning. Most of these today are of the "earbud" variety, and though I have never fully adapted to the earbud concept ("Stick it in your ear!"), it 's an okay way to hear sound. And Sony generally offers earbuds in three manifestations. They have a "Good" set ($), a "Rich Sound" set ($$), and a "Wonderful Sound" ($$$) set.
Most people will probably appreciate the "Rich Sound" (MDR-EX32) set which generally retails from $15-30 (amazon.com, for example, sells tham at $29.95.) These are a high-performance earbud and they give off a sound similar to those big and sophisticated over-ther-ear headphones that stereo connoisseurs use as they listen to the opera on NPR on Saturday afternoons. The sound quality and bass response of these earbuds may not be 100% equal, but they are close enough, as they say, for jazz, and are probably close enough for most any other kind of music as well. Not to mention movie soundtracks.
The nice sound is accomplished, according to Sony, with the use of neodymium magnets. I'll take their word for it on that. All I know is that the sound is great, very full, and the bass is profundo extremo.
The earbud soft silicone rubber material is very pliable and easy on your ear skin. Comfortable. Wearable.
The headphones have only a couple of downsides. First of all, I never know how to manage the things when I'm not using them. I have a "jacket" for my iPod which lets me spool the wires around a bracket on the back, but even so, the earbud units dangle free and that is a hassle. I know, this is not the fault of the headphones themselves, but I wish Sony or someone would market a "jacket" in which you could safely store and enclose the headphones without the dangle problem. The second problem is that with headphones like this you can't hear anything but the sound coming off the device so don't wear them while driving. You may miss a sound that could be critical. So both downsides are actually generic for all headphone/earbud units. No biggies. Just use a little common sense.
Overall, these headphones are a good value for most MP3 player users. They may not be the greatest for finicky stereophiles, but for those of us who simply want great sound when we're taking that stroll down along the Hudson, these are a real treat.
Five Stars/*****
