I carry my iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle with me daily and I was looking for some ear buds to replace the standard white Apple ear buds. Since I carry them around with me daily and use them almost any chance I get, the ear buds take quite a beating and a little more than usual wear and tear. I was looking for some white ear buds to match the iPod. I don’t know I guess I’m one of those Apple people that need the matching accessory. In any case I didn’t want to spend too much money on something I tend to break within a few months. I decided to go with the Sony MDR-EX71SL ear buds in white. I had bought my original pair a few years ago from Japan since they did not sell the white ones here in the states. My second pair, I was able to pick them up online at Amazon for about $30.

The Sony MDR-EX71SL comes with three different size ear buds and I found that the standard seem to fit quite comfortably in my ear. They were much more comfortable than the ones that came with my iPods. As far as sound quality, they do a decent job in highs and bass response. Now don’t get my wrong I know that the Etymotics and Shure ear buds sound a lot better, but you have to consider that I could buy a few pairs of the Sony headphones for the same price. In most cases you get what you pay for and I can say this is probably no exception. I wasn’t willing to fork out the money for something that I knew I would wear out in a few months. For the most part I felt that it was a good purchase and I was happy with them.

A few things I notice is the cord is a little short and with the extension that it comes with it makes it a little too long. I guess it would be hard to please people in that department. The cord itself is a little flimsy. Over time the cord rips and exposes the inner wires of the Sony MDR-EX71SL. I have had a few pairs short in at least one of the years just after using them for a little less than a year. Keep in mind I use them for numerous hours on a daily basis. My last pair broke and I have recently fallen back on the original iPod ear buds.

Overall, the value of the Sony MDR-EX71SL is good. For the price I find them a bargain for what you get. Maybe if you are more careful than I am they will last longer for you. The sound is adequate for the price and I have yet to find another pair in the same price range with better quality. Even though I wear these ear buds out, I think I’ll probably place an order on Amazon for another set. If anyone has any recommendations on ear buds they would like me to try out feel free to contact me or leave a comment.