- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 9 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
2.0 stars
"Compared to the AKG K26P's, these Sony's don't stand up, especially for their price."
Pros: Metal hinges are nice, they feel quality and durable. Neutral design. The included case is nice, but it is rather comparable to a vending machine plastic egg.
Cons: The sound quality can be downright disappointing, output full of resonances, distortion, and uneven frequency distribution. Folding mechanics can be awkward, if not due to an over-tense headband.
Summary: I owned these headphones for a week before returning them out of sheer disappointment. I dropped $60 for them at a local Iris, and for the days I used them, I could not convince myself that my 60 hard-earned dollars went to good use. Over these headphones, delicate piano notes would vibrate and shriek. Songs with rich depth (such as Sigur Ros's "Hoppipolla") lost much of their resolution and became a distorted mess, not to mention losing the whole "rich" feeling. At the 75+% volume end, the music is understandable, but expect to grimace every now and then over the drivers failures to produce clean sound. The bass output was good, but far overpowered by the intense midranges, where most of the distortions occur due to a closed-back design without any careful engineering. If you're looking to upgrade from stock earbuds that came with your player, the MDR-710LP may not be any better than those buds outside of some enhanced bass.
Outside of the let-down sound, the design is a bit of a redeeming quality. They are very neutral -- not over elaborate to the point they seem dorky, and not totally plain that they seem like a $10 bargain brand. The folding mechanics can be annoying to perform, especially if your friend is attempting it while borrowing them for a day. At least the hinges are fully metal, giving you some assurance they won't snap in half during the twisting and turning. The headband can be extremely tense. When extended to wearing-size, the band can force the headphones to curl up into a loop, which can be annoying if you like to disarm them around your neck when not in use. The tension at least keeps them pretty well planted on your ears, but don't expect long-lasting comfort.
So, the Sony MDR-710LP's lacking in sound quality, and having a "mentionable" design, why spend $45 to $65 for them? I suppose the only reason could be if your only option IS to buy Sony brand products. But if you have a choice, I would like to recommend to you the AKG K26P headphones. The K26P's are the same size as the MDR-710's, bode a slightly more stylish retro design, much more intuitive folding mechanics, half the price, and most importantly sound almost as good as $100 open-back headphones. The K26P's have incredibly tight bass followed by incredibly balanced midranges and highs. Your ears and your wallet would thank you, and you would feel like your old stock earbuds really were unnecessary.
Where to buy
Sony MDR-710LP:
$42.34 - $59.89
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$48.37 | Yes |
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$49.99 | Yes |
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$48.99 | Yes |
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$52.99 | Yes |
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