The Sony MDR-AS50G earphones feature a few other physical attributes worth noting. First, aside from the earphones' outer discs (which are muted silver), the set is mainly black with a teeny bit of red accenting, so if the Sennheiser Sport line was a little too bright and flashy for you, the MDRs are a good alternative. Also, the cable is modular, which is usually ideal for active applications, as it keeps the main cable short enough (20 inches, in this case) to use with an armband without a lot of slack cord. Also, Sony was smart enough to include a clip on the cable for dealing with the weight added when you connect the included extender cable, which adds an additional 26 inches to the length--plenty for keeping your MP3 player in a bag or pocket. Sony also includes a compact plastic case that stores the earpieces, while the neckband stays exposed as a handle of sorts.
During our performance evaluation of the Sony MDR-AS30G earphones, we took a couple of things into consideration, not the least of which was their ability to stay in place during activity. They passed this test with flying colors, failing to budge during a bout on the elliptical trainer and a set of sit-ups. One thing to note: unlike other headphones in the Active line, the MDR-AS30G does not block out too much ambient noise, so they are an appropriate choice for those who do their exercising in the great outdoors. However, these headphones aren't the best-sounding set. Although a reasonable amount of high-end detail was present and the mids sounded nice and warm, music always had a slightly muffled and hollow sound to it. Bass was not defined, and electric guitars tended to get lost in the shuffle. But if you don't demand top-notch sound quality during workouts, these 'phones are still an adequate option given the $30 price tag.
