Sony MDR-EX55LP High Performance Earbuds (blue)
Starting at: $34.87
CNET Editors' Review
CNET Editors' Rating
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on:
The good: The Sony MDR-EX55LP headphones are inexpensive and offer a good step up from stock buds in both comfort and sound quality. They offer some passive sound isolation. Audio is clear and balanced.
The bad: The Sony MDR-EX55LP headphones suffer from a cheap, plastic design and the cable is thin and tangle-prone. Similarly priced earbuds from Sony offer more features and deeper bass.
The bottom line: There may be better options in this price range, but the Sony MDR-EX55LP earbuds are still a good step up from stock for listeners who like balanced audio across a variety of genres.
When you've just dropped a wad of your hard-earned cash on a new MP3 player, purchasing an accessory to help make the most of it may seem counterintuitive, but that's exactly what you should do: upgrade those headphones. You needn't spend a lot to get a pair that's undeniably better than the stock set that came with your device. Case in point: the Sony MDR-EX55LP Stereo Headphones. These earphones will set you back about $30 only, and they offer a noticeable improvement in sound quality and comfort.
As you might expect of ... Expand full review
When you've just dropped a wad of your hard-earned cash on a new MP3 player, purchasing an accessory to help make the most of it may seem counterintuitive, but that's exactly what you should do: upgrade those headphones. You needn't spend a lot to get a pair that's undeniably better than the stock set that came with your device. Case in point: the Sony MDR-EX55LP Stereo Headphones. These earphones will set you back about $30 only, and they offer a noticeable improvement in sound quality and comfort.
As you might expect of earphones in this price range, the Sony MDR-EX55LP earbuds are constructed of plastic and feel pretty cheap. However, you do get to choose from four color accents--black, blue, white, or pink--and the arm that feeds the cable into the earpiece has a metallic sheen that offers a glimmer of style. Also, the 'buds are wrapped in a rubberized coating to help ensure comfort. This, combined with their small, round shape and Sony's inclusion of three sets of silicone sleeves (S, M, and L), helps with fit. We had no problems achieving a seal and wore the earphones comfortably for several hours. The package also contains a soft travel pouch, though you won't find the cable wrap that comes with the earphones' similarly priced sibling, the Sony MDR-EX36V.
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Compare selectedSince 2003, Jasmine France has worked at CNET covering everything from scanners to keyboards to GPS devices to MP3 players. She currently cohosts the Crave podcast and spends the majority of her time testing headphones, music software, and mobile apps.
User Reviews
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Showing 3 of 4 reviews
"Decent entry-level earbuds" By akinari-kun
Pros: Solid construction, deep controlled bass, clarity throughout the entire audio spectrum, comfortable, decent sound isolation, great price.
Cons: Mids could be (much) warmer, there is too "much" around the 2-3KHz range, which can make these phones a chore to listen to, due to some songs sounding slightly shrill, can be fixed with EQ. Highs could use more detail.
Summary: Purchased a refurbished pair of these 'phones for $9.99, which made great financial sense to me to replace my aged MDR-EX71s. To be completely frank, these didn't too far off from the EX71s I was using before, only evident difference was a slight crimp in the depth of ... Expand full review
"NOT "highperformance" earbuds" By robintampa
Pros: look cool? fairly comfortable?
Cons: A downgrade from the stock i-pod buds. Ugh. The specs on the box looked good but they have no bass at all. Mega treble. "Shrill" is the best way to describe the sound. Worse at higher volume. Painful to listen to.
Summary: I bought 2 pairs at $40 each from ... Circuit City and now I can't take them back. I am not exaggerating when I say I will probably just throw them away. Very suprised that Sony put their name on this product ... and these are their "high performance" earbuds not ... Expand full review
Specifications
See full specsQuick Specs
- Headphones Type: Headphones - Binaural
- Product type: Headphones
- Design: In-ear ear-bud
