Sony MDR-Q55SL SLD

Summary: I am currently looking to purchase a second pair of headphones to supplement my current Sony MDR-828LP earbuds ... Which are still going strong for over a few years now!

The Sony MDR-Q55SL is the third pair that I have tested in the past week (I've also tried a pair of Philips in-ear noise-canceling headphones, and a pair of Sennheiser MX-550 earbuds). The Q55SLs beat the other two hands-down for sound quality!

I also like the cool styling of the Q55SLs, as they look much like a tiny pair of expensive studio quality headphones ... image is everything!

However, as with everything else in life, there are a few drawbacks and trade-offs to these headphones:

1. I like the braided cord, because it gives added strength to the wires. However, they also make them very stiff and rough ... ever heard of "rope burns" ... well, if you tried, you could probably give yourself one with these! Maybe over time, the cords will relax and not be as stiff. The fact that there is no carry case, also adds to the cord dilemma. If you were to simply toss them in a backpack or purse, you would ultimately spend quite a few minutes untangling them when you wanted to use them. The stiffness of the cord makes that task similar to unravelling a 100' extension cord ... we all know how tedious that can get!

2. The behind-the-ear clips are just too oddly shaped for my own ears. They became very uncomfortable to ME after only a few minutes of use. Perhaps they would eventually "break-in" after repeated use, but I really don't have the patience to give it a try.

3. The rough braided cord also introduces an unpleasant noise into the left headset (The one where the two wires enter). When I first put them on, I immediately noticed that there was a "grinding/rattling" noise in the left headset, whenever I would turn my head from side-to-side. I initially thought that there was something loose and rattling around inside. Upon further troubleshooting, I found that turning my head would cause the two braided wires to rub together, and the noise was being amplified by the plastic casing of the left headphone. However, I came up with a fix ... First, make sure you wear the wire (From the left to right headphone) behind your neck ... Not in front, like I was doing at the time. Then, take the supplied rubber tie that holds both wires together, and slide it down the wires, to a position about two inches below where they enter the left headphone. This virtually eliminated the rubbing of the two wires, and thus eliminated the noise.

4. I plan to use the new headphones at work. However, I will need a pair that I can get on and off very quickly and easily. The behind-the-ear clip design of the Q55SLs does not accomplish this for me. Like I said, the design is not good for MY ears, therefore it takes some tugging and pulling on my ear to get them to fit semi-comfortably. This takes too much time, and is the MAIN reason why I will be taking these headphones back to the store and get my money back.

Otherwise, I can definitely recommend these headphones to anyone who is looking for excellent sound quality, and knows that this earpiece design will definitely work for them.

Summary: These things are some of the coolest lookin headphones ever. That's what made me wanna buy them. When they stay in you ears, the sound is great, bass is good and doesn't overpower the acoustics and treble.

However, these things are too much of a hassle. I bought these to lose the sometimes annoying headband, and I got rid of them for the same reason. They will not stay on your ear when your walking around! Even standing up could cause them to slid a little. I live a life where I am constantly moving, so I should have realized that they wouldn't stay put while moving.

Also, tangle-prone cords=super annoying.

I just got the Sony MDR-G74SL headphones. I guess if your looking for a sugguestion, that would be mine.