Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia Ear-Bud Headphones with Acoustic Twin Turbo Circuit

5 Responses to Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia Ear-Bud Headphones with Acoustic Twin Turbo Circuit

1. 

   Shawn Kresal on October 19, 2010 at 10:49 pm

   Try as I might, I simply can’t find headphones that match these for comfort, price, and performance. My data:
   - the wireless over-ear models like MDRIF330RK have too much electrical and RF interference
   - The Sony MDR-EX70LP can’t be worn for hours at a stretch (the funky ear rubber covers are to blame)
   - The street style Sony MDR-G57G don’t have the low end response that these do.

   I’m continuously blown away by how well these stack up against other models way out of its price range.

   This wouldn’t be an unbiased review without some shortcomings:
   - they are easily jarred loose with lots of bodily movement (good for desk jockeys and rollerblading, not running)
   - they don’t come with extra foam ear covers. Lose one and they’re worthless.
   Rating: 5 / 5
   Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia Ear-Bud Headphones with Acoustic Twin Turbo Circuit
2. 

   kramer_k on October 20, 2010 at 1:18 am

   I don’t know what those bad reviews are talking about. These headphones are simply the best ones I’ve had so far. After a horrible experience with Koss P4 headphones, I decided to look for other headphones under 10 bucks. I came across these in a local store one day and decided to try them out. It was a wonderful surprise to hear good bass response as well as feel a comfortable fit.
   
   What’s good:
   
   1) Great bass which doesn’t block out the treble/mid range and isn’t muddy at all
   
   2) Good fit, with or without the foam padding. I prefer it without the padding, since it just slips in and doesn’t fall out.
   
   3) Good case to protect the cord, etc. Kept it safe in my backpack.

   However, there are of course somethings that could be improved, but aren’t that bad:
   
   1) Short cord, but I’ve learned to deal with it and either hold my mp3 player or put it in a closer pocket.
   
   2) Does get unconfortable after about an hour – other reviewers have explained that the headphone isn’t circular in shape, but is a bit pointed on one corner. This may help it stay in the ear, but annoys me after a while.

   Sadly, after about 6 months of use the connection at the plug seemed to have broken a wire and the left earphone stopped working. But at under $10 I plan to buy them again.
   Rating: 5 / 5
   Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia Ear-Bud Headphones with Acoustic Twin Turbo Circuit
3. 

   sfarmer76 on October 20, 2010 at 1:28 am

   SONY’s Fontopia Ear Bud Headphones provide a wide range of natural sound. They have a sleek black and silver finish, a Y-shaped cord that is a little over three feet long, and an L-shaped Stereo Mini Plug. The ultra compact headphones fit snugly, and comfortably, inside the ear, eliminating the need for a headband. The MDR-E818LPs come with slip-on ear pads. These are in a small plastic pouch hidden behind the cardboard insert in the clear packaging. Be careful when you first open the container, as it would be easy to throw out the ear pads by mistake.

   These particular headphones would be especially good for movement — such as while jogging, mowing the lawn, running, or lifting weights. They only weigh 5 grams. After a few minutes, you will scarcely notice you are wearing them. The Silent Cap on the ear buds stops sound leakage, so you’re less likely to disturb someone sitting next to you while you enjoy your music. I use these with my laptop if someone else in the room is watching TV, or sometimes when I take my laptop out to a cafe, eatery, or Starbucks

   The MDR-E818LPs use Neodymium Magnets for powerful bass, and clear treble in a compact design. Neodymium is far more powerful than conventional Samarium Cobalt or Aluminum Magnets, two other kinds of magnets commonly used in the production of headphones and other personal electronics. Neodymium is also common in the production of bass amps, boat speakers, car audio products, computer hard drives, flat panel speakers, game systems, microphones, motorcycle parts, mp3 jukebox players, and travel speakers, in addition to headphones.

   Neodymium is not just some marketing tag invented by SONY either, I did some research on the internet and found out it is actually a rare earth metal, and can be found on the Periodic Table of Elements (60Nd). Neodymium is a component of didymium used for coloring glass to make welder’s goggles, Neodymium salts are used as a colorant for enamel paints, Neodymium is also used to color glass in delicate shades ranging from pure violet through wine-red and warm gray, and Neodymium is also used in doped glass lasers. Neodymium is also used in electric switches, lense filters, junkyard magnets, phone receivers, refrigerator magnets, magnetic or non-magnetic screwdrivers, and a host of other everyday products you wouldn’t suspect. Considering it is a “rare” earth metal, I’m surprised that it’s used in so many products.

   Other brands of bass amps, boat speakers, car audio products, computer hard drives, flat panel speakers, game systems, headphones, microphones, motorcycle parts, mp3 jukebox players, and travel speakers also make use of Neodymium, such as: Altec Lansing, Apple, Audio Technica, Boston Acoustic, Coby, Creative, Directed, Dynaudio Acoustics, Hitachi, JBL, Kenwood, Koss, Labtec, Microsoft, Morel, Panasonic, Philips, Pioneer, Polk, Sennheiser, Skylon, Stanton, Tech 21, and others. It’s not like this feature is unique to SONY.

   Neodymium Magnets are apparently the strongest that can be found. I couldn’t find a really technically proficient explanation as to why Neodymium produces better sound, but after a little research, I’ll accept that as fact.

   These SONY Fontopia Headphones were Made in Korea. If you need to exchange them, they can be replaced through the SONY Parts Center in Kansas City, Missouri. SONY has a toll-free line for frequently asked questions. Dial 1-800-222-7669 if you need to know more about their products. If SONY can’t answer your question over the phone, you can always write them at their SONY Direct Response Center in Fort Myers, Florida.

   I’d just like to point out that these headphones are actually a replacement for an older pair of ear buds from SONY that I can no longer find, and as such were purchased from FYE for only $8.99. They are the best little pair of cheap ear buds you are likely to encounter.

   Specifications:

   Product Type: Headphones
   Features: Silver-plated plug, L-shaped plug
   Form Factor: Ear-bud
   Frequency Response: 16 – 22,000Hz
   Impedance: 16 ohms
   Magnet: Neodymium
   Power handling capacity: 50mW
   Recommended Use: Portable Audio
   Sensitivity: 104dB/mW
   Weight: 5 grams

   Recommended: Yes

   Amount Paid (US$): 8.99
   Rating: 5 / 5
   Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia Ear-Bud Headphones with Acoustic Twin Turbo Circuit
4. 

   cobaltspectre on October 20, 2010 at 4:01 am

   I bought these hoping for somewhat better sound than came from the stock set of free earbuds that came with my mp3 player. As soon as I tried them, I noticed that the sound was a little better, but, not so much better that I would have gone out of my way to purchase these. Probably due to the shape of my ears, and the awkward design of these buds, the left bud always sat a little further away from my ear canal, causing the sound balance to be unequal. If I worked at it, the friction from the covers held them in place well enough, so long as I sat in one place, as in a car, airplane, waiting room, etc. Since I had them, I decided I might as well try using them.

   As others have said, these have a strange shape. I would assume that a deviation from the plain round design would be for some ergonomic purpose: either to make them fit more comfortably, or make them stay in the ear more firmly. Strangely, this is not the case. They seem designed to fall out of the ear, and do not fit as comfortably as the simple round design of the cheap, free buds that came with my mp3 player. And, for all the trouble I had getting the single pair of covers to slide over them without tearing, they were extremely ready to come off at the slightest opportunity, and using these without the covers did not work for me, since it was mainly the friction from the covers holding them in my ears. I did my best to make sure that, anytime I picked these up, I located both covers before carrying them to a new location. Nevertheless, in under two weeks, one of the two covers has simply vanished, and I cannot locate any replacement covers for this model. Since I have not, yet, owned them a whole month, I hope to be able to return them and try another design. If you’re planning to buy some ear buds, I would steer you away from these. If, for some reason, your heart is set on these, Krazy Glue the covers on, or, no matter how careful you are, you’ll lose one of them and have nothing for your trouble.
   Rating: 1 / 5
   Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia Ear-Bud Headphones with Acoustic Twin Turbo Circuit
5. 

   Person on October 20, 2010 at 4:05 am

   I bought these earbuds for my CD player (at the time) because the ones I had before died on the right side. They were a pair of RCA behind the neck headphones I bought at Family Dollar for very cheap. I would buy another pair but now I have an iPod and want to buy mostly earbuds and clip headphones that are more portable. I was planning on buying a pair of Philips earbuds at Target because (I thought) these were dead on the right side and I dislike the iPod earbuds, but when I plugged these into my iPod they worked fine. After a break-in session they sound even better.

   Well, they are only ten bucks, so what can you expect? Not a ton, not a surround soundstage and great, powerful sound, but maybe something that has at least average sound, are comfortable, and will last a decent amount of time. And thatt’s mostly what I got with these earbuds.

   They don’t have stellar sound (that for some reason a ton of reviews rave about), but they have decent sound that’s good enough for the money. Not a lot of bass, but some pairs at this price have barely any bass. The mids on this pair are emphazised (but not by a lot, props to Sony). And they do have a good, clean sound to them, so even if you are unhappy with the low end of these earbuds you at least have a good upper end.

   For other aspects of the earbuds, they are very comfortable and fit much better than the Apple earbuds, but feel better with the pads. I have already lost the pads but still fit fine and are still comfortable for long periods of time. Also, these are some durable headphones so far, and after a half-year of use they still put up nicely.

   Overall, not a bad pair of esrbuds for portables. Already got a better pair? Keep these for some useful back-ups. They don’t have amazing sound, but are comfortable and last long enough to make them worth the price. 4 stars.

   NOTE: These are the case-less version of the MDRE828LP earbuds. If you want a case for a barely steeper price, check out the MDRE828LP earbuds instead of these, but if you want a money-saver, buy these.
   Rating: 4 / 5
   Sony MDR-E818LP Fontopia Ear-Bud Headphones with Acoustic Twin Turbo Circuit