Sony MDR-E9LP/BLK Earbud Headphones, Black
937786
I am very satisfied with my purchase of the Sony MDR-E9LP/BLK Earbud Headphones, Black.  The sound quality is superior to most earbuds and Sony is an excellent company that always turns out great products.  I highly recommend this product for music lovers.
1716186
I had a couple of pairs during last 15 years. The best sounding earbuds Sony ever made.
Unbeatable price/quality ratio! Unfortunately some stupid idiot(s) from Sony decided to
stop their production. Now the price is at least 5-6 times higher, if you're lucky to find them
available somewhere...
1715177
I like these blue sony headphones, they deliver good overall sound quality and bass while grabbing your ear snugly, so I can run with them and they never fall out. I don't have any luck with ear buds.
236745
EDIT (APRIL 30 2011):: I just wanted everyone to know that I just had another pair of these earbuds crap out on me after 5 months. This is the third or fourth pair that have given out within 6 months. I should add that I use them 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, while I work. I'm tempted to upgrade to one of Sony's higher end models, but I'm afraid they will also die within 6 months.

EDIT:: After writing this review I purchased a new pair of these ear buds form an Amazon seller. After receiving them I now have 3 reasons to complain. As I noted in the my previous review, I have owned at least 3 pairs of these ear-buds. But Sony's upgrade from MDR-EX55 to MDR-EX56 was a step backwards.

1) The little ear bud that goes into your ear has a much stronger and durable material on the inside (the part that connects the silicone ear-bud housing). This makes sure that the ear-bud housing stay put.

2) Unfortunately, the sound quality has gotten worse in this model upgrade (from the MDR-EX55 to the MDR-EX56). Sony must have changed their driver in these headphones because the bass is not nearly as nice sounding as it used to be. This means I'm going to have to pay more for Sony's MDR-EX300 to get the sound I want.

3) The craftsmanship on the the new MDR-EX56 is horrible, the soft backing looks as if it was glued on all lopsided. Usually these ear-buds are put together really well.

-----

My previous review.

I've been buying this model from Sony for a few years. The sound quality for the price (here on Amazon) is outstanding. I use these ear-buds for 8-9 hrs per day for 5-6 days per week. After about 6-7 months they ALWAYS begin to fail. First one ear-bud, then the next. But I always buy another pair because the audio quality for the price is next-to-none. I might as well stock-up and buy several pairs at once. They would last me a few years.

If you're looking for studio quality you should buy the higher end model ear-buds, but if you're just looking for a good "work-horse" set of ear-buds with excellent, full range, sound then look no further. My only real complaint about these ear-buds is that the soft cover comes unglued rather quickly after very heavy use. However, this doesn't seem to effect the sound at all.
2373818
Finally some decent over earbuds  at a cheap price. I bought the Sony earbuds that were at the same price point and those were so horrible that it made airline earbuds seem like a better option.
289183
Excellent product.  The Sony MDREX85LP earbuds are the best earbuds I've found for under $120.  They produce very well BALANCED sound, impressive bass response (while not being overpowering), warm mid range and a very detailed high end - a very smooth sound playing 320k mp3s tracks on my MiniDisc Recorder.  They come with three different sizes of silicon inserts - the medium ones fit very well and are surpisingly comfortable for a larger earbud.  The price was absolutely incredible - they were only $42 from Amazon.  Great sound made affordable from Sony.
3947662
My previous sony earbuds lasted for 10 months, so I had high expectations. The earbuds have good sound quality, but just stopped working today in the left ear. I asked amazon for a replacement and they delivered, so I guess I'll give this an extra one star.
227044
I just received my second set of these earbuds.  I wanted to buy some more before they were discontinued.  Sony, if you are listening, keep making the MDR-EX71SLA!  These are the second best sounding earbuds I've ever owned, the first being the Shure E5's, but those shure buds are in a totally different class and with a $500 price tag, I'll not be getting them again.
Pros: Sound quality is fantastic...better than anything else of Sony's that I've ever heard, and I've tried all the Best Buy Sony earbuds.  I even bought a pair of Bose earbuds, but immediately returned them because they are way too boomy, lacking in good definition in the mid-high range.  I even bought a set of Shure e210 buds, but also returned them the same day.  I'm noot paying nearly $200 for crappy sounding earbuds.  These little white sony earbuds beat them all in my opinion.  Crystal Clear higs, very nice midrange and astounding bass, when the song calls for it, not all the time.  The Sound Isolation of the soft rubber is nice as well, I drive a large vehicle and I can hear all the pick noise, soft nuances and quiet bonus material that's on many tracks, but that only people with good hearing and great equipment can hear.  I like the short version of the cables when my Ipod is in my front pocket.  I also like the soft rubber that surrounds the buds (white rubber) because it's more comfortable on the ears and face.

Cons: the dang rubber ear canal thingies will fall off after time.  My solution has been to buy a super cheap set of earbuds costing $6 that have the same size rubber thingies and use them as spares.  Also, I'm not too hot on the left ear cable being so short, like others have said.  But it's a small price to pay.
3328237
Although they worked pretty well (stay in place most of the time, have a decent sound) and a lot of extras, they just stop working after 9 months, a month ago the right side and this morning the left one.

Compared to my old skull candy, that survived an entire day forgotten in my pocket while i was swimming in the beach and later passed trhough the washer machine (i didn't realize that they were in the pocket for a full weekend) i believe that 9 months for a sony is pretty bad, considering that they were used in normal conditions.

Does anyone have had experiences like this with other sony headphones? for my, Sony=Quality, so i was surprised with the poor quality of this headphones
4641685
When I took these headphones out of the package i was expecting everything to go wrong. I've always have bad luck with sony earbuds. So i plugged them in to my iPod and what do ya know. They scratch pop and cut out in certain sides when the plug is nudged a slight bit. Yes it is plugged all the way in and when i plug my sennheiser hd457's in they work just fine. Im going to return these and see if i cant have better luck with another brand. But when I could hear them the audio was phenomenal. Highly reccomended if you don't get a bad pair.
4512596
The earbuds are very nice and I love them and would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for good earphones.  I got them for work. the cord could be a little longer if you ask me.
1001067
it is a pretty good pair. For less than 20 dollars, SONY is SONY. It offers decent sound quality. I'll have to say that the company probably tried to bring up the bass as many good headphones can do, but there is a bit muffling as a result. I don't think it's as bad as the Dr. Dre kind of muffling. It simply doesn't punch as strongly. Nevertheless, the sound quality is comparable to some 60-90 dollars range headphones. It would be an ok but for a bit over 10 bucks, these are awesome! SONY did a good job as a big brand should
519119
I'm wondering...what is up with the price? I bought a pair of these headphones BRAND NEW from a Walmart store in my hometown for $9.98. They do work pretty good, I'm impressed.
729517
Earbuds are frustrating. I like the way these Sony earbuds fit (flat on the side and easy to wear when falling asleep). I get very frustrated with Sony because they don't work well for very long. Quickly one side or the other quits. I bought these because reviews of most earbuds are that they don't fit or they fall out so I decided to go with these - they fit me and their price is low.  I'm making do, hoping this industry can come up with something that works!
4074637
Great sound and good price, but now with the last two pairs I purchased, the right (non-mic) earbud dies after a few months, which is okay for phone use, but makes music listening worthless. Giving Sony 1 star to encourage them to fix this.
1363296
These headphones are more flash, than quality. And, they're too overpriced. If you want good headphones, buy the Sony MDR7506 model. They are (and have been) the industry standard for years and years.
4282093
Sony is great. They sound every bit as good as earbuds that cost twice as much, or more. The design could fit better in the ears especially on windy days, but that's minor compared to the warm sound they produce. I'm very happy with these earbuds.