Perfect Low-Cost Headphones for Travel

Being a frequent flyer, I've learned over the years that a good set of headphones can actually preserve one's sanity. Thanks to the Sony MDR-E828LP earbuds (technically Sony calls them "Fontopia® Ear-Bud Headphones"), I'm a little less crazy these days than I would be had I traveled without them.

Before jumping into the review, let me provide a quick background. I travel a lot by plane and always carry along my Creative Zen Vision: M. It's a great little MP3 player, sports 30GB of storage space, and handles video as well as audio. Anyway, I love the player, but was not so impressed with the included earbuds from Creative. I found that they slipped out of my ears a lot and didn't really provide the sound level or bass that I needed to block out screaming kids in the seats behind me. However, I also didn't want to invest hundreds of dollars on high-end headphones or earbuds considering how likely I am to leave them on a plane or in a hotel room.

I found the Sony MDR-E828LP earbuds while in Office Depot picking up supplies. I just happened to be walking down an aisle when I noticed a selection of headphones and earbuds. The round gray carrying case caught my eye, as did the $9.99 selling price.

At first I didn't expect much for ten dollars, but I was pleasantly surprised when I looked at the specs on the package:

Frequency Response 12-22000Hz
Sensitivity 108 dB/mW
16mm Driver Units

This may not mean a lot to many people, but the frequency range of most inexpensive headphones/earbuds is typically around 20-20000Hz, translating into tinny highs and almost no bass. For the price, the range on the Sony earbuds was superior to several other headphones selling for $20 to $30 dollars. Knowing Sony for quality products, I decided that it was worth $9.99 to try them out. Also, this was the perfect price for me - low enough that it wouldn't kill me if I lost them traveling, but high enough to know I wasn't buying completely low-end garbage.

I bought the earbuds and as soon as I got home, took them out of the package. The round clamshell carrying case is actually very nice. It's plastic with a clear lid, and there's a small finger-tip sized indentation in the top. Basically, it's a miniature reel and once the earbuds are inserted into the case, you can spin the top clear lid and reel up the cord, which then stores nicely inside the case. The size is perfect to slip into a shirt or jacket pocket - ideal for me when I travel. Although the case is decent, don't get the idea that it's built for any kind of abuse. It is just light plastic and will provide minimal protection, but it's really designed to act as a carrying case. But hey, for $10 bucks, it's more than you get with a lot of other earbuds.

The Sony earbuds themselves are great. Personally I prefer soft foam pads, and I was pleasantly surprised to see two inside the package. The earbuds have a nice rubber edge to them anyway and are comfortable without the foam pads, but once the pads were on, I found them to be extremely comfortable. The shape of the earbuds is well suited to my ears, and the fit is just right so that they stay in place without feeling to tight. Also, each is marked with an L or R to easily identify left from right.

I've seen other comments online about the cord length and design, but in my experience, these are not problem areas. Yes, the cord is only 3.3 ft (1.0m), but for use with a portable audio player like my Zen Vision: M, this is exactly what I need. Enough cord to reach comfortably from my player to my ears regardless of where I store it (belt, jacket pocket, etc.), but not so long that it ends up getting tangled or catching on something. Additionally, the cord is a perfect "Y" shape, with the right and left earbuds having identical lengths. I've heard complaints about some models having one longer than the other, but not so with the MDR-E828LP earbuds. Lastly, the cord itself is very high quality and feels very "rubbery", allowing it to be very flexible but strong.

Now to the real reason for buying these earbuds - the sound. I was simply amazed at the sound quality, regardless of how much I spent. Compared to the Creative earbuds that came with my Zen Vision: M, the Sony earbuds are awesome! They offer strong, solid base and excellent mid/high ranges. According to Sony's description, "Sony Acoustic Twin Turbo™ circuit uses sound chamber and ducts for improved efficiency; gets high sonic output from your portable stereo." I'm still not sure what this means, but it sure seems to work!

For your convenience, here is a brief summary of key features and specifications:

- High Quality 16mm Driver Units with neodymium magnets provide enhanced sound quality with deep bass and clear treble.

- Silent Cap (a rubber ring around the earbuds) virtually confines sound to your ears, reducing "sound leak" from disturbing others around you.

- Sony Acoustic Twin Turbo™ circuit uses sound chamber and ducts for improved efficiency; gets high sonic output from your portable stereo

- Compact winding case

Specifications (per the manufacturer):

Type: In-the-Ear, open air, dynamic

Sensitivity: 108 dB/mW

Impedance: 16 ohms at 1 kHz

Frequency Response: 12-22000Hz

Power Handling Capacity: 50mW

Cord Length: 3.3 ft (1.0m)

Plug: L-shaped stereo mini

Weight: Approx. 0.18 oz. (6g) w/out cord


Overall, I've been very pleased with these earbuds. They fit comfortably and even at higher volumes no sound seems to leak out. In fact, I've turned them on and held them at arms length to see how loud they are outside of my ears. Sound is actually very minimal like this, yet very loud when inserted back into my ears. However, since these are not "noise reducing" earbuds like much more expensive models, I can still hear with the earbuds inserted in my ears when I turn my player down or off. This is great for me on planes, as I can simply mute the sound and listen to the flight attendants or overhead announcements without removing the earbuds.

And one last note - the earbuds are gray and silver with a black cord. It's a nice look and makes it very obvious that these are not iPod earbuds. I only point this out due to a few recent news stories about thieves targeting people wearing white earbuds and stealing their iPods. The Sony earbuds are very clearly Sony products and don't reveal anything about the type of player one might have tucked into a pocket.