Sunday 1 June 2014

MDR-EX110LP - Sony, you can do better

     The MDR-EX110LP is a budget IEM with good fit, a nice compact bud design and comes with a cord winder. It comes in a variety of bright colours that fit well with the shiny chrome finish.

Pros: Compact, comfortable, should fit almost all ear sizes, good isolation and stays snugly in ear. Fairly well balanced sound.

Cons: Bass does not extend well, gets lost among other sounds, lots of sibilance, details lack crispness and a defining edge, even for a budget IEM,

The variety of colours this IEM comes in.
Close up view of the shiny earbuds with their unique design.

     These look quite good, I must say. The shiny finish of the earbuds are not overdone, it is toned down yet stands out, providing a good look. The SONY logo is written on the back of the earbuds at an angle and is quite conspicious, which may please some people. A healthy array of accessories such as a cord winder and different bud sizes round up the package, and all of this at just S$39.

     However, sound is another matter entirely. As these are IEMs, I will not focus too much on soundstage, but even then, the sound cannot compete with other budget IEMs. The bass is not overpowering, but actually lacks power to avoid getting drowned in the mix. It is often lost so easily. Mids and treble is tolerable at best, with details blurring out due to a lack of crispness and edge and there is also lots of sibilance. 
  
     The sound is a real turn-off, despite everything else being rather good. Also, if you care to top up another S$6, which I advise you to, you can get the MDR-EX220LP which is angled for an even better fit in the ear and most probably will provide better sound through the usage of 13.5mm drivers, unlike the 9mm drivers the MDR-EX110LP are using.

The MDR-EX220LP.