Sony MDR-E829V Fontopia Earbuds with In-line Volume Control (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

Just received these and I'm so pleased. Of course, I can't report on their durability yet so I might update this review at a later point. First, the sound is great. I'm surprised at the spattering of negative reviews in this regard. For me, these are following up a pair of $30 earbuds that I broke and the sound of these is just as good, if not better. The actual ear buds are kind of gigantic, but they're not meant to go IN your ear canal. They're supposed to sit in the front of it, in the little bowl-shaped part of your ear (whatever that's called) and I'm finding that the larger size actually keeps them in place better than the smaller sizes I usually get. The ultimate diameter (they're not perfectly round) is just short of 3/4 of an inch. The volume control wheel is really small, not something that you'll be able to use with gloves on. It works well, though.The winding case, however, is crap. I wasn't especially buying them for that, so I don't mind so much. First, it's huge, so not really all that convenient. It's over three inches wide, so it would practically take up your whole pocket. Second, it's cheap, flimsy plastic. I can tell I'd just have to open and close it a few times before the hinge and/or clasp will break. Also, as others have mentioned, the cord on these earbuds is relatively short and kinda thick, so it doesn't seem like a case is needed to shorten it or keep it untangled. Very happy for the price! Update 3/14/12 - Two and a half months later, still working great.

I just placed an order for a new pair of these headphones after wearing out my old pair (one of the earbuds has become louder than the other). I wear these frequently while biking, with a radio (yes, there are still portable radios), MP3 player, iPod Shuffle, and occasionally with a laptop. Here are the results of my experiences with them:1. The foam padding over the earbuds kept coming off, and eventually I lost both pads.2. Sometimes, they become uncomfortable after an hour or so. That said, I've worn them for several hours on long plane rides, and I didn't regret the experience. But if you have smaller ears, as some of the other reviewers do, you might find them less tolerable.3. The inline control is great for biking: you don't have to fiddle with finding the right button, you just move the slider.4. As other reviewers have noted, these aren't expensive headphones, so don't expect them to be top-quality. That said, for the size -- and especially the price -- they sound like they should cost 2-4 times as much.5. Most importantly for biking, you can hear road sounds. I know, that's the exact opposite of what you usually want in headphones, but if you're riding on city streets, you need to be able to hear cars approaching from behind, trucks backing up, people's voices, etc.6. It's hard to understand recorded voices when going down a big hill, because you hear the wind rushing past your ears and that distorts the words. However, you have to be going at least 25mph for that to be an issue.

I'm really into sound quality, but more into saving money. I've used these earbuds for the last 6 years. I tend to lose them or lend them out and never get them back, so I've had the chance to buy other pairs and try them out. Nothing compares to these. Not even the buds that physically go in your ear, which are extremely uncomfortable after a while. I've had $30+ earbuds and they've all sucked compared to these. I love bass and Sony does an excellent job. I've tried other Sony earbuds as well, like the color one and in ear ones and for some reason the bass is as bad as with non Sony ones. But this specific model is perfect. You can also read the specs on the back of the package and compare them to any other headphones and the range is unsurpassed by anything under $50. I swear.So these are a real steal and with the cushion on them, the most comfortable, powerful, and cheap earbuds you can find. I tell everyone to buy them.and no I don't work for Sony haha. I think all their other <$50 earbuds suck. I feel like all companies sacrifice bass with those. And everything just sounds kind of old radio. Most people never notice a difference but I promise after using these you won't go back to your other earbuds.If you are more into exercising and noise canceling, you're going to have to shell out more bucks. I've exercised with these but they can fall out when you get sweaty. THey're not noise canceling but that doesn't really matter unless you're on a flight with those annoying jet engines. But again, noise canceling full ear coverage headphones are pretty expensive, to me.

I am sitting here listening to a set that I bought TEN years ago. The cord is a bit rubbed off in spots because I ran in them for a year when I lost 35 pounds. I have snagged them, stepped on them, sweated on them, and the chilluns have ripped them out of my ears. Although they are not my preferred headphones because of the sound and the fact that they hurt after wearing an hour, the bass is huge and the volume still works like it did the first day. There are deep scores on the plug and I imagine that they will stop working soon, but they have held up forever and I don't mind the sound. If you need an integrated volume control, I would highly recommend these. They hurt less than Senn MX/400-500's. I don't really like earbuds anymore anyway. But these are what I wear when I do wear them. You can make them sound better by taking the foamies, pushing them on a drinking straw and positioning it over the spot where the music comes through on the phones, then cutting quickly with scissors. This makes a seal and allows more treble and bass through while maintaining a bit of a seal from the outside. It is kind of like the ones that come with Yuins, but off to the side since Sony holes are off center. If you think you are going to mess them up, by a pack of ten from Dollar Tree until you get them right, and then hope you like the color you end up with.