I bought the EX71SL and I have to admit that the sound is great, though the high frequencies might be a bit enchanced... Sadly, the cable is realy made with bad quality plastic. It feels great to the touch but it's not durable. I accidentaly slept with the earphones on and the result is that now the right earphone cord is naked since it started peeling off. In addition, when the cord is touching the clothes, you can actually hear the scratching sound. Anyway, I have decided to not buy Sony products and tried out a pioneer set. Not the best experience. And then one other. To cut a long story short, I have bought the EX81SL since I found nothing to match the sound quality at this price range. I don't like the design (I prefer the EX71SL's) but the cord (at least here in Japan) is of different plastic! So I will give it a go. Sound quality is great and I'm optimistic!