New MDR-EX90SL

[bogon07]

--> http://www.sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/200604/06-0403/

These Sony earphones look pretty good. They have bigger drivers at 13.5mm than the EX51 & EX71s which are 9mm.

Edited April 4, 2006 by Ishiyoshi

[Ishiyoshi]

I saw the MDR-EX90SL recently by Yodobashi. The build quality appears to have improved over its predecessor - just as reported by kurisu during CES '06.

[bogon07]

I saw the MDR-EX90SL recently by Yodobashi. The build quality appears to have improved over its predecessor - just as reported by kurisu during CES '06.

Thanks, just had a look at Kurisu's review of them in the ATRAClife blog.

They look almost like some-one crossed a doctor's stethoscope with EX71s.

Wonder how they would compare to Panasonic HJE70s ?

[Stuge]

Bland10000 or Tommy said that the material of the cord is same as EX81

Edited April 4, 2006 by stuge

[Rumz]

My question is when will these hit the market?

[Ishiyoshi]

My question is when will these hit the market?

May 10, 2006 for the Japanese domestic market.

[Stuge]

May 10, 2006 for the Japanese domestic market.

Ok,But do you have any idea when they will be released worlwide??

Price is bit high 12,390 Yen Leather case has increased the price of the package .

[bogon07]

Bland10000 or Tommy said that the material of the cord is same as EX81

The EX81s are a sort of improved EX71 with ear clips aren't they ?

The cord would have to be more substantial than that on my EX51s - it is very thin and hollow feeling.

Atleast the EX90s appear to have a protective covering where the cord connects to the ear phones.

[Ishiyoshi]

Ok,But do you have any idea when they will be released worlwide??

Price is bit high 12,390 Yen Leather case has increased the price of the package .

All other region should expect the MDR-EX90SL (North America should expect the "LP" version) sometime this quarter. According to kurisu's report at CES early in February 2006, the MDR-EX90LP should debut with a MSRP of approx. USD$99.95.

For those interested: We have included pictures of its accessories in ATRACLife.

[mercury_in_flames]

If the cord is the same as the EX81's then I will most definetly NOT be buying these. The cord of the EX81's was like rubber, and i mean the kind you use to rub out pencil on paper, not at all decent quality. I still have mine after a year but ive had to use loads of sello tape to keep the wires together.

[Stuge]

If the cord is the same as the EX81's then I will most definetly NOT be buying these.

But i will still wait for some review before buying these .As chances of release 91SL rather dim here ..AS Sony don`t like to launch there products here (India )..LOL Sony .So i will have to import them .

[The Rule]

100 bucks? Slide me some ER6i's insted.

[Stuge]

100 bucks? Slide me some ER6i's insted.

design wise phones look`s good & strudy.not sure about the cord though.

[xatax]

Nice design, but at that price I would expect more than just design... how about the sound?

[Stuge]

Nice design, but at that price I would expect more than just design... how about the sound?

They are still not released ..so it`s hard for anyone to comment on sound quality .

[xatax]

Oh ok. Thanks. Wondering if they will sound better than my ER-6i's...

[Stuge]

Oh ok. Thanks. Wondering if they will sound better than my ER-6i's...

* frequency response: 5~25,000Hz

* impedance: 16 Ohms

* sensitivity: 106dB/mW

* 13.5mm driver

Basically, it is hard to say anything by just looking at the spec,,

[tomjones888]

I had a chance to hear this amazing headphone at the Sony store in Tokyo. They are very comfortable and very easy to put on. As for sound, the bass is very tight, not boomy and high is very natural. Very pleasant sound overall!

[Damage]

You can now purchase the EX90LP at your local Circuit City for $99. Plus Tax.

Quick observations, you can also find my post at the Orange board if you wish.

1. They blow the EX71s right out of the water with better balance of sound throughout, though the mids sounds still a bit clustered out of the box. The harshness of the trebles and the bloated bass of the EX71s have been more or less eliminated. Mids are much more pronounced vs. the EX71s, however compared to the cheaper Panasonics, they're still a bit recessed or clustered. Bass is very reminiscent of the Super-Fi 5 Pros, which are 2.5x the price.

2. The nozzle filter's been changed to a mesh. If the pictures from Sony's materials are to be believed, then the designers did a bit of surfing on the head-fi, as they use the "foam" mods favored by most members at that forum. The new mesh material, however, will more or less eliminate the "clogged nozzle" problem that was fairly common on the Orange Board.

3. These are less comfortable for my ears because of the enlarged drivers. Kinda like shoving a Griffin Earjam'd iBuds. However, unlike the Griffin Earjam'd iBuds, they sound much better overall (the Earjams, for the record, both sucks and blows, an amazing feat).

4. Quick Edit: Highs seems to be slightly brighter vs. SuperFi 5 Pros. Bass is about tad even, though I think SuperFi's has more. The Mids and Vocals are much better of SuperFis. However, the Super Fi's are a much more efficient set of IEMs.

However, is it worth $99? That's the biggest question. No question this outperforms EX series and the HJE50s; this offers a smoother, better balanced presentation w/ more controlled, though still heavy (as Super-Fis are), bass. Currently, I'm considering these as a great alternative to Shure E2s and E3s (better bass vs. E3s). The next IEMs that I'd willingly recommend comes in at $250, and compared to that, the EX90s perform admirably.

Edited April 23, 2006 by Damage

[streaml1ne]

Sweet, will pick these up tomorrow.

[streaml1ne]

FYI, the price changed overnight. These are now available for $89.99 on Circuit City's website.

[streaml1ne]

Initial impressions... Well they're better than the cheap buds that came with my NW-E507. Definitely alot of bass, it's fairly tight, but too much IMO, maybe they'll tame with some breakin. Definitely recessed mids and highs, which could just be a factor of the bass. I don't have any other buds really so I can't compare to anything but regular headphones, those being the Eggos and SA5000's. Both easily trounce these buds, but they're also seasoned units and completely different tech. This is not to say the sound isn't pleasing, it's warm and fairly vibrant, but I just don't hear the same detail that I do with even my Eggos. Are they worth the money? If you're a headphone person, no, for the same price you can get the D66 Eggo which sounds better IMO. If you're a bud person, maybe, rely on Damage's comparison to other buds for that.

[Stuge]

Yup ,thanks for your small review ..I might buy them in near future ..

[jaylen]

Are they worth the money? If you're a headphone person, no, for the same price you can get the D66 Eggo which sounds better IMO.

Great! This is exactly what I wanted to know.

[Damage]

I don't have any other buds really so I can't compare to anything but regular headphones, those being the Eggos and SA5000's. Both easily trounce these buds, but they're also seasoned units and completely different tech.

Compared to the even the lowest model of the SA line, the EX90s are quite inferior in many ways. There's no doubting that. However, the MDR-SA phones are almost heads and shoulders above many phones that I've used that are within the price range (say, near $100 ish). Again, the closest phones that match these (and outright exceeds them) are the more expensive Super-Fi 5 Pros, which uses two discreet drivers per ear vs. single drivers or the MDR-E888s, which had a lifespan of about 3 hours total, so I can't really directly compare those and the EX90s.

Though I will say that the Mids/Vocals are still recessed compared to the much cheaper HJE50s. Though the flaws on the HJE50s are much more glaring when comapred with these (granular and harsh trebles, crappy durability). Also, I should note that the soundstage sounds much more "3D" ish than the other semi-IEMs of the EX and the like. There's a bit of depth/height separating that's evident here than the EX series (which generally squashed everything in 2D plane, more or less). And they do sound more "open," or at least as open as a closed set of cans get, I suppose.

In a way, the EX90s do address the issues that EX71s and by extension other EX series suffered, which were too much bass, too harsh trebles, and near nonexistant mids. If you're upgrading from the EX71s and are determined to stick with Sonys, then these are a good pair, despite their price tag.

And hell, they outperform the more expensive Shure E3s with better overall balance; the E3s are very lacking when it comes to bass, but it can be fixed with some EQ dabbling. However, to compare these with the SAs are like comparing the Chevy Cobalt with Corvettes.

This is, very much in a way, slapping on the Earjams on E888s, as someone else probably noted elsewhere (most likely either here or Orange Board). But the Earjams, scream horrid execution in every way and manner.

Again, these are very fresh out of the box (about 5 hours now), and may take some time to break in fully. Considering that the EX71s do change in characterstics after many hours, I'd see what happens after few days/few hundred hours of burn in...

Edited April 24, 2006 by Damage

[Ipaqman]

I just got the EX90LP at CC for $90 after a 10 percent off mp3 player accessory coupon. I have 888s, EX71, Sennheiser C300s, Shure E3, and Sharp MD33s to compare with the 90lp. I am not an audiophile but I look for smooth strong bass and clear details without harshness. I also look for everyday comfort and stay in the ear tenacity.

The Shures lack bass and comfort. The EX71s lack some clarity. The Senns and Sharp sound very good. The Sharp cord material is not very long lasting. It hardened within a year. The E888s are great. They sound great and are comfortable and stay in my ears. The EX90s sound great and are very comfortable and stay in my ears. For some reason, my left ear is hard to fit. Most IEMs will not stay in my left ear for long. The large driver portion of the EX90s helps hold the earbud in place.

The EX90 cord material does not seem as delicate as that of the EX81, also not as delicate as the first version of the 71s. It seems similar to that of the C300s. The EX90 comes with a nice leather case (I believe real leather). Inside the case is a plastic form which comes completely out to allow winding of the cord. This case works much better than the Shure E3 case and it is smaller than the Shure case.

Overall, I am satisfied with the EX90s. They sound very good, look great, feel good and stay in the ears and are less than $90.

--- Update ---

The bass on the EX90 is not as overwhelming as the bass on my Sennheiser CX300. This contributes to the clarity of the EX90 compared to my other IEMs. The Shure E3 has very little bass thus its clarity.

--- Update 2 ---

The EX90s do not seem as isolating as other IEMS (E3C, EX71, CX300). And the seal does not have to be airtight. It seems that the big driver allows the EX90s to put out decent bass without the tight air seal that my other IEMs require.

Edited May 7, 2006 by Ipaqman