CNET Reviews EX90LPs

[navsimpson]

I find CNET reviews to be quite good - they're even quite fair to Sony DAPs - so I thought I'd post this for those who might be interested.

CNET Review - MDR-EX90LP

[bogon07]

Good find navsimpson,

Most reviews for the EX90 seem pretty positive.

Unfortunately they are currently way overpriced in Australia @ $199AUD

We're also getting the budget! version of them, the Ex85 @ $149AUD

Edited October 26, 2006 by bogon07

[Ascariss]

and canada lol. sony should ship the new video hdd walkman with these.

[rocklegend_]

I got these Phones last Week and I´ve been using them with my HD5 and they are amazing.The sound is incredible...lovely tight Bottom end and Lovely highs.I´m using them with my NH1 and they sound better.My advice....buy them and you wont regret it...

[rastaroofus]

What's the difference between the SL and LP versions?

Edited December 18, 2006 by rastaroofus

[Ishiyoshi]

What's the difference between the SL and LP versions?

Welcome to ATRACLife!

The difference lies with its cord lenghts:

MDR-EX90SL = Cord length: approx. 0.5m

MDR-EX90LP = Cord length: approx. 1.2m

[DSP]

hey guys,

can anyone tell me how these phones compare to the mdr-ex71 and the sennheiser cx300?

I've owned the EX71's and currently own cx300's.

I must say that CX300 beats EX71 all the way, But I'm very curious about EX90.

greetz

[rumblefish]

i picked up a set of these a couple of month ago - thought they looked great and i liked the previous sony fontopia earphones i had - these seemed to be an upgrade to those.

they sounded OK, but because they're not fully in-ear, you can hear a lot of background noise unless vol. is up v.high - then i suspect you're broadcasting to everyone else around you!

but anyway, for me they proved far too painful to wear - they really hurt my ears after just a short time wearing them. You'll notice that the actual ear-bud is soft rubber, whilst the casing - that also sits in your ear - is hard and offer no comfort! I find the same thing with the b&o earphones...

DSP -- i'd also picked up some sennheiser cx300s and not only can you wear them continuously - they're so comfortable - for me i thought the sound is far superior - they're the best earphones i've come accross in this kinda price range...although i note that the cx300s are around $40 vs.ex @ around $100...

[DSP]

yes, I agree that CX300 are very comfy to wear.

but I have a nw-s703 now, and the phones bundled with them (mdr-nc022) look very similar to mdr-ex90.

are they identical? I tink mdr-nc022 are very good, I really hear the difference between 9mm driver unit (cx300) and 13,5mm driver unit (mdr-nc022/mdr-ex90)

greetz

[ceres]

yes, I agree that CX300 are very comfy to wear.

but I have a nw-s703 now, and the phones bundled with them (mdr-nc022) look very similar to mdr-ex90.

are they identical? I tink mdr-nc022 are very good, I really hear the difference between 9mm driver unit (cx300) and 13,5mm driver unit (mdr-nc022/mdr-ex90)

greetz

Hi,

no the phones you mentioned are very different. The MX 90 are leagues better. I highly recommend them. They are also a clear upgrade from the cx 300 which

I consider a great value for money.

[doclloyd]

Apologies if this is the wrong forum/thread, but what is the best price people have found for the EX90SL variant? I have a pair of the LP's, which I love, but the long cord is slightly annoying to use with my RH1 and the remote.

[ceres]

Apologies if this is the wrong forum/thread, but what is the best price people have found for the EX90SL variant? I have a pair of the LP's, which I love, but the long cord is slightly annoying to use with my RH1 and the remote.

that of course depends on where you live.

[kerfuffle]

The SL version isn't sold here in Australia. O_O

[Zizone_]

yes, I agree that CX300 are very comfy to wear.

but I have a nw-s703 now, and the phones bundled with them (mdr-nc022) look very similar to mdr-ex90.

are they identical? I tink mdr-nc022 are very good, I really hear the difference between 9mm driver unit (cx300) and 13,5mm driver unit (mdr-nc022/mdr-ex90)

greetz

MDR-EX90 and MDR-NC022 both have 13.5mm driver unit, yet their difference in sound quality is noticeable.

MDR-NC022 seems to give more like a "vacuum" sort of feeling, yet MDR-EX90 feels more open. MDR-EX90 does give better separation and I hear few notes that are not heard using MDR-NC022.

I recommed MDR-NC022 under noisy environment, where it will give better sound experience.

But when you are in somewhat quite to medium environment, MDR-EX90 should give higher quality sound.

So, both are good earphones. Just fact that MDR-EX90 delivers top-notch sound while MDR-NC022 can provide NC function with good sound quality.

Just like we all know, it is really hard to describe sound experience by words until you hear it.

I hope this helps.

[BIGHMW]

The SL version isn't sold here in Australia. O_O

Perhaps I can be of some assistance to you, dude.

http://www.audiocubes.com/category/Headpho..._Earphones.html

They ship worldwide, and even take PayPal

NOTE:

The SL versions of N.U.D.E EX series units are usualy Japan-only (JE version) exclusives, so if you own a remote Walkman, like I do, get nothing but an SP or an SL, as they have the 0.5m cord, with optional 1.0m extension cord available on some (but work with all) models.

Edited February 27, 2007 by BIGHMW

[500]

hi all

im new here, i dont know much about headphones, so hopefully i can get some help here.

im sony fan when it comes to mp3 players, walkman has been the greatest since it was first created, down with the ipod!

any how, i dont use an mp3 player at the moment, i use my sony ericsson phone, normall the walkman versions, and i upgrade phones on a regular basis, so, every couple weeks to a couple of months, whether its a high end walkman or normal k series phone or smartphone. i ve got an s500i on the way, but will get a w580i when it comes out in next week or so, then i will get the p1, and then the w960i and k850i as a combo. yes, as uve noticed im a sony fans with phones too, down with nokia lol

i was looking at these phones, well the ex90sl any way, just wondering how the 50cm cord will be when using them with a phone? will it be like the hpm-70 headphones that come with the walkman phones if any one has used them? the phone will be in my pocket of course. will it be long enough, too long, too short?

i had a pair of panasonic hje-70's they seemed to stay in my ears well, do the ex90sl's? hows the sound quality? good enough considering its price? block out noise well?

to cut it short, just looking for an excellent sounding pair of headphones, which dont cost more than $150aud.

at the moment, im using the sony ericsson hbh-ds970 a2dp wireless headset, its loud, but want something louder.

cheers

sorry for the ameature wording dont know much about headphones. but am slowly learning.

[markey]

Hi & welcome to ATRAC Life

The EX90's are a good quality pair of phones but would sound better if used with a Sony mp3 player, ie. NW-A800 series or NW-S700 series player. An SE Walkman phone will not give the same sound quality as a dedicated Sony mp3 player.

[500]

^^^^^

thanks for the reply, and the welcome...

of course i did know my se walkman phone wont produce the same quality, though i do think the w960i when it comes could be comparible (my w950i was excellent in sound quality, with a decent set of headphones, could compete with dedicated music players from sony, apple etc when i tested) though this is the flagship walkman phone so quality is a little better than the rest of the walkman range phones.

but none the less, with a decent set of headphones, theres no reason why i cant get decent quality sound from my phone, ive done it before. just need some decent in ear -headphones reccommended to me :-) which would allow me to get the best music quality possible from my phone.

cheers

ps, perhaps i should start a new seperate thread for this? though i still do like the ex90sl's, any in depth reviews i can have a read of?

[markey]

^^^^^

thanks for the reply, and the welcome...

of course i did know my se walkman phone wont produce the same quality, though i do think the w960i when it comes could be comparible (my w950i was excellent in sound quality, with a decent set of headphones, could compete with dedicated music players from sony, apple etc when i tested) though this is the flagship walkman phone so quality is a little better than the rest of the walkman range phones.

but none the less, with a decent set of headphones, theres no reason why i cant get decent quality sound from my phone, ive done it before. just need some decent in ear -headphones reccommended to me :-) which would allow me to get the best music quality possible from my phone.

cheers

ps, perhaps i should start a new seperate thread for this? though i still do like the ex90sl's, any in depth reviews i can have a read of?

Indeed the EX90's should be a great improvement on the stock buds.

The W950i, is that the one WITHOUT the camera?

[500]

the w950 is with out a camera yes ;-) its the 'smartphone' walkman phone

just couple quick mroe q's before i purchase. how do they sit in your ears? good fit? are these 'full' in ear headphones? as it looks as if they 'standard' headphone style part might need to be placed in the ear too, or is this not true? just the tips?

and outside noise, easy for others to hear your music? like the ipod phones? and noise cancelling, sufficient amount blocked out?

[markey]

the w950 is with out a camera yes ;-) its the 'smartphone' walkman phone

just couple quick mroe q's before i purchase. how do they sit in your ears? good fit? are these 'full' in ear headphones? as it looks as if they 'standard' headphone style part might need to be placed in the ear too, or is this not true? just the tips?

and outside noise, easy for others to hear your music? like the ipod phones? and noise cancelling, sufficient amount blocked out?

I have a similiar type of phone to the EX90's, the EX82's that came with my NW-A806. They sit in the ear comfortably enough, but offer no noise cancelling what so ever. I think the EX90's are the same. They sit inside your ears like Sennheiser CX300's or Sony EX71's.

Edited June 28, 2007 by markey

[500]

no noise cancelling at all? you say they sit in your ear like th cx300's, the sony ericsson hpm-70 (some sony headphone just sony ericsson branded) are the same design sort of like cx300, and they block quite a bit of noise, not fully, but when in your ear, and music is on, you cant hear much around you. i want this to be the case with ex90's, would be dissapointed if its not... even with music off its a lot quiter.

[Zizone_]

no noise cancelling at all? you say they sit in your ear like th cx300's, the sony ericsson hpm-70 (some sony headphone just sony ericsson branded) are the same design sort of like cx300, and they block quite a bit of noise, not fully, but when in your ear, and music is on, you cant hear much around you. i want this to be the case with ex90's, would be dissapointed if its not... even with music off its a lot quiter.

You probably don't know the difference between active and non-active (passive) noise canceling. The latter effect can be found in most headphones which relies on how well the headphones seal your ear canals thus increasing proficiency of preventing noise from entering your ear. In addition to the non-active noise (or passive), the former is where the headphones samples ambient noise and produces the sound wave that is off phase from the ambient noise, thus canceling the sound.

MDR-EX90 neither has microphones to detect nor hardware to sample the noise; as a result, no Active noise canceling. However, it can't be said that the headphone does not provide passive noise canceling, since most headphones do decrease your hearing ability by blocking access to the ear canals.

MDR-EX90, however, does provide very good sound quality with large frequency range compared to any other headphones (ear canals ones).

[500]

thanks zizone

i know what what active noise cancellation etc etc is.... i know they arent (the ex90) a noise cancelling headphone technically speaking. but most in ear phones ive used have blocked out quite a bit of noise, and when music is on, cannot hear too much. of course the active noise cancelling phones block out almost everything as thats what they are made for lol. but i do assume the ex90 at least, like many in ear phones, block out some noise correct?

[bangraman]

No they don't. Sole reason that the EX90's are total deal-killers for me is the lack of any isolation. Other than that, a pretty decent sounding pair of in-ears and I found them extremely comfortable.

[500]

hmmm, how about music isolation. say if im in a fairly quite location, and there are people around me, would they hear the music easily? the in ear phones ive used to date, sony ericsson hpm-70, panasonic hje-70 etc have not allowed people to hear my music. for some reason i dont like when others can hear my music, its something that annoys me when i have to listen to people music when they have ipod earphones, god they are bad! can hear everything on them when up loud, guess thats the reason. dont want others to have to hear my music easily.

[ceres]

hmmm, how about music isolation. say if im in a fairly quite location, and there are people around me, would they hear the music easily? the in ear phones ive used to date, sony ericsson hpm-70, panasonic hje-70 etc have not allowed people to hear my music. for some reason i dont like when others can hear my music, its something that annoys me when i have to listen to people music when they have ipod earphones, god they are bad! can hear everything on them when up loud, guess thats the reason. dont want others to have to hear my music easily.

hi,

unfortunately audio leakage is a major concern with these sony phones. surely, they don´t fit the bill for you and that´s a pity bc i also own the mentioned hje 70s and find the sonys much more agreeable. as bangraman mentioned above the mx 90 really have a very comfortable fit.

truth be told i consider them to be the best gym phones around. as they go for around 60 euros around here i´d have to say the sound quality -given the price point- is unmatched. i also own more expensive iems but still use the mx 90s quite often. how much do you want to spend?

[500]

^^^^ thanks for the response

im looking to spend $120aud (australian dollars) max! but as you say, they leak too much sound as well? meaning those around me can hear my music?

what headphones would people reccommend then? good bass/trebble/over all sound quality is most important, the phones need to be loud (i know the music player affects teh volume the most) but surely the phones can contribute to some extra volume, maybe larger drivers contribute to this??? needs to be a snug fit in the ears (really hate when the phones fall out easy) whilst still maintaining a good comfort level, anything that causes discomfort is out of the question. not too fussed about cord length. will be used on my mobile phone which is kept in my pocket, so cord would go through my jumper..... the phones design is also a factor, not a major one, but id like a nice design, something like the ex90's, or the panasonic hje-70's. only colours i will buy are silver, black or white.....

i dont want to hear much of the outside world when listening to my music, i dont want a pair of noise cancelling phones, just a pair which block outside sounds well. my se hpm-70's block out quite a bit. and again, i dont want to much leakage, dont want my music to be heard easily (ipod earphones perfect example of this, can hear everything) by people around me. and the phones MUST be in-ear style. no ear hooks at all either, and neck strap not important, but if the phones have one i wont mind at all.

o and the music i listen too most is dance = trance, tech, progressive, electro etc etc... bass is a plenty in this music.....

opinions please. thank you

[500]

how about the ex85's? how are they with sound leakage/noise blocking? same/better/ or worse than the ex90's?

but again as my above post, suggesstions please

[markey]

The same design as the EX90's and EX82's, so I would expect them to be the same. Sennheiser CX300's are a good pair of phones for the money. They would offer passive noise cancellation and wouldn't leak either. The only Sony in ear phones I know of with a short/remote friendly cord would be the EX71's but they wouldn't sound as good as the EX90's. However, they do offer good isolation and don't leak sound either.

[500]

thanks mark

the cx300, how are they volume wise? i like volume to be quite loud when i listen to my music, some headphones are too low, some times its the player, but again im sure the phones contribute to this.

other headphones with good sound quality/volume?

any one tested the shure se210 yet? or the jays d-jays?

[ceres]

thanks mark

the cx300, how are they volume wise? i like volume to be quite loud when i listen to my music, some headphones are too low, some times its the player, but again im sure the phones contribute to this.

other headphones with good sound quality/volume?

any one tested the shure se210 yet? or the jays d-jays?

the cheap sure are rather bad and I don´t know the jays. the cx 300 are very bass heavy and not that efficient (loud)

there are also the vmoda vibez around. many people like them, i don´t. i suggest you give them a try.

[500]

ive checked out the vmoda vibes, not sure i want to spend my money on them, quite ugly.... i spent last night reading reviews on I-Lounge, and im now looking at buying a set of Ultimate Ears Super Fi 5 EB (or the pro version, but they are a little too expsensive i think) they seem like a good set of phones, the reviewers seemed very happy with them...

[ceres]

ive checked out the vmoda vibes, not sure i want to spend my money on them, quite ugly.... i spent last night reading reviews on I-Lounge, and im now looking at buying a set of Ultimate Ears Super Fi 5 EB (or the pro version, but they are a little too expsensive i think) they seem like a good set of phones, the reviewers seemed very happy with them...

1) the vibez do indeed -imho- look vulgar. furthermore, my first unit died after 5 days, the replacement lasted a few months and just died on my sister to whom I passed them on. AMAZING

2) the ue 5eb are huge and uncomfortable. forget about working out with those. one more thing: their bass performance is in a league of its own

3) you want it all and you want it for rather cheap. if phones meeting all of your criteria existed at 200 usd, they´d be amazing.you´ll have to compromise (settle for less)

[500]

@ceres

i dont want it all i just want the best quality i can get for my money ($130usd max) id get the ue 5pro's but i as i said, they are too exspensive, perhaps ill get lucky and find a bargain some where.

the ue 5eb's, how huge, is 'huge'? do you own them? if so, can you take a couple comparrison photos with some other phones next to it so i can compare size.

oh, i like my bass, but not to the point where it starts to distort.

cheers

[BIGHMW]

True, the EX90's (I have the EX90SL variant for my NH700) don't isolate sound like the EX71/81 did, but, they do nice, tight bass (not overpowering but certainly not drowning either like the 71's did), clear and more-defined mids and highs than the 71/81 ever did, and the EX90's, and their sister pair, the EX85SLs I also own, for my RH710, definitely sure as hell sound better and more rounded-off sound than the old 71/81's ever did, plus, the cord is better built on them, and the 90's handle twice as much power (200mW compared to the 71/81's 100mW), plus, they have much more sensitivity (106 dB for the 90's and 105 dB for the 85's) compared to the 71/81's (both 100 dB), so would definitely recommend them.

As for noise canceling/isolating in this 2006 series, I recommend the MDR-NC22, same build as the 85/90, but, with 12 dB noise canceling (80%!!!)

You can read my ALC/MDCF-exclusive review at this link on them:

http://www.atraclife.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=3403