Sony MDR-710LP

• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 12 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 7 stars

  Clear sound, marred by bizarre folding

  by paul613 on May 30, 2006

  Pros: clear mids, highs, and lows; efficient; folds smaller than any closed phone

  Cons: requires too much time to fold and unfold; isolation could be better

  Summary: For the best review of these phones, see http://www.audiotstation.com/forum/showthread.php?p=346909
  
  I own four folding closed phones: The Sony MD-710LP; AKG K27i; AKG K81
  
  ...

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  Summary: For the best review of these phones, see http://www.audiotstation.com/forum/showthread.php?p=346909
  
  I own four folding closed phones: The Sony MD-710LP; AKG K27i; AKG K81 DJ; and Audio-Technica ATH-F55. Of the models I own, the Sony ranks a close second for overall clarity (behind the K81); second in efficiency (behind the K27i); first in small size, clarity of treble, and presence (that "live" sound). Bass is surprisingly good and clear for such a small phone. Mids are very present, terrific for vocals. However, the highs are a bit sharp and fatiguing, a trait that can probably be fixed by tweaking the equalization.
  
  Unfortunately, in setting out to design the world's smallest closed folders, Sony's engineers created a contortionist design that requires more than a minute of wrestling to unfold, and forever and a day to fold. The headband appears to be sprung steel; it twists as soon as it's unsupported. The double-articulated arms can best be thought of as an elbow and a wrist; you literally must rotate two joints on each side. Because the sprung headband fights you as you fold, the "elbow" (the joint farther from the earcups) feels as though it's going to break. Even if you wanted to, you can't store the 710LP semifolded; the headband will twist like a pretzel, defying any attempt to store the phone in a slim profile.
  
  Happily, it's fairly easy to achieve a decent seal. The seal works better at keeping your sound "in" that keeping the world "out." Even so, my cubicle neighbor can hear them from four feet away when I crank it up. Not so with my other three phones.
  
  Those interested in low-cost, clear-sounding closed folders should also consider the Philips HP460 (HP-460), the Audio-Technica ATH-FC7 (sold as the Creative HQ1700 in Europe), and the Sennheiser PX200. All these models are discussed at length in the headphone forums of http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=2 .
  
  In summary: Get the Sony if you need a closed phone, value maximum clarity in the smallest possible size, and don't plan to use the phone often. For everyday use, where convenience matters, there are better choices. If small size matters, go for the FC7, PX200, or K26p/K27i. If killer sound is paramount, you want the K81 DJ.

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 4 stars

  Compared to the AKG K26P's, these Sony's don't stand up, especially for their price.

  by fox-orian on May 30, 2007

  Pros: Metal hinges are nice, they feel quality and durable. Neutral design. The included case is nice, but it is rather comparable to a vending machine plastic egg.

  Cons: The sound quality can be downright disappointing, output full of resonances, distortion, and uneven frequency distribution. Folding mechanics can be awkward, if not due to an over-tense headband.

  Summary: I owned these headphones for a week before returning them out of sheer disappointment. I dropped $60 for them at a local Iris, and for the days I used them, ...

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  Summary: I owned these headphones for a week before returning them out of sheer disappointment. I dropped $60 for them at a local Iris, and for the days I used them, I could not convince myself that my 60 hard-earned dollars went to good use. Over these headphones, delicate piano notes would vibrate and shriek. Songs with rich depth (such as Sigur Ros's "Hoppipolla") lost much of their resolution and became a distorted mess, not to mention losing the whole "rich" feeling. At the 75+% volume end, the music is understandable, but expect to grimace every now and then over the drivers failures to produce clean sound. The bass output was good, but far overpowered by the intense midranges, where most of the distortions occur due to a closed-back design without any careful engineering. If you're looking to upgrade from stock earbuds that came with your player, the MDR-710LP may not be any better than those buds outside of some enhanced bass.
  
  Outside of the let-down sound, the design is a bit of a redeeming quality. They are very neutral -- not over elaborate to the point they seem dorky, and not totally plain that they seem like a $10 bargain brand. The folding mechanics can be annoying to perform, especially if your friend is attempting it while borrowing them for a day. At least the hinges are fully metal, giving you some assurance they won't snap in half during the twisting and turning. The headband can be extremely tense. When extended to wearing-size, the band can force the headphones to curl up into a loop, which can be annoying if you like to disarm them around your neck when not in use. The tension at least keeps them pretty well planted on your ears, but don't expect long-lasting comfort.
  
  So, the Sony MDR-710LP's lacking in sound quality, and having a "mentionable" design, why spend $45 to $65 for them? I suppose the only reason could be if your only option IS to buy Sony brand products. But if you have a choice, I would like to recommend to you the AKG K26P headphones. The K26P's are the same size as the MDR-710's, bode a slightly more stylish retro design, much more intuitive folding mechanics, half the price, and most importantly sound almost as good as $100 open-back headphones. The K26P's have incredibly tight bass followed by incredibly balanced midranges and highs. Your ears and your wallet would thank you, and you would feel like your old stock earbuds really were unnecessary.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Great Headphones

  by darkside2205 on September 30, 2011

  Pros: Compact and easy to carry around, comes in a durable case. The headphones themselves are also extremely durable. Best sound quality you'll get unless you wanna buy an overpriced pair of bose, but even then all you're really extra from bose is the noise ca

  Cons: kind of pricy if you don't really care for bad-ass sound. You can get decent 10 dollar headphones, but if you're an audiophile you'll definitely want these.

  Summary: Great pair of headphones, no real drawbacks

  Summary: Great pair of headphones, no real drawbacks

• 7 stars

  Great sound for small, compact and inexpensive phones

  by joshg5454 on March 3, 2010

  Pros: Sound quality: clear highs, deep bass
  Size: Amazingly small, folds to the size of your palm
  Price: Sounds way better than more expensive headphones
  Comfort: Lightweight, barely feels like it's on

  Cons: Durability: Very flimsy so seems like it could have issues
  Comfort: Ear pieces are very comfortable but loose and overhead strap it exposed metal
  Style: For such compact headphones it's unfortunate that they stick out so far to the sides on your head

  Summary: I've only had these headphones for a few days, but very impressed and feel like I got way more than I expected. If you're looking for portable, comfortable, ...

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  Summary: I've only had these headphones for a few days, but very impressed and feel like I got way more than I expected. If you're looking for portable, comfortable, good sounding and seriously inexpensive headphones then these are for you. Real sound snobs will have issues, but for this price I am amazed at the sound - it's above and beyond most more expensive headphones I've tried. Folding up to fit in the palm of your hand, they're the most portable over-ear headphones I've ever seen. My only issue with them is that they oddly stick out on the side of your head. Regardless, they're so inexpensive, sound fantastic, are comfortable and super portable - I completely recommend.

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• 8 stars

  good sound quality

  by Fenom23 on January 27, 2010

  Pros: good sound quality

  Cons: they were very tight straight out of the box, they really hurt your ears, but then i bent them the other way for a minute of so until they loosened up, then it's fine, not sure how well they'll fold back in, but i don't really care about folding it

• 6 stars

  Good sound, poor construction

  by Killa4luv on January 5, 2009

  Pros: SOund is good, strong bass, portable, price is right.

  Cons: They fold awkwardly and the folding mechanism will break at some point. Bank on it.
  the case the come with is too big.
  the sound will mysteriously die in one or both ears at some point.

  Summary: Dont buy them. I've owned several pair thinking the previous were just lemons. They are not high quality products and if you plan on travelling with them daily as ...

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  Summary: Dont buy them. I've owned several pair thinking the previous were just lemons. They are not high quality products and if you plan on travelling with them daily as I did, they just wont last.

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• 4 stars

  Not worth the price

  by theexbrit on April 10, 2008

  Pros: Clear sound, small & light

  Cons: No bass, uncomfortable

  Summary: I bought these after much debate. I have an old pair of KOSS headphones that I use for gaming. They are excellent but they're aged now so I figured ...

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  Summary: I bought these after much debate. I have an old pair of KOSS headphones that I use for gaming. They are excellent but they're aged now so I figured I'd get new phones. These Sony's are ok, but they have very poor bass compared to the KOSS phones & after an hour of wear I felt like my ears had been worked over by Mike Tyson! They are "on ear" headphones, but I guess they're meant for a smaller head than mine as they crushed my ears in a very painful manner. I have a pair of BOSE "over ear" phones that I can wear for hours with no ill effects. I'm taking them back to Best Buy today & sticking with my old KOSS phones 'till they die on me.

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• 4 stars

  Good effort, poor execution.

  by Lantern42 on February 19, 2008

  Pros: Cheap, massive amounts of bass, folds into a very small package

  Cons: Flimsy, massive amounts of distortion, never gets comfortable.

  Summary: I don't like ECH (Ear canal headphones.) For some reason, they never seem to fit right, no matter how many silicon sleeve sizes I try. The Sony MDR line ...

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  Summary: I don't like ECH (Ear canal headphones.) For some reason, they never seem to fit right, no matter how many silicon sleeve sizes I try. The Sony MDR line has a very good reputation, and the MDR-700DJ had been my standby at home for years. It seemed like a logical choice to try these travel-friendly cans.
  
  Unfortunately, the amount of distortion from these ruins the music to the point where I though my iPod was dying. I had to get different pair of cans just to make sure these were the problem. Despite giving them ample break-in time, they never seem to improve their accuracy.
  
  Aside from that, the size of the ear cups means they never properly seal out ambient noise, which is less than useful on a plane. Open headphone designs are far more natural-sounding, so if I get an closed design, they should at least seal up well!
  
  Try something in the Sennheiser PMX range for a great-sounding alternative (that won't mess up your hair.) or something in the Grado RS line if you don't need a sealed can.

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• 7 stars

  I wish the mids were much more mild, and the highs had a bit of sparkle

  by jeffbailey0 on August 18, 2007

  Pros: great size and foldable, good bass response and general clarity

  Cons: the midrange has a pretty hefty bite to it

  Summary: i have been using these like three days and have been trying to break them in fo just as long. i think it is really helping the midrange bite. I ...

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  Summary: i have been using these like three days and have been trying to break them in fo just as long. i think it is really helping the midrange bite. I just leave them plugged to my zen at night.
  
  the are warming up a bit. they are no where near any of the tri port sets i have heard, but they are half the price, which for that they sound better than they should.
  
  i think I got spoiled by a set of tri ports(bose) that i borrowed from a friend. they just have so much more depth and reality. these are a little to clean sounding and may just need broken in a bit more.

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• 8 stars

  Overall, quite satisfied - good value

  by moonbeard on April 28, 2007

  Pros: Quality on a budget, comfortable!

  Cons: The hinged folding design is goofy & non-intuitive

  Summary: If you have a quality MP3 player, decent headphones are a must or you've wasted your money on the player. I have sensitive ear surfaces...every earbud device I'...

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  Summary: If you have a quality MP3 player, decent headphones are a must or you've wasted your money on the player. I have sensitive ear surfaces...every earbud device I've ever tried becomes very uncomfortable in a short period of time. My factory iPod earbuds were barely tolerable for all of 5 minutes. Even some headphones that fit a bit too snugly eventually hurt my ears. Listening to your favorite music should be a pleasant and rich experience. I'm no big Sony fan, but these headphones sound very good, are extremely comfortable, and didn't make my wallet cry. If you choose these for your personal tech arsenal, don't ever expect that you will have the patience to fit them back into the spiffy little case that Sony packaged them in.

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