Home > Consumer Reviews > Sony MDR-EX300SLB In-Ear Headphones with 13.5mm Driver Unit

Based on my experience now of having used both of these headphones (Sennheiser CX300 Eco Ear Canal Headphones Black and the Sony MDR-EX300SLB In-Ear Headphones with 13.5mm Driver Unit) side by side extensively, here are the good and bad points for both:

- the CX300 block the environment noise out better than the Sony
- the CX300 is a better fit and plugs in to the ear more snuggly, the Sony becomes loose after a while, regardless of which of the three sizes of end plugs I use
- I fall asleep watching iplayer on my iphone some nights, and the CX300 is more comfortable to sleep on!
- they are both very similar in sound quality, but if you compare them carefully side by side using the same player (I use my dell soundbar with two headphone output jacks to test this) you'll see that the Sony has a slightly richer sound, mostly clearer better base
- I spend more time untangling the cable on the Sony set compared with the CX300. The cable on the Sony feels more 'plasticky', the cable on the CX300 feels more 'rubbery'.

My conclusion:
If you really need the better sound then Sony's for you. It comes with more bits (box, tidy case and extension cable which you need) which is probably why you pay more. I can tell you if I lost both and I could only get one to replace them... VERY difficult choice, but I'd maybe very likely not pay the extra and get the Sennheiser.

Having said all this, overall the CX300 deserves the five stars, where as I've rated the Sony four out of five.

I typically got a poor pair of headphones with my IPOD so I went out looking for some quality headphones. After doing some research it was a toss up between the Sony EX300 and the CX300 from Seinheiser. I found somwhere to try them before you buy and there was a distinct difference. Sony's EX300 had much fuller sound that just blew me away and were so much more comfortable than the CX300's. It was a no brainer in the end despite the price difference. EX300 are great I use them every day. However I now wonder what the Sony EX500 are like.

I may as well tell you the story behind these earphones and me. I purchased a 16GB Sony S-Series Walkman to replace a smashed up iPod. The Walkman came with a pair of Sony EX85 earphones, which are pretty decent. Well actually, I had never had earphones so decent.

When those earphones broke and I had to go back to a pair of 10 Euro Panasonics, I noticed a huge difference in my audio pleasure. So I decided, while waiting to see if Sony would fix or replace the EX85, that I would splash out on these EX300.

And I haven't regretted it one bit. Pros, they have a really sharp, clear and quite full sound. You would definitely notice the difference over a cheaper pair. Yes, I noticed I was hearing sounds in songs that I hadn't heard with cheaper pairs, as well as other little things; for example in one song what I had always thought was a drum thud, now turned out to be definitely hands clapping. After wondering for ages whether it really is worth investing in proper headphone upgrades, I can now confirm it definitely is.

Cons, well the only issue I have with them is that the cable is split into two parts; meaning I find it is either too short without the extender, or too long with the extender. But that's not such an issue that I'm going to deduct a star.

Like "Rich", I'm also now wondering what the EX500 sound like, or even the EX700. I don't know if a pair of Sennheisers in the same price range might be a better bet, all I can do is relay my experience: out of Sennheisers and Sonys that I have bought at a lower price range than this, I always preferred the sound on the Sonys.

If you've just bought or own an MP3 player and you want to upgrade your earphones to something better, then I think these are definitely a good option.

These headphones were used as an upgrade for me and after researching countless headphones on the market I came across the Performance brand within Sony's range.

The EX300's are the lower end of the range but in comparison to the price tags of the 500 and 700 they worked out cheaper.

The headphones themselves come in the standard packaging supplied with all Sony branded heaphones. The headphones are nice, light and suprisingly shiny too (if you get them in the Black option.)

The actual headphones do not fit into the base of your ear and actually stick out. (The cable sections are towards the outer edge of your ear flaps.)

The package comes with a supplied Sony case which neatly houses the headphones and acts as a cable tie.

You also get a cable tidy thing that is supplied, neat and does exactly what you would expect.

The headphones cable itself is short but is compensated by a slim, easy fit adaptor cable which extends the length of the cable. The cable itself is rubberised so it can withstand typical wear and tear. The cable seems to be made from the same material which prevents anti-tangle making it great if you are in a rush and cant afford to neatly tuck in all cables.

You get silicone, rather than rubber earplugs and this really does add to your listening experience. The silicone plugs block out more sound and are a much better fit. They will get dirty with ear wax though and will need regular cleaning to make sure that they fit smoothly without any problems.

The headphones are designed to act as Studio Sound headphones as branded on the packaging. This basically means that they deliver fantastically sharp, clear responsive sounds to treble and provide a natural bass. These work best on vocals, classical and music which includes a lot of instruments - it does struggle with bassy tracks like those in typical dance tracks but having said that, the sound quality is still superb delivering lower treble levels but deep bass when really needed.

The headphones response is simply one of the best frequency statistics I have ever seen - it beats most £30 headphones and as a result is far clearer.

If you get an opportunity to listen to these headphones before buying - do take it. It is the only way to really make up your mind.

I read and watched a few reviews of these headphones before buying here, on the Sony website and on YouTube. The result is that I ended up buying them and have not regretted my purhcase one bit.

5/5 - GREAT HEADPHONES!

Ok, we all know that your personal audio is only as good as the headphones you play them through and Apple have given you the worst headphones (clearly meant for donky's), but there's no difinitive guide to alternatives, so which one do you pick?

I've tried (and loved) the CX 300's, the Sony fontopia Groove (that seem to have a strong following in terms of reviews) and even tested the Sennheiser HD 200's (a much larger over the ear hadphone).

I had to write this review (don't normally do this sort of thing) because of the immensely realistic sound from these headphones. They bass may not be as deep as the CX 300, but it's so much more crisp and realistic. The Sony Fontopia, are very poor compared to both the Sennheiser and the Sony MDR EX 300's; although to be fair this is reflected in the price tag.

You could always try the 500's or 700's, although for the money they want you would expect something revelutionary...wouldn't you? Well after tedious research (you're more than welcome to buy me a drink) I have found that the type of driver is actually the same, minus a few tweaks.

Agaianst the headphones I've had above, these are head and shoulders above and I would recommend them to anybody. Comfortable, fashionable, but above all sound like you're ear is right next to the instrument!!