[Gemini-Phoenix]

After having my EX71's for about two / three months, and using them regularly (But not too regularly - Maybe two or three times a week), mine seem to have worn.

I noticed yesterday that the wire casing seems to have worn away exposing the wires. The first i knew about it was when I was getting little shocks on my cheek yesterday as I was walking down the road...

It's worn on the left wire just above where the headphones split - Basically, about four inches down from the actual bud. The casing looks distressed (As if it had been melted by a flame or something) and the orange and blue wires underneath are exposed.

Is this common for this model of buds to do this? I haven't really used them much, and seems as if it's a design flaw in the materials used to make them...

BAsically, what I am now wondering is: Would I be able to take them back to where I bought them and explain the problem and get them exchanged? After all, I haven't had them long, and can't afford to go and spend £30 on another set just for those to go the same way a few months later... Obviously I can't send them back to Sony for repair as there is not really any way I can see to repair them...

[Leprekorn]

Yes I have had the exact same problem.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Leprekorn

Yes I have had the exact same problem.

Really? Now this IS interesting. I honestly thought I was the only one... What did you do about it? (If anything) ~ Do you know if other people have experienced the same problems?

The only theory I can come up with is that perhaps the wires have rubbed against the side of my cheek or jacket or something, and caused friction which has in turn caused the rubber of the casing to perish due to heat. But if that was indeed the case, then surely it would happen on both sides and not just the one...

[jonnyv]

i had the same problem with mine also, i took them on holiday and put the melting down to the mosquito spray i was using and maybe suntan lotion, the white casing was sticky like it had been melted. Returned them to amazon for a replacement

I think i've had mine for about one year now, if not more. Use them at least four time per week. Had no problems. They are still in good condition.

[Leprekorn]

I read ( I think on here) that it has something today with point of origin I bought mine from Audiocubes so they were Jap model other peoples seem to be from the UK and fine.

[dvdchild]

Mine have also come apart showing exposed wire - very poor show from Sony but i do love the sound they give plus they block out the external noise.

I'm gonna write to Sony to see what they.

DVDCHILD

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Originally Posted by dvdchild

Mine have also come apart showing exposed wire - very poor show from Sony but i do love the sound they give plus they block out the external noise.

I'm gonna write to Sony to see what they.

DVDCHILD

Good idea. Might also do the same ~ You got a link toa contact page or an eMail address I could use?

Maybe if they get enough complaints, they'll issue a product recall or something? Meanwhile, i'm hunting high and low to see if I still kept the receipt and packaging for them, which I doubt I did...

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I just eMailed Sony with teh following:


"I recently (About two months ago) purchased aset of MDR EX71 earbud headphones. All was fine until a few days ago when I was on my way to work and I felt a short sharp shock on my face. I examined the headphones and discovered that the rubber wire casing just below the left bud (About three inches below, just above the splitter) had worn, and the wires below were exposed. I immediately ceased using them, and decided to visit a few forums, where I discovered that this is a common problem with this model of headphones, and that other people have reported them wearing in the exact same place. Were you aware of this problem with this particular product? I would say I have used them in reasonable conditions under ordinary circumstances, and this is not a problem I have ever experienced before with other models. Naturally I am not pleased after paying £30+ for a set of decent 'phones, only for them to wear a few weeks later... Am I able to return them to the store I bought them from? Or can I return them directly to Sony for a replacement? I also think you should issue a product recall for affected sets, as I am not the only person who has experienced this problem."


Hopefully I shall hear from them soon and see what their solution is to this problem...

[dvdchild]

i spoke to Sony today and they don't seem at all interested. I am waiting on a managers decision to get it sorted. Won't be buying any more earphones from Sony if that is gonna be the case.

DVDCHILD

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Well I took them back to Dixon's in the end, and they gladly replaced them. I kinda said that it was a wide spread problem and that other people online had experienced it... I also said that Sony had instructed me to simply take them back to the store I bought them from, seeing as how they don't have any servicable parts.

[sirlukas]

What Would You recommend for a sportsman with a budget of 30GBP?
The point is, that I would suggest Him what to go for, but it is not wise to go for noise blockers, while running or cycling.
So the earphones must be good (or really good) with earclip or similar, for not more than 30 quid, what do you think?

Thank You in advance...

Regards Lukasz

Originally Posted by Gemini-Phoenix

After having my EX71's for about two / three months, and using them regularly (But not too regularly - Maybe two or three times a week), mine seem to have worn.

I noticed yesterday that the wire casing seems to have worn away exposing the wires. The first i knew about it was when I was getting little shocks on my cheek yesterday as I was walking down the road...

It's worn on the left wire just above where the headphones split - Basically, about four inches down from the actual bud. The casing looks distressed (As if it had been melted by a flame or something) and the orange and blue wires underneath are exposed.

Is this common for this model of buds to do this? I haven't really used them much, and seems as if it's a design flaw in the materials used to make them...

BAsically, what I am now wondering is: Would I be able to take them back to where I bought them and explain the problem and get them exchanged? After all, I haven't had them long, and can't afford to go and spend £30 on another set just for those to go the same way a few months later... Obviously I can't send them back to Sony for repair as there is not really any way I can see to repair them...

Here's the thread I started on this. Wear them 'incorrectly', and they stay perfect! Sony MDR-J20 (or EX71) neck cable gone squooshy and split?

[Gemini-Phoenix]

In the past few months, I know a few people who have bought new sets of EX71's, and Sony seem to have sorted out the problem, and changed the design slightly. They now don't have the old style rubber, and have been substituted with a new material which doesn't seem to wear as easially.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Well, my second set of EX71's have now gone the same way as the first, in the exact same place, after the same amount of useage

[drlau9]

Ah, another item from sony that's messing up... well it's the only item in our household that messes up this often. I've had 7 replacements, i'm on my 8th at the mo, the longest they have lasted is 4 months. My theory is the sweat that we give off, salt erodes rubber, and the rubber sony are using are uber thin.

I read it from a warning in my G-shock manual, keep the watch clean, avoid prolonged exposure to salt water.

Sony take a hint, ure rubber needs changin'

Imagine if they made condoms, pregnancy rates in the UK would drastically increase.

[Gemini-Phoenix]

Thing is, Sony headphones never used to be this *****. I have had many sets over the last 15 years, and this is the first set that I have had problems with. It's all well and good having them made out of tangle-free rubber, but if it keeps breaking and exposing bare wires, then surely it isn't all that good... Why can they not be made from the same materials as the headphones that come bundled with the HD3 / HD5, but with different ends on?

Have Sony actually done a full-scale product recall on these yet?

[cu3ed]

i can argue this only makes them last about 2 moths longer and the same thing again happins.

I have presonally gobe through 3 paries of 81's, and all have had the "chewing gum" effect, as did happin with some friends at work, so we chipped in to buy a pair to actually test them, the problem is the flex in the compund of the cable (is cheap), and, as it bends, get twisted/tangled, the compund of the sire breaks down.
Things that speed up the breakdouwn was sweat (the natural clam around the bacj of your neck), and heat, but overall it was down to the amount of about that long this wire takes.

This is a HUGE build quality for the Sony's, as when we started checking around we could believe the amount of poeple suffering the exact same problem.

So much so, di ont knwo anyone that would recommend Sony headphones now.

An absolute disgrace IMO.

Originally Posted by shadowritten

Here's the thread I started on this. Wear them 'incorrectly', and they stay perfect! Sony MDR-J20 (or EX71) neck cable gone squooshy and split?

[RandomLee]

I've had 3 sets of 71's suffer the same fate. x2 black and x1 white, all from Amazon.co.uk

I never thought to return them... just stupidly bought more thinking it was my fault (until the 3rd set did it).

It's a damn shame really, apart from that they're really good phones for the price.

I'm currently using some Sennheiser CX300's and finding them very nice indeed. Again, a very good set of headphones for the price (£34 shipped from Play.com). They were actually just a stop gap until could get a hold of some Panasonic RP-HJE70-S's (ooohh!) at a decent price but I reckon I'll stick with the CX300's for now.

Check them out if you're a EX71 fan and want something more durable.

[GBDG1]

I've had mine for umm 3 years (to my best estimate) and no problems as of yet, suprising as I used to chew the wire and they spent large amounts of time in my jeans pocket.


The wire is just so chewy... Mmmmm...

[Gemini-Phoenix]

I guess anyone who also wraps their wires around their Walkman is asking for trouble then, as the wires can get stretched.

I have a theory that it isn't just one particular cause ~ I think it can be any number of things either collectively or on their own. The fact is, Sony used materials that were inferior, and as a result, there is a widespread problem with them getting damaged.

Wouldn't be so bad if they were only a tenner a set, but when you are paying £30-£35 for them, you expect to get a quality product. You can't exactly keep going out and buying replacements every two months, and I doubt Sony can withstand a large percentage of users constantly returning these. It must be crippling Sony in revenue lost through returns?

does anyone know if any OFFICIAL product recall has been posted for these? Have Sony even made any comment on this common fault?

These suck and thats the exact reason I am here browsing this forum. Mine turned to mush and now just have bare wires and get in knots as soon as you look at them.

I also bought them from ebay and ditched the packaging because who would have thought that Sony headphones would be crap..

[Gemini-Phoenix]

So does anyone know whether you are able to send the 'phones back to Sony direct for a replacement? Or do they need to be taken back to the store you bought them from? Unfortunately, I have lost the receipt for the last pair I got exchanged, so I doubt I will be able to take them back for replacements again. I had hoped that this set wouldn't go the way of the last, but alas, twas not to be...

[sumoguy]

Well I have a pair of 71's that have suffered the same fate of the wire going mushy, and I have lost the reciept so Sony wont do anything, and nor will Comet (where I got them). Being a resourceful sort of person I decided that I would try and repair them myself, so here is how i did it for anybody who would like to attempt it (it requires some competence at soldering and a spare half hour to hour, depending on how careful you want to be). First, I took a trip down to maplin (or I suppose if you are reading this from the US then radioshack will suffice) and I picked up some cheap headphones for the wire and plug, some 2.5mm heatshrink, some 1.5mm heatshrink and then I went and picked up a lighter from the pound shop (or dollar store). If you dont have any soldering stuff, just pick up some solder and a cheap soldering iron. Now you have everything you need, you can prepare to sort out your 'phones. First, you need to cut the wires off the cheap headphones. Cut them right next to the speakers, as close as you can get. Now cut two pieces of the 2.5mm heat shrink about 11cm long each, and slip one over each wire that will go to the buds. Now you have the donor wire sorted, you can cut your 71's off the dodgy wire, about 7cm from the bud. Strip the wires from the cheap 'phones, and take about 2cm of the outer coating from the 71's. You will have to use the lighter to carefully burn the acrylic coating off of the inner wires. Now cut four pieces of 1.5mm heat shrink about 7mm long each, and slip one over each wire coming out of both of the earbuds. Twist the corresponding wires from the buds and the donor wires together, and then put a little bit of solder on each twist. Slide the heatshrink you put on earlier over the joints, and you can either run the tip of your soldering iron over it to shrink it or use the lighter very carefully. Now slide the 2.5mm heat shrink up the wire so it just covers about 5mm of the bottom of the actual earbud and shrink it. Ta daa! you should now have some mrd-ex71's that sound good, have a sensible length wire and wont fall apart as soon as you look at them, all for around £6.50! I did this on black 71's, and I cannot guarantee how good it will look on the white ones unless you source some white heatshrink and white wires. Also, I accept no liability for anybody naffing it up, but I hope this helps if you are at a loose end with your earphones and dont want to settle for inferior sound quality or end up paying a bomb for other headphones to get the same sound. Happy Fixing!

[Pifko]

I was reading this thread about 3 hours ago, thinking to myself how lucky, that in the 2 years of owning my Sony headphones, nothing has gone wrong with them. Then 20 minutes ago, the left bud stops producing any sound. I do what all men do in the first situation. Smack it against something hard...No luck...

Now, I was looking to buy some new headphones anyway. I'm not looking to spend more than £30. Anybody got some reasonable suggestions? I have a voucher coming so I would be able to get these for £5:
http://www.sendit.com/accessories/item/5000000001518

I was also looking at these to go with my Zen Touch:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...=3GAXSDQ2STHHH

you think these are any good?:
http://www.sendit.com/accessories/item/5000000001505

[MagicBoy]

I've got 2 pairs of the EX-71s. First set are black, were bought in an airport shop about 18 months ago and are marked up as Korean. These are fine - no problems at all.

The second set are white, bought from Amazon about 6 months ago and are marked up as Chinese. These have split the wire about an inch from the left earbud.

The first set get far more use and abuse. The white one's were acquired by accident - bought as a birthday present but didn't turn up in time so I kept them as spares rather than sent them back.

Anyone have a contact number for Sony? It would appear Amazon don't deal with returns after 30 days...

[chaddy]

had mine for about 2 years now.
Use them every day for 8hrs while i'm at work and not one problem.

[cu3ed]

Personally i would go for the Sennheiser CX300's.

Originally Posted by Pifko

I was reading this thread about 3 hours ago, thinking to myself how lucky, that in the 2 years of owning my Sony headphones, nothing has gone wrong with them. Then 20 minutes ago, the left bud stops producing any sound. I do what all men do in the first situation. Smack it against something hard...No luck...

Now, I was looking to buy some new headphones anyway. I'm not looking to spend more than £30. Anybody got some reasonable suggestions? I have a voucher coming so I would be able to get these for £5:
http://www.sendit.com/accessories/item/5000000001518

I was also looking at these to go with my Zen Touch:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...=3GAXSDQ2STHHH

you think these are any good?:
http://www.sendit.com/accessories/item/5000000001505

[jonnyv]

ive just had another pair of ex71's fail on me, the wires gone all mushy. This will be the 2nd replacement from amazon.

they wrote:

'We are sorry to hear that you have had the same issues with your
replacement order.

As it seems that this problem is more widespread than we originally
thought, we are not able to send another replacement. We will
investigate the matter and try to remedy the situation; however, we
cannot guarantee when the error may be fixed.

We can confirm that once we have received the item back at our
Fulfilment Centre we will be able to issue a refund to your payment
card.'


I think i'll look for another pair of similar earphones this time

[eddidaz]

I've had 2 pairs off Amazon which both broke so I eventually opted for a refund.

The same ones come with the SE w800i mobile, and they've broke as well, but are so much more of a pain to get a replacement for

I think I'm going to order some CX300s. They look sweet and people seem to love them on here.