Sony MDR-EX110

The MDR-EX110 is one in a series of in-ear stereo headphones/earphones manufactured in 2014 in Thailand by the Sony Corporation of Japan. There are two principle models consisting of MDR-EX110LP and MDR-EX110AP, for standard, and Android Phone (AP) use respectively. They are both identical in specification with 5 Hz to 24 kHz frequency response, except that the MDR-EX110AP has an in-line electret condenser microphone and switch for use with Android mobile phones. The standard version appears to be for simple music enjoyment and therefore does not have the microphone. The five-pound (approx) difference between the two reflects this slight difference in the two models. The third suffix in the model name usually indicates the colour, hence MDR-EX110AP/W is a white one, and MDR-EX110AP/B is a black (noir) one. In addition, there are lilac (L), pink (P), and violet (V) options to also choose from.

Specification MDR-EX110LP Vs. MDR-EX110AP

Review

Back in 2005, I had a JVC pair of earphones that had the same frequency response and were in the same price range; hence, today I would expect much more for the same money. Apart from the cord adjuster contraption that looks like something that an angler would use for tying tackle, there is very little innovation. The improvements appear to be in their precision manufacturing and ergonomic design. In this series, Sony are using 9 mm dome drivers with copper-clad aluminium wire (CCAW) coils that brings the sensitivity to 103 dB, impedance to 16 Ω, and frequency response of 5 Hz to 24 kHz. This specification is certainly bordering on the high-end and very good value. With these drivers, you will certainly hear the low frequency effects (LFE) in DVD videos, as the bass response is excellent. I connected these to my surround sound amplifier, which down mixes all the channels to stereo, and I was totally blown away with the excellent sound quality.

If you have been playing with crystal radios then you might be familiar with Litz wire, which is very thin, multi-stranded, and extremely strong, and they use this for the 1.2-m cord. This is very good if lightweight wiring was something you needed. Consequently, it is possible to wear these earphones for a couple of hours and totally forget about them.

With in-ear headphones, the audio quality very much depends upon how well the silicone ear-buds form the seal to block outside noises. They also ensure that the sound tube points in the right direction so the injection of audio is in the correct direction down the ear canal. If they do not sit correctly, then the bass and treble you are supposed to hear will not be there. Consequently, they offer four sizes of ear buds to ensure you experience the highest quality audio. You should also be aware that these headphones use CCAW technology, and consequently have maximum power handling capacity of only 100 mW. Hence, if you connect these to a very powerful amplifier, and feed more power than the maximum stated, then the coil will burn out.

I also tried these with my Android phone and they worked extremely well. At first, my concern was that the microphone would not be sensitive enough due to the tiny hole the sound has to traverse through. However, they are using Omni-directional electret condenser technology, which is very sensitive and certainly works well with voice recognition.

Price/eBay

These are often for sale on eBay and cost around the twenty-pound mark for a brand new pair. However, be very aware of fakes as there is a huge Chinese industry out there, and you certainly do not want to end up paying that much money for a fake pair. A reputable seller such as the Argos shop on eBay is probably the best place than some person in China. There will also be sellers offering pre-used ones with a fault. Usually, the listing states that one side does not work, and perhaps it could be an easy repair by changing the jack plug. With these models, the jack plug wiring is robust, and the delicate CCAW coil is what usually fails.