Is the subject line clear enough?
Recently due to circumstances beyond my control my Sony MDR-EX51LP headphones ceased to exist. I went to buy a replacement pair and through the “assistance” of some butt-stupid ignorant rude Sony Store employees at the Oshawa Center location, found out that these things are getting incredibly difficult to obtain.
After browsing around and doing a little bit of research on the Internet, I figured that the Apple In-Ear Headphones were probably the next closest thing. Some sites even suggest that the Apple headphones are made by Sony. Boy are they wrong.
I bought a set at the local Best Buy - they were $10 more than the Sonys - and dashed back out to the car and plugged them into my Rio. There was NO bass. I went into the Rio equalizer settings and cranked the bottom all the way to the top. No distortion, but still no bass. I have heard $10 headphones that sound better than these pieces of crap. They are - without question - the worst-sounding headphones I have ever heard - bar none.
People who know me know that I hate returning stuff - even if it’s justified. My first thought was “Can I live with this?” and in most cases I shrug and find a way to live with it. But there is NO WAY I was spending $80 (with tax) for these pieces of garbage. I went right back into the store, put them on the counter and said “Show me the money!” To their credit, Best Buy cheerfully refunded every cent without question or hesitation.
So I guess I’m using the Sennheisers that came with the Carbon until such time as I can find another pair of Sonys and from what I can gather - that could be a very long time. They seem to be fairly common on the internet. I’m beginning to wish I hadn’t burnt my credit into a bon fire when I was younger and cut all my cards.