After taking a look at some of the MP3 players out on the market, we found one major consistency out of all of them out there: not one of them bundle a great pair of headphones in the package. Of the two big names out there, Creative Labs is probably the worst of the two in this regard. The packaged headphones for their lower end products, namely the Muvo line, are mediocre if not sub-par, mainly because they are oversized. More disappointingly, Creative seemed to switch their packaged headphones for the Muvo TX to a cheaper version already packaged with one of their lower end MP3 players. Apple made definite improvements by upgrading the packaged earbud headphones for the second iPod revision.

As for the no name brands, it is almost a given that additional pair of headphones need to be purchased. There are several earbud headphones on the market; a few even surpassing the $300 marker. The most popular of late seem to be the in-ear style headphones, as the headband style headphones seem to be less frequently used with those owning a MP3 player such as an iPod, Nomad Muvo, Nomad Jukebox, etc. Some of the no name brand MP3 players don't even come with a pair, so a purchase is inevitable.

The two most popular pair of in-ear headphones on the market are Apple's In-Ear headphones and the Sony In-Ear MDR-EX71SL, as both can be bought online at most retailers and are priced reasonably, under $40. Based on our experience with bundled headphones as well as readers asking us, we were curious to know which was the better choice. As a result, we picked up both headphones at Amazon.com to put through the AnandTech paces.

Apple's In-Ear and Sony's MDR-EX71SL

The reason why we chose these two in-ear headphones was not only due to their popularity, but the fact that they are the two most common out there in stores and reasonably priced. Other models and brands are harder to find and have a hefty price tag, and for our purposes, you can walk in to your local computer store and probably pick up either of these two; the same goes for online retail sites. The next model up to Sony's in-ear style headphones (MDR-NC11) jumps to ~$90, and from there, other in-ear headphones just continue up the price list.

There are cheaper models such as the Sony MDR-EX71LP ($29.99) and the Sennheinser MX-500 ($14.82), but they are more price-oriented models. For those looking for a mid-line model or for those MP3/audio enthusiasts, the Apple In-Ear headphones and Sony's MDR-EX71SL are a nice crossover that is supposed to supply quality in tandem without making it a ridiculously pricey purchase for either group.

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Click to enlarge.

Package-wise, the Sony MDR-EX71Sl comes with three different sizes of in-ear earpieces, an audio extension cable, and a carrying case. Apple's package is much simpler in design, and reminds us of the company's flare for the aesthetics. They waste nothing: the package itself is the carrying case, which includes a spot to hold the headphones and the two other in-ear earpieces of different sizes.

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Click to enlarge.

Apple's In-Ear and Sony's MDR-EX71SL: In-Ear Fitting

Both of the in-ear headphones come with three sizes of earpieces. With headband style headphones, the emitting stereo piece remains on the outside of the ear, so there is no need to be concerned about size of comfort, other than to use audio matting material. Once you get to in-ear headphones, it is obvious that the size of the ear canal varies between people, and thus, the only way to please everyone is to either customize the sizes or standardize them. The latter is obviously preferred, since customization would become incredibly expensive and the variance among the general population is still minimal at best.

Our conclusion based on use is that the medium-sized earpieces for these two fit well for the 16- to 25-age bracket, but the Apple may be a more comfortable fit, since the Sony definition of medium is an iota larger than we would like. Thus, our finding is that the sizes don't really match up in size per say, but rather they overlap.

Sizes from smallest to largest:

1. Sony MDR-EX71SL small
2. Apple In-ear small
3. Apple In-ear medium
4. Sony MDR-EX71SL medium
5. Apple In-Ear large
6. Sony MDR-EX71SL large

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Click to enlarge.

Changing earpieces became one of our design concerns because the last thing that you want is to overstretch or damage one of the small rubber earpieces, since the buyer may want to change later on. Sony's design is simpler as the rubber pieces can just be shimmied on and off the earbud, though fitting is a bit harder than removal because the tip is slightly enlarged.

Apple's In-Ear headphones are basically the same plus the security tab design. On the earbud, there is a small groove for the security tab on the earpiece to fit snugly in. This is two-fold: one, the earbuds are angled, so this helps position the earpiece correctly; and second, it offers additional security so that the earpiece doesn't fall out.

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Click to enlarge.

Apple's In-Ear and Sony's MDR-EX71SL: Sound Quality

We tried these two on our iPod, Muvo2, and Muvo TX, and we came to the conclusion that the Sony MDR-EX71SL takes the cake when it comes to sound quality. It definitely has a much richer bass reverberation. Our Apple In-Ear headphones came a week in advance, and we were really pleased with the sound quality of them.

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Click to enlarge.

When the Sony MDR-EX71SL came in, we shrugged them off (more or less) and thought the sound quality would be about the same or just slightly better. When we played back some of our indie rock tracks, we did notice that the bass was a bit richer and clearer, but as we got to the songs by groups like Nickelback (i.e. "Someday"), we were blown away. The bass really shines through and is awesome, considering that both headphones use 9mm drivers. (Treble is about the same for both.)

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Final Words

As first, this came off as more of a curious venture because a few of you guys asked. We came back pleasantly surprised and glad that we took the time to look at these two. The primary concern voiced by many was fit, and we have to say that both headphones should have an approximate fit size for just about everyone, though it may not be the exact fit that you desire. In the future, we would love to see companies like Creative, Apple, and others to a lesser extent (like Rio, iRiver, MSI, FIC, etc.) package a good pair of earbud style headphones with their MP3 players.

Most of the MP3 players on the market still run in a high enough price range for you to shop around. The problem then is that if a 4GB MP3 player runs $199.99, but has a poor set of headphones, you need to shell out another ~$40 for a good pair. This brings the cost up, whereas you might spend $240 for a similar 4GB MP3 player that already has a good pair of headphones. You might have some savings by going after the more expensive one, but you don't realize it until it is too late.

In our opinion, the Apple In-Ear headphones are much more comfortable, which wasn't too much of a surprise. When it comes to usability, Apple does a ton of market and engineering research to make their products easy to use, comfortable, and aesthetically appealing. Sony's MDR-EX71SL takes a back seat in comfortability, even with the right sized earpiece. This is because the 9mm driver protrudes further away from the earbud and there is less "give" to how much the rubber can shape to your outer ear canal's shape. The Apple In-Ear headphones, on the other hand, have more hollow space to "give up" to your specific shape due to their different approach in earpiece design.

We can best sum it up by saying that after a few hours, you will still be conscious that you have the Sony MDR-EX71SL headphones in your ear. After all, they are more like earplugs than anything else. However, after a few hours with Apple's In-Ear headphones, you feel like you still have nothing in your ear at all. They really seem that comfortable. The difference between the two is based on the different engineering approaches. Sony takes the earplug approach where keeping sound out is the numero uno priority, while Apple takes the road of directing the sound in. This is reflected in use too; you can hear sounds better with the Apple In-Ear headphones better than the Sony MDR-EX71SLs, but both are designed so that the person next to you in a flight won't be able to hear what you are listening to.

If you are concerned with the feel more than the quality, Apple takes the cake and still provides really good pair of In-Ear headphones. We don't want to understate their sound quality or claim otherwise. They are still better than basically the rest of the in-ear and earbud styled headphones that we have seen bundled with MP3 players. The Sony MDR-EX71SLs, though, make a significant impression on us if you are first and foremost concerned with sound quality. It's just a thought, but if Apple paired up with Sony to take their 9mm driver to their In-Ear headphones, it would be the best of both worlds. Currently, neither is cheaper than the other - prices vary from on-line store to on-line store. Our quick net browsing only showed that the Sony MDR-EX71SLs were cheaper than the Apple's at Amazon.com. Normally, the MDR-EX71SLs run at $49.99 and the Apple In-Ears at $39.99, but at Amazon, we found the Sony headphones for $34.99.