Sony MDR-AS210/B Sport In-ear Headphones, Black

This is the second or third pair that I've used of this model, and they are all great. Second or third pair, mind you, over the course of years! These things are dependable and they stay attached to my ear while running unlike a lot of other headphones I've tried! Phenomenal value for money. Don't expect studio quality audio, but they deliver the audio endorphins I need while running.

I purchased these MDR-AS210 headphones in July 2021, thinking that they use little rubber earbuds that block out external sounds. The photos on the sale page didn't clearly indicate otherwise. But when I received the headphones, I saw that the earbuds are the hard-plastic in-ear type (also called side-firing), exactly like those in the long-discontinued Sony MDR-W08L Vertical In-The-Ear Headphones. I am a former devoted user of Sony MDR-W08L headphones and was unhappy for years that Sony stopped making them.MDR-AS210s' side-firing in-ear earbuds make the headphones very similar to MDR-W08Ls -- the only difference being that they use your ears instead of the top of your head for support.I just hope the MDR-AS210's cord doesn't easily lose its electrical connection to the earbuds, like the MDR-W08L's cord used to do (as a result of being pulled inadvertently). There was a workaround fix for that problem, but I didn't learn about it in time and ended up repurchasing MDR-W08L headphones many times as a result.A key advantage of side-firing in-ear earbuds is that they don't block external sounds like rubber earbuds do, enabling me to easily hear others without having to take off the headphones first.I don't have the problem that some other reviewers did -- having to modify the MDR-AS210's loop hangers to fit properly. The loop hangers fit over my ears just fine.The price on Sony headphones has been consistently very reasonable over the years. MDR-AS210s cost not much more than MDR-W08Ls cost a decade ago. I find the sound quality of Sony's side-firing in-ear earbuds to be good to very good. Since these aren't Bluetooth headphones, there is no battery to charge, and I don't mind the cord.

They work ok & they are much cheaper than getting nearly identical ones at Target or Best Buy for $30 to $40 although the in-store versions are probably better as these appear to be cheaper Chinese made knockoffs of the same design sporting the Sony logo. Probably not genuine Sony earphones. I use these with my iPhone 7 & lightning to 3.5 jack adapter. Sound seems to come through pretty well. When I first tried them there was a static crackling sound coming through the left ear piece but it eventually went away after playing with the volume a few times.One thing I wish these headphones had is a volume controller so I don't always need to fiddle with the volume control on my phone. The earbud part that goes into the ear could be more comfortable. Its made from a hard plastic & has a somewhat odd shape most ears probably aren't used to so when you have them on for a while or try sleeping with them on you'll feel an uncomfortableness. They could have & should have made the in-ear speaker casing out of softer material. The hooks that go around the ears feel comfortable enough though. Hardly feel them once I have them on right. They are allot more comfortable & stay in better than the Apple earbuds that came with my phone. Almost everyone has different ear sizes & types so its hard to say for sure if they would be a universal one size fits all design. They would seem to work best for small/medium sized ears.

I can’t speak highly enough of these! I’ve had two pairs over the past 10 years. They’re super comfortable. The sound is much better than I’d expect for the size and price point. And they’re very durable. Survived countless sweaty workouts, saunas, and trips around the world. I’ve been trying to find a suitable wireless replacement, but it’s been difficult to find something that can compete. Grab a pair, even if you don’t like wires. These never run out of battery ;)

It was new and nice

This might be perfect for smaller ears, but I had to take them off after two songs and my ears are still sore an hour later.I got these as a replacement for very similar discontinued MDR-J10, which have a stiffer hanger with an open, not closed loop. The MDR-J10 does not have the constriction near the bottom of the loop and does not pinch. I can wear them for hours with much less irritation.The quality of the sound this new set is better, so I am tempted to simply cut out the offending bit of hanger instead of returning it. This should also make them much easier to put on.Taking off is not a problem. The new ones slip off easily.Update:Snipping the loop, as shown in the photo, makes this much easir to put on and relieves the pressure ... much more comfortable now. They still hold well, possibly better. I'm keeping them.

Call me old-fashioned, but I still used wired (rather than wireless) earphones for running and cycling. The loops that fit around the ears for these Sony's are very comfortable. I almost don't even notice they are there after a few minutes. The sound quality is good enough for me. Wind noise is a bigger issue when cycling, but that has nothing to do with earphone sound quality. This is the second set I have. The first one lasted 7-8 years for me so hopefully these will have similar longevity.