Excellent but limited life ...

These headphones are an excellent compromise between-ear and conventional headphones. In fact share the protrusion of the plastic, they hold up well in the ear without isolating you completely from outside and give you the effect of confinement that can produce intra. Moreover, they are more tolerant to the positioning in the ear: the home intra constantly fall regardless of the tip used and if it is not completely sealed with the ear so the sound loses its low.

The sound meanwhile is relatively balanced and the bass rather well rendered in this price range.

I just regret their limited lifespan. Indeed I certainly have to be in my 7 or 8th pair since they still end up dying after 8 months of use: poor contact constantly creates at the jack and the sound is then returned as a side. I know when it is time to open a new pair (I always have a box in stock because I listen to my iPod daily).
It is a pity that Sony does not make the same model but with braided nylon style cables as Philips could offer, while ensuring great strength of the connections.

It is also regrettable that only Sony offers this kind of format because it does not really leave the choice.