Sony Fontopia Review

Recently, I damaged my headphones to the extent that it wasn't worth repairing. Since I listen to music on my CLIÉ almost every day, I needed to find a replacement. I had heard about in-ear speakers from an article a friend had forwarded to me. It said that the Fontopias from Sony were the best. I believe that earbuds are really the future but I haven't really liked normal ones. I looked around online on sites like epinions.com for other people's impressions of them and they were almost all favorable. Everybody said that they were comfortable and had good sound quality. A few days later, I bought a pair from Fry's and I am pleased to report that the are great!

Sound Quality - B+

Although they sound way better then cheap earbuds, they are still not perfect. I don't recommend them to audiophiles. I did read one review that said they had good bass but so-so mid and treble. I think that they are fine at all frequencies including bass and for most of us, they are fine.

Comfort - B

This is a major concern when looking at earbuds or anything that goes in the ear. They are reasonably comfortable once you q t used to them but some people might have trouble. I really like the different sizes that you can put on because I fit the small size well. When I first put them in, I was alarmed that they didn't feel totally comfortable, like the reviews I had read but after a couple of hours of usage, you get used to them.

Price - C

At $50 they are quite pricey compared to many normal headphones. In my opinion, they are overpriced but considering they fit good sound into a 9mm driver unit, maybe they really are that hard to build.

Overall - B

While they are great for me, I don't think everybody would want to get Fontopias. My requirements were Small/Portable, comfortable, and I can wear them when going to sleep. One disadvantage is that earwax does build up on them so I carry alcohol swabs in their case to clean them every once in a while.