I have been in search of a pair of headphones for running for about a year. I have tried primarily earbud style designs. I have not tried in-ear designs because I do not like the sound isolation provided by in-ear. I feel this is a safety issue for running. The earbuds I have tried simply lack bass. Even though the specs of the earbuds I have tried show a frequency response down to 20 Hz, there seems to be a bass roll off.
The MDR-AS20J have very good bass. They have 13.5 mm dome type drivers as opposed to typical 9 mm drivers of earbuds. What also helps with the bass is the clip design. The clip design pushes the bud firmly but gently in the ear which helps with the bass response. Other earbuds slide out slightly which has a dramatic effect on bass.
The MDR-AS20J stay in place while running. You literally can just forget about them. They will not budge. The cord is also very light which helps with the bouncing of running. The MDR-AS20J are very comfortable for me though they are not adjustable. Some users may have fit issues.
These headphones have a very low impedance (16 ohms). That means just about any device can drive them to very high volumes, and at normal listining volumes, they will take less power.
These headphonse are weather and sweat resistant. Another important consideration for running.
These headphonse sound great. They have a balanced sound that does not over or under emphasize any frequency range. I used to watch movies in bed with a pair of high quality home headphones. The MDR-AS20J can hold ground even with my flagship headphones. I now use the MDR-AS20J for home listing in bed simply because they sound really good and they are so comfortable. You can fall asleep with them on as opposed to large headphones that get in the way.
I would give these headphonse about 10 hours of break in before judging them. CNET gave an OK review of these headphones. I doubt they let them break in. When you first get them, there will be slight distortion in the midrange which results in a muddy sound. This will go away.
You cannot go wrong with these for under $20. Sony Mdr-As20J Active Style Headphones with Soft Loop Hangers (Black)
I have been enjoying the Sony MDR-AS207J headphones since April and have not been happier with a pair of clip-on/in-ear headphones. Earbuds (like those included with most mp3 players) do not stay in my ears, even with the addition of optional size adjusters, especially at the gym, so after several years of purchasing earbuds of every brand and type I resorted to the less comfortable but terrible sounding MDR-J10's until this model came out. The soft rubber is flexible and comfortable, and because it goes completely around the back of the ear, the headphones stay in place. I where mine everyday, going to work or class, and run with them several times a week and they actually stay in place every time, something no other in-ear headphone has done for me. Some other advantages to clip-ons vs earbuds is that these clip-ons do not block out ambient noise, so you will be safe when out and about. They are comfortable, even after several hours, and I have even worn them to bed several times. Also these headphones sound really really good, especially for $20 headphones. My hearing is not great after years of working around power tools, but I was pleasantly surprised by the sound quality, especially after the dismal MDR-J10s. While the sound is not comparable to a pair of high-end, noise canceling headphones, I find it rather comparable to the Sennheiser PX100s, which are a mid-range headphone. So for everyday use when out and about you cannot go wrong with these. Save the audiophile listening sessions for something nicer. After 3 months of heavy use, these headphones show no wear or frays in the cord coating, and have held up to sweating in 90 degree weather and moderate rain. Speaking of the cord, I have found the length (which is pretty standard) to be perfect. I have enough cord to allow me to place my iPod in any pocket when walking around, and have not found it to be inconvenient when at the gym or running outside. The cord is too long for use with armbands unless you wrap it or use an armband with a cord holder (like the Tune Belt Open View Armband). After 20+ different pairs of earbuds and other in-ear headphones of the last 2 years, I have never been more pleased with 'active' headphones. They will fit your ears and stay in place in virtually any activity and the price is so low I actually purchased several pairs just in case they stop manufacturing them.
These work great as far as staying in my ears securely (something the ipod buds I have do not do). The sound quality is not as good as my ipod ear buds, but I was loving them for working out in the gym until they started to crackle, and then shocking my ears. I read about headphones doing that in other reviews (not necessarily for these), but couldn't imagine what that would be like until it happened to me. I'm going to try to exchange them, and I hope the new ones will be better, because otherwise, they are awesome. I only used them lightly for a couple months, and never outdoors. They never got wet or sweaty, so I'm not sure what happened. Also, I have very small ears and these fit great and are comfortable.
Like many other picky runners, I have been in search of the "perfect" headphones for quite some time now. The standard iPod ear buds fall out of my ears (as do most other ear buds) and it seems as though every other pair of headphones I tried required constant adjusting while running. That's not the case with these! I wore these during about an hour of cardio (a 30 minute run and 30 minutes on an elliptical trainer) and I never had to adjust them once. They didn't even have that feeling like they're about to fall off. These take some slight mangling to put on my ears, but once they're on, they're staying.
I'm no audiophile, but I feel that the sound quality is pretty decent. I've heard better and worse, but for a $20 pair of headphones, I think the sound is pretty darn respectable.
The only thing I can nit-pick with these is that the cord is too long, although it comes with a cord clip to resolve this issue. Overall though, I'd HIGHLY recommend these. I've tried numerous pairs of headphones and these are by far the best. - Running - Headphones - Sport Headphones - Sports Headphones'
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