As a sound engineer I get given a lot of pairs of headphones by shops and companies so I like to think I have quite a varied and in depth take on quality, I must admit i'm very particular when it comes to audio equipment.

These Mid-Range over ear headphones by sony retail at around £35-£40 which puts them above most budget pairs price wise, so out of the box I expected good frequency response across the field and a good build quality. They also claim to have a Noise cancelling circuit controlled by a switch. They are good looking and foldable headphones that are available in black and white, they are also adjustable on the arms for all head sizes.

FUNCTIONALITY
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LET'S start with the design and features. These are a wired pair of over ear headphones that have a 1.5m cable with an L-shaped gold plated 3.5mm jack connector (the standard for mp3 players). They have a noise cancelling circuit designed to actively cut out background noise that has an on/off switch. I would give the noise cancellation a 6/10, which for the price is quite good. They are foldable and come with a case so they are very portable. Now audio quality, they are better than what I would expect from a mid-range pair from Sony, the sound quality is very good. They have a good range, meaning they have good response to high, mid as well as bass frequencies, which is again quite rare for this range of headphones. I have tried them with a variety of music and have found that it is all very good. The clarity is good although when plugged into my hi-fi at higher levels they struggle a little, but for an mp3 player they are brilliant. If your into any sort of mixing or music creation these don't come recommended by me due to obvious frequency boosts that effect the mix.

RELIABILITY & BUILD
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I have had these headphones for around 4 months and have used them around 4 times a week for long periods. I have had no problems besides the fact that after a while (and hour or so) they start to become uncomfortable. They are built to last with good materials, they do feel a little flimsy if i'm being particularly picky but this is common with collapsable headphones.

IN SUMMARY
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They are better than I would expect for the price. They have a great frequency range but they are boosted at certain frequencies so they dont have that desirable 'flat response' that audio geeks want, but most general consumer headphones don't...they do sound really good for most music types. They are built to last and would be ideal for everyday use. I would recommend these to those that want above average sound quality and want them for mp3 player use. They are collapsable which makes them highly portable which I like.