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DiscountDelight - Sony MDR-A34L Vertical In-the-Ear Headphones with 3-Hinged Headband
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List Price: $19.99
Our Price: $12.31
Your Save: $ 7.68 ( 38% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Sony
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Electronics
Brand: Sony
EAN: 0027242491564
Feature: 16mm driver is extremely small, but provide good bass sound
Label: Sony
Manufacturer: Sony
Model: MDRA34L
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Sony
Studio: Sony
Warranty: 1 year warranty
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Features
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16mm driver is extremely small, but provide good bass sound
Super-light headphones are perfect for exercise
Open-air design for clear sound and safety; outside noises can still be heard
Headphones have 3 hinges for compact storage
Neodymium magnets provide maximum energy with minimal size
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: All headphones suck except for these.
Comment: Seriously, I've tried dozens of headphones over the years and they're all complete garbage compared to these amazing beauties. They've been making these same headphones for a decade-plus, but you just can't improve on perfection, can you pal?
Sure, they might break after a few years of constant use (AND ABUSE!!), but what what are they, like 14 bucks? Buy two pair you tightwad. What are you my grandma? You WON'T regret it. They're THAT good.
They have a classic and sophisticated, yet understated black color scheme-- you don't want to look like every Segway-riding clown wearing those white earbuds do you? You might as well be wearing a big sign on your face that reads "LOOK AT ME, I OWN AN IPOD."
Get with the program, turkey. These suckers are as light as a single lotus petal. Not like those gigantic over-sized DJ ones you see some techno Burning Man dudes wearing. The cords on the work of art that is the MDR-A34L are a stunning 3.9 feet. So even a tall gent like myself can sport them without fear of the plug popping out in mid breakdown. The cords on most headphones are a pitiful 3.3 feet-- who am I, Tim Conway as Dorf? Have you ever been listening to that part of "Dream On" when Steven Tyler's voice starts getting all high and everything and then the cord pops out? That will NOT happen with these amazing headphones-- guaranteed.
Oh yeah, the plug? Gold-plated. Take that, D. Trump.
Do Headphones have Sony Turbo(R) Acoustic Circuit? Yes, next question.
Are these Sony Headphones Wireless? Pass.
Do Neodymium magnets provide maximum energy with minimal size? Yes
Also, they fold up! I haven't even mentioned that bonus aspect yet have I? Yeah, go ahead and fold them up and pop 'em in your lil' pocket you got there. Like a previous reviewer mentioned, the folded size is about the size of a small candy bar. To be more specific I'd say they're roughly the size of Kit-Kat-- shorter than a pack of Sprees, but not as wide as a bag of Whoppers.
What part of "Sony MDR-A34L Vertical In-the-Ear Headphones with 3-Hinged Headband" don't you understand? Is it the MDR-A34L part? To be honest I don't really understand that part either. But, I do understand amazing sound & quality workmanship. I leave the technical aspects to the good folks at Sony
Electronics.
Pick yourself up a pair today. Your 12 gigs of Edgar Winter tracks will be thankful you did.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great compact headphone solution
Comment: Since I got my DAP (an iAudio X5) I've been looking for a good compact headset to carry around (for classical music). This Sony MDR-A34L is the one I finally settled on, after nearly giving up.
First, I can't see paying $100's for a compact headset that is likely to break or get lost. Sure, they may have better sound, but when I'm riding the bus, puffing on the treadmill, or even sitting in the office, I'm not expecting and probably couldn't distinguish the highest levels of sound quality anyway. That I'll reserve for sitting at home with good speakers or a full-size headset. Besides, the correlation between price and quality (according to reviews) seems pretty tenuous; some of the best reviews went to the $10-15 models. Finally, there is so much individual variation in comfort, and the only way to know for sure is to try one in combat. I'm not paying $100+ to find out it hurts my ears.
So, I tried a number of well-rated loose earbud models in the $10-40 range. These are the ones I see around most commonly. Well, I must have odd ears, because they were all uncomfortable and/or fell out easily and/or did not seal well enough to give good bass. I was about to give up when I decided to try the in-the-ear with headbands. This Sony was well rated, fairly cheap, and had the bonus of folding up, so I wouldn't totally sacrifice the compactness of free-standing earbud units.
Well, I discovered that the in-the-ear-with-headband models are a totally different beast from the loose earbuds. The headband models position the speaker unit in an enitrely different way than the earbuds -- facing forward and backward in the ear rather than inward. Also, with the headband to provide gentle inward pressure, the earpeice need not be shaped to stay in the ear on its own. It can be made both more comfortable and more optimal for listening.
So, I put this Sony on my head, and was blown away... great sound, great bass, reasonably comfortable once I get the headband adjusted right (sorry, but I will never be totally at ease with things stuck in my ears). I was skeptical of the folding aspect, but it works very nicely. I keep a rubber band around when folded, and it's about the size of a small candy bar. I wish somebody would make a little slipcase for it, but for an under $15 item, it's not likely. And of course, at under $15 I can afford to buy a couple more against breakage and the inevitable day that Sony discontinues this model.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The closest to sitting in front of a hi-fi system
Comment: As years go by I keep trying new headphone models, and I always end up returning to the Sony MDR-A34. Why? I don't know the exact year, but this model has been around since -at least- 1996. Why hasn't in almost a decade a better model appeared? Is it the unique design? Certainly this model's particular physical design doesn't look "cool" any longer and even looks kind of dated, but it probably has a lot to do with the headphone's exquisite sound response, perfect from the lower basses to the higher trebles, always delivering unbelievably amazing sound.
I must clarify that it isn't enough just to read the specs at the back of the packaging; this won't tell you how well they will perform. The right way to value this model is to test it in the field against other models: choose your favorite song and keep changing headphones. When you come to the A34 you won't believe the difference. Sure, you may find a better fidelity model out there (those very big ones) at the expense of looking like a DJ, but none as discreet and portable as this one.
At this point I must state clearly that I am not a Sony fan. In fact I've tried several other Sony headphone designs -expecting A34 performance- and they all let me down.
Now, you must admit that it's kind of weird that a brand like Sony keeps manufacturing a headphone model for a decade(*); they must have a good reason to do so and I bet this is sound quality.
(*) Although the specs have changed a little over the years: The frequency response of the original A34 was (18-22k)Hz whilst this recently purchased model claims (10-23k)Hz.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Why I like these headphones
Comment: I really like these headphones.
For two reasons:
1. I have a big cranium, and I need headphones that have a little give and dont smash my ears. Well these fit the bill -- they are foldable but still adjustable, so someone with just about any size head can wear these. Thanks Sony.
2. I cannot wear ear bud headphones, they fall out of my ear and make my eats sore. But I still crave compactiveness, because I am using these headphones in conjunction with a PSP so I needed headphones that fit in a small pouch. Again these fit the bill.
The cord seemed too short to me, but I am a giant so maybe it is just me, so I gave these headphones a 4 out of 5 only because of the cord. Otherwise these headphones are great, exactly what I wanted - foldable - compact - over the head, head phones and the price is right too.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good service
Comment: The headphones were delivered in under a week. Because of the picture on the web site I was able to pick the exact kinds I wanted.
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Editorial Reviews:
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These Sony headphones are super-lightweight, comfortable and safe. The MDR-A34L stereo headphones have a thin, lightweight and adjustable headband which allow you to fit them perfectly to your head's shape. The headphones are foldable (via three hinges) which allow for greater transportability; you can pack these away in your workout bag or in a jeans pocket. The open-air design removes undesirable resonance by allowing outside air to pass through the headphones; the result is a better sounding headphone. The open-air design is also a key factor in keeping you safe while you exercise. The headphones allow outside noises like horns, passing bikers and oncoming dogs to meet your ears, even with music playing. With sixteen millimeter drivers, although miniscule, you can expect to hear a good bass sound. Neodymium magnets, a rare feature on such economically priced headphones, provide maximum energy with minimal size. Meanwhile, the Sony Acoustic Turbo circuit is included for high efficiency; it gets high sonic output from your portable stereo, and extends bass response. The MDR-A34L's oxygen-free copper (OFC) Y-style cord is double-sided and is 3.9 feet long, allowing for ample movement and separation from the sound source. The gold-plated, L-shaped stereo mini-plug fits mini-plug jacks, not the full-size stereo jacks. The headphones are a flat black color. What's in the Box
Sony MDR-A34L headphones
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