Key Takeaways
- Sony MDR-EX15AP and Apple EarPods are cheap, but Sony earbuds are superior in fit, sound quality, and isolation.
- Sony earbuds fit inside your ear canal, offering better comfort and isolation compared to EarPods that rest outside.
- Sony MDR-EX15AP have a more durable, L-shaped connector and better bass output, making them a preferred choice for affordable wired earbuds.
In terms of affordable wired earbuds, there are two that I personally really like: the Sony MDR-EX15AP and the Apple EarPods. Both earbuds are cheap enough that you really can’t complain much about either, especially for how well they perform. Both sound good and have great microphones, making them an obvious choice for anyone hunting for a quality pair of budget wired earbuds.
But I do prefer the Sony earbuds over the EarPods for a lot of reasons, from the way they fit to the way they sound and beyond. Ultimately, both are incredible for the price, and will serve different people in different ways, but the Sony earbuds are just that much better than the EarPods.
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1 The Sony earbuds actually fit inside your ear
An unsealed fit just isn’t very comfortable
The most important distinction between the Sony MDR-EX15AP and the Apple EarPods is the design of the actual earbud itself. The Sonys have silicone ear tips that go into your ear canal, while the EarPods rest in the outer part of your ear and don’t really go in. For a variety of reasons, the Sony earbuds are much better for the vast majority of people simply because of the way they fit.
Not only do the Sony earbuds actually fit inside your ear, but they come with different sized ear tips too, making them even more versatile.
Comfort is a big factor here, because a lot of peoples’ ears simply won’t accommodate the shape of the Apple EarPods. I find my own ears getting sore after a while wearing them, and I’ve heard the same from many others. The shape also impacts isolation and sound quality, which I’ll elaborate on later. Not only do the Sony earbuds actually fit inside your ear, but they come with different sized ear tips too, making them even more versatile.
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2 They have better isolation
It’s vital to keep outside noise out and the sound of music in
Due to the in-ear fit of the Sony MDR-EX15AP, these earbuds have much better isolation than the Apple EarPods. Isolation refers to the way the earbuds seal off your ear in order to keep outside sounds out of your ears and keep the earbuds’ sound in. With poor isolation, you get leaks, leading to quieter sound from your earbuds, and often quieter bass specifically.
The Apple EarPods, by way of their unsealed fit, just don’t allow for any isolation. For example, when you’re walking on a busy street, you’ll hear a lot less traffic noise when you’re wearing the Sony MDR-EX15AP compared to the EarPods. So, unless you love turning your volume all the way and hearing every car that passes you, the Sony MDR-EX15AP are a much better choice when it comes to isolating noise.
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3 The Sony earbuds sound better
If you actually want to hear bass, that in-ear fit has got your back
By virtue of the way the Sony earbuds fit, they also just sound way better than the EarPods. The unsealed design of the EarPods means that a lot of sound gets lost, both in terms of volume and frequency. Bass is a lot quieter when you have an unsealed fit on earbuds or headphones, and that goes for all of them, including open-back headphones. But the average consumer wants bass. That’s why so many earbuds and headphones are so bassy.
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So, in contrast, the Sony MDR-EX15AP sound amazing, though they already sound great on their own without comparison. Bass frequencies are much more audible on these earbuds, and you don’t have to turn the volume all the way up to hear anything when you’re in a public place. It’s just an all-around much more enjoyable listening experience.
4 The Sony MDR-EX15AP have a more subtle design
I personally prefer black earbuds and wires over white
Design can be really subjective, but I do prefer how the Sony MDR-EX15AP looks over the Apple EarPods. Sure, the EarPods have an iconic look that we all remember from the mid-2000s iPod commercials, but as a person who mostly wears black, I like having black earbuds with a thin black cable a lot more.
The thinness and flatness of the cable is actually a major plus to me, since the cable feels like it gets a lot less in the way when I’m walking around, and it’s easier to manage. The EarPods cable is just heavy and thick enough that I can feel it hit me if I’m walking fast enough.
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5 L-shaped connectors are more durable
I have a tendency to snap cables from overuse
The EarPods have a straight connector, regardless of whether you get the 3.5mm, Lightning, or USB-C version, and the Sony MDR-EX15AP have an L-shaped one, and that can make a world of difference. L-shaped connectors are less likely to bend and put pressure on both the cable and the jack, making them more durable and easier on your device.
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I find it a lot easier to use a device with an L-shaped connector plugged in, because it feels a lot less in the way of my hands than a straight cable.
Obviously, if you’re too hard on any cable it can break or put pressure on whatever it’s plugged into, but L-shaped ones just make it a bit better. I also find it a lot easier to use a device with an L-shaped connector plugged in, because it feels a lot less in the way of my hands than a straight cable. Additionally, when plugged into a laptop, it’s a lot more flush to the side of the laptop than a straight cable would be, making it easier to move around and place on surfaces.
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