Sony MDR-A35G Headphones (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I broke these while at the gym. I couldn't believe they broke. The plastic is quite easy to break, which is why I think they make them foldable. I was hanging the headphones on the treadmill, and went to pick them up. They pulled and snapped immediately. Well, these headphones, while not the best to listen to for audio quality, were fantastic to run with. I can run and have enough cord to keep from snagging or pulling on the iPod. That is important!! I don't care about the sound quality as much due to wanting to hear what's going on around me if I run on the roads. I do care that they break so easily. Now that I know, I am very careful! They are light headphones, stay in the ears, and the cord is sufficiently long enough. What do you want for such a cheap price? (Earbud style headsets fall out of my ears, and annoy me, which is why I prefer something like this!) I rated this a 4, because I like the headphones, though they don't profess to be of high quality, they are great for sports. I would have given a 5 rating if the plastic were not so easy to break.

SUMMARY - Great sports performance, very good sound, a little lacking in durability but still the BEST sports headphones I have come across after trying around 10 different brands.I am on my fourth pair of these headphones so I feel that I am well qualified to write this review. These are great sports headphones. I am not an audiophile but the sound is good and they collapse if you need to carry them in a bag. They stay firmly in your ears during all types of exercise (running, weights, jumproping, etc.) and for the most part the sweat guard does keep the sweat out of your ears.However, I cannot rate this product 5 stars due to the inconsistent durability (as reflected in some of the other reviews). Each of my first three pairs failed in one ear and eventually the other. If they all lasted more than a year like my first pair I would be 100% satisfied but one pair lasted only a little more than 4 months. (1st pair - 18 months, 2nd pair - 4 months, 3rd pair - 11 months).After trying alot of sports headphones alternatives I can say that even with the questionable durability, these are still the best purchase you can make.

My credentials: I'm a runner. I ran in long-distance in high school track and cross-country in college. I currently train for 5ks, 10ks and half-marathons (my knees won't hack a full marathon). This requires a lot of time on the treadmill, and music is a perfect companion.THE GOODPrice - You can't beat this price. Sony is a good name, and while these are on the bottom end of the spectrum, they are well priced for what you're getting.Sound - Louder than some more expensive ear-buds and headphones that I've tried. Good, clear, but not as good or as clear as you can get with say Shure or Bose in-ear phones or noise-reduction systems.Comfort - Once your ears are used to them, they're great for longer runs. The "sweat guard" works fairly well. This is a longer stem that channels the sweat away from your ear, and thus your phones won't short out. Also, these won't fall out of your ears no matter how far you're going to run. Always a plus.BADQuality - As mentioned in the price category above, you're getting what you pay for. If you're not an athlete, and you're into the sound, then pass on these. Shure and Bose are definately the way to go.Sound - Again, you get what you pay for. These are great for on the run working out, where you don't want your music to fall out suddenly and be left playing with wires and phones and so forth. But they do not command the highest and lowest pitches. If it's Puccini, then you're out of luck.Overall, these are great phones for the need. I recommend them for runners, cyclists, rowers, anyone who doesn't want to fiddle with their phones while working out.

As a portable music user since the mid 80s I have gone through many many Sony headphones over the years. From using outrageously priced tiny cassette Walkmans to minidisc to MP3 players. In the old days it was no problem to chuck the headphones that came with the players and buy a quality replacement pair for around twenty dollars. Not so now. These headphones are OK for casual everyday use (I use mine for walking/hiking so I can't comment on exercise/sweat endurance). I don't find them near as fragile as a lot of users are making them out to be, but I also don't expose them to any rough handling. The plastic is not as durable as the old Sonys were but is fine if you do no major folding or extreme flexing of the headband. Sound quality is just OK with 320 kbps MP3 files on my Sandisk M240 & 250 players, not much high end detail or solid bass, but you can do a lot worse for a lot more money. Headphones are comfortable enough and really stay in place. All in all a good buy for the ten bucks you pay. Buy two with one for a spare and I think you will be happy with them.

i love these headphones! i have used them exclusively over the past 6 yrs or so to listen to music as i run. they are super lightweight and comfortable. the sound is fine. they stay in place. the length of the cord is fine. i do not have a problem with them when i sweat a lot either. sure they are flimsy and can be prone to break if you are not semi-careful with them. but hey, they are less than $20 headphones. I just ordered some more. the last ones i ordered was sept 2007 (i got 2 pair). ordering more now because i have to have a backup pair and wanted to make sure i had them in case something happened to my current ones. i have had the headband snap before when i wasn't paying attention as i folded them up. actually my last pair that broke had nothing to do with the quality (a stupid cat chewed through the cord!). so, i would def. recommend these as sport headphones, i think they are perfect for use when running, etc. sounds are good to me, although i am no audiophile - and seriously, i am so not that picky as i am running my route and sweating my butt off anyway.

The earphones are better than most because they fold up into a small size and also go over your head and directly in your ears as opposed to hanging loosley in your ears and falling out when you are on a treadmill or cross trainer.The radio plug ins at many of the gyms are quite poor especially the sound volume. These earphones stay in and produce great sound and look great.

Best headsets for sport I have ever used…I run and sweat a lot and those are perfect for me..Nic