Sony MDR-Q68LW Clip-on Style Headphone with Retractable Cord

First off Amazon's delivery system just got better. Target delivery date was August 14th but the package came on the 13th. Awesome! I've bought several unlocked cell phones from Amazon in the past and all of them came the day after target delivery, late afternoon i might add, even when i paid for a 2 day delivery. In all instances i ordered Friday night. Anyway, this item and a previous order for a Sammy bluetooth headset came on time or early. Great job Amazon!I bought this headset for use with a Samsung HS3000 bluetooth headset. Loved both! I've used Sony clip-on headphones in the past so i know how this would sound like and fit.This headphones are light, fit perfectly in my ears and have stayed on doing light physical activities. I never run with headphones (safety concern) so I can't comment on that.The retractable feature seems to work perfectly. I love that you can pull out as much or as little wire as you may need. I use this with a Samsung bluetooth clip on (for shirt) and it goes perfectly together.The wires are very thin and I'm a little concerned about durability of the wires. I'll update my review in 6 months. I hope it holds out or lasts longer than that. Based on other reviewers it seems to be durable despite the thinness of the cord.Unlike my previous Sony clip on headphones, this one has a shorter cord and I love that! Sony has this tendency to go extremes with their cords. Either too long or too short! This is perfect for me because I use it connected to the bluetooh dongle but if I were to use this connected to my cell or mp3 player, it would be too short if I were to put my cell in my slacks pocket. I'm only 5'11" so if you're taller, then get a different headphone.Sound quality: like my previous Sony's, these sound good. I'm pretty sure that the $100 Bose or other super expensive headphones sound better but I'm quite hard on my headphones and it will be impractical to spend too much on them. I wouldn't feel too bad if I break these since they are affordable and sound good too. BTW i tried out the Motorola S10 HD bluetooth headset and those sound horrible! No bass at all and too tight and gave me a headache! Those were returned in a jiffy.Bottomline: I would recommend these for people looking for clip-on over the ear headphones with retractable cord. The cord is a bit short so if you are tall, these are not for you. Sound quality is very decent (not bad but not mind blowing either) and at $20 a pop, I can't complain.

This is my second pair of these headphones, and I can't imagine using anything else at the moment. I bought my first pair about 3 years ago, and they finally have started to give, so I got a new pair. If you travel, and you're in the demographic of people for whom earbuds are incredibly painful, the over-the-ear retractable headphones are a dream come true. The sound is pretty great -- I'm not an audiophile, but they're noticeably better than even the "new, redesigned" iPhone 5 earbuds. The bass is good enough, and the sound leak isn't too bad for over-the-ear phones.There are a couple drawbacks, though given the fact that there aren't really any other retractable clip-on phones on the market, don't let them discourage you:- The cord is short. It's only about 3 feet (so it can fit into the caps). I'm 5'8" and they're okay for me, but if you're taller, it might not make it into your pockets.- After about a year, the rubber ear guards started to peel off the plastic. It was more of a minor inconvenience than anything, as they didn't come off and were still comfortable.- After about 2 years, I noticed that I'd lose stereo audio (and just get mono) while I was retracting/extending the cord. Again, a minor inconvenience, as I got used to it. Try not to pull the cord past the yellow spot that lets you know it's all the way out -- I'm sure I just had a loose wire.Other than that, they're great headphones, comfortable on my ears, good sound, and incredibly portable, since there are no cords to tangle. You also can shorten the cord so you don't get it caught on anything like you would with a longer/non-retractable one.

Pros-They're not earbuds!-Each side is only attached by the cord connecting them. It's fantastic for listening with one ear, or just any time you don't like having an awkward strip of plastic wrapping around your head.-Retractable cords are a Godsend.-Durable. They first pair I had got caught on things as I was walking more times than I can count because I could never remember to retract the slack in the cord, but it didn't seem to cause any damage.-Comfortable. Have to adjust them on my ears sometimes when they are turned on my ear a little too far and the hook puts too much pressure on the ear, but that's just improper positioning.-Good Longevity. My first pair lasted from January 2011 to August 2011, and still worked at that point but were very staticky and crackly, though this could sometimes be fixed by retracting a click or two's length of cord. My second pair went from August to December before it started having issues, and I'm 99% certain the first pair would still be working perfectly if not for the cell phone I listen to music all day on. I have a lot of evidence to suggest it's the phone that's causing the headphones to die.Cons-They're not studio quality sound-wise, but they're darned good for the price range.-There's a 1% chance that it's not my phone's fault that my headphones keep going bad.Overall thoughtsThis is a great item for someone who wants the convenience of earbuds without the friggin' earbuds. They've served me well.UPDATE: July 2012, still on the original two pairs. I keep the old one in my desk as a backup pair for when I forget the newer pair at home. I've gotten a new phone and the crackling still came, so it's just an artifact of the headphones, but adjusting the length of the cords by a click or two or tapping them almost always makes it stop. Still among the best $20 ever spent.Update: April 2013, still going strong. Pair #2 was pretty abused and I accidentally dropped them where I couldn't retrieve them, so bought pair #3. Still happy!