Don’t let the price of the Sony Ultra Lightweight MDR-W08L Vertical In-The-Ear Headphones fool you. They may be the single best workout headphones dollar for dollar. They may not sound as good as the Bose IE2 or look as good as the Monster iSport, but coming in at under $10 they put up a good fight.
Pros
Sound Quality. The Sony MDR-W08L utilize the Sony Acoustic Turbo Circuit which allows more balanced frequency reproduction and higher input level headroom from portable players. What exactly does that mean? Basically, they are designed to sound good on your mp3, iPhone, iPod, CD player, etc.
Comfort and Fit. One of the biggest praises the Sony Ultra Lightweight headphones receive is comfort. For many runners these are the only headphones they can run with. The vertical design takes any added weight from the cords off your ears making the headphones feel almost invisible.
Price. It’s going to be hard to beat a pair of top rated headphones that you can usually find for less than $10. (Update: It’s almost impossible to find these headphones, and is unlikely you will ever find them for under $100)
Cons
Outdated. While the Sony Ultra Lightweight headphones still continue to be a top seller after almost 10 years the technology is getting to be a little out of date. Though we know runners that grab a couple pairs every year just to make sure they’ll always have them.
Full Review
The word ultra should really be emphasized when talking about the Sony Ultra Lightweight headphones because they are unbelievably light, especially for a pair of vertical headphones. With every runner or gym rat sporting a brand new iPod or iPhone it is very rare to see vertical headphones these days, but they’re still relevant in the workout headphones world.
There’s not really a whole lot to say about these headphones. They’re one of those headphones that you’ll find people may stock up on 10-20 pairs just to be sure they always have a pair to go when their old ones burn out.
Specifications
- Nickel plated plug to resist corrosion
- Warranty : 1 year
What’s in the Box
With the price being so incredibly low, you’re not getting the usual protective storage case or any other fancy accessories. But you will get these amazing sports headphones.
- Sony Ultra Lightweight MDR-Wo8L Headphones
Where to Buy
As odd as it sounds, you CAN NOT find these headphones in stores. However, Amazon still carries them (and has for the past 12 years!).
This is my favorite style of workout headphones. Why has no one made a wireless version of this style? The only thing I dislike is the cord.
No longer available. Discontinued. Now go for $98.00+. Petition for return. https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bring-back-sony-mdr-w08l-headphones.
Sony mdr-w08 headphones were great but they have been discontinued and it’s hard to find them that aren’t used (or fake) or very expensive. The sonxtronic xdr-8000 sport
http://www.sonxtronic.com/xdr-8000-sport-headphones.html
and sonxtronic xdr-8001
http://www.sonxtronic.com/xdr-8001-sport.html are the same (great) but lighter and you can get them brand new from a us company.
Not as good.