Cheap

Everything else

These Sony headphones are cheap to buy - but they're just as crappy as most of the headphones that come packaged with Walkman players. The MDR-201LP suffers from having no bass whatsoever, recessed lower mids, harsh upper mids and lower treble, nonexistent high treble... blech! (Nope, I didn't use any bass boost whatsoever when I tested these headphones.)And forget about using these headphones with newer portable players - you'll have to turn up the volume all the way to maximum just to hear them at a comfortable volume. Other, more expensive, better-sounding headphones are louder than this pile of s***!

As for durability... These headphones are a bit more durable than the cheaper MDR-101LPs, but may still break with typical use. The single-sided cord is more convenient than the Y-cord setup of the 101s.

Buyer Beware: You DEFINITELY get what you pay for.