Got my Sony STH 30 from eBay from this seller http://www.ebay.com/itm/351080069901?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
Here is my quick review. I will be comparing these Apple Earpods since I own both. Remember this is just my own opinion and my preference.
First, design is like the other headset from Sony where the other ear wire is longer which is supposed to be run at the back of your neck. I like this style of placement than the earpods of Apple and other manufacturers. Whenever I remove them from my ears, I can just let them hang without falling off.
Design and Build: The quality of wire used in the headset is not that good. For me, it feels like it can easily snap anytime, especially the ones that run from the ears. They are thin and prone to strangling. Unlike the Apple Earpods where the wire is thick and retains it's shape (like for example, if I fold the Sony it has the tendency to stick into that form even after untying it so I need to straighten it up). For the design, Sony's design is nice, it's sharp on the edges and modern in looks. I prefer the looks of Apple earpods though because it's simple and nice but I love the aluminum part of the STH 30. The call key and ear cap design on the Sony STH 30 are made from aluminum (maybe brushed metal) and is really elegant. Controls are okay, but not as tactile as Apple Earpods. You will get used to it though but I hope they made it tactile. The volume controls are rubberize which adds the difficulty of pressing them.
Comfort: Both are comfortable to wear. No issues in here.
Bass, Treble and Volume Output: The bass of the Sony STH 30 is really nice, it's a bit better than the earpods from Apple. Both headsets are clear but I guess Sony wins here. The volume is pretty low though. Unlike the earpods where setting the music volume even to 50 percent is already sufficient for me to clearly hear the music but for the Sony STH 30 I need to set it up to 90 percent or higher. I guess the reason for this is the waterproof membrane that cause loudness to be somewhat low just like on their Xperia Z series. Overall, I love the Apple Earpods here because of the volume.
Mic: Very clear. Tried calling someone with the headset and she said I came in clear (I was near a band performance that time). I guess this is excellent. Apple earpods wasn't really good for calling when I used it on my iPhone more so on my Z1C now.
Price: I got this from eBay for 37 USD. Now, I wouldn't recommend really buying from eBay if you can find one in your local store but in my case, I need to get it from online since this isn't available in my country. Apple earpods cost more or less the same so.
Conclusion: Sony STH 30 is a very nice headset. I would really recommend it for those looking for a headset with functional volume controls for Android. Waterproof and very nice output. This is really useful when you're caught under the rain. The drawbacks only are the low volume output and the not so tactile buttons. For me, I still prefer the Apple Earpods for build quality and comfort. The Sony STH 30 is comfortable but not so if you use it for a long time unlike the Apple Earpods where you can easily forget that you are wearing a headset. If not for the incompatible controls of the Apple Earpods, I would still use it on my Z1C but i'm tired of taking out my phone just to adjust the volume whenever I take a walk and listen to music. Still the Sony STH 30 is better than most of the other headsets there including the stock headset included on the Z1C.
For questions, don't hesitate to post it here.
Here is my quick review. I will be comparing these Apple Earpods since I own both. Remember this is just my own opinion and my preference.
First, design is like the other headset from Sony where the other ear wire is longer which is supposed to be run at the back of your neck. I like this style of placement than the earpods of Apple and other manufacturers. Whenever I remove them from my ears, I can just let them hang without falling off.
Design and Build: The quality of wire used in the headset is not that good. For me, it feels like it can easily snap anytime, especially the ones that run from the ears. They are thin and prone to strangling. Unlike the Apple Earpods where the wire is thick and retains it's shape (like for example, if I fold the Sony it has the tendency to stick into that form even after untying it so I need to straighten it up). For the design, Sony's design is nice, it's sharp on the edges and modern in looks. I prefer the looks of Apple earpods though because it's simple and nice but I love the aluminum part of the STH 30. The call key and ear cap design on the Sony STH 30 are made from aluminum (maybe brushed metal) and is really elegant. Controls are okay, but not as tactile as Apple Earpods. You will get used to it though but I hope they made it tactile. The volume controls are rubberize which adds the difficulty of pressing them.
Comfort: Both are comfortable to wear. No issues in here.
Bass, Treble and Volume Output: The bass of the Sony STH 30 is really nice, it's a bit better than the earpods from Apple. Both headsets are clear but I guess Sony wins here. The volume is pretty low though. Unlike the earpods where setting the music volume even to 50 percent is already sufficient for me to clearly hear the music but for the Sony STH 30 I need to set it up to 90 percent or higher. I guess the reason for this is the waterproof membrane that cause loudness to be somewhat low just like on their Xperia Z series. Overall, I love the Apple Earpods here because of the volume.
Mic: Very clear. Tried calling someone with the headset and she said I came in clear (I was near a band performance that time). I guess this is excellent. Apple earpods wasn't really good for calling when I used it on my iPhone more so on my Z1C now.
Price: I got this from eBay for 37 USD. Now, I wouldn't recommend really buying from eBay if you can find one in your local store but in my case, I need to get it from online since this isn't available in my country. Apple earpods cost more or less the same so.
Conclusion: Sony STH 30 is a very nice headset. I would really recommend it for those looking for a headset with functional volume controls for Android. Waterproof and very nice output. This is really useful when you're caught under the rain. The drawbacks only are the low volume output and the not so tactile buttons. For me, I still prefer the Apple Earpods for build quality and comfort. The Sony STH 30 is comfortable but not so if you use it for a long time unlike the Apple Earpods where you can easily forget that you are wearing a headset. If not for the incompatible controls of the Apple Earpods, I would still use it on my Z1C but i'm tired of taking out my phone just to adjust the volume whenever I take a walk and listen to music. Still the Sony STH 30 is better than most of the other headsets there including the stock headset included on the Z1C.
For questions, don't hesitate to post it here.
