Sony MH1 Livesound Hi-Fi Stereo In-Ear Headphones

Bought these based on reviews, as I like buying new cheap earphones because I invariably lose them sooner or later. 
 
I've signed up just to state that - to me - the cord is a dealbreaker.
The earphones sound fine, but I just can't imagine a scenario where I might be stationary enough to use them. There doesn't seem to be a way of wearing them - either behind or in front of your neck - which isn't impossible. Whichever way you turn the earphone before you insert it, the huge noodle-spring cable is immediately trying to twist it back out of your ear. (It doesn't help that the in-line controls are so close to the earpiece)
 
If I'm walking, it usually achieves this in under a minute. The extra rubberised surface area of the flat cable creates unnecessary friction on your clothes, which adds additional pulling forces to the earphones. To top it off, because of the friction and comparative stiffness of the cable combined with the fact that it's impossible to wear them up-and-over-the-ear, microphonics are a nightmare. Rumble rumble rumble, they go, unless you stay perfectly still like you're playing musical statues.
 
It's frustrating and baffling that Sony have saddled an obviously well-designed and good driver with such an infuriating cable. I've abandoned them - the Piston 3s are infinitely more usable and wearable in every way. Unless you want to cut the drivers off and solder them onto a normal cable for fun, I can't recommend them. 

I wanted to rate it 2 stars, but would have been flamed if I did that. There is also the fact that I got it cheap, and you can too.
I have no real complaint against this headset other than its price. When it was introduced, it was value for money. Nowadays there are stock smartphone IEMs that offer nearly as good or slightly better sound quality, well maybe not the bass, but bass is not everything.
 
So if you already have an MH1, stick to it and do not purchase any new low end headphone hoping for an improvement. But, if you are planning to buy an MH1, please don't. Instead get a Sony MH750.
 
The MH1 is for bassheads in general. It requires much more power than the likes of Soundmagic E10 and you need to keep that in mind when using the MH1 on a PC. USB powered DACs simply can't play the MH1. I am talking about the MH1, not MH1C or MH1A or other variants. I am not sure whether there is a difference, but if Sony dropped the impendance in the newer models, it might improve things quite a bit.

These are really good-sounding IEMs, a little bit on the bass-side but very balanced and detailed, both in micro and macrodynamics. You should expect to be surprised by how such little IEMs with such a little driver (5,8mm) can produce such a big and full-bodied sound, with correct timbre, fine decay and attack and a very controlled mid-bass. Treble is soft but very defined.
 
The cons are about the design. Like in almost every Sony product, there is something that doesn't make sense. For instance, the cable splitter is badly placed and the way the cables come out of it makes absolutely no sense. If it is intended to use the right driver around the neck, why on earth the cable parts from below the splitter? 
 
The microphone has good quality and, for those brave Lumia fans out there, it works with your smartphones, as well as the volume keys and command button.