Sony MDR-XB500 40mm XB Diaphragm Driver Extra Bass Headphones

It's an unfair comparison, but I'll compare them to AKG K 272 HD, source being FiiO E7 USB DAC for both. (I equalize the AKG by +3dB through 20-80Hz)
 

Build:
The soft, pillow like earpads are a godsend. The leatherette feels comfortable, and doesn't cause sweating. The joints and headband aren't as assuring, and feel prone to breakage. Since they're a gift for my gf I won't break them just to try it out. Oh well, atleast they're very light and you just forget about them in five minutes. The short cord has a cute tiny 1/8" plug that won't get in the way with portable use.

Sound:
First time playing Ayreon on them, which has plenty of beautiful female and male vocals, melodic instruments, reverb and all sorts of funky effects, I found the XB-500 mids lacking, and they just didn't seem to come from anywhere in particular, and there was this weird veil that took all the detail away. After the headphones had burnt in my ears in a week, the mids didn't bother and I wholeheartedly found the sound enjoyable, with a really entertaining lows and good highs. For 40€ the SQ is great, although bass at times felt a bit bloated and uncontrolled. With gaming the mid-range veil and smooth bass are a non-issue, and in gaming the soundstage doesn't run inside my head too much, so for gaming they're a really valid option, although they're certainly not horrible for music use either. Definitely not for the most critical listener, though.

   When my ears had settled for these cans and I swapped to the 272 HD, my ears faced a complete blackness in mids and highs and the dimension was far greater than with the XB-500, like there'd be another world inside the headphones. The bass felt a bit clinical and fell short after getting used to more, so props for the XB-500 making things sound 'fun' and groovy. All in all I preferred the bloated bass while gaming and listening to some genres like dubstep and rap, but with dance, metal and electronic music the 272 HD feels much more at home due to the crystal clear detail all around (especially when the shortcomings of bass are equalized.)

I'll listen to them for a month before handing them to my gf and see if my opinion changes, but I think I'll look for Beyerdynamic offerings the next time I feel like I want something with bass. They're a lot more expensive though, so I've got to cut the XB-500 some slack and admit they're awesome for the price. I'll try out the XB-700 if their mids would be better. I'm not rushing to the store to get another pair of XB-500 for myself, I'm sure my gf will plain love them! Although the overall tone of this review is positive and I like them, there's just something I'm missing that I have in the AKGs, hence the sub four star rating. Still, great value.

On christmas 2011 I opened a gift from my mom that not only surprised me, but made me grin with anticipation. The sony mdr XB500, dynamic open backed headphones, where not exactly what I expected. I have to say that as much as I expected a lot of extra bass, I thought it was almost pointless how internally eq'd they were, even if I turned on a bass reducer, or put them through a headphone amp, they wouldn't do what I wanted them to do. All that aside though lets get into a formal review. The XB-500 are made almost 100% of plastic, which would be okay, if it wasn't the same cheap plastic you find on their 10 dollar ear buds. Considering the plastic their made of however, they have held up very well, and I take them everywhere, including to snowboard once. So the build isn't top notch. One thing about these headphones that is top notch, however, is the comfort. These headphones have two insanely plush, and thick, leather pads. Its literally like putting two pillows on either side of your head, if the pillows were blasting dubstep in your ears. Its almost worth having them to just put on your head every now and then. Another thing I was pleased with was the cable. Its a flat cable, which doesn't tangle, but it still can get into knots, and it also has very minimal noise. If you turn of your music completely and rub the cable, sure you'll hear some noise. If you have your music at 50 even 25% you won't notice. The only problems with this cable is 1: It goes into both cans, and 2: its not removable, even though it has a design that makes it look like it is. The sound quality is not bad by any respects. The Highs are very clear, and the mids are pronounced, which would be great if the bass wasn't overshadowing them... completely. I have come so close to getting them to a flat enough tone that they sound amazing, but have never quite pulled it off. That being said, these headphones have a amazing soundstage for the price, so plug in some Bon Iver and close your eyes, and he might as well be playing a personal concert for you. The instrument separation is fine, not to go crazy over but no tracks get muddy, and you can always tell everything apart. Overall these headphones are a great buy, but only if your a bass head. Overall I would give them a 7/10, because their definitely not audiophile grade, but they totally kick the beats by dre's sorry ass.

I've listened to them about half an hour.

They are sold as extra bassy, and so they are, indeed.

Pros :

- Very comfortable pads

- Very flexible cable

- Nice soundstage

Cons :

- Y-cable

- Don't isolate well

- Uncomfortable headband on the top of your skull (it's too hard)

I bought these originally for $210 CND, then the price went down. O.O but I am not complaining cause they are not so bad.