Sony MDR-XB500 Affordable Pulsing Throbbing Gobs of Bass

 

The XB500 is pretty well known to all at this point, however there's more to this little headphone that the immediate and obvious, which is the extra bass that they market the XB line towards and deliver with authority. They are some of the best basshead cans for the cost. But there's actually a gem out of the line and that's the XB500 because it's actually quite capable of more than just pulsing throbbing gobs of bass. It's an interesting little headphone, so let's get to know it if you're interested in a bassy headphone that can be altered a tad through equalization to be so much more.

 

I received my XB500 second hand, so I cannot go into detail about the packaging, but I do know that you can get it for $49 shipped from Amazon and other stores, and it comes with a carry bag that is not that impressive, but it's an accessory so why not mention it.

 

 

Summary for those who are not already familiar with the XB500:

 

• Full size circumaural closed back headphone
• Enhanced, emphasized and delivered bass response (basshead class)
• Comfortable big soft pillow pads
• Style is relative, you either like them, or think they look silly
• Short cord, terminates into 3.5mm
• Easy to drive, no amp required
• Massively benefits from equalization (EQ)
• Ideal for electronic bass musics (and others, with EQ)
• Recessed mids, recessed highs (this can be corrected with EQ, big time)
• Did I mention bass? Gobs of throbbing pulsing bass?

 

Construction, Materials & Comfort:

 

The XB500 is made entirely of plastic, with a short flat cord that terminates in 3.5mm and has big soft pillows that are very deep. At first they look too big, too silly, but that's if you see the XB700 and higher versions which do have larger pillows, the XB500 is actually not too big, it's pretty normal and I'll show comparisons of it's size to other headphones backings to sort of drive that home. They're actually quite normal, so not silly, which was a surprise to me when I took the dive (I expected them to be a little too silly, but they were not I found).

 

 

The framing is pretty slim and skinny and does feel a little flimsy. The headband is padded, but not very much. It is however pretty broad so it doesn't cut or anything. It leaves a proper headphone dent in your hair. Deal with it. It adjusts to good sizes, so should fit any head basically unlike other headphones that I've tried.

 

 

Wearing it is pretty comfy. It's a very soft, pillowy pad and it doesn't clamp. It does however get warm, as those pads are pleather and sit on your skin, get a little oily and then get warm. So you sweat a little unless it's already really cool and not humid where you are.

 

 

 

Overall, decent build, but don't sit on them, or you'll be ordering new headphones.

 

Here's some size comparisons:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sound Characteristics:

 

What really matters about the XB500 is the sound, and there's one reason you're looking at this headphone. Someone told you it was bassy as all get out, and they are right. Alternatively, you may have noticed them on the bottom shelf at Best Buy or something, right below the Beats. Har har. So let's get into the sound more and more specifically into the interesting behavior of the XB500 and what you can do with it.

 

Quick summary for the impatient:

 

• Recessed mids, recessed highs (very damp sounding, not harsh at all, dull even)
• Throbbing, pulsing, gobs of bass
• Impactful with bass, it slams you, it's not just reverb
• Below average isolation
• Normal sound stage for a closed headphone

 

Music tested, from my trusty test-group that I tend to use on all headphones (all lossless), included: Ani Difranco (Acoustic, Female Vocals), Regina Spektor (Folk, Pop, Female Vocals), Sierra Hull (Folk, Blue Grass, Female Vocals), Euge Groove (Jazz, Bassy), Ludovico Einaudi (Classical, Piano), Keith Jarrett (Classical, Piano, Live Concert), Bach Cello Suites (Classical), The Cranberries (Pop, Female Vocals), Elton John (Classic Rock),  Avantasia (Metal, Fantasy), Buckethead (Alt. Metal), Rusko (DubStep), JesusDied4DubStep (DubStep), Bay Area Dub (BAD) (DubStep), DJ Fresh (DubStep), Foreign Beggars (DubStep), Stinkahbell (DubStep), DeadMau5 (DubStep), Skrillex (DubStep), Robyn (EDM), BT (Trance, Techno), OceanLab (Trance, Techno). Lots of bass heavy muscis.

 

Hardware used, Sansa Fuze, Vivid V1 Technologies DAC/AMP, Matrix Cube DAC/AMP, Schiit Lyr, Auzentech Forte Soundcard and my Droid Incredible.

 

Treble (Highs):

 

Right away, you'll notice the highs out of the box are low. They're diminished. Recessed. You feel like it's damp. The bass is slamming and humming around, but the highs are just distant sounding like they were turned down. That's because they were turned down. This is not a detail headphone. This is not a headphone for airy instrument listening. You're not getting the XB500 for the treble though. This is known, and expected, but we have a solution for this that is simple and highly effective, more on that later.

 

Mids:

 

Mids are also recessed, diminished. You feel like vocals are wet and distant. Everything for that matter is. It's all in the background, takes a step back, for the bass to come forward and just own the floor. There's not really much you can really do here, except notice they're not detailed, there's not a lot of congestion thankfully, but out of the box, the mids are just not doing work. You can however of course correct this, which is again, going to be focused on in a minute.

 

The idea here to take home is that there's nothing special about the Highs & Mids stock, other than they're really recessed and diminished. But they're actually just a sleeping giant waiting to be awaken. Move on to the Equalization section for more information.

 

Bass (Lows):

 

This is what it's about. The bass of the XB500 slams, it has impact, it hits hard and low. It's a complete basshead can where everything goes out of the window in favor of bass, hence the complete lack of anything to talk about for highs & mids. The bass is absolutely monumental. I can't even express it other than to say you've got hear it. You've probably heard some bassy headphones. Probably heard a nice subwhoofer. When you feel the XB500's slamming bass reverb tones into your skull, you'll either love it as it really rustles your jimmies, or you will think it's just too much and you will scuttle back to your non-basshead headphones a little traumatized and wonder why people like this headphone. This is a basshead headphone. You only get it, if you really like heavy gobs of throbbing, pulsating, bass. The bass quality is actually great, it's not just quantity, the quality of this bass is also nice. The impact is good, the control is good, the tightness is good and recovery is good. Absolutely nothing wrong with the bass here, it has it all, it was built for it.

 

Equalization:

 

Out of the box, the XB500 is a bassy basshead headphone, and nothing more. But there's a sleeping giant in there. I've yet to find a single headphone that equalizes as well as the XB500 does. A few bumps in the mids and highs bring the mids and highs out of the fog and into the sound stage and it's a totally new headphone. Suddenly other genres can be played, with lots of bass, but still sound right thanks to now having adequate mids and treble. It doesn't distort out either. That's why it's so special. It's like it was purposefully dropped, which leaves all that room to bring it back up should you want to. I did, and man, what a good headphone with this small easy everyone-can-do-tweak. I tested acoustic, with the highs & mids increased, and it did it rather well considering it was awful for that kind of music prior to equalization. I used FooBar2000, so here's my quick equalization settings to bring out the highs and mids to a level that makes it sound more balanced, and when done, to me, sounds like a much better and far more expensive mid-tier headphone does, yet it's only $49 for this thing, and retains all the throbbing good slamming bass that you got it for. Literally, a sleeping giant in this regard.

 

 

Isolation:

 

There's actually less than average isolation for a closed headphone here. Those pads let a lot of sound through. It doesn't do it in a way that is degrading to the sound, but be aware of it, because if you plan on using these around other people or in a quiet place around people, they will hear what you're listening to pretty easily. It doesn't dump out like a Grado. But it's definitely not isolating the way some other closed headphones do.

 

Soundstage:

 

Sound stage is pretty normal. It's not cramped, but it's ok. It has a lot to do with the depth of the pads. Sound stage seems to go up with space on headphones in general. So big cups and deep cups tend to have better sound stages. It sounds good. Especially when you equalize the mids and highs up to make it a more balanced, yet bassy, sound.

 

Conclusion & Closing:

 

The XB500 really is a basshead headphone that will deliver the gobs of throbbing pulsating bass that you crave if you're a total basshead. It can become quite a bit more if you equalize it and it can suddenly handle all genres of music pretty well. The quality of the bass is very good as well as the quantity, which is pretty distinct about the headphone, as it also has impact as well as just good bass sound and low tones. Very few headphones, especially in the price range and even in the mid-tier price ranges can get that kind of bass. It does it at a price of course, the highs & mids, but again, this headphone benefits from equalizing like no other. All headphones can benefit a bit from tweaking for your own personal sound signature. But the XB500 takes it without distorting and really just comes to life. It's an ideal headphone for someone looking for an inexpensive way to get into Dance, Trance and Dubstep for example where it's all about the bass. Equalized, it can do anything pretty well. Not perfectly of course, but very well, which is opposite of what it was out of the box, stock.

 

 

 

Quite a while after reviewing this headphone, I stumbled upon a headphone that covers the same bases as the XB500, it does the bass, it does the slam, and it actually sounds so similar that it's scary, but already has increased mids & highs, unlike the XB500, so it doesn't need to be equalized to make it balance out for all music genres. And it happens to be $20 cheaper, so it's only $30 shipped. It's the Panasonic RP-HTF600-S. Plus it looks nicer, is constructed better, and sounds better out of the box with all the bass. All for less. So if you're interested in the XB500, please, take a look at the RP-HTF600. I consider it the replacement of the budget-bass-head-king from Sony.

 

Basshead Approved.

 

 

Very best,

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.

I got these used from my friend because I wanted a closed back can for walking around school with, and he was selling them like-new (2 hours max) for $20

 

Sound

I absolutely love these headphones, and their warm luscious sound was a nice change from my Sennheiser HD518s. These can be run clearly and cleanly out of almost any source, although if you REALLY want brain mashing bass, a FiiO e7/E17 with bass boost will smash your skull.

Signature:

Don't get me wrong if you think that these are just a basshead's cans, these have clear sound throughout the spectrum, the highs sparkle, the mids come through clear and present, and the bass, well, the bass is thumpy, and just sounds fun.

Nit-picks:

Their soundstage isn't as wide as my HD518's, it is still quite good, especially for a closed can. It has a very IMMERSIVE sound, and vocals can sound as close as up to your ear, or sound like they're a mile away. It has more of a fun than a critical sound.

 

Design

The design has some flaws, but not many, or any deal-breakers.

Pros:

1.) The flat cord is a lot more useful than you'd expect, it really does keep it from tangelling, but with that comes a downside (mostly for me and other OCD people) in that the cord becomes 'wavey' when you lay it flat.

2.) The ultra-light headband is awesome, and really trims down on the weight.

3.) The sliding motion of the headband is smooth, and easy to pick notches, while not slipping while you're wearing it

4.) Earpads get warm within an hour, but usually a quick lift off of your head will cool it down.

Cons:

1.) It seems to me that either 1. the Y split is too far down the cable, or 2. the cable is just too short

2.) where the black rubber connects to the silver plastic on the earcup, they separate, and feel really loose.

3.) Although the vents on the earcups do help with overall sound, it makes them leak noticeably, and it doesn't isolate as well as it could.

4.) Earpads are very squishy, people in the hallway come up and squish them sometimes XD.

 

Final Notes

I love these cans, and would definitely recommend these if you can find them for less than $75 USD. A basshead would love these, and so would the average person. If you're looking for a set of critical listening cans, these are not it. These have a very warm and fun sound. Great for rap/hip-hop/pop/ALL electric music, or other bass heavy music. Decent with rock/metal, but not very good for classical, or jazz. These are great headphones, and if you end up buying these, I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Having used these cans on a daily basis I feel a review is in order.

 

Sound

 

   The most important aspect, above everything else! I have used these phones for listning to music across all genres and they do not dissapoint. The bass is obviously the main design for these cans and it can take pretty much anything you throw at it without any muddy distortion. From fast, powerful, punchy drum and bass tunes to deep dubstep the low end remains clear and defined loosing no power. The Mid range can tend to be a bit lost though, due to the bass being quite overpowering. After a bit of 'burn in' they seem to come out a bit more which is nice but is a subtle improvement.

   Other types of music like acoustic, mellow genres, and Pop/ electronic sound great. The clarity is there and the sound remains 'full' and 'round'. You hear sounds that were never there before on cheaper headphones, the way club tracks were ment to be heard. If your after a true Hi-fi sound then these may seem a few steps away from what your after, but for the value and comfort, these easy to drive cans offer a fun way to explore the low end sound.

 

Style/Build

 

   I gave the design 3 stars. But that doesnt reflect anything. I only did this to be fair as i know people will either love it or hate it. The Japanese designer was inspired by comfy old leather sofas when putting these together and each ear cushion is hand stiched soft leather.

   My personal opinion is that they are great. The leather really is amazingly soft you have to feel to believe. They fit perfectly around the ear and can stay there for hours with no aggitation. Your ears sometimes can become hot though, but not often.

   I wear these out and about. Call me crazy or whatever but they are not that big. Some style concious people would not wear these out but would happily pay for a fake pair of Dre Beats. (Thats Crazy). But this is why i gave 3 stars.

   The build quality on the other hand is very nice although some metal could be used. They are a luxuary to have and even come with a nice bag to store them in. The flat cables means little to no time wasted on annoying tangles and more time with the music. My only wish is that there could have been some nice aluminum finishing etc.  

   If your after a decent pair of cans for a fair price, or are looking to move slightly up the ladder, then i couldnt be happier in reccomending these. Style, Comfort, Sound & Price should give you more than enough reason to waste away hours with your music collection.

  

I've heard the XB500 many times before actually being able to give a good review on it. Each time I put it on, I'm always very disappointed.

Back before I was into higher quality audio like I am now, I had always judged a headphone on how clean sounding it was. Mid bass bloat was what I tried to stay away from most.
I am SO glad I didn't purchase these before then. I would have been upset with how they sound.
When the term 'bass' comes to mind, I think of earth-shaking lows at or under 80Hz. To my ears, these are warm bloat cans that don't have those resonating lows.

To be blunt, I can't stand the XB500's signature.

At the low end, we have a very very warm presentation. The bass is not punchy or tight, but instead, it's more sloppy. Sub-bass is only average, in my opinion. What I hear is basically everything I was initially trying to AVOID in a headphone.

Mids are quite recessed in the spectrum. As a result, vocals sound a bit distant. The mids are just overall unnatural sounding.

Normally, I like treble, even harsh treble, but the treble of the XB500 is just purely annoying to my ears. I can't stand it. It's got pretty good clarity, honestly, but has a peak that makes some music less-than-enjoyable. I also find it to be pretty grainy and non-transparent.

Soundstage is bland. Width and depth are just 'okay'


As for everything other than sound, these are a nice pair of headphones.

The build on the XB500 is quite good. It's lightweight and durable. The headband is made out of plastic, but doesn't feel like it would easily break.
Cable can be a bit iffy. It's got that 'tangle-free' cord that makes me question just how much protection the cable really has.

Comfort of the XB500 is just incredible. The pads are thick, soft, and squishy. It really feels like I'm wearing a pillow on my head. Absolutely incredible comfort.


Overall, if you're into the sound signature given by the XB500, by all means, I would recommend these. They would be a very good pair for someone that enjoys this kind of sound.
They're just not for me.

So, a few months ago, I set off to find the most eardrum shattering bass I could buy under 100 bucks, and I struck gold. Behold, the Sony MDR-XB500. Simply put, the most punchy bass you can buy in a set of headphones. On to the review.

 

Value: A perfect 10 out of 10. These headphones can easily compete with those that are 3 or 4 times their price, and still end up winning. If you are on a budget, and you want bass, here is your set of headphones, sir or madame. 

 

Audio Quality: 8 out of 10. Right out of the box, not only will you hear the bass, you will FEEL the bass. And it's not held back either. The bass is like an angry dog , it will bite you given the chance. In some cases, such as dubstep and hip hop, this is a good kind of bite. However, when playing Beethoven's 9th Symphony, the bass is a little too over-emphasized. Be sure you have a good equalizer if you want to get the most out of these headphones.

 

Design: 6 out of 10. Well, these headphones, let's be honest, are not very fashionable. Pillows for earpads? A little bit much, even for myself. The Y cable gets annoying sometimes. And the adjusters on the headphones will slip out of place constantly. There is even a specific way you have to hold them if you don't want them falling down all the time. That being said, Sony has still managed to somewhat pull off a halfway decent looking pair of headphones. IMO, they still look a bit funky.

 

Comfort: 8 out of 10. There are only 2 reasons why this is not a 10. 1, the earpads are like sponges for sweat, and they get very, very hot very, very quickly. So super-sweaters be warned. And 2, the headband itself has near to no padding on it whatsoever. It is actually very hard. But, because the headphones are more lightweight, this really doesn't become an issue considering that you have the headband properly adjusted.

 

Overall: 8 out of 10. I am very satisfied with this pair of Sony headphones. Listening to anything from Dubstep to Classical, these headphones will deliver excellent sound and incredible bass. And at a pricepoint of around 50 bucks... Bassheads, these headphones are definitely not to be missed. If you don't already have yourself a pair, go get yourself one right now! Thank you for reading.

 

 

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.