Okay, takes a deep breath because I know I'm going to be dissed to hell over this review and my comments on the sound of these headphones. All I ask is you read what I'm actually saying all of the way through and take ALL of the points I make into consideration.
I LOVE both transparent and flat and equalised sound in equal measure ! ! ! I'm lucky because most of the time I can plug in my AKG and my Sennhizeiser headphones (both of which I love) and when I fancy a change of sound, from the mind set of.....don't dare to listen, or even try to appreciate music in any way if the frequency response has been altered in any way (well you know the thought process that pervades in the "audiophile" culture in that respect......so to hell with it, I have a little fun, I crank up the lows take out the lower mids and push the highs to reveal hidden depths and enjoyment of my music that would remain hidden without my tinkering around with the frequency's. Both the AKGs and the Sennhizeisers stand up to my flooding of the the very low ends and highs so well, and both produce a wonderfully "rich" and clear delightful sound and never sound like they are been pushed close to there limits, rather BOTH sets of headphones chew it up and ask me for more, and trust me I push them both VERY hard sometimes!!!
Bla bla bla (sorry to go on) nearly 50 so I have the right and I don't care what anyone else thinks any more,oh the joys of getting old! ! ! !
This brings me to the Sony MDR XB 450 and the sound they produce out of the box, of the bat with NO equalization at all. There a dream, flat.....probably not! Do I care not one bit, what this set of headphones dose is produce a sound, the very best equalized sound without the £200 equalizer and the £300 amp! They are a joy to pick up and plug in, mmmmmmm, in ALL the right places they draw the sound frequencys that matter to produce the richest, warmest most easy and enjoyable and fun to sound produced by ANY headphone. Yes I said FUN but don't let that word put you of trying them.....go on audiophiles with your £1000 plus headphones I dare you ! ! ! take your snazzy £500 music player, select your number one song of time plug in the Sonys and prepare to hear your songs bassline as you have probably never been able to hear and appreciate it before, yet....still have the clarity of the top end coming through!
This is a truly GREAT set of headphones, to be clear NO there not flat and transparent!!! But what they do ,do is something totally magical with the sound in the most wonderful way!!!
I rate the Sony MDR XB 450 as one of the most underrated and unappreciated headphones within the audiophile community, sometimes some thing dose not HAVE to be £300 plus to just simply sound fantastic or as in the case of the mighty Sennhizeiser PX100mk2 the size of dinner plates to sound truly stunning and well balanced........again I'm NOT saying the Sonys are balanced, but I encourage you, if you haven't, next time your in Currys plug your player in stick your top song on and just try them (you might be surprised) and if you can get past the "but there £40 headphones so there crap" you might actually enjoy the sound, you know just for a change every now and then, just for a little but of fun!
Well done Sony (Oh and by the way the lesser mortals amongst us (i.e. the none "audiophiles") LOVE your headphone the reviews and comments from the mortals are outstanding on Amazon and rightly so, that's the REAL testament to your fantastically well made, comfortable, durable, engineered masterpiece that is the MDR XB 450 ! ! !