Got these ones at aprox. 20 dollars since they were on discount in a store nearby.
Looks: I found them to be bigger and more comfortable than the XB400, their predecessor headphones, as well as better looking. A pad or soft cushion on the headband would have been nice, and the Headband itself feels too thin as if it's going to break anytime, but it isn't an uncomfortable pair of headphones at all. The grip is okay, not too tight or too loose for my head. They're not heavy to carry and are comfortable to wear when I'm using glasses, which is something I really appreciate. They have Swivel Earcups, which helps if you're carrying them in a backpack, but the headphones themselves aren't foldable. There are plenty of colors to choose from like Yellow, Blue, Red, Silver or Black.
Sound: These are definitely not audiophile headphones. If you listen to them directly out of your cellphone or PC you'll find they feature an overwhelming, loud, punchy bass, which is has been the main characteristic of all the XB headphones Sony has put out so far. The problem is that the mids are completely veiled and recessed, and the highs are almost nowhere to be heard. These headphones really shine in EDM or Hip Hop songs, but their performance is disappointing on Acoustic or Metal songs.
However, I used them in my PC with the built-in equalizer turned on and the treble maxed, and the audio quality improves incredibly. The mids and highs stop being veiled and the bass remains as punchy as before. The soundstage is still flawed, but their sound definitely becomes more balanced and really fun to hear, even better in my opinion than that of the XB-920 headphones, which have even more bloated bass than these cans.
Overall I'd recommend them a lot if you're a basshead and can make the treble stand out via amp or EQ. They're definitely worth the price I paid for, but I've seen them full price at 40 to 60 dollars in retail stores. If you're going to use them directly out of your cellphone and don't have an amp or EQ I'd recommend the Sennheiser HD201 or specially the HD202 more, since they have a less-bassy but more balanced stand-alone sound at a lower price.
Looks: I found them to be bigger and more comfortable than the XB400, their predecessor headphones, as well as better looking. A pad or soft cushion on the headband would have been nice, and the Headband itself feels too thin as if it's going to break anytime, but it isn't an uncomfortable pair of headphones at all. The grip is okay, not too tight or too loose for my head. They're not heavy to carry and are comfortable to wear when I'm using glasses, which is something I really appreciate. They have Swivel Earcups, which helps if you're carrying them in a backpack, but the headphones themselves aren't foldable. There are plenty of colors to choose from like Yellow, Blue, Red, Silver or Black.
Sound: These are definitely not audiophile headphones. If you listen to them directly out of your cellphone or PC you'll find they feature an overwhelming, loud, punchy bass, which is has been the main characteristic of all the XB headphones Sony has put out so far. The problem is that the mids are completely veiled and recessed, and the highs are almost nowhere to be heard. These headphones really shine in EDM or Hip Hop songs, but their performance is disappointing on Acoustic or Metal songs.
However, I used them in my PC with the built-in equalizer turned on and the treble maxed, and the audio quality improves incredibly. The mids and highs stop being veiled and the bass remains as punchy as before. The soundstage is still flawed, but their sound definitely becomes more balanced and really fun to hear, even better in my opinion than that of the XB-920 headphones, which have even more bloated bass than these cans.
Overall I'd recommend them a lot if you're a basshead and can make the treble stand out via amp or EQ. They're definitely worth the price I paid for, but I've seen them full price at 40 to 60 dollars in retail stores. If you're going to use them directly out of your cellphone and don't have an amp or EQ I'd recommend the Sennheiser HD201 or specially the HD202 more, since they have a less-bassy but more balanced stand-alone sound at a lower price.
