[a_recording]

I just got a pair of XB400's for fun. Honestly, they are pretty boomy and awful.
 
Hopefully the XB800's I also ordered for fun will be better heh.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Quote:

I just got a pair of XB400's for fun. Honestly, they are pretty boomy and awful.
 
Hopefully the XB800's I also ordered for fun will be better heh.

thanks for the impressions.
 
I ordered the xb400.  it should arrive on Wed.  Stay tuned for unboxing & impressions.

 

[BeyerFan]

Quote:

thanks for the impressions.
 
I ordered the xb400.  it should arrive on Wed.  Stay tuned for unboxing & impressions.

Hi,
 
I have read your posts with interest. Can you please let me know how the XB400 compare to the XB600? I am only interested in these 2 models. My priority is in both comfort and sound quality.
 
Also, it would be good if you can provide a very brief summary on the sonics/comfort levels of the older models(XB300/XB500/XB700) relative to the newer XB400 and XB600. Personally I dislike the looks of the older models as they look much uglier than the newer XB400 and XB600 designs.
 
Thanks.

 

[Malevolent]

Quote:

Hi,
 
I have read your posts with interest. Can you please let me know how the XB400 compare to the XB600? I am only interested in these 2 models. My priority is in both comfort and sound quality.
 
Also, it would be good if you can provide a very brief summary on the sonics/comfort levels of the older models(XB300/XB500/XB700) relative to the newer XB400 and XB600. Personally I dislike the looks of the older models as they look much uglier than the newer XB400 and XB600 designs.
 
Thanks.

 
The XB600 is a slightly bassier version of the XB400, and it sounds a notch clearer. Both cans are good at pushing the low-end, but from my short A/B-ing time between the 2, I preferred the XB600. The mid-bass hump is quite impressive, and there is good sub-bass rumble coming from these cans.
 
The comfort level of the older XB-cans are definitely better. The XB700 is probably the most comfortable of the lot, owing to its huge pillow-pad size. The XB1000 is already too big IMO, and its heavier than the XB700.

 

[BeyerFan]

Quote:

 
The XB600 is a slightly bassier version of the XB400, and it sounds a notch clearer. Both cans are good at pushing the low-end, but from my short A/B-ing time between the 2, I preferred the XB600. The mid-bass hump is quite impressive, and there is good sub-bass rumble coming from these cans.
 
The comfort level of the older XB-cans are definitely better. The XB700 is probably the most comfortable of the lot, owing to its huge pillow-pad size. The XB1000 is already too big IMO, and its heavier than the XB700.

Thanks for the information. Certainly useful. I will be getting either the XB400 or the older XB500, that if I can still find it in the stores. I don't know but I fee the XB600 and XB700 are too large although sonically they may be superior to the smaller models. If I can still find the XB500 at a discounted price(since it's an obsolete model) I'd probably consider it over the XB400.
 
Cheers.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

I have yet to unbox my XB400 blu.  I need to do that!

 

[Malevolent]

Quote:

I have yet to unbox my XB400 blu.  I need to do that!

 
 
This one? I've got the exact same color. It's hard to find a headphone that uses black & blue effectively. This is one of them. 

 

[BeyerFan]

Hifiguy528 and Malevolent,
 
I would really appreciate if you can let me know your views on the XB400 ASAP or when the you have the time. I have basically narrowed down the choices to the XB400 and XB600 (XB500 probably not an option anymore) although the JVC S500 is another contender.
 
I have read some comments about the XB600 being a bit meh when compared to XB800 or the older models. What about the smaller XB400? I am just looking for a pair of headphones for my smartphone, so the headphones will need to be an easy load for portable devices. I am trying to avoid getting large headphones as in my mind the smaller headphones will be more comfortable with the lighter weight and lower clamping force. I would not mind sacrificing a tiny bit of sound quality(most likely in scale and bass weight) and my impression is the house sound across the range will probably be more or less similar ie. same mids, same highs, same detail etc.
 
Malevolent, I do know that you prefer the XB600 more than the XB400. Do you feel the XB600 is a SIGNIFICANT improvement over the XB400 and is equally comfortable on the head? If the sonic differences are not too big I would probably be happy with the XB400. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks again.

 

[BeyerFan]

By the way, this may be a bit off-topic.

Is there any chance that any of you guys have compared the JVC S500 to the XB400 or XB600? I know all this is subjective, but which is supposed to be a better sounding design, the S500 or XB400/600?

 

[Malevolent]

Quote:

Hifiguy528 and Malevolent,
 
I would really appreciate if you can let me know your views on the XB400 ASAP or when the you have the time. I have basically narrowed down the choices to the XB400 and XB600 (XB500 probably not an option anymore) although the JVC S500 is another contender.
 
I have read some comments about the XB600 being a bit meh when compared to XB800 or the older models. What about the smaller XB400? I am just looking for a pair of headphones for my smartphone, so the headphones will need to be an easy load for portable devices. I am trying to avoid getting large headphones as in my mind the smaller headphones will be more comfortable with the lighter weight and lower clamping force. I would not mind sacrificing a tiny bit of sound quality(most likely in scale and bass weight) and my impression is the house sound across the range will probably be more or less similar ie. same mids, same highs, same detail etc.
 
Malevolent, I do know that you prefer the XB600 more than the XB400. Do you feel the XB600 is a SIGNIFICANT improvement over the XB400 and is equally comfortable on the head? If the sonic differences are not too big I would probably be happy with the XB400. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks again.

 
Well, I've did another listening test between the XB400 and the XB600, and I say go for the 600 all the way.
 
The XB400 is quite bassy, and its mostly hitting in the mid-bass. Sub-bass rumble is present, but its drowned out by the overly muddy sound. The bass presentation isn't very well layered, and everything comes out sounding like a wall of bass. Tonality of the XB400 is dark (as per the XB-series), and this coupled with the muddy sound makes for a relatively poor basshead can.
 
The XB600 has slightly more mid-bass, but its also less muddy, and therefore retains a bit more clarity in the sound of the low-end. Sub-bass rumble is also present, and a little more noticeable than on the XB400. The XB600 also retains a dark signature, but due to a bit more extension in the highs, it comes out sounding a little brigher than its smaller sibling.
 
All in all, the XB600 does everything an Extra Bass can is supposed to do - bring loads of mid-bass with some sub-bass rumble, and presents it in an overly forward way. In comparison with the XB400, the 600 beats it by having a clearer sound signature, whilst also being less dark and muddy. The XB600 also wins a few more points for its portability factor.
 
I haven't had the chance to try the JVC cans, so I can't really compare the XB-cans with them.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

Now that I've spent more time with the new model, I really think they do A LOT better when powered by a clean sound amp to give them some boost.  They come alive when powered correctly.

 

[xjaynine]

Quote:

 
 
This one? I've got the exact same color. It's hard to find a headphone that uses black & blue effectively. This is one of them. 

Sony's been on a roll with headphone design ever since the EX600-1000 series.

 

[HiFiGuy528]

XB400blu video is up!
 

 

[sofastreamer]

no love for the xb800? consider buying it. liked the xb700 but was not portable enough and bad in isolation.

 

[Riku540]

Went to my local Sony store to try these out, and found them to be very bassy as advertised. I found HiFiGuy528's reviews to be very accurate.
 
I went with the intention of picking up the XB400's for my wife as a closed-portable, and for me it was the most impressive for the money, considering it could be had for just under $40 on Amazon. The XB600 and XB800 were pretty good, but I wasn't convinced they were worth their asking price. Also, talk about total fart-canons.
 
So in the end I ended up paying a bit extra for the Japanese imported red XB400, since they really look good and I wanted my wife to be really happy with them, and I'm fine with that. But the story doesn't end here.
 
Yesterday morning, I wake up to the Amazon lightning deal page (I have it home-paged) and there are the XB600's on sale 60% off, for $39.99. I caved like the weakling I am and cried in the corner wondering to myself what I've done.
 
Well, the XB600's are on my head right now, and the biggest curiosity for me was when HiFiGuy528 mentioned in his XB600/XB500 comparison that the XB600's vastly improved when plugged into an amplifier. And man, he was right.
 
The bass is very much right there in your face, and unamped the mids are definitely in the backseat and the highs are quite slushy. Plugged into the FiiO E7/E9, the bass flab really tightens, the mids are pushed forward a bit but still recessed as to be expected with a bass-heavy can, and the treble becomes much much more crisp.
 
Another concern that I was worried about which led me to try these out in store was the on-ear design. I was skeptical at first but the first thing I noticed was the isolation. I wasn't expecting a seal of any kind, but that's what happened. Boom. So that was a pleasant surprise. The ear pads are quite comfortable.
 



 
In summary, my initial impressions for the XB600's are as follows:
- Great ambient noise isolation due to on-ear seal design.
- Ear pads are comfy, but could be fatiguing over long sessions. Will have to revisit this with more time.
- Bass dominant, recessed mids and washy highs unamped. Decent portable.
- VASTLY improves with amplification. Tight bass, mids less recessed, and highs become crisp. I can recommend these based on their amplified sound.
- The need for amping kind of puts a damper on the XB600's portability. Portable headphones should sound great unamped, and even better so with an amp. This is why I decided to buy the XB400 for my wife.
- I wouldn't pay $99 for these. $80 is more realistic; I think $70~75 is more fair. Remember, I paid $39.99 for these, so I'm extremely happy with the value I got.
- These also look GREAT, better than they do in photos.
 
I'll post impressions of the XB400's when they come in; they're taking a bit longer to come in since we got the Japan-imported red version.