rushofmusic
Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 5, 2011
- Posts
- 80
- Likes
- 17
Sony MDR-XB20EX
Accessories (4/5) – Comes with 4 different tip sizes, shirt clip, and case for headphones.
Build Quality (5/5) – By far the most durable pair of headphones I have ever owned. I have brought these through the freezing cold at Cornell (-15 F) and through all other environments as well. I have accidently dropped them and also stepped on them before and they still work amazingly. The cord is fantastic, it is flatter than the usual cord (think fettucine compared to spaghetti) and is very tangle resistant. I have been using this pair of headphones for 3 years now.
Isolation (4/5) – The different tips really helps maximize isolation, especially when you get the right seal. I don’t hear anything when riding on buses or subways.
Microphonics (3.5/5) – Unfortunately they do cause a lot of sound when they rub up on my jacket among other things.
Comfort (4/5) – Very lightweight and fits well in my ears. The tips are also very comfortable and I have no problem wearing these for quite a few hours at a time.
Sound (6/10) – These headphones are part of Sony’s extra bass line so a good amount of bass is to be expected. However, I didn’t really expect this much. On to the actual review:
To break it down: As part of the extra bass line, the bass on these headphones are quite impressive, they are punchy, quick, and have good extension. However, bass drums have a good kick but sound a bit hollow in the headphones. Unfortunately, the separation between the bass on mids is not quite as good as I would like, the bass definitely overpowers the mids and drowns them a bit.
I thought that the mids on these earphones would be lacking. To my surprise, they actually sound very good. On acoustic tracks that consist of piano and vocals or acoustic guitar and vocals, for example, everything is actually quite clear. The sound is actually the warmest of all the headphones that I own. The highs are decent but not quite as good as the mids. They sound muffled and dull compared to the mids. In fact, in some tracks, parts such as a tambourine go completely unnoticed, but only if you listen carefully.
The soundstage of these earphones is not as wide as I would like, but I believe that in many tracks, the overpowering bass is to blame. In acoustic tracks, the soundstage is actually great. The overall sound is on the warm side.
Value and Opinion (7/10) (Current price ~$40) – These were my first pair of earphones/headphones that weren’t stock or Skullcandy, so I have an attachment to them. They are still the earphones that I use when I am walking around on campus, so I do spend a lot of time with them. Fortunately they do vary with the source (the highs and mids are better on my Zune HD compared to my laptop). Unfortunately, the bass is just a bit too forward and overpowering, which drowns out the mids and highs, which are not bad on their own. However, these have a very fun sound and are amazingly durable. If only Sony had just lowered the bass just a little bit…
