[miow]

Feel each pulsating thump with the super-powerful MDR-XB800 XB Series over-the-ear headphones. Designed for today's popular music lovers, these Extra Bass headphones combine a unique direct vibe structure for a tight acoustic seal with high sensitivity XB driver units. Additionally, these headphones deliver powerful and dynamic bass response while the compact, dual-folding design and ultra-comfortable earpads ensure that these cans will go where you do.

 
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Just got them. Straight out of the box (0 burn-in) the bass is MUCH tighter than the XB500 and the sub-bass rumbles as low as 10Hz. Purr. The bass doesn't bleed into the mids, mids and highs are crystal clear, with excelent resolution ala K167/K701. Isolation is second to none, even more than the AKG K167's. This new technology from SONY (Advanced Direct Vibe Structure) is nothing but stunning. Best basshead phones I have ever heard. Let's give them some 50 hours now. If they improve even further, is a dream come true for just 129€. The bass quantity/punch blows the RHP-10's out of the water.

 
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Soundstage is exactky like an open can. I don't know how SONY could achieve this in such a small cup.

I'm not accostumed to this in closed cans, quite strange. Instrument separation is also superb, as good as the highs and mids. And this is just right out of the box

 

 
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The highs are so separated from the lows that looks like a triple dynamic driver or even better, a 2.1 speaker with a high-end subwoofer. I still can't beleive this, sorry about the 3 posts.

 
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Even Lara Fabian gives a punch in your head like Mike Tyson in its best. lol. Now imagine EDM. It's just insane!!!
 

 
They have more mid-bass than the XB500 at low level volumes. I can't stand more than 50% volume and 0 EQ. These are the first phones I've tried that don't need any EQ.
 
How come these just cost 129€?!

 

[miow]

FIRST IMPRESSSIONS:
 

1. vivalacarlo's first impressions
    

 

[AUDIOBREEDER]

I agree the sound is better than the XB500.
 
Compared to the XB700, the XB800 sounds muddy. There is lack of clarity too with the XB800.
 
But, the comfort of XB800 is simply stunning. Feels really soft and has a fair amount of isolation compared to XB700.

 

[rickdohc]

So Breeder, the XB700 sounds better? i had both (xb500 and 700), and still not decided to spend money on this new Xb series.

 

[miow]

I can't even comment on the XB700 because these sound 10x better (modded with just 1 hole opened in each side of the cups). :s I prefer the XB500 over the XB700 hands down.
 
They are as good as the AKG K167 (detail) but with 10x more bass. Like +20db or so. A bassphile or totalhead dream, but need some mod though.

 

[sofastreamer]

can anyone confirm that soundstage thing?

 

[miow]

Soundstage is indeed big, much bigger than any closed can I know, but not exactly as wide as an open can. Sorry for the confusion, but I had just 10 mins listening on them. Am A/B'ing them now with PHILIPS Fidelio X1 and Fischer Audio FA-011 thru my JDSLabs C421 AD2227 OPamp (SONY A865 DAC).
 
As we speak bass is getting tighter, more controlled. Interesting just after 3 hours.

 

[sofastreamer]

more interested in comparison to k619, d1100, and other bass heavy portables in that price range.

 

[AUDIOBREEDER]

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So Breeder, the XB700 sounds better? i had both (xb500 and 700), and still not decided to spend money on this new Xb series.

 
The XB500, XB700 & XB800 are all well driven with portable mp3 players.
 
For me the XB700 was the better not only in sound but in built too. It sounded most neutral of the 3.
 
I found lots of fault with the XB800, first the price. Then the built, it feels too plastic & the ear cups kept wobbling. Last was the lack of a pouch to store it.
 
As for the XB500, I gave it to my kid.

 

[sofastreamer]

compaaarisons compaaaarisons, pleeease!

 

[miow]

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more interested in comparison to k619, d1100, and other bass heavy portables in that price range.

 
These have twice the mid and sub bass of the D1100's but much DEEPER and TIGHTER with lots of detail and texture. Mids are forward, clean, lush and sweet and highs have the resolution of high-end cans and IEMs like the DENON D2000's, UM3X, SM3, etc. I know nothing about K619, I just can tell you that these outperform the K167's. I have modded the XB800 though, thats why they're so clean and transparent now. They lacked some clarity before the mod. They were muddy.

 

[sofastreamer]

which did you mod? xb800 or k167?

 

[miow]

XB800. If I found them muddy or lacking this or that I mod/fine tune them right away. Thats the advantage of headphones over IEMs (besides many other things).

 

[sofastreamer]

and what did you do to mod them?

 

[miow]

You got to punch 3 very very thin holes in each side of the pads all the way thru the fabric, since the pads are not removable. Sound improvement is immediately noticed, especialy on clarity, transparency, detail and treble's decay.