Sony MDR-XB950AP Premium Xtra Bass Overhead Headphones - Black

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How would you describe the XB950’s (sub)bass and the sound signature, compared to the Pro700 MK2? Do these two headphones have the same kind of wow-factor (for non-analytic listeners), or completely different beasts with different type of sound / target audience? The difference is that the Saturn pro can be in case of need used as receiver (suppose you want to stream music from your smartphone to your stationary Hi-Fi which has got no BT) They actually make another much more expensive model, the Freq 9, surround sound, noise cancelling. No idea how good they sound for music. But for that money I would rather buy the Plantronics. Once people use Bluetooth headphones they do not want anymore cables.

Thankfully, the XB950BT’s treble and midrange are fairly linear; it is only the bass that is significantly more powerful, more forward, and lively. I am not sure I can consider the midrange and treble truly recessed, due solely to the fact that the bass is just so vividly upfront and omnipresent. I really want the higher frequencies to deliver and I use a custom audio driver on my Xperia Z2 (Viper4Android) which allows some very complex and advanced tweaking to get that perfect audio setting tailored for me. I would imagine that messing with a capable equaliser on my device of choice should be able to squeeze out a few more drops in all the frequencies? It’s worked for my XB500’s so I would think it would work for this. It scared the crap out of me when I’d accidentally pressed it one day and had my WMP program pop up without me ever touching the keyboard or mouse. Sony didn’t just hit one out of the park, the ball crossed the highway and landed in a field somewhere that is going to force most other audio companies to hire some workers to go find it, just so they can study it and try to improve on it. That sounds like a game issue and not the headphone or dongle. If music and YouTube videos sound and look in sync, but the game doesn’t, then the game has audio output lag and there isn’t anything you can do to stop that but attempt a reinstall.On wired connection on flat EQ, the bass is still powerful and satisfying but I found it incredible that the mids and treble were not lost behind the potent low end.

The frustrating thing is I can’t (yet?) reproduce this while plugged in because the BT buttons deactivate in plugged-in mode. Anyway, I don’t know if it was a freak of nature on my headset but it works. Seems like I have to hit the BT volume button up again each song change (there’s a beep – then I adjust the iPhone volume), and voila. Looks certainly aren't everything for a headphone, but they are an area where the XB950AP/H does well. While quite a few of the XB series sport garish colour combinations, the XB950AP/H is a mixture of gunmetal and matte grey, and has a fairly refined sensibility. It's not eye-catching, which is, in my opinion, for the best. It's not a fashion statement, and it won't clash with anything one wants to pair it with, but the smooth lines, fairly low-profile fit, and well-matched colours leave it pretty easy on the eyes. Not much padding on the underside, but it isn’t needed at all. What little padding that is there is more than justified for the excellent fit and comfort this headphone offers. I admit to feeling a bit saddened over the imitation leatherette pads not being authentic, but that sentiment is a worthless one due to the materials used being very good for what they are.

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Awesome review. Thank you for this. It’s the only concise and full review I’ve found for these headphones anywhere.

While on the subject of genres and how well-rounded this headphone is, I’ve noticed my playlists were changing inside my portable setups. Where prior my playlists were divided by genre type due to the fact that it wasn’t likely whatever portable headphone I was using at the time could handle a mixed bag of tunes. The Sony MDR-XB950AP extra bass headphones contain powerful lightweight 40mm neodymium drivers that produce adeep, balanced sound, even at high volume.Sony combined these drivers with a highly sensitive diaphragm that enables users to turn the headphone volume up louder without needing an amp. The wideband frequency range of 3 Hz to 28 kHz is designed for today’s bass-heavy music.

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The earpads are excellent imitation leather indeed, but are also yummy in plushness and sink in a great deal. Clamp factor is a non-issue and the headphone offers plenty of support. Anyway, thought I’d share. And someone let me know if you find the equivalent tweak for plugged-in mode. Cheers!