Sony MDR-XB50AP In-Ear Extra Bass Headphones with In-Line Control - Black

Product Information

The sound quality was very obviously marketed towards the average consumer/basshead, considering that's what the whole point of the earphone is, then I'd say that the sound quality was actually quite decent. It started off very harsh on treble when the volume was above 50% but eventually one they burned in, the sound treble became less harsh and actually quite recessed. The bass is easily the biggest selling point on these, they are quite bassy and give a good umph. The highs are very present but not too overpowering. Mids were decent but overtaken by the bass as you would imagine. The overall sound quality of these were quite decent, a large emphasis on bass but the rest of the sound stayed relatively present. One of the best aspects of these earphones is the isolation. They provide incredibly good isolation which in turn greatly improves bass response. The isolation is comparable to Panasonics ergo fit line which I consider to be some of the best isolating non noise cancelling earbuds.

The #1 complaint I, personally, have about these earbuds is that the microphone bit feels like it's cheaply made. Don't get confused - the microphone itself is great quality. I use it to communicate multiple times every week and I have only been told that it sounds great - loud, clear. The issue is the plastic "casing" around the microphone. It is made with cheap plastic. I would NOT recommend these ear buds if you are looking for something to use while you're walking if you are wearing a rain- or winter- coat. Against material that isn't soft, you can hear the microphone casing brush against hard your clothing THROUGH your audio. It sounds almost like somebody breathing into a microphone, and you hear it over your music. It's weird. So these ear buds are great if you're sitting down, but not great for walking outside in cold conditions. They're also VERY noise-cancelling, which I'll get to later, so they're not the safest for walking along roads or sidewalks in. build quality: pretty good. Cord/earbuds get caught in couch and other furniture often...so far haven't noticed any damage. The silicone pieces earbuds itself sometimes detaches tho, but haven't lost them so far. If you're in the market for a pair of earphones, then the Sony MDR-XB50 might just fit the bill. Worn in-ear, they weigh 8 g and are designed for comfort. They are quite comfortable for wearing over long periods of time, including with mild pressure (eg. when slumped over on the bus) The "extra bass" thing isn't just a sales pitch - these really do have strong bass. I was very impressed. It made my music sound so much more intense and helped me connect emotionally to it more. It isn't overbearing - it just sounds GOOD. Impactful.

the earphones depending on your ear shape which in terms of mine, the headphones do fall out by themselves not constantly but enough to be annoying . They are a solid pair of buds that don't feel as if they would break easily. I've dropped them many times before from quite high distances where they slam to the ground quite hard, but I didn't notice any difference in sound. Although I did notice a small chip on the outer metal ring on one of the earbuds. Overall the build quality seems relatively decent and could easily last more than a year.

Some of these "pros" or "cons" will be a matter of opinion, so I'm just going to list them all together: The first thing to know about this product is that I found the box containing it impossible to open without tearing the cardboard, and the earbuds were jammed into the plastic insert inside, so even if I wanted to return the product, I'm sure it wouldn't be accepted as a return with a torn box.The cord is made of some type of plasticy material. I know some people like braided cables, but I have to say how exceptionally durable this cable has been. For 2.5 years these ear buds came with me jammed in the bottom of my very full purse. I use them in bed and often fall asleep with them (which is not safe, don't do this at home kids) so they would crumple under me, including the ear pieces. The cable still looks IMMACULATE. There was zero external sign of wear-and-tear. I sort of "double knot" my ear buds when taking them with me, but they've got a tangle-free design that seriously prevent any damage from occurring. I'm extremely impressed. The actual ear pieces also still look perfect, save a few scratches. Finally, the comparison. I have reviewed sennheisers (which I am a huge fan of their normal studio headphones, but not their earbuds) and other cheap off brand as well as cheap known brand earbuds. These sound the absolute best. Even comparing to the 99.99 bose earbuds, these sony's just sound way better. The only difference between the sony's and the bose is that if you want to lay your head down on a pillow, resting on the side of your face and ear, the bose are way more comfy and you can sleep with them in, while these protrude just a little to where you might get some ear agitation which isn't a huge deal. So at the moment I use the sony's as long as I can, and IF I sleep with my earbuds in (binaural beats use) then I will switch to the bose so I can lay on my ear with zero discomfort or ear pain.

There is a little bit of audio leakage (people around you hearing your music) if you go to louder volumes. For lower- to medium volumes, you won't bother anyone around.They come with a soft little carrying pouch with a pull-string closure as well as three pairs of different-sized tips. Great IEMs with punchy and powerful bass, clear mids and okayish highs. The build quality is great and they look awesome (I got the one in red color). How comfortable they are will depend on person to person, but I felt they I could wear them for extended periods of time without any problems. The sound isolation is decent, but its not enough to isolate the noise of a subway train when you are traveling. Other than the mic casing, these are made from quality material. You can feel it, and I was able to see it over the years with these ear buds.

So I have been on a tirade of buying earbuds, from 10 dollar cheap-ies to Bose 99.99 earbuds.... and I have to say I am blown away. If you are looking for cheap IEMs that wont break your bank but at the same time can be your daily driver and sound outstanding, these will be the right fit. If you are looking for critical listening, then maybe its worth looking into more high end IEMs. These are fantastic and top notch earbuds in terms of sound quality. These have lovely and amazing bass and sound great for your the price. Looks are subjective but to me the red version looks the best personally I been using and buying these for years. A great feature they have is that they last me a very long time before they stop working the current pair I have are around 3 years old granted the microphone and button stopped working a while ago but the earphones still sound better than my anker soundcore liberty 2 pro. Alas they do have cons : They are VERY loud - about 110dB. As AMAZING as these sound on full blast, please do not listen to them that loudly, especially for long periods of time. You'll be asking for permanent ear damage.

I've tried a variety of sounds with this pair of headphones - my music preferences are a bit swingy so I've tested rap, edm, country, acoustic instruments, pop, indie....etc. I’m a musician and I play bass. Sound definition is important for me, with a special focus on bass. These do just that. Maybe, as some people say, the highs could be better. But it’s not been a problem for me. In fact, since compression algorithms such as Mp3’s tend to make a mess of higher frequencies, maybe it’s a good thing that these headphones don’t render them too faithfully. I don’t know. In any case, I’ve never noticed a deficiency there personally. Easily the most impressive part of this product, the isolation almost made me believe that there was active noise cancelling (which there isn't). I can listen to music at moderate-low volume on noisy buses, transit, or at the gym. At home it virtually cancels out all other sounds. This greatly improves my music experience, as I can experience the sounds and basses without interference, which in turn makes them a lot more vibrant. For me, they fit really well in my ears. I've used them at the gym, while running, while on the bus, walking to work...etc and they've never fallen out. disclaimer: just wanted headphones for listening to music/compute use. not an audiophile or in the audio/studio related professions