Review: Sony MDR-XB950BT “Extra Bass” Headphone

Sony MDR-XB950BT is a wireless over-the-ear headset that boasts of that Extra Bass for all the bass lovers. MDR-XB950BT uses the Bluetooth 2.0 technology that provides you with up to 30 ft. range. The headphones also come with NFC and large 40mm audio drivers.

Design

The headphones are neatly packed and come with a micro-USB charging cable. The look and feel of the MDR-XB950BT is very premium. The black matte finish together with the red streak around the cans give the headphones a classy look. The faux-leather finish on the ear cups provide a soft cushioning to the ears which is quite comfortable. The MDR-XB950BT has a great look and feel and is quite sturdy as well. The ear-pieces swivel completely on their axis and can be folded easily.

The left earpiece houses the power button with an indicator LED, a micro USB port, a 3.5mm audio jack, the microphone and a bass boost button. The NFC chip, volume rocker and a sliding button to receive calls and skipping tracks is housed in the right earpiece.

Sound

To be honest, the sound quality of Sony MDR-XB950BT is very impressive for a Bluetooth headphone below $200. I have been mostly disappointed by Bluetooth headphones in the past but the MDR-XB950BT was a treat to the ears. The bass is extremely powerful and punchy. The bass boost will definitely boost the bass, however you will experience that it overpowers the mids and the treble. The bass is quite high on the aux as well and you need to tweak the equalizer if you want to bring it down. The overall sound quality is quite good.

I must say that the MDR-XB950BT is one of the best Gaming headphones that I have ever used. This is very much suited for FPS games with amazing bass effects. After you hear the in-game explosions and the gun-shots from the MDR-XB950BT, you will admit that the experience is very vivid. Just get a Bluetooth dongle and forget about other gaming headphones. You know what’s the best part? When you have to attend nature’s call in the middle of a game, just hit pause and go to the bathroom without having to worry about the clutter of wires getting in your way.

An interesting feature in the Sony MDR-XB950BT lets you open the Windows Media Player automatically by tapping the pause, rewind or the fast forward buttons on the right ear cup. You will need a Bluetooth dongle for your PC or Laptop that pairs with the Sony MDR-XB950BT to use this feature. With this feature you can automatically cycle through songs without having to use the mouse. It is compatible with iPad mini as well.

Battery Life

The battery life of the MDR-XB950BT is phenomenal. A single full charge is good enough to keep the headphones running for up to 15 hours. Sony claims that the charge can last up to 20 hours. Even if it doesn’t, I am not complaining because 15 hours is very decent considering the bass heavy songs that I played on the headphone continuously.

Verdict

Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones are perfect for bass lovers and are one of the best mid-range Bluetooth headphones available out there. The mids and the treble performance could have been a little better. The headphones are available at INR 9,499 at Amazon and offer good value for money in the mid-price range.

Sony MDR-XB950BT full specifications

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 Audio

• Driver Unit : 40 mm, dome type
• Sensitivity (db) : 102 dB/mW (using supplied cord)
• Frequency Response : 3 – 28,000 Hz (using supplied cord)
  Effective range via Bluetooth mode: 20 – 20,000 Hz
• Audio Format(s) Supported : SBC, AAC, and aptX^®codec support

General

• Type of Use : Bluetooth/Passive
• Noise Level : ON/OFF switch on ear-cup
• Design : Headband Headset
• Headband : Wide, Adjustable
• Plug : Gold-plated stereo mini plug

Hardware

• Microphone : Omni directional, electret condenser
  Effective frequency range: 100 Hz – 4,000 Hz
• Cord : Detachable stereo connecting cord
  Micro-USB charging cable
• Remote Control : Via Bluetooth^®AVRCP: Play, Pause, FF, FR, Volume +/-, Bass Boost on/off

Power

• Battery Type : Built-in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery
• Battery Life (Approx) : Continuous music playback: up to 20 hours; Continuous communications: up to 20 hours; Standby time: up to 200 hours
• Battery Charging (Approx) : Appox. 4 hours from empty to full
• Power Handling Capacity : 1000 mW (using supplied cord)
• Power Consumption (in Operation) : 1.5 W

Speaker

• Impedance : 24 ohms at 1 kHz (using supplied cable)
• Type : Closed, dynamic

Weights and Measurements

• Cord Length (Approx.) : Headphone cable: 47 1/4 in. (1.2 m) micro-USB cable: 19 3/4 in. (50 cm)
• Weight (Approx.) : 10 oz. (280 g) without cord

Wireless/Networking

• Bluetooth® Technology : Bluetooth specification Version 3.0
  4 GHz band (2.4000 GHz-2.4835 GHz)
  FHSS
• Network Transport Protocol : A2DP (Sampling frequency 44.1 kHz)
  Transmission Range: 20-20,000 Hz
  Line of sight approx.30 ft (10 m)
• NFC : One-touch Listening with NFC (Near Field Communications)