Sony - XB950B1 Extra Bass Wireless Over-the-Ear Headphones - Black

The Sony MDR-XB950B1 is the latest update to the company's Extra Bass headphones replacing the original MDR-XB950BT headphones. The XB950B1 looks nearly identical to the original XB950BT and both weigh the same. (I happen to also own the XB950BT). The left ear cup has the power button, micro usb power connection, audio cord input, microphone, and the bass button which on the current generation is re-labeled as “bass effect” to highlight the ability for the user to adjust the bass settings on a scale of -10 to +10 using Sony's Headphones Connect app. The right ear cup has the volume control +/- button and the skip forward/reverse, play/pause/answer phone button. The MDR-XB950B1 is an over-the-ear headphone with very thick, soft, and comfortable earpads. I wear eyeglasses and the headphones do not press my frames unduly against my ears. I was able to wear the headphones for hours without discomfort. The metal headband is also well padded and did not feel heavy over my head. The headphones appear to have very good build quality and stretches well to accommodate various head sizes. Now onto why you're really here... my thoughts on the highly subjective sound quality. These headphones by their very nature, were tuned by the Sony audio engineers to not only emphasize the bass at their default settings right out of the box, but to kick it up a notch to knock you senseless when it's turned up. Audiophiles will hate the sound signature for its total irreverence for how the song was meant to be heard in the studio. Those who own the original XB950BT will recall the nearly identical sound signature which is deep bass with some mids, and muffled highs which don't seem to break through. However, I noticed in my testing of the XB950B1 that the vocals/mids were a little cleaner and that some of the highs did come through ever so slightly better. As I mentioned above, the way they are tuned from the factory, these headphones are not for the user who demands balance in the audio experience. They were clearly aimed at those who enjoy bass and a lot of it. Those who are seeking the well balanced sound spectrum with crisp highs and mids will be disappointed at first pass with these headphones, until they use an equalizer app to fine tune the higher end frequencies to bring out the highs which these headphones are very capable of and will reward you for doing so. I admit that I was initially dismayed by the lack of clear mids and clean trebles, but I started adjusting the equalizers and virtualizations that brought these headphones to life. Sony also acknowledges that some of us want more punchy bass and others want less by introducing the Sony Headphones Connect app which is available for free download from the Google or Apple app stores to allow users to adjust the level of bass to suit their musical tastes. The ability to adjust the bass from -10 to +10 is a welcome feature, and is the primary distinguishing feature between this second generation XB950B1 and the original XB950BT which only had a “bass boost” that went from extra bass to an insane amount of bass with no settings in between. Now that Sony has included the bass adjustment as an app, it should appease those on either side of the bass spectrum. The +10 bass setting will make the bass sound silly crazy out of this world, and the -10 setting will mellow the bass out a bit and bring you back down to earth. Additionally, the Headphone Connect app also allows users to select presets for outdoor stage, club, hall, or arena-style sound settings. I tried the different presets. They sounded okay, but I prefer to make my adjustments on a third party equalizer app. Here are some other things to take note of. I really wished Sony included a case to store the headphones. The headphones are bulky and the earcups only turn so that the headphones lay flat. Sony should have also designed the earcups to be foldable (like for the MDR-XB950N1) so that they can be easier to store and transport. The battery life is very good, lasting 18 hrs, which is the same as the original XB950BT. This latest iteration (XB950B1) of the headphones does not suffer from the faint, but audible rumbling/hissing noise that can be heard at low volumes that was found in the first generation XB950BT. This is a great improvement as I found the hissing noise be to very annoying. Finally, these are neither noise canceling headphones nor noise isolating. Don't let the thick padded ear cushions fool you into believing that they will eliminate any ambient noise. With no music playing, you will still hear your surrounding, albeit a little bit muffled. So in summary, for those looking to upgrade from the original XB950BT to the current XB950B1, the only real change is the freedom to make adjustments the bass via the Sony Headphone Connect app. The sound is very similar between the two. For those those who love bass, these headphones are for you! For those who are seeking their first purchase in the Sony Extra Bass line up, the XB950B1 is a superb choice since the bluetooth connection allows you to lose the wires and the app allows easy adjustment to the bass. And finally for those who are wary that the sound signature is too heavily tuned toward the low end frequencies will be reassured to know that the highs and mids will come through with proper tuning with an equalizer app. I highly recommend these headphones!

What's in the box ----------------- 1. Headphones (MDRXB950B1) 2. charging cable 3. 3.5mm audio cable 4. Instruction Manual Fitting ------- i have a large head, it fits me very well and it has a good adjustable band just like any other headphones and you can adjust it as fits the best. I have worn this for hours without any strain on my ears (i watched Narcos on Netflix on a marathon stretch, no fatigue or strain, good fit!!) Sound ------ i tested this on a variety of conditions, lets divide the listening into broadly 2 categories Music - i listened to the following songs on Youtube 1. Cavin Harris - This is what you came here for 2.Charie PUTH - we dont talk anymore 3. The chain smokers - Closer just to make sure i listen to a variety of songs with different beats in it. The Bass is really really good. I also have a SONY MDRZX770BT and this things blows the 770BT out of water. However, i do feel that the treble or high frequency response on 770BT is a Tad better than 950B1 but overall the 950B1 sounded better. There is also a BASS EFFECT button, which on activation says "BASS EFFECT IS ON" , i think i rather have a tone than someone saying that the bass boost is on, but i did not find it annoying. I also tested it by activating the BASS EFFECT button on the songs and wow what a difference, i felt like i was in a dance club. Tremendous amount of BASS, so much that i had to reduce the volume from the level at which i was listening without having the BASS EFFECT ON. Also, with the BASS EFFECT ON, the bass is not muddy but a nice thumping one, you will enjoy RAP/Dance numbers well with the BASS EFFECT Being on. Movies - As i was saying earlier, i was watching NARCOS on my Fire tablet paired with the MDRXB950B1 and i also compared it with the SONY MDRZX770BT, i enjoyed the effects much more on the MDRXB950B1 Range -------- I also tested the range on the headphones, i could walk away 30 feet and could still hear the sound without any interruptions or did not have the sound cutting out, this was done only for testing purpose, but you would not really walk too far away from the source Bluetooth Calling ---------------- I checked out the MIC feature of the headphones but i did not find it much useful, the other person could not hear me properly , not sure if i was talking too slow but i would not use it for calling Noise Cancellation ------------------ Note, this headphone does not have an active noise cancellation feature, it only passively blocks the noise, but the padding on the headphones are really heavy and does a very nice job in blocking the noise, so much that my family members had to talk in sign language when i am watching or listening to songs using this headphones. Battery ------- I did not get an opportunity to fully run out the battery yet, it is rated at 18 Hours of battery, i had used it for about 10 hours and still going strong, so i assume it should satisfy the 18 hour rated life for battery, you can charge it with any compatible charger that is a micro USB. although the packaging comes with the cable, there is no power adapter and i did not think it is needed because every house must have about 10 micro USB chargers at the least with so many devices such as tablets, phones which require charging. this also comes with the audio cable, so you can connect it to your device just in case you run out of battery

I received my XB950B1 headset through BestBuy's Tech Insider program on March 26, so I have used them for almost a month with the following audio sources before writing this review: - Motorola Turbo (XT1254) cell phone (Bluetooth mode and using the supplied 3.5mm Audio cable) - Motorola Turbo 2 (Bluetooth) - Microsoft Surface Book (Bluetooth mode and Audio cable) - Creative Zen Vision Media Player (Audio cable) PROS: There is a lot to like about this headset. 1. Although the headband is just a bit tighter than I prefer, the ear cups remain comfortable even after extended wear (more than 2 to 3 hours). 2. Multimedia Audio quality is in the "very good" to "excellent" range, as I expect from Sony products. 3. Sound quality during phone calls is also Good. Occasionally a caller mentioned that I sounded "far away" at their end, but this was not consistent across calls with those individuals, so phone reception at either end could be the culprit. 4. Battery life is excellent, and recharging is simple using the supplied 19.75" micro USB cable. I did not specifically test for the maximum run time provided by a full charge, but I was able to finish several sessions of 2-3 hours before deciding to recharge. 5. I really like the ability to use these as "normal", wired headphones using the 48" long, 3.5mm stereo audio cable. Of course, this method only allows for incoming audio (no microphone out), but you can charge the headset while listening if you use both cables. Be aware that plugging the audio cable into the headset automatically disconnected the headset's active bluetooth connection. So in "wired mode" the Bass Boost, Volume control, and other headset hardware controls do not work. 6. Bass Boost can greatly improve the sound of incoming Bluetooth audio that needs it, but I found that the headset drivers have excellent bass response, and I rarely felt the need to use the Boost. 7. This headset paired easily with cell phones and my MS Surface Book, and it remembers pairing info for up to eight devices. 8. I like the simple, clean look of this headset. Sony kept things classy, rejecting the fads of ridiculous, blinding, RGB LEDs for no good reason, and pulsing LED logo lighting that seems to be everywhere the last few years. The 2 small, unobtrusive LED status indicators serve their intended purpose without over-kill, and there is a small, silver "SONY" logo on each ear-can. CONS: Like any technology designed for use by actual human beings, there are some compromises made, and things I would have done differently: 1. The headset gives voice announcements for functions like Power on/off, Bass Boost on/off, Bluetooth connected/disconnected, etc. During these announcements all incoming audio is completely "blanked out" for a few seconds, which I find annoying. I would really like to be able to turn that off! - This is my largest complaint, and the reason for the 4.5 star rating: Voice announcements are non-critical functions, yet they temporarily keep the headset from performing it's primary function of reproducing high-quality incoming audio. 2. I did have some hiccups using the headset's media controls with some mobile Media players. The play/pause and next/previous controls caused occasional lock-ups in the Android versions of VLC and BS Player. I can't say for certain whether the headset, the app, or the Android OS is at fault here. . 3. Sony's "Headphones" app for Android has VERY limited functionality at this point. It currently only allows you to enable/disable bass boost and adjust the Bass Boost level, select a sound environment (Club, Arena, Live Stage, etc), and check the battery charge level. When I learned that Sony had an app that worked with this headset, I was hoping for a more integrated media app that added a media player and playlist editor to those functions. I hope Sony adds those soon. 4. The 3.5mm audio input jack is recessed into the left ear "can" far enough that the plugs on most of my existing audio cables will not seat into the jack fully. The supplied cable is not long enough for some things I would like to do, so I have to use a stereo extension cable. This is a fairly minor gripe since this is designed and marketed as a wireless headset, so I don't fault Sony too much for this one. TO SUM THINGS UP: I like the MDR-XB950B1 headset a lot. In fact, I find myself using them far more often than I would normally use a headset. There is more to like than dislike here, and in my opinion, a product that makes you actually want to use it more often than usual has certainly gotten the important things right.

I tested these against a few other high end Bluetooth models and the have excellent sound. They weren’t as good as the other ones, but they were not $200-300 worse. I like the noise canceling abilities on this headphone. I like to ride my Schwinn Airdyne bike which has a fan belt driven chain, ie very noisy. The headphones did a great job canceling out the noise. I could listen to my tv that was connected to the head phones at a much lower level. Typically, I need to use a volume of 27-36 for ESPN on DirectvNow and with the headphones I could bring that down to 15-18. Apple music also sounded better. I had a hard time hearing people talk, especially when I had someone talk from a spot I couldn’t see them. Be careful if you still need to be able to hear things around you when using noise cancellation. Even without the noise cancellation on, the headphones did a nice job blocking out the sound because they are over the ear headphones. Bass levels were good for me when I was listening to my “bad” 80’s pop music or grunge from the late 90’s. It was crisp and clear and not too drowned out by the bass. I personally liked where Sony has placed the volume and tracking. I could easily restart a song, skip a song and change the volume. Those buttons were easy to find and very responsive even as I was on my bike. After I fully charged the head phones I tried to leave them connected to a music source as much as I could. I got about 19 hours of play. I sure it could be a little less since I didn’t have it consistently being used, but I would feel comfortable that it could make it for a entire days use. Along with using the headphones for an entire day, the ear cushions are very comfortable and the headphones rested comfortably on my head. I did use it about 3 hours for the first day with the testing and it was very comfortable. It did get very hot when I rode my bike for 30 minutes. I could not imagine using these to exercise with if I was doing cardio or weight training as they would get way to hot like any over the ear headphones. The head phones were stable, but there was some noise artifact when moving my arms a lot, but that happens with most over the ear head phones. could get about 25-50 feet of steady connection to my tv. I could even travel a floor above the tv and on the other side of my house and have a solid connection. I liked the ios app. I prefer the presets, but there were lots of little tweaks you could do. My only grips are that a charger was not supplied but any micro usb charger works. I would prefer a usb C charging set up. I think Sony make some cost savings by not having the headphones being able to fold up, which is nice for some, especially since ti makes carrying the headphones in a carrying case nicer. Over a great noise cancelling over the ear headphones if you are looking to spend $200.

it only doesn't work with gaming consoles , Sony needs to highlight this on the product , and the customer service rep needs to tell customers about that

I loved the sound but my ears are sensitive and I can't handle the pressure of anything against them.

Good sound and range for Bluetooth the only drawback was to download an app to control the amount of bass. But simple download and once I set it I haven't changed.

These headphones are hands down the BEST set of headphones I've had the pleasure of owning. I listen to countless hours of music especially after I've had a rough day at work. Sometimes I just want to "zone out" and let the music take over and these headphones do just that. Listening to music or even videos with these headphones on is equivalent to listening to your surround sound system except you get to be selfish and keep all those sound waves right in your ears. They also do a fine enough job of noise cancellation as I can't even hear my own thoughts and that's WITHOUT the volume being turned all the way up (which turning the volume all the way up is probably not a great idea - power to the eardrums). I love the wireless capability too; it makes cleaning up around the house so much more fun as I have every control I need right on the headphones. Let's move on to comfort. I have a pair of SOL tracks HD and they become uncomfortable on my ears after about a hour of wear. These Sony headphones not only sound better but are so comfortable that I've fallen asleep with them on. I low key wish the opening where your ears go was a bit wider but the cushioned pads make up for that (sometimes I find my earlobes smushed). For those of you that don't listen to music riddled with bass, these headphones do a good enough job picking up on the mids/treble/etcetera. BUT for the rest of you that enjoy the 808s and crave all the bass your heart desires, press the "Bass Effect" button and I promise you'll smile bigger than a kid in a candy shop. Right out of the box it took about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to fully charge. That was like a week ago. I've yet to recharge my headphones since. Sony hit it out of the park with these headphones. Even my mom likes these headphones and she's the worlds biggest critic in my opinion; getting her to say something is worth this much money is like pulling teeth out of a 4 year olds mouth (sorry to be graphic). Anyway, I said all of that to say that if you're in the market for headphones and you're over those overrated Beats, give these headphones a shot. These headphones do exactly what the description says it'll do. "Winning!" *in my Charlie Sheen voice* Oh, one more thing: I downloaded the accompanying app(s) andddd they don't serve much of a purpose.