Along with the blooming wireless audio market, bluetooth headphone industry has becoming more competitive than ever. Here I’m gonna give you an unbiased and totally non-audiophile review on Sony’s attempt to deliver the combination of wireless freedom and bass-centric sound. But a disclosure beforehand – if you are an audiophile and looking for a perfectly balanced headphone, you might probably want to skip this review. On the contrary, if you are a bass head, you might certainly want to go on.
Build & Design
The build quality on these headphones are definitely not top-notch. With that said, it’s still better than a lot of the pairs I have owned in the past. In fact, a few of my friends find this to be a premium looking headphone. The aluminium headband and high quality plastics on ear cups do not necessarily look cheap. However, the swivels tend to make a bit of crackling noise over time. Also the headphones are in large category to be worn in public.
Build & Design – 8/10
Comfort
Don’t be deceived by the size of this headphone. They can be considered pretty lightweight given the aluminium headband and huge ear cups. The synthetic leather still touch some part of my ears but it doesn’t bother me at all. The only complaint is that my ears tend to sweat over time since there’s no ventilation going on. But I guess that’s the price to be paid for muffling outside noises.
Comfort – 7/10
Sound Quality
In my opinion, they shine the most in this department. The pair will literally blow everything out of the water when it comes to bass. Bass is rich, deep and tight out of the box, let alone the “Bass-boost” feature. Even for a bass head like me this preset sound is enough. But man, once you flip that “bass-boost” button, you might want to sit down. The ear cups start rumbling with clear and head-shaking bass thanks to its electronic bass boost circuitry. I was blown away by the bass of these headphones the first time I put them on. The sound quality is a bit compromised here but I think that’s a worthy trade-off for the vibrating bass of these headphones.
Sound Quality Rating – 9/10
Verdict
At this time, it’s safe to say that Sony MDR-XB950BT bluetooth headphones are without doubt not for everyone. On a scale of 1 to 10, it’s a major GO if you happen to be looking for spine-shaking bass but I’d say it otherwise for a balanced and neutral music experience.
Overall Rating – 8/10