Choosing good headphones is not easy. First you need to decide on the type: "plugs", earbuds or overhead monitors. Then you should think about the class of headphones. And in parallel about the price, since Hi-End "ears" will cost a lot. However, if we are talking about high quality vacuum headphones, then it makes sense to take a closer look at the Sony MDR XB50AP. Reviews about these headphones are mostly positive. So why not consider this option for purchase? We will tell you about all the features of this headset. But first, let's say a few words about the manufacturer.
A little about the company
The legendary Sony brand was born in 1946. At that time, the company was engaged in the production of various electronics. In the 1950s, the company launched the first tape recorder with improved sound. After such a successful start, Sony shares went up. The manufacturer began to expand the list of equipment: TVs, vinyl players, speakers. A little later, compact audio players appeared. Still later - CD and DVD players. The company began to produce mobile phones in the late 90s in tandem with the legendary Ericsson brand. The devices have become unrealistically popular. In the 2000s, Sony already produces smartphones under its own Xperia brand. The company is doing great. But even at this time, the manufacturer does not forget about audio equipment. Headphones and players are still being produced. A striking example of this is the Sony MDR XB50AP headphones. We will analyze the reviews of the owners about them a little later. In the meantime, let's look at other features. For example, the scope of delivery.
Package set
So, the headphones are sold in a transparent blister. On the front side of the package there is a transparent window so that you can see the headphones in all their glory. On the back side, the main technical specifications are written in different languages. There is even Russian. Inside are the earplugs themselves, a set of interchangeable ear pads and a special bag for carrying the headphones. Nothing else is included in the package. Even instruction manuals. And what can be the instructions for the headphones? The most interesting thing is that the guarantee for these vacuum headphones is a whole year. Apparently, the guys from Sony are very confident in their product. Be that as it may, one should not expect more in the package. It's still not Hi-End equipment. And now let's look at the appearance of the Sony Extra Bass MDRXB50AP. We will analyze user feedback in subsequent chapters.
Look & Design
Outwardly, these vacuum headphones look very dignified. Sony's design team clearly did a great job. There are sharp corners and a complex case design. And in the most prominent place - a round blotch, which is trying its best to pretend to be metal with a radial engraving. But it's actually plastic. The build quality is incredibly high. When you take the headphones in your hands, you immediately understand that you have a really high-quality product in front of you. Only the highest quality plastic is used here. And pretty thick. Therefore, the headphones weigh decently - 8 grams. For "gags" this is a lot. The headphone design itself is standard: a classic double copper wire comes from them. It houses a headset microphone with a call answer button. It can also be used as a player control button. In general, the design of the Sony MDR XB50AP in-ear headphones is excellent.
It is worth noting that these headphones were designed to compete with the legendary Sennheisers (yes, this company also produces earplugs). Therefore, the MDR XB50AP, reviews of which we will analyze a little later, turned out to be very successful. Even audiophiles, audiophiles, and music professionals alike swear by the great design and superb sound of these in-ear headphones. Of course, they can not be compared with overhead monitors. But inthey are the highest quality in their segment. This allows the company to ask for them relatively big money. Great design plus cool sound - these are the main features of high-quality in-ear headphones. But enough about the design and other features of this device. It's time to move on to the next item. Now consider ergonomics.
Ergonomics and comfort
How comfortable are these headphones to use? It all depends on how exactly they are used. If you do not take them out of your ears for hours, then by the end of the day you can feel real pain. Still, they are a little heavy for constant use. Nevertheless, the presence of a built-in microphone has a positive effect on ergonomics. The wires are made in such a way that they will never get tangled. And this can be safely written as an advantage over other models. Also, the unique housing of the headphones will allow you to easily find them in your jeans pocket or in a women's handbag. In a word, everything is in order with comfort and ergonomics at the “ears”. Excluding excess weight.
But there are situations in which the weight of these headphones will only be useful. For example, the absence of these "ears" in the pocket will immediately be detected, since the pocket will noticeably feel better. You can immediately start looking for them. Also (in theory) such in-ear headphones should sit well in the ears. And indeed it is. There is another feature in these headphones - the plug is made in the shape of the letter "G". This may not please someusers. The fact is that such a connector will cling to the fabric all the time if the smartphone is constantly in the jeans pocket. And it's really inconvenient. But this small miscalculation can be forgiven to the manufacturer. However, let's continue our review of the Sony MDR XB50AP headphones. It's time to consider their technical characteristics. They are able to surprise. It seems impossible to accommodate such advanced components in a small package. But Sony engineers succeeded.
Main Specifications
So, the headphones are equipped with dynamic emitters with a diameter of 12 millimeters. For portable speakers of this diameter is enough. However, you should not count on a complete sound picture and a clear drawing of the entire scene. Still, the physical dimensions do not allow. The range of sampling rates supported by the headphones starts at 4 Hz and ends at 24,000 Hz. This is a decent result for ordinary "plugs". Even more expensive headphones often fail to cope with such frequencies. The maximum power of these headphones is 100mW. This is more than enough. The resistance is 40 ohms. You need to take this into account when choosing a playback device. An insufficiently powerful device simply will not be able to swing the headphones. Headphone sensitivity - 110 dB. An excellent indicator for a portable headset. In general, the Sony MDR XB50AP Black headphones and headset have excellent technical characteristics. This probably explains their relatively high price.
It seems that there are no flaws in these headphones at all. But it's not. Many audiophiles and professionals feel that their low frequencies are over-twisted. And indeed it is. Powerful bass makes it impossible for the user to hear the right sound. Bass will always be highlighted more than necessary. This is what is often written down as a disadvantage. However, the average user does not care how the composition should sound right. The main thing is that the quality is acceptable. The rest doesn't matter. Nevertheless, knowledgeable people prefer in-ear headphones with a more correct balance of frequencies. The only problem is that these are very hard to find. Almost impossible. And if you find it, the price will surprise you unpleasantly. Therefore, the Sony MDR XB50AP headset, which we will review in the following chapters, is an almost ideal option, based on the price-quality ratio. However, we digress. Consider the sound quality of this product.
Sound quality
It should be noted right away that not only the headphones themselves affect the sound quality. Much depends on the playback source. If you try to listen to music through some Chinese player, it is clear that no one will hear high-quality sound. The best results are obtained when using a laptop with an external DAC, a computer with a good sound card, or a smartphone equipped with a processor with good sound characteristics. And what about the Sony MDR XB50AP headphones? Reviews and reviews convincingly show that these "ears" sound best withiPhone, Samsung Galaxy S8 and HTC U10 devices. You can also use modern multimedia players. The sound in these "gags" is excellent. Bass is felt immediately. And on the physical level. You can literally hear the diaphragm twitching in the earpiece. At the same time, the mid and high frequencies are quite strongly traced. Even too much. We'll have to play around with the settings a little in the equalizer. With a standard set of presets, everything is clear. Headphones perfectly play electronic music (just the one where powerful and deep bass is required). And if you want to listen to rock, metal, punk or classics, you will have to unscrew the equalizer settings. But still, the sound is more than worthy. The Sony engineers clearly knew what they were doing.
Now about the Sony MDR XB50AP headset microphone. It has excellent sensitivity. A person is perfectly audible even if you do not bring the microphone to your mouth. Also, the microphone does not distort the voice of the speaker. Emotional coloring, individual characteristics - all this is in place. The microphone button works quickly and clearly. And if you use a device on the Android OS, then it is even possible to fully control the music player. But the owners of iPhones will have to be content with exceptionally high-quality sound. The iOS player control option is not available. However, users of "apple" devices are not very upset. The main thing for many - high-quality sound. And getting a smartphone out of your pocket to switch songs is not a problem. Let's sum upSubtotal. In general, in terms of sound quality, everything is in order with the Sony MDR XB50AP. We will analyze reviews of these in-ear headphones right now. Let's try to understand how they behave in real conditions.
Positive feedback from owners
User reviews are a very useful thing. Positive or negative comments allow you to understand whether it is worth buying a particular device. After all, it often happens that the declared characteristics do not coincide with the real ones. And what about the Sony MDR XB50AP Black headphones? User reviews make it clear that the characteristics exactly match the declared ones. The owners of this headset note that the sound quality in the headphones is simply excellent. This, of course, is the main thing, but the design of the headset also received a lot of compliments. The in-ear type (according to users) is best suited for modern compact headphones, as they do not fall out of the ear (like classic earbuds). The wires were also praised. Flat wires simply cannot physically get tangled in your pocket, for which special thanks to the engineers from Sony. A lot of positive comments were written about the build quality. All components of the case fit so tightly that there is not the slightest hint of a gap or play. Naturally, there is no crunch when compressing either. Also, many owners note the excellent work of the microphone. It transmits speech clearly and with high quality in any conditions. Some users have even decided that the microphone has a built-in noise reduction option. Although this is not true at all. Thisthe headset works great with smartphones based on Android OS (as confirmed by users). But iPhone owners also use these headphones with success.
Negative owner reviews
As it often happens, even high-quality equipment for some reason may not suit users. The same is observed in the case of the Sony MDR XB50AP Black. User reviews of a negative nature are not particularly numerous, but they make it clear that these headphones are by no means perfect. The first complaint of users is that on older devices (like ancient smartphones) these headphones categorically refuse to work. And indeed it is. The fact is that old devices reproduce sound differently (with numerous interferences). Therefore, the headphones cannot transmit it normally. The quality is very low, there are suspicious noises and so on. These in-ear headphones are designed exclusively for modern gadgets. You should not even try to connect them to something older than five years. Also, the owners complain about the very inconvenient shape of the plug. In these headphones, it is made in the shape of the letter "G". That is, in the same way as in classical models from the beginning of the 2000s. This creates some inconvenience if you carry a smartphone in your jeans pocket (and almost everyone does just that). However, if this is a drawback, then it is insignificant. Some owners of these headphones complained that they did not even work for a month. First, the device must be handled with care, no matter how reliable it may be. Second, factorymarriage has not been cancelled. But if Sony has only two or three devices in a low-quality batch, then cheap Chinese counterparts will have hundreds of them. So draw your own conclusions.
Verdict
So, should you buy the Sony MDR XB50AP? Reviews about the headphones are mostly positive. So, their characteristics exactly match the declared ones. It is worth buying them only for those who have a fairly modern gadget for playing music. If the device is older than five years, then it’s better not to, as it will turn out to be uselessly thrown away money. These in-ear headphones do not know how to work with old gadgets. As for the sound quality, the headphones are all right with this. Ergonomics and comfort are also acceptable. The build quality and materials are also top notch. However, the price is appropriate. But if the user loves high-quality sound, then it makes sense to invest in these headphones. They will provide the highest quality (assuming a quality audio device). Fans of the right frequency ratio will definitely not be delighted with these in-ear headphones, as low frequencies are very pronounced here. But the average user will definitely like such a deep bass. But they are the potential buyers. After all, knowledgeable people usually choose something more expensive. But in terms of price, Sony headphones have no competitors in their segment.
Conclusion
Above we have analyzed what the Sony MDR XB50AP in-ear wired headphones are. User reviews about this devicemake it clear that at the moment these are the highest quality and affordable "gags" in their segment. There are also Sennheisers, but they are much more expensive. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to purchase these headphones, then you should not miss it. They are clearly worth the money they ask for. There will definitely be no problems with use, since these in-ear headphones are highly reliable. No wonder the company gives them a guarantee for a whole year.
