Sony MDR XB400 Portable Headphones Review

[Guest]

I'm not going to go into the specs of these headphones but you can check it out here.

 

Design

The cable is 4 feet long and terminates in a right-angled, rubberized, gold-plated connector. This connector is pretty durable and has survived a year of constant connecting and disconnecting. I really enjoy the flat, ridged cable because it pretty much never tangles. The cable connects to both sides of the headphone. 

The cups are circular with a glossy plastic finish. The glossy plastic is my biggest complaint of these headphones because they pick up scratches really easily.

The foam on the inside of the cups make the headphones pretty comfortable, especially for an on-ears. When I first got these headphones, I though that the "leather" would tear, but that hasn't been the case. 

To connect the cups to the headband, there is a metal piece that allows the cups to swivel into a folding position. When I first got these headphones, there was a satisfying click when you swiveled the cups, but the click has faded away after some use. The size adjustment is clicky and stays in place after you set it. The headband is one of the spots where you can tell Sony cut corners. It is just a thin, flexible piece of plastic. This headband could probably break easily. I have a medium-sized head, but someone with a large head could stretch the headband, making it lose its elasticity. The clamping force could be a little tighter, but that's just me being picky. 

Sound

The sound going to these headphones are coming straight from the device with no special DAC or amp, so your mileage may vary. Also, this review is coming from a non-audiophile perspective. With that established, let's move on. These headphones are the best sub-$50 headphones I have had the pleasure of listening to. These headphones are made for bassheads, but the mids and highs aren't drowned out. An example of this would be in the song Beam by Mako where the female vocals are crisp with the right amount of sparkle to it.

These headphones have an impedance of only 24 ohms, so they get LOUD which makes them great for sound whoring in shooter games. EDM, Hip-Hip, and R&B tracks as well as games and movies with lots of explosions are where where these headphones shine with fun, punchy bass that is sure to put a smile on your face. An example of this would be the song Fumando by Clicks & Whistles where the punchy bass makes this song awesome to listen to on these headphones.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pNUtcMpkjI

The soundstage is pretty small, so don't expect to be able to pinpoint footsteps in games. Overall, these headphones are a steal for just under $50. While the build quality is adequate at best, they sound great and will be my daily drivers for the foreseeable future. 

[Nineshadow]

I have these too!

 

Headphones bros <3