Review: Sony MDR-XB950N1

Sony has been taking its competition by its horns by announcing new and improved headphones by the dozen. The company recently announced the new XB950N1 and I received a sample for review.

The Sony MDR-XB950N1 headphones are the brand’s new flagship addition. With the XB950N1, Sony has set its toes into the Extra bass with noise-cancelling technology headphones category.

The headphones boast of 22 hours of continuous playback on a single charge. The XB950N1 also accompany digital noise canceling capabilities that block out unwanted noise, letting you enjoy music at all volume levels. You can also answer calls on the go, with the integrated microphone.

In terms of design, the XB9501N is a fairly large pair of headphones, employing massive ear cups and wide-diameter drivers to deliver a powerful sound. The headphones offer Bluetooth connectivity, thus allowing them to work completely wirelessly.

Sony’s XB line of headphones are designed to work with their Headphone Connect app, and that stands true for this one, too. The neatly designed app allows you to dynamically change the sound signature to suit your taste.

Setting up these headphones is quite easy. All you need to do is push and hold the power button. Doing this, sends the headphones into pairing mode. Next, you need to go into your phone or device’s Bluetooth menu, and click on the headphones, which should have automatically popped up in your menu. Touch to pair, and you’re connected.

If you are connected through the Headphone Connect app, you will also be able to adjust your bass levels. In addition, the app allows you to adjust the audio soundscapes for effects such as “outdoor stage”, “club”, “hall” or arena-style sound. You can also turn the noise cancelling functions on or off in the MDR-XB950N1.

Though these headphones are a bit large, they are surprisingly lightweight and comfortable. The ear cups adequately surround the ear and offer a snug fit. The sound quality produced by the XB950N1 headphones are quite good. The bass performance of the headphones is awesome.

In terms of noise cancellation, the XB950N1 headphones offer both active and passive noise cancelling. When it comes to performance, we found that the noise cancelling abilities on the XB950N1 were one of the best implementations we have come across.

Battery life on these headphones are quite good at 21 hours of non-stop play time. With a very high level of comfort and a long battery life, these are headphones that should last you for many years. The Sony XB950N1 headphones are ideal for anyone who enjoys music with a lot of energy.

Price: AED 899