Introduction
The Sony MDRXB950BT/B headphones are a stellar choice for deep sound and comfortable listening.
Design & Comfort
- Over-ear design for better noise blocking
- Cushioned ear cups for long-wear comfort
- Adjustable headband for a personalized fit
Sound Quality
- Powerful bass for musicians
- Clear and crisp audio for a vivid listening experience
- Great for both music and video streaming
Connectivity & Controls
- Bluetooth for easy connection
- Easy-to-use controls on the ear cups
- Built-in microphone for hands-free calls
Battery Life
- Long-lasting battery for extended use
- Quick charge feature for comfort
Pros
- Exceptional bass for music lovers
- Comfortable design for extended use
- Wireless connectivity with clear controls
- Impressive battery life for on-the-go usage
Cons
- Bulky design might not be good for all users
- Bass might overpower other frequencies in the sound
Conclusion
The Sony MDRXB950BT/B headphones give great sound with strong bass, comfy design, and easy wireless use. But because they’re big and focus a lot on bass, they might not be right for everyone.
Amazon Customer –
I was initially pleased with this Christmas gift. The sound that comes from these is powerful for a set of headphones, wired or wireless. I also like the possibility of 20 hours wireless use from a single charge. However, my pleasure came to an abrupt end once I paired these with my Windows 8.1 laptop. These are supposed to be Bluetooth compatible, but the device doesn’t appear as an option for Windows 8.1 playback devices.After visiting the Sony support database, I learned to hate that I was ever introduced to these. The lack of Bluetooth driver support for a Windows 8.1 Pro laptop is a huge oversight, considering that Windows 8 operating systems are still currently supported by Microsoft. Someone might ask, “Why not just upgrade to Windows 10?” My answer would be, “There is no guarantee that expensive professional grade software that was purchased and originally intended for use on a Windows 8 machine will work on Windows 10. The money I’ve spent on these headphones is no comparison to what I’ve invested in this laptop. So, it doesn’t make sense for me to risk loosing all that compatibility (not to mention money) in an attempt to use single set of non-studio quality Hi-Fi headphones.An analog headphone cable is included…so I will likely keep them, but the possibility of a wireless Bluetooth connection was the only reason I even opened the box in the first place. Had there been a clear indication that there was no Windows 8 support for these, they would have been returned without a listen.I would strongly suggest Sony add driver support for Windows 8 as well as and Windows 8.1 Home and Professional to minimize potential losses. Since I can’t use them as intended, and they are far from my primary reference tool, I’m presently trying to decide whether to keep these or not…= = = Updated as of 12/29/16 = = =okay…so I wasn’t happy with this one at first, but I am now. After a week’s worth of troubleshooting & manual reading, my problem is solved. I was having trouble using these with my Windows Pro 8.1×64 laptop. Once I kept both the “Manage Bluetooth Devices” and “Playback Devices” windows up at the same time, I noticed that the MDR-XB950BT, would only display as “CONNECTED” for a few (maybe 7-10 seconds). With ALL other Bluetooth capable products I own, the “CONNECTED” status is indefinite, being turned on and off just by double clicking – so this issue initially led me to believe there was a connection problem. This last time, I re-initialized the MDR-XB950BT’s as I had always done, but I also had the “Playback Devices” window open as well as Windows Media Player, and made sure some audio was playing. Once I paired the headphones with my laptop & the “CONNECTED” status displayed, I saw the MDR-XB950BT’s were selectable as a Playback Device(!!!) and quickly seized the moment, making them my default Playback Device – problem solved. I’m now loving every minute – I hope this helps someone else out too :’)= = = Update 1/8/17 = = =First, I still have random issues establishing a connection over Bluetooth using Windows 8.1 Pro x64 with these, but I may have discovered that once a good connection has been established, it is a good idea to designate these as the default audio playback device. When I needed to reconnect to my Windows laptop after doing so, I made sure my headphones were turned on first and blinking to indicate they were searching for a Bluetooth connection before I turned on my laptop. My laptop seemed to connect straight away using that method – hope that helps someone!The other reason for this update is … today I used these to help with mixing an unedited 1-take live recording for same day distribution immediately following a church service I had run sound for. I had been successful in talking myself out of doing this since Christmas, when I first got them; but today, the bug finally bit me & I was pleasantly surprised.I use Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones as my primary point of reference for equalization and overall mixing decisions, when I’m on the go, but because I had never been happy with the sound of the bass guitar on previous recordings I’ve done using them, I thought I’d try something different. I was initially worried about subjecting them to the sound levels & frequency response that can be part of the live recording process, but with mastering effects in place and a brick wall limiter at the end of the signal chain, I figured they’d be able to hold up as sound levels won’t fluctuate that much. It would essentially be like listening to a CD that’s already been mastered, the difference being that I’ll be able to make changes to the mix if I want.The mixer I used was the Behringer X32, of course, with the output from the mixer being fed into a soundcard and DAW, where I can apply mastering effects. The sound card has been routed to send (3) separate stereo signals: 1. an analog “dry mix”, with no mastering effects, 2. an analog “wet mix” that makes use of the chosen mastering effects, and 3. a digital “wet mix” with fade in/out automation sent over a coaxial S/PDIF cable to a digital Tascam CD-RW900mkII CD recorder. The two analog stereo signals are routed out of the soundcard into a 2nd and much smaller external mixer for headphone monitoring and tweaking.I was initially disgusted to find that the Bass Boost button can’t be activated on the Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones when they are connected using their analog connection cable. Then, I remembered the fact that I could simply use the 3 band equalizer that was built into the 2nd mixer to boost the bass if needed. I realized this was something I had always had to do with the Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones anyway, and so my frustration quickly passed.During live sound check before service started, I put the most time into getting the bass guitar right. Listening to the bass guitar using the Sony MDR-XB950BT’s, I could tell the bass didn’t need a low cut, and I made better use of the low shelf on its equalizer. I also cut some of the high mid frequencies at around 3.2K and raised the high shelf a few decibels at 1.2K. I applied a tighter compressor to the bass guitar to keep it in check and a barely noticeable sprinkle of a flanger effect for something different. The end result was nothing less than perfect. These bass headphones definitely made a good impression on what had been a troublesome instrument and were the reason my wife got them for me.Then, I added a low cut to the kick drum starting at 30 hertz. The change may not have been immediately noticeable to other listeners, but I could hear the difference and continued raising the cut to 50 hertz. The low cut was a decision I decided not to stick with, because the kick drum didn’t need any work. We used a Beta52 microphone outside the kick drum, as it was designed to be used, the existing equalizer setting was good; the compression on the kick drum was also good; and so, I ultimately decided that The Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones got an A+ on the kick drum. I never really had a problem with the way the kick drum sounded. I just wanted to see if it was possible to improve its sound by using the Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones. It was exciting to do an A/B comparison of mixing with the two sets of headphones.After listening with the Sony MDR-XB950BT’s, I did decide to remove another 1.5 to 3 decibels of unnecessary mid frequency from the vocals, especially the pastor’s wireless lapel mic. The pastor ended up spending most of his time walking the floor, preaching among the congregation. He really liked his mic today! Even the PA system sounded better, because I was able to give more attention to the low end frequencies with these headphones. After service was over, I played back the recorded CD in the car and was blown away. On the way home, I was listening to the best live recording I have ever done since I’ve served at this church!I can’t give the Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones all the credit, because the Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones definitely gave me a good start. I know for a fact, that my mix would have been shot had I tried to tackle things like sibilance, hiss cut, or full spectrum equalization using the Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones alone. The high end response on the Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones is lacking, but what they lack in high end response, they make up for in the low end! I am glad to be able to use both sets of headphones for their specific applications.For anyone who might ask – yes, I have tried live recording with Beats headphones and found it was a waste of time. In my opinion, and the opinions of those who had the privilege to make the A/B comparison between the two sets of headphones that day, the Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones have better definition, both low and high end frequency response, and overall volume than Beats headphones; which allowed me to make decisions and tackle troublesome frequencies quicker. However, when I follow up with the Sony MDR-XB950BT headphones, on mixes I’ve done using the Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones, the Sony’s allowed me to make better decisions in the midrange, and low end that I would have otherwise overlooked using the Sennheiser headphones alone. As far as speakers are concerned, in my personal studio monitoring arsenal I have a set of JBL4326P’s with a matching JBL4312 subwoofer, a pair of M-Audio AV40 monitors, a set of miscellaneous 3-way 8” Sony bookshelf speakers (which do a great pretty good job I might add), and my vehicle is Bluetooth enabled with a Pioneer FH-X700BT deck, which I sometimes use when mixing multitrack recordings from my Bluetooth enabled laptop.I use the JBLs as my primary point of reference when tracking and mastering. They do an excellent job overall, but they are so loud they can’t be used at home. The M-Audio AV40s do a great job on high frequency sources, such as vocal sibilance, cymbals, and synthesized instruments. The other monitors are used as reference points. When I need to be portable, the Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones are my primary point of reference for recording, and mixing. However, in either case, in studio or portable, I now depend on the Sony MDR-XB950BT’s (*along with the Waves L3-16 multiband compressor) before I render a final master, just to keep the low end in check. Doing so tends to give me the most consistent audio translation between audio systems. It also keeps the deacons happy at church. One of them has a system in his car, loves to bump gospel music, and he’s quick to let me know if I didn’t get it just right :’} P.S. I’m not complaining…He’s my best advocate – anywhere else, they might fire you first and ask questions later!
Joe –
I’ll start off by saying that there are newer models available, but these are still the sexier looking pair in my opinion. The headband follows the contour of my head rather than leaving a big ugly void space on either side like the newer ones. Looks don’t matter to a lot of people though, so I’ll get on to what does matter.Sound Quality: For the average listener these are a great Beats alternative. Without the bass boost on they deliver a nice overall sound that’s not lacking too much clarity. Definitely an emphasis on bass though. That’s really what these are meant for. Songs with boomy bass lines are great with these. Pushing the bass boost button is a double edged sword. You do gain a head shaking amount of bass, but clarity is definitely sacrificed and some songs just won’t sound all that great with it on. Use the button for the songs that really kick hard for the best experience.Wireless vs Wired: Without a doubt these headphones were designed to be used primarily as a bluetooth device. While you can use them wired, the experience is dulled. Volume won’t be able to turn up quite as much as you might like, and you lose the bass boost functionality in wired mode. Generally I only ever used wired for lower volume listening to fall asleep on long road trips as a passenger. That does tie nicely into the next segment though…Noise Cancellation: Now, these do not have an active noise cancelling feature. However. Even just wearing these blocks out a ton of sound. In fact I woke up with them on this morning because I fell asleep while wearing em. No music was playing. They just provided a nice quiet capsule of solitude from random noises in my house. In a louder environment you’ll still hear the commotion. Albeit a much quieter commotion than without.Durability: Well… I’ve had them since 2016. No cracks, the pads have yet to start crumbling (unlike other brands that cracked after two years), and they still look good with very minor signs of wear. For a pair of headphones that I only paid $85 for? Great in this department. I’m not sure if other people have big heads or just defective units, but my experience has been great from day one. I have the black pair with the red accents. I take pretty good care of my audio products but I throw them around once in a while onto soft surfaces (like a bed or couch).Comfort: Yes. Undoubtedly a very cushy and comfortable pair of wireless cans. Less of a “you forget you’re wearing them” and more of a “I’m wearing really comfortable headphones”. I can literally sleep with these on and wake up with little to no ear soreness. When in an upright seated listening position, no soreness whatsoever. I never forget they’re on my head, but that doesn’t hamper my experience. The pads are still some of the greatest on any pair of headphones I’ve owned. The only ones I would say were more comfortable were the Fidelio X2 that I had owned, but they collected lint and hair like crazy. Definitely prefer full leather/pleather or hybrid when it comes to pads.Battery Life: I’d venture to guess the 20h life is an accurate figure. I never listen to these for more than an hour or two per day so I can go a couple weeks without charging them. Plus if the battery ever does die you can always use them as a normal set of wired headphones. Charging takes a little while, and my used pair only came with a usb cable and no charging brick. My surge protector and PC both are able to charge them so I’d assume that any decent charging brick would do, but it might be something to look into if you don’t have a PC or laptop to charge these with.Price: well worth the sub $100 if you get them on sale or used/like new. Not a pair of headphones I would’ve paid the full $200 for, but $150 new is not a bad price if you absolutely do not trust open box products. That said I’ve never had a pair of headphones last me this long without needing a pad change or repairs so the price is not outlandish. Though I’d look into the newer headphone models if you’re going to pay full price since they are improved, but a tad uglier in my personal opinion.In conclusion, these cans are good enough sounding considering the wireless and bass focused nature. If you push the bass boost button the headphones will vibrate your head. Analytical listeners need not apply. This is a fun pair of headphones that are better than Beats or Skullcandy. Though I’ve heard the Skull Crusher wireless are good for a deep tissue massage with how nutty the bass boost on those is. I’d say for audiophiles this is probably the most tolerable bass boosted experience.Would I buy a new pair if my current ones broke or disappeared? Yeah, most likely. I love these headphones. My Audio Technica Solid Bass (ATH-WS1100iS) are overall better in terms of sound and bass quality, but those are wired only, and take a bit more power to drive. Sony delivered a really solid product with the XB950BT, and if you see a good used or like new pair for under $100 I’d say they’re worth a shot. You might just fall in love.
Eric S –
Amazing bass, as expectedPurchased these as my new main headphones. Amazing bass, as expected. The bass boost feature can be a bit distortion-y in higher volumes and to be honest the high end does feel slightly muted, but these are a pass even there for me – me being someone who is relatively retentive about the way his music sounds.These have EXCEPTIONAL battery life. I’ve had them a month, and have charged them TWICE. With usage every day. Admittedly, I don’t have them glued to my head, but at least 30 min a day up to watching a 3 hour movie some days means that these perform extremely well where power is concerned.They do lack some punch when connected on the line, but the frequency response is a bit better. It’ll depend greatly on how much oomph your device can send through the line. But it’s a good perk to have the ability to listen if the battery does eventually die.The cutout is somewhat abrupt when the battery does actually die. The headphone LED flashes red for a couple hours, but there’s no warning tone. The only thing you get if you’re not watching the LED is a special power down sound and then they’re dead. They charge in maybe three to four hours on my 2 Amp ipad charger, wasn’t watching closely.Speaking of hours, the cups are extremely comfortable. Even in hot weather and long sessions these are very easily worn for long times. They also don’t feel very heavy after a few minutes of wearing them.Pairing is extremely simple. Unfortunately it can’t be paired with multiple devices at once that I’ve seen, but a simple button hold and a tone puts it into pairing mode and it reliably connects on the first try.All in all these get a 4-4.5 out of 5 for me. They’d get a solid 5 if the frequency response was better over bluetooth, but that’s not entirely Sony’s fault.
Toby Z. –
Updated version is betterBought these for my girlfriend as she really likes my Sony MDRXB950B1 headphones. She wanted these blue ones. unknown to us though it seems these have a slightly older software. nothing major but it only bleeps at you wheres my ones say ‘power on’ and ‘bass effect on’ etc which is much more usefull knowing what you’ve pressed.As far as the headphones go though, they’re fantastic. probably not the best for people who do not like bass but I listen to a huge mixture of music and found it’s more than great for everything. Great that you can use the app to alter the EQ etc too.They fit around the ear nicely although they do make your ears a little warm as there’s no room for air.Battery life is remarkable. I tried the skull candy krusher 3 and although they have a better battery life, they were incredibly uncomfortable and lacked the fantastic bass
Shiv Sankar –
Made for bassheads !!Before I bought these headphones I have gone through and tested almost all high end headphones, my main criteria for selection was basically a lot of bass and good sound quality. I can honestly say these are one of the best out there for providing that added wub, it literally shakes my ears. Everyone who has tried on my headphones have only the best things to say about these headphones. Even if you aren’t in to the bass, there’s a button that can disable it and provide you with clean audio. The bass is crisp, no distortions whatsoever.I gave it a 4 star review only because of the materials its made out of, its kind of easy to break if you drop it. But if you are careful, these things can last a long while. The battery on these are pretty awesome so far. A 4 hour charge lasts me a day and a half before it runs out of juice (I listen to music all day). So someone who uses it moderately is still looking at a 2-3 days of these bad boys on a 4 hour charge.The mic is a bit of a downer, you cant really answer calls with these if you are outside, since the person on the other end always complains of static. But it doesn’t matter to me, since I primarily use it just listen to music.Boy, these make music sound a lot better. Definitely recommend this.
Sachin –
Boom BoxEvery heard of Bass Boost in Sony Ericsson W550i, W800i, K750i? If yes, its time to relive the same music experience with this Beautiful thing here.I got these headphones from US for $85 (Rs 5780/-), yeah a bigger save :P. Anyways, I am a big fan of Sony products as they deliver quality and best products. coming back to these headphones, one word ” GO FOR IT”. I have used Bose Bluetooth, Senheiser and Skull Candy on ear. Bose has the best call quality as they have noise cancellation, and when it comes to music they are best (Clear audio with good thumping Bass better than Senheiser and SC). Senheiser works well when it comes to Music (Mids are good, highs are strong, Bass is good). Skull Candy are basically build for music. (Too much crispy Treble, due to which you feel beats of bass but not reflexes of bass).But these Sony MDR XB950bt, these are best stuff your ear can have for music. trust me, these headphones beats all above mentioned headphones that I have used. Audio clarity is juss wow. Bass is thumping with cool reflexes. and when Bass Boost is turned on(works only when connected with Bluetooth), you are on heaven. What a bass, your ears starts vibrating due to Bass reflexes.Bass boost throws too much Bass, you would need a good equilizer to throw some treble in your music. For bass lovers, I highly recommend this.Pros:1. Bass- (no doubt of boom box)2. Comfy cushions3. Wired and Wireless, use how you want.4. Good battery life5. Volume control, play/pause, next/rev6. Bass Boost button to control BassCons:1. Inner cushion cover are too soft same as Sony XB400, might tear off. (outer cushion cover are good),2. Material is cheap (plastic) which breaks soon if not handled with care.
Kirby –
Sound quality is great for the priceUse these headphones daily; both with my pc and android phone while commuting.Sound quality is great for the price; if you’re looking for headphones in this price range you know the selection can be overwhelming, it seems like this model has been around for a while and going on sale every now and then which makes it an even better pickup.While these are not noise cancelling, the giant ear pads block out most ambient sound. Noise leakage is only an issue at the highest of volumes, and the bass is amazing. Using viper4android on my nexus 6p, you can really push the bass that can be produced and you can really get some ear rattling sound if you need it. The bass boost performs just like you think it would; it’s much better if you can tweak the bass with a program or equalizer rather than relying on the bass boost preset to keep the overall sound quality high.Pairing to devices is quick and easy and the bluetooth has decent range. Battery life is great, and the headphones are very light and comfortable for long time use. They stay on your head with a firm grip while not squeezing too much. Build quality seems very solid, have worn these in some light rain/snow, and they even took a tumble onto the concrete once, but no issues or scratches as a result.My main purpose for purchasing these headphone was to find something comfortable enough to use daily for my work commute, while also being able to block ambient sound with minimal leakage to other, and in all those regards it has worked perfectly.