Sony WI-XB400 Extra Bass Wireless In-Ear Headphones - Black

I've recently moved to flagship true wireless WF 1000XM5s for the incredible sound quality. I miss the WB-XB400 which are otherwise vastly superior in comfort, convenience, battery longevity, affordability, and usability (no extra app needed).17+ hours battery life IN USE, easy. I charged them every 4 days and used them for my 1h commute (back and then forth), whilst at work for music, calls and meetings, and then at home too. Sound quality is really very strong, crisp with a surprisingly good bass. Cannot overstate this point - no headphones at this price point compare, and I have also owned headphones twice the price which cannot touch them sound-wise either. They sit comfortably around your neck when not in use and the battery/volume control widgets balance it nicely without feeling weighty; like, you know they are there so you're not gonna lose them, but they're no burden. That they are USB-C is seemingly standard but beware buying other headphones at this price point where you might end up with a USB 2.0. They reach a 50% charge in about 15 minutes. They come with a variety of plug sizes and a short-lead charging cable.I've owned 3 pairs. I had to replace one pair after a year and a half, lost another, and gifted the other when I finally upgraded.Main cons - The flap that opens to allow you to charge it will eventually stop closing flush after around 6 months. It's not fixable as it happens because the housing for the plastic catch wears out; your options are to deal with it (it kinda half-closes in a dissatisfying sticky kind of way) or remove the flap entirely. Also, the sleeve of the earplugs (like the rubber underneath the headphones themselves) will start to tear and come loose after about a year. The headphones themselves stay connected but you end up with this tube of rubber sliding down from the headphones and sitting on the battery/control packs. Neither affect the usage or sound quality - anyway, at this price (and after that long) I am sure you'll basically just replace them with the same set, as I did for a good three years.If I was asked which are overall the best headphones on the market to this day, I'd recommend these.

I'm reviewing this in comparison to the WF-C500 wireless earbuds and the MDREX110APB.CE7 "Deep Bass" wired earphones. Of the three, I prefer these (WI-XB400 "Extra Bass"). I bought them to use with my phone. Turns out my Motorola's 3.5mm audio jack introduces distortion at several frequencies, but Bluetooth doesn't, despite the usual Bluetooth background static.Cons: there are minor issues that really shouldn't be there, but I can work around them.- The status announcer is a bit loud. I don't like hearing "POWER ON", "POWER OFF", or "CONNECTED" blasted into my ears. With current Bluetooth antennas, I haven't had any issues, but I can imagine this being annoying if your antenna is not reliable and connection often drops. The fix was to just not wear the earbuds while powering them on or off.- It has a very bright blue LED light that shines out like a laser. It can hit you in the eye at night and is bright enough to even shine a path. Perhaps it helps as a locator light if I ever need to find it stranded in the ocean. At least it's not on all the time, but flashes on every few seconds. It's a minor issue that you can fix by covering it with something, and you won't usually notice it if you hang the wire behind your neck, but it shouldn't be this bright.- It has the usual Bluetooth background noise that all Bluetooth devices seem to have for whatever reason when they are connected. It's not audible once music is playing, and it goes silent after a few seconds of not playing any sounds, but I would prefer it if it wasn't there.Pros: despite the cons, I still very much prefer this over the WF-C500. It's on par with the MDREX110APB.CE7 but unfortunately my phone doesn't work well with wired headphones.- The earbuds are sleek and don't disturb me when I'm sleeping on my side. In fact, I've used the MDREX110APB.CE7 a lot before because they work as ear plugs at night; the WI-XB400 do the same. I bought the WF-C500 before the WI-XB400 and one massive issue I had was that if I ever fell asleep while wearing them, just turning my head onto anything would press the button, which then makes a loud volume announcement or starts playing music. This is functionality built into the WF-C500, and the WI-XB400 has none of that. The smaller shape of the WI-XB400 earbuds also means they don't stick out like the WF-C500 and don't hit, say, your helmet while riding a bike or your beanie hat in winter, which could also press the buttons on the WF-C500.- The controls are all on the hub on the cable, which hangs on my neck. This is far more convenient to me than reaching and pressing morse-code onto my ear like the WF-C500 needs (because it just has one big button that does all the controls). More importantly, unlike the WF-C500's big button, the WI-XB400 has the typical good-old volume up and down buttons that aren't excessively easy to press. You need some pressure to click them, so they won't be randomly activating.- After using both the WF-C500 and the WI-XB400, I prefer having the cable connecting them. Not only does this make the buttons easier to use, but it keeps me from misplacing my earbuds. I can more easily find the WI-XB400 and I am less concerned with them rolling off the table or off the bed. I imagine the wire is a point of failure, but the WI-XB400 feels less fragile still than the WF-C500. The separate earpieces on the WF-C500 are heavier because all components are in one place, making me feel they would not stand a fall too well. Lastly, with the cable, I can just wear the WI-XB400 as a necklace, which is more convenient than placing the WF-C500 in a pocket or case. The WF-C500 is in theory more convenient to charge; you just plop them into the case. But I haven't had any issues with keeping the WI-XB400 charged. I'll perhaps edit this if battery is ever an issue, but I haven't observed any.- It turns out the name wasn't lying about the bass either. It's not as good as a proper headset IMO, but it's either identical to the MDREX110APB.CE7 in bass frequencies, if not a bit better. I was in fact very satisfied with the MDREX110APB.CE7 were it not for my phone distorting some frequencies at lower volumes. It appears WI-XB400 fixes problems with distortion by avoiding the audio jack. More importantly, compared to the WF-C500, the WI-XB400 is far ahead. The WF-C500 barely has bass, to the point some songs sound entirely different because it's mostly trebble.- I haven't had any issues with connectivity or volume. Default volume can perhaps be a bit loud, but in my experience, this has 3 layers volume controls: (1) the volume of the headphones itself, which is independent from the phone and adjusted via the buttons; (2) the volume on the phone, which I can set to be lower on bluetooth devices; and (3) the equalizer on my phone, which I can adjust further if it's ever too loud in any area. Perhaps the Sony wireless earbuds app also works on this, but I haven't tested it. Connectivity has been reliable for me, but I remember I was dissuaded from Bluetooth devices years ago because antennas were not reliable back then. I can't say that's the case anymore.

I bought these after some frustrating experiences with other more premium earphones breaking. Wasn’t expecting huge things at this price range but thought I’d go back to good old dependable Sony, and I’m pleased I did.I love these kinds of earphones that dangle round your neck. I don’t know how people use buds without losing them, and they’re so fiddly to take in and out if you need a break from listening. So from the outset they defo tick that box for me.Sound-wise, they pack a nice punch but are more balanced than my last earphones (Beatz Flex). Very nice, wholesome sound. Crucially for me, I have to have the larger tips - the difference between those and the medium was very stark, so definitely experiment with finding the right size for you.The build quality is perhaps a little on the light side and the charger port is a bit flimsy. But overall I’m happy. Solid, enjoyable earphones at a fair price. The robotic on/off voice is kind of sexy too - bonus

I recently bought this one from Sony and I really loved it. It is way better than my beatsx in which the right side stopped working after six months, and it was the one that I got it as a replacement after I had the same issue with the previous one. The bass quality is really good and is of Sony standard and with this price it does a fair job and is definitely way better than my Beatsx and the cheaper options. The ear buds are soft and they fit in ears very well. I liked the recorded voice over notifying power off and on options as well bluetooth connectivity. This is useful as I always struggled with my Beatsx and I had to double check manually to know whether or not it is turned on or off and get connected or not with my iPhone. The battery charges fast and the power stays for a day for me as I only use this to make some calls and hear songs at random times. I found the only downside with this one is their cables are bit longer than normal and the magnets are slightly off, so you have to twist the ear prices at a certain angle to clip them together, the magnets aren’t strong either. The noise cancellation is ok and the call quality is fine, too. They are ok to fit in ears and they didn’t fall off while walking but not sure how good they can fit in whilst during the workouts. Have to try this though.

**EDIT** After using these for a few months now I absolutely hate them. There's interference in the right headphone which has just gotten worse. And they have now started randomly turning themselves off whilst I am using them for no reason, even when at full battery. **I recently lost my headphones of 5 years, so had to buy a new pair. I was hesitant to buy Sony, as I once had a pair of over ear Bluetooth headphones that were AWFUL, but these has such good reviews I thought I'd give them a go. I wish I'd trusted my gut. The wire is too long, and the button panel and other thing are too heavy, which means they often get dragged backwards, pulling out the ear buds. Not to mention the incredibly annoying power on/off voice. I could deal with that, if it weren't for the CONSTANT interruptions when on low battery. Just tell me once, and allow me to enjoy my music until either the battery dies, or I can charge them. As someone with ADHD, the constant 'low battery, please charge' fills me with instant rage. This seems to be a Sony thing, as the previous headphones I had did the same thing, so I'm definitely not buying Sony again.Pros: sound quality is good

Like the long almost balanced neckband, the controls and the other part (other than weighting not sure what it actually does) could do with being nearer the ear buds but that may be a personal thing.Like the sound quality Not Bose but at 1/4 of the price good enoughFast ChargingOnly real dislikes are that it takes 2 attempts to connect to iPhone and you can't start play from them you have to do it from the phone in whichever app you are using to play music, once connected volume and pause work as expected Skip Track Forwards or Backwards needs a very long press (longer than expected) otherwise you just end up adjusting volume. Answering calls is fine making calls lets just say I think Siri & these don't really get on, not managed to get Siri activated from them yet.Overall fairly happy been spoilt last few years using Soundsports, would have bought another pair but with costs the way they are opted to save £80 not regretting purchase though.

I’ve owned these earphones for nearly a year now and I would recommend them unreservedly.I have had no issues whatsoever with their reliability or any hissing noise, as mentioned in some other reviews.I didn’t find the noise isolation particularly good as standard, but have fitted aftermarket Comply Foam tips to the earbuds which has improved the comfort, fit and improved noise cancelling no end...for only a few £. They weren’t bad as standard, but these have really helped.Sound quality is good and broadly balanced, with a definite focus on bass, which suits my musical taste.I cannot fathom the other reviews which berate the sound quality on these earphones...at this price point I’ve never heard better.If you want a true audiophile experience, you will have to save up or dig deeper into your pocket.... I also currently own a pair of Bang & Olufsen on ear headphones and the sound quality in those is unquestionably better, with excellent active noise cancelling. But they are 6 times the price!The Sony earphones also fit roles that on ear headphones can’t, they are less bulky for workouts or running, which I have used them for extensively. They also fit underneath a motorcycle helmet, to allow you to listen to music or sat nav guidance from your phone.Battery life is good and sound quality on phone calls is fine, nobody has yet complained.I would happily buy another pair of these earphones.

I've had for 2 years now use them about 5 times a week average and still work great. The sound quality is impressive for listening to music, watch TV or audiobooks. The battery is still going strong. Typically use them an hour or so but some days I've used them for 5 hours+ and they don't kill my ears like some styles. Used for exercising (neck band can be annoying if you're "jumping" around) and general life. Good size and design fits in my pocket and the neck band stops me from losing them. Button panel is starting to go smooth but that's it. Was a bargin at the time.

Beter dan verwacht , gaan ruim 15 uur mee , klinken goed en zitten stevig in de oren.

Best bluetooth in-ear headphones I've tried so far with motorcycle helmet. Small footprint, does not stick out too much. Stays in place, both when putting the helmet on and off. Sound quality is good enough, considering the noisy environment. Normally I'm not a fan of extended bass, but a slight lift of lower frequencies is a welcome feature on the road. Noise isolation is medium. Engine noise is muted, but you're not totally isolated from the traffic around you. I've NOT tried it as a communication device and cannot comment on the microphone quality. Battery time is excellent. Charging is done via standard USB C port. I wish they were IP rated. Good price/performance ratio (30 EUR). I would buy again.

Suenan muy bien,

Très bon

Super