Sony MDRXB50AP Extra Bass Earbud Headphones/Headset with Mic for Phone Call, Black

I wanted a pair of new ear buds as a replacement for my daily driver Sennheiser CX300-II. As much as I love the CX300-II I wanted to try something with a bit more punchy bass (I’m no audiophile but for the price CX300-II delivers pretty accurate sound. But I felt I could do with bit more bass and let go a bit on accuracy). Sony MDR XB50AP is up front about it’s big on bass nature, as the pics of box show it clearly and in large letters say ‘EXTRA BASS’. So I thought this is what exactly I want! And I have good experience with Sony bass as years ago I had a SE ‘Walkman’ phone (for those of you still remember such) with Mega Bass earbuds. I loved those buds, great bass in small package. I was to buy off amazon but some reviewers mention there are knock-offs. So I went to BB and got a price match on the Amazon’s price. I’ve included few pics to show certain details on this pair (it says made in Thailand, the flat cables have tiny grooves and feels well made, there’s ‘THAILAND’ embossed on the place where earbuds divide…) all of which another reviewer tells are not seen in the knock-offs. So someone buying these on Amazon can check if those details are in fact there. So after few hours of burn-in (TBH I don’t know how much difference it made) I feel this is pretty good for me. I listen to all kinds of music and as mentioned before I like punchy bass and it delivers just that. Compared to my older CX300-II these feels a little less accurate, but I don’t really care. Quality wise I feel they are well made. Hopefully they’ll last a long time. I’ll update here if there’s anything to update. Only downside I could see is because they are large in size, there’s a bit more possibility of breaking easily by misuse (walking on them etc.) I’ve included pics along with my CX300-II for size comparison. The CX300-II are small made, so I’ve walked on them couple of times by mistake when they were on carpet floors and didn’t affect at all. But will with these I don’t think I can ever take that chance). So, in short: Pros: - Really punchy bass - Well made - Flat wires are easy to keep tangle-free Cons: - Slightly larger earpieces (drivers are 12 mm, so guess we can pardon the size) If my review helped you in some way, please click the ‘Yes’ button below. Thank you!

Full disclosure - I know nothing about headphones, at least in regards to technical specs. I cannot help with that but I'm sure there are many reviews that can. I simply wanted a decent set of backup earbuds (I own a pair of Bose wired earbuds purely for intense jams to music on occasion) that I could use daily, that weren't too incredibly pricey should I damage them. I prefer to use earbuds when watching TV as I have an enhanced Roku remote with a headphone jack for private listening. I wanted the sound to be clear and crisp enough for both TV dialogue and background music. I ordered these Sony earbuds after reading a review for them and I was not disappointed, so I feel I must give back and write my own review as well. These are excellent quality earbuds for this price point. Included with the earbuds is a set of different sized tips. The earbuds themselves fit a bit "wonky" by which I mean, its slightly different compared to others I've used. Some say the fit is uncomfortable, but I did not find this to be true. I believe its just the slightly odd angle that these fit which makes them possibly seem uncomfortable at first - but once you've worn them a few times, you will likely notice they aren't so much uncomfortable as just maybe a bit awkward to get used to at first. If you navigate to the provided photos of the earbuds, you will notice that the entire end where the earbud sits is larger than most other earbuds. While I admit that they felt a bit weird in the beginning, I now rather like the fit. It was necessary for me to change the tips to smaller ones, but once I did, it gave me a strong, sturdy, and comfortable fit. As far as the sound quality - amazing! Excellent with bass tones, very crisp and clear sound, and very little noise distortion from the cord. I absolutely love these and I highly recommend these earbuds for anyone out there who, like me, doesn't understand the technical aspect of what makes a quality earbud - but just wants a great pair. These are fantastic and the sound quality almost rivals my too-expensive Bose earbuds. Thanks to that reviewer who wrote such a convincing, truthful review - your thorough description is what made me decide to purchase these and I'm very glad I did!

I don't know much about the technical aspects of the sound quality, but I know what I'm looking for. For one, I picked these because I wanted "extra bass". I think it's kinda silly that some of these reviews talk about how they listen to pop / classical music but they chose a gimmick product that is supposed to give off "extra bass". You're bound to get some muddy sounds and the mids aren't exactly the nicest. For $40 I think they are simply "good enough". It's nothing to rave about but it'll suffice for the price. :) For one, I listen to a lot of Hip Hop and R&B. Bass is very important to me. MY PREFERENCE, is that I want the bass to really boom. Does that compromise the clarity a bit? Yes, but that's my preference. See, these are not going to be for every person. If you listen to any bass heavy music like EDM / hip hop / dub step / trap then you might enjoy the sheer 'boomingness' of these earbuds. That being said, I don't really think the bass is THAT "extra" I mean, when I listen to music on my iPhone, I generally have the EQ set to "extra bass" or "hip hop" anyway. But with the EQ on those options + these earbuds, some of my hip hop tracks are REALLY booming. I feel like I'm in a riced out Subaru with over the top sub woofers installed. Like it's a bit much. With the EQ off, the bass sounds normal. It's not really that crazy, but maybe that's just me. The only thing about the sound quality that bothers me a bit is how the Mids sound in most of my music. If the volume is above 60%, hi's and mids get really 'punchy'. Sound starts to crack a bit. At 60% volume and below, it's not bad at all though. I just like listening to my music really loud. I know it's bad for your ears, but I don't know. I guess I'm deaf. Just thought I'd mention that. In terms of the physical product, the packaging was less than memorable. It was a little weirdly packages too in my opinion. Nothing special though and it's nothing to dislike or like in my opinion. I got the RED ones. I've always liked red gadgets, so I thought it would be fitting. Black is probably a better option for those who want to match their outfits with everything, if you're picky about that sort of thing. The cord feels a little cheap, but it's not too bad. I'm kinda paranoid about crappy cords because I tend to get them tangled up and they end up breaking the earbuds. The actual ear buds are kinda big, as a few people have mentioned. I have medium sized ears and I would say they are pretty big. That said, I don't think it's "heavy" either. I mean, they just protrude out more, but they aren't that heavy. I actually like the way they are shaped, because they fit in my ears really well. I've literally bought over 20 pairs of headphones and ear buds in the last 10 years. These feel like they FIT in my ear really well. That being said, anything that fits snug in your ear is bound to give you some ear fatigue over time. I tested these, and I can go around 4hrs with these in my ear before I feel like I need to take them out and take a break. If I'm listening to a lot of heavy music, a lot of loud music or loud hip hop, I get fatigued faster and have to occasionally take the buds out for a second. It usually does the trick. PROTIP: For those of you who don't like reading manuals (cuz I know I don't....) the little mic button thing can Play / Pause and forward songs. Press the button once to Play / Pause and to skip to the next track you double tap it. On a last note, I play a lot of video games also. Again, nothing to rave about, but if you want to use these for gaming, it's perfectly fine. I can hear all the little details in the sound effects. Footsteps, insignificant details in the environment, etc. Pretty clear cut. So if you're looking for a cheap pair of earbuds that have good bass quality, these are probably one of the bests you'll get for the price. But like I said before, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU LISTEN TO. Hip Hop sounds awesome with these. Now, when I'm listening to some Ed Sheeran......I don't know. Bass isn't necessary. lol. Just depends on your preference.

Short summary for people who don't want to read detailed review: Great IEMs with punchy and powerful bass, clear mids and okayish highs. The build quality is great and they look awesome (I got the one in red color). How comfortable they are will depend on person to person, but I felt they I could wear them for extended periods of time without any problems. The sound isolation is decent, but its not enough to isolate the noise of a subway train when you are traveling. If you are looking for cheap IEMs that wont break your bank but at the same time can be your daily driver and sound outstanding, these will be the right fit. If you are looking for critical listening, then maybe its worth looking into more high end IEMs. **************************************************************************************** Detailed review: Let me get the secondary stuff out of the way first. I've had these for about two years now and I don't have any complaints so far. The build quality is superb - I like that these wires dont tangle and are strong enough to withstand fairly rough use over these two years. The cable noise is noticeable. The microphone is okayish - I prefer not to use it to take calls. The color on the housing of these IEMs has started coming off (as you can see in the picture). The quality of silicone ear tips is great - I never had to replace them and they feel comfortable sitting in my ears for extended period of time (8 hours+). The sound isolation is fine but not enough to fully isolate the noise of engines when taking a flight or the sound of a subway train when traveling for work. Maybe it would be worth investing in foam ear tips that conform to your ear canal for better seal. Now coming to the important part - the sound quality. This is where these IEMs excel. You wont believe how good they sound for the price. I mean I open the packing, take these IEMs out, put them on and start listening and I am immediately impressed by how detailed the sound was. The bass on these things is amazing. Its punchy and powerful, but it doesn't overpower. I am not a bass head - I try like to listen to music exactly the way it was intended by the recording artist. The mids are clear but the highs are a bit lacking. For example, it is sometimes hard to hear piano or cymbal sounds when there's a lot going on in the music (listen to 'The Fire Within' by Jennifer Thomas and you'll know what I mean). I mean you can imagine - I am reviewing these earphones as if they are priced at $300, they are that good. So I looked up the frequency response curve for these IEMs online and I notice that obviously they are tuned to produce enhanced bass. But at higher frequency (5000 - 24000 hz), their response is lacking considerably which means its sometimes harder to distinguish sharper sounding instruments like cymbals or crisp sound claps. If you have critical ears, you will always feel that they are very good but something is lacking... I recently got the 1more Triple Driver for $80 (more than 2.5 times the price of the XB50AP) and when I compared the XB50AP to the triple drivers, I found that the sound from XB50AP is comparatively a bit muddied and shallower but only after I had to really sit down in a quiet environment and listen carefully. The 1More triple drivers are THX certified for its Hi Res sound and are usually compared to the likes of Shure, Sennheiser, and other high end earphones - and the XB50AP comes very close to the triple drivers for 2.5 times less the price. Honestly, you wont even notice all this unless you are listening very critically. If you are the kind of person who just wants really great sounding IEMs without breaking your bank, then go for these without any doubt. They look stylish, sound really amazing, feel comfortable, and are very durable. For about $30, these things are a steal.

If you're looking for affordable quality, these guys are it. Like most people I am on a budget. I try to buy the best product for the most affordable price. I bought the Skullcandy Ink'd 2 Earbud (Black/Red) a few years back in an effort to get quality for a price. I was disappointed. At first they seemed to be pretty good, but as I listened more and more, I found the treble was incredibly saturated. If you listen to rock, the cymbal work can come through sounding like shattering glass and distorted. The bass also seemed impressive at first, but over prolonged use I noticed it was just a false and under powered bass sound. I finally decided to grab some earbuds that would give me what I wanted, a balanced sound stage with crisp mids, clear highs and punchy bass. If that's what you're looking for, then these earbuds are the way to go. For 30 bucks, they are double the price of most 'okay' earbuds, but quadruple the quality. The bass is dynamic, able to deliver big sound without drowning everything else out on more electronic driven songs(2NE1 I Am The Best intro for example) while delivering punchy bass on rock and metal. The mid and high range comes through clearly without distortion and doesn't hurt your ears at higher volume. The design is cool, though the way they go into your ears is a bit weird at first. The microphone for phone calls comes through clearly as well. If you can only afford 10 dollar earphones, by all means, buy what you can. However, if you can afford a bit of a higher price, buy these, you will not regret it. Update 7-24-18 : I see some reviews about these breaking easily. That is unfortunate for those that has happened too, but that has not been my experience and I use these in all kinds of environments. Listening to music at my desk, mowing the grass in 100 degree weather up and down hills for 3 hours. They've fallen out of my ear while washing dishes into water(never totally submerged), used while pumping iron, they've been ripped out of my ears or from the headphone jack numerous times for different reasons They still work like the day I bought them and I am coming up on two years of owning them.

I have tried many different brands of earbuds from Bose to Sony, Panasonic and even generic brands searching for that combination I desire. I am an earbud fan and prefer the angular buds like we have here that provide a more comfortable fit as will as a more secure fit that helps with noise isolation. I had a different style of Sony earbuds and they provided the best sound quality I had heard up to that point. But they only had volume control and I was in dire need of earbuds with a remote. When I saw these and read the many positive reviews I added in my already being a Sony earbud fan and gave them a shot. I can honestly say that there is nothing I had to settle on with these earbuds. The sound is amazing and the extra bass ROCKS. From extreme lows to extreme high there is no audio distortion at all. Looking at the pictures of these you may wonder if the big outer part on the buds themselves would make it difficult for these to stay in the ear and instead, the opposite is achieved. These stay in the ear better than any buds I have ever owned and they are so comfortable even after hours of wear to the point I can't tell they are in. They also do a perfect job of noise canceling. Just make sure you have the correct size buds in your ear and you will be alone with your music or calls. And the remote works great as well. Some are difficult to get to work properly but this remote easily skips music tracks, works with Siri and provides excellent quality when on calls. I have tried the Bose Noise Cancelling earbuds that go for $299 and like these better. The sound is far superior and the comfort also much better. The one thing to remember about these earbuds is that these are meant more as audiophile earbuds and are not meant for exercising or running etc. They will not stay in the ears with these types of activity. I have another brand I use for that sort of activity. Bottom line for me these are my favorite earbuds by far and at under $100 I am in awe of them. Lastly just wanted to note that the bass and all around audio quality was truly to my picky liking without having to do any adjustment to my Iphone equalizer. I can't give the earbuds enough praise about their comfort, performance, noise isolation and durability. I would give them as a gift and recommend them to anyone. If you like earbud style headphones you can't do better than these.

These are the best you’ll get for your money, hands down. Great sound, solid bass, good mic built in, and have a great build. Why three stars? I’ll tell you, it’s because of the biggest flaw, the worst oversight, possibly the worst case of planned obsolescence you can ever imagine: The actual connector. Who in their right mind would EVER intentionally design them like that! Let me explain why this is such a bad oversight. The bit where the cable meets the phone WILL bend. Constantly. When you put it in your pocket it’ll constantly be bending at a sharp 90 degree angle. If you use it for a nifty gaming mic, it will always be bending at a sharp 90 degree angle. Even if you’re just holding your phone in your hand, it’ll bend 90 degrees downwards. After awhile of the constant bending the cord WILL fray. Not IF, not even if you take very good care of it, WHEN it WILL fray because they designed the end bit so poorly. Logically you wouldn’t have it be a 90 degree connector because logically the cord will always be bending back against the plug. Logically you’d just have it come STRAIGHT out, like an Apple cord or any other cord, not with a BEND in it that will cause the cord to always be bent at an angle, slowly destroying it. Hell you can see the cord has a permanent curve to it now in my picture! There’s only two reason why they’d make it this way. Either they’re stupid, or they planned it so you eventually buy another. Me? The microphone just broke on my pair, only a matter of time before the entire thing fails. They lasted maybe 5 months at most.

Bass! Oh my gosh the bass! Totally my favorite headphones. Only issue is they hurt my ears after about 20-30 minutes. I've tried a dozen different ear pieces on them and while some are comfortable for a while, they all eventually hurt. I think it may be the sheer size of the ear buds putting pressure on my outer ear, not my inner ear. Everyone's ears are a little different so this will probably not be an issue for a lot or most people, but if you have small ears be aware. Even saying all that, I put up with the pain because these sound so amazing. The Bass is like having two 12" woofers right by your face, without bothering your neighbors. The mids and highs are not drowned out, and unlike other bass headphones there is no distortion of the voices or instruments during the big beats. It's like there are 3 different speakers in there, and they are huge, so there may be! I'm one of those idiots that buys new ear buds once a month thinking I'll find a better pair for under $100, but this was the last pair I bought and will be the only ones I buy again if these ever die. The button on the mic does pause on one push, and "next song" on a double push on my phone. Speaking of the mic, it is solid, and I've not heard any complaints as long as I hold it up to my mouth. I've let it hang a few times and everyone can still hear my okay, but my voice does not carry well so I usually hold it up to my mouth, or keep my head down to talk into it. So yes these are great for phone calls also, which was important to me as well. I thought I lost another black pair I had, so this is my second pair. My first pair were eventually found, and I do have to report the "pause/forward" function no longer works on the first pair, I believe because they got all sweaty as I use them when I mow the yard. So be careful if you think these might get wet. They block out all the noise around you, so be aware of that also. If you are considering these, I'd totally recommend them!

Excelente calidad para el precio, muy buena construcción y son súper cómodos. Las almohadillas son suaves y se acoplan bien, cabe mencionar que no son 100% aislantes de sonido, puedes escuchar ruidos exteriores si son fuertes. El sonido es excelente, no por nada Sony se ha mantenido en la industria de la música tanto tiempo. Pero puedo decir que no se debe esperar un sonido muy refinado, si lo que buscas es claridad absoluta en medios y altos es probable que estos audífonos ahoguen un poco por sus drivers dedicados a los bajos. Recomendaría estos audífonos para escuchar metal, rock, techno o electrónica, aunque yo los uso para todo género. Ahí sí se aprecia el "punch" en los bajos, con la ventaja de que no se necesita subir mucho el volumen para lograr el efecto. A pesar del bass puedes disfrutar mucho las demás frecuencias porque no estamos hablando de unos Beats que ahogan todo, con estos Sony se integran de manera muy precisa todos los rangos de sonido, las voces y platillos son claros, las guitarras presentes en todo momento y los sonidos sutiles se aprecian muy bien. Son de cable plano y difíciles de enredar, yo los guardo doblados en su bolsita de tela y me han durado bastante tiempo. Pedí otro par por sí los descontinuan.

La única pega es que son incómodos si duermes de lado, pero boca arriba pues no son incómodos, los graves son geniales, debido al diafragma de 13 mm. Por este precio no hay otro mejor.

Some of the best earbuds I've ever used, they are comfortable and the sound quality was very good.

As someone who has spent money on a variety of mid-price headphones (earbuds) seeking the perfect pair, I think I may have found them. I purchased them at the Prime discounted price ($29.99). Comes in a nice little package, nothing too special - easy to open and remove Fit - Very Good - For me, they fit really well in my ears. I've used them at the gym, while running, while on the bus, walking to work...etc and they've never fallen out. - They are quite comfortable for wearing over long periods of time, including with mild pressure (eg. when slumped over on the bus) Audio Quality - Very Good - I've tried a variety of sounds with this pair of headphones - my music preferences are a bit swingy so I've tested rap, edm, country, acoustic instruments, pop, indie....etc. - The bass is as described; strong, vibrant, and quite stable. I did notice a decent improvement between these and my previous non-bass-boosting headphones, but I personally believe that it's attributed to a variety of factors, not just the "extra bass" - Highs and lows are all pretty good. Nothing out-of-the-world like the ones you get at the >$100 price point, but definitely impressive for this price range. - Overall, very satisfied with the audio, and I believe that for most consumers, the audio quality is more than enough. Noise Isolation - Excellent! - Easily the most impressive part of this product, the isolation almost made me believe that there was active noise cancelling (which there isn't). I can listen to music at moderate-low volume on noisy buses, transit, or at the gym. At home it virtually cancels out all other sounds. This greatly improves my music experience, as I can experience the sounds and basses without interference, which in turn makes them a lot more vibrant. Look and Quality - Very Good - They look decent, have a nice silver texture design on the outside so it does look pretty sleek - Quality seems decent - I've dropped them a couple of times, and accidentally sat on them once and they've survived without any drop in quality. Haven't tried putting them through the wash. The feel of the cord is a bit weird at first, almost like rough plastic, but they seem durable. The L-shape of the plug doesn't personally appeal to me, but works decently to protect the jack. Overall - Very Good - I would say these are a MUST-BUY at $30, and still a decent option at $60.00. For the average consumer or beginner audiophile these headphones are definitely more than enough to satisfy.

今までiPhone付属のEar podsを使っていましたが、Rが頻繁に外れてしまうので買い替えを検討していました。 そこで出会ったのがコイツです。レビューも低音重視と言う事で買ってみました。値段相当だろう･･･と思っていましたが、期待を裏切ってくれました^^ (iPhone:EQはRockです) 気になる音質についてですが、低音はもちろんバランスのとれた良い音です。全体的にクリアな感じですね。 もう少し高音がハッキリしていればよかったのですが、許容できる範囲の音です。 Ear podsでロックやパンクを聴いていたのでこんな感じです。後はこの音に慣れていくしかありませんね。 イヤホンやヘッドホンは色々な特徴がありますから、今まで自分が使ってきた色々なモノの中で音質の基準を作っていけば良いモノに出会えるかと思います。