Sony MDR-XB700 Extra Bass Headphones

First off, there really is no way around how big these headphones are. The specs list the cushion diameter at 4.3" and a thickness of 2". While the diameter is measured spot on the thickness itself is shy of the listed measure by about 1/4". To properly visualize the diameter take a look at a standard audio CD (4.7"). The cushions are super soft and conform exquisitely to your head with an adequate amount of clamping force. The headband's padding can be considered non-existent, though this does not detract from the overall comfort as the ear pads appear to support most of the weight. And while on the topic of weight, these do tip the scales more towards a fatiguing weight.

As far as use goes, one generally wouldn't be using these for portable listening. Furthermore unless you had a headphone amp, I think many portable devices would struggle to drive these at a regular listening level. My Sansa c250 provided only muddled and unresponsive sound on bass heavy tracks, but...Read more

I own many pairs of headphones, for different uses. For general use, you can't beat the highly-efficient 24-ohm Sony MDR-101 model with 30mm drivers. They're lightweight, great for general use, and inexpensive.
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But I wanted something of very high sound quality to audit the many iTunes versions of a given song before making a buying decision seeking the best audio EQ. I wanted new cans to replace my trusty Sony MDR-V2 with 30mm drivers. These Sony MDR-XB700 with 50mm drivers simply reproduce incredible audio performance.
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I also wanted a pair of headphones rated @ 24-ohms, matching the internal amplifier's impedance of my iPhone, for MAXIMUM dB audio output. Again the Sony MDR-XB700 model fits the bill perfectly @ 24-ohms, play very loudly with no distortion, achieving 106 dB with iPhone's limited 30 mW/Ch of available amplifier power. Yes, they are BIG. Yes they can get a tad warm, but you'll get used to it. Yes, they are very comfortable to wear for an...Read more

I was looking into a VERY comfortable pair of headphones, that
I could wear for hours on end. That's it. It sounds like a shallow reason to buy a pair of headphones, especially after already having bought 4 other pairs in the past few months. I just could not find the 'right fit' when it comes to comfort. The Sony XB700's definitely filled that gap at first. The pads are incredibly soft, and they are big enough to go over my ears without any initial discomfort. There is a big BUT in here, which I will explain soon enough.

As far as sound quality goes, I'm extremely surprised and pleased. They do indeed live up to the title of 'Extra Bass' headphones, but what comes to as a surprise is that they also output a deceptively clear and crisp sound. They aren't as clear as my Audio Technica AD-700 headphones (which their one main fault is the lack of bass), or my Head-Direct RE0 in ear monitors, but they are indeed crisp and detailed enough to stay away from the 'muddy'...Read more