Customer Reviews

Sony MDR-XB20EX 9mm High Sensitivity Driver Extra Bass EX Earbuds

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I got these ear buds after i thought i lost my Phillips ear buds for the same price. I saw that it has "Extra Bass" so I'd thought I'd give it a shot. First thing I noticed is I can hear almost nothing with them on without even playing sound through them, which is almost scary considering a fire alarm would go off and you would never know. LOL, anyways, unlike alot of other ear-buds that claim to boost bass, these are the first I've used that actually do so and do it well. You get bass...a LOT of Bass! so much bass that it can muffle the other mids and trebles in anything you're listening to. For me, this is no problem. I use them listening to Electronica or Metal and I am a happy camper. But when I would watch movies or other videos, the unnecessary bass would make it sound like whoever talking was wearing a mask or talking through a tube. I've only had them for 4 days, so its very possible that problem will go away once i break them in (most ear bud suppliers recommend that you 'break-in' the headphones by playing sound through them for 24-hours or so of use.) Another plus about these are the extras that come with them (3 different size ear plugs and a carrying case) at least thats what came with mine. The cord itself is actually flat, thick, and pretty slick; a nice change of pace if you remember the hassles of trying to untangle your old ear buds that seemed to purposely catch on everything and knot-up into intricate labyrinths of cord, just to spite you.... Okay, so let's review

PROS:
UBER BASS!!!!!!
Extra ear sizes and carrying case
Flat cord with non-grip surface to prevent tangling
good angle to keep from falling out of ears
Isolates about 90% of noise

CONS:
Bass can muffle the overall quality of sound
weak treble and mediocre mids
big and bulky compared to most headphones, may-or-may-not fit in your tight-jeans pocket

In conclusion, great headphones just depends on what you're looking for. If you want to listen to Breaking Benjamin in a fetal position on your bedroom floor, these are the ear buds for you! If you listen to anything that doesn't shoot for big bass (like some Acoustics, bubbly pop or smooth jazz) then I would rather go with the phillips $30 ones which have a much smoother high-end. Overall if you're not looking for big bass, then don't waste the money, and if you want studio-quality buds (an oxymoron, IMO) that play everything and anything in pristine quality, then keeeeeep looking. Personally, I love them because they do exactly what they say they do

I have never quite been compelled enough to actually write a review about a product, until now. Sony has done something extraordinary with these Sony MDR-XB20EX Extra Bass headphones, the sound is incomparable. From the moment you first listen to them to five months after, they keep delivering a throbbing bass that does not impede the sound of quality of the song by any means, but creates depth. It adds a genuine richness to all music, while keeping the high and low sounds with perfection. I currently own Bose QC over ear headphones, Sony MDR-7506 headphones, and Altec Lansing Backbeat Pros, which are all great don't get me wrong, but can not create the same bass and sound clarity that the Sony MDR-XB20EX Extra Bass headphones can. Something else notable is that the create the same sound quality, if not better than, that of the dr. dre in ear headphones. I have made up my mind that when it comes to headphones, Sony will receive my money for their excellence in sound and for the remarkably cheaper price than what other headphones of the same quality cost.

I just wanted to stop by and give my review on these ear buds as I had them for one year.

Initially they were good and the quality was great. No problems. But then after a period of 10 months of careful use (used in the gym and on my train rides) the left ear bud stopped working properly. There is barely any music that comes out of that ear bud when the right side ear bud is really audible. Trust me, I did all the settings on earth hoping that would fix it and also reset to factory settings and it was of no use.

All I want to say is if you are looking for a quality product and most of all reliable one for the amount of money you pay keep looking.

This has only 90 days warranty. You got to be kidding me. I have seen more complex electronics have better warranty period.

If you want to use these in the gym working out (running) stay away from these as they come out. Hope this helps.

These ear buds really do have extra bass! I've had so many in the last few years that claim to have extra bass, but were surprisingly lacking. For the price I was extremely satisfied. If I had any complaint at all it would be that I can hear noise through the ear buds if the wire is rubbing up against something or if I accidentally touch them. Other than that, I am ecstatic!

Who I am:

I'm not an audiophile, but I like to read recommendations who claim to be and have tried to adopt their recommended audio encoding practices like ripping tracks to MP3 using the LAME encoder. I've owned earbuds from Sony, Klipsch, Sennheiser, Ultimate Ears, Skullcandy and earphones from Beyerdynamic. I don't set out to own practically everything ranging from $10-$250, but practically everything has failed on me at least once (especially the Sennheiser line where I had a cx500 fail in less than 3 weeks) so I've tried a bunch at different price brackets. I do not hear much of a difference going between $30 earbuds to $80 or so given the brands/models I have bought, so take that for whatever it's worth.

What I use these for:

Listening to MP3's and Podcasts Commuting around the city and working out. I use my earphones a minimum of an hour every day and they are subjugated to heavy amounts of wear and tear, as well as perspiration. I don't wear earbuds at home for listening to music since I've never found a pair that felt totally comfortable, including the one's I bought were reviewers assured me otherwise. Everybody is different I guess.

Impressions:

Well, straight up, these are the best value for what I've paid into earbuds. They have held up mightily and produce as good a sound as you'll hear in the $30 price range. With earbuds, you're either going to get an abundance of bass (particularly on the cheap end) or a lot of mid-range and treble for at least double the cost, but in this case more like triple. The target audience for these earbuds are probably somebody looking to upgrade from some earbuds that were included with one of their devices, and to them I'd say you'd be crazy not to pick this up as the sound is exponentially better and is far more comfortable to wear during long periods of time. If I were to buy more expensive earbuds at this point, I'd be very inclined to look at Sony first given my experience with these low-end earbuds that come across as very well rounded for what you pay for. Hope this helps people.

These headphones sound AMAZING! I dont normally write reviews but I believe these headphones are truely worthy of one. They fit very snug inside the ear as to almost make them noise cancelling. They come with three sets of rubber fittings to support different types of ears. It also comes with a nice storage case that is convenient for me because it also carrys my ipod. The only thing I am worried about is how long these will last. I will be wearing them to the gym so if they break on me I will let you all know. If you are really worried about them breaking, the seller offers a 3 year extra warranty for only 8 dollars. I wish I had seen that sooner.

***Update 10/28/11***
I am glad I didn't purchase the three year extra warranty! These headphones have held up nicely to the abuse I put them through. To this day, the tangle free cord is still a wonderful feature to have. Also, the ear buds seem to perform at the same bass level as always. The only complaint I have discovered through use, is that they get dirty pretty quick. I have to clean them often. Also, the silver paint on the side of the ear bud is slowly scraping off. Overall, those are minor issues, I would still recommend these headphones to anyone.

I just got these earbuds after I received some money for Christmas and so far am very happy with them. I got them because the Skullcandy Ink'd earbuds that I have, though they sound very nice, have almost no bass. I saw these Sony's in a promotional e-mail I got from Radio Shack and decided to get them with my Christmas money. They do cost a little more, but it is worth it. They put the Skullcandys to shame. If you are looking for a nice sounding, rather inexpensive set of earbuds, look no farther than these.

I bought these headphones years ago when they were $80 so buying them now seems like a steal XD. Before, I went through a pair of headphones a year but with these there's no need. The wire is thick and very durable. Usually some of the wire comes out of one side with other headphones but it's very secure with these. They come with three ear sizes which kinda snap on, also very securely. They don't fall out easily like others do. And the sound quality is superb as long as they're in your ears all the way. I haven't seen the same design in any other headphone which is why I like these so much. An excellent buy that will not dissappoint.

Sony MDR-XB20EX ear buds are the best! I have used a lot of ear buds on my I-Pod, they all had a tin can small sound, these buds have a rich base sound that lets the higher notes come through. The angle of the buds and the swivel on the ends where the bud enters the ear make for great comfort (it doesn't pull the bud out when you turn your head) I have had them about a week, so I can't say how long they may last, but they seem to be of high quality.

Bass is very clearly enhanced, to the point where it somewhat hurts my head (a problem I don't have with non-earbud bass enhancers). Still, great headphones for people who are addicted bass and don't like to move around.

But great for everyone? Absolutely not. I listen to mostly rock and alternative, but also techno, dance, electronic, rap, and metal. I do enjoy bass, but what I care about more is the music as a whole. These headphones noticeably muffle sound. I have been very disappointed while listening to my favorite songs, especially the ones that aren't bass-heavy. The bass enhancement overpowers the rest of the music and the result is lower quality sound with less range and sharpness. Its difficult to even enjoy much of my music with these headphones- I can't get over the messed up sound.

Runners? Don't even consider these, not for a moment. These stay in my ears when I'm not movinv/walking (a bit uncomfortably), but when I run, they slip out every ~30 seconds. This may just be due to the shape of my ears. Still, it gets WORSE. Any contact made with the wire of these headphones- against itself, your stomach, arm, chest, whatever- or even when the wire just bounces up and down- the sound of the contact is amplified, and the result is a thumping noise. This is totally forgettable while not moving, but while running, it's unbelievably distracting and annoying. It was difficult to even hear the music. I ended up removing my headphones and just playing my from my iPod's speakers while running.

I read all the reviews on this page and thought I had made a sound (no pun intended) purchase, so I stupidly threw out the packaging and receipt. What a waste of $35.