Sony MDR-XB500 40mm XB Diaphragm Driver Extra Bass Headphones

by Sony

• Power handling capacity: 1500mW
• Over the head, around-the-ear wearing style (circum-aural closed)
• King size ear cushion (diameter: 3.7", thickness: 1.8")
• Cord: 1.2m flat cord,Carrying pouch
• Design: Over-the-head, Home-music/movie/games

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9.5 x 4.5 inches ; 6.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001RB24S2
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: MDRXB500
• Batteries 1 Nonstandard Battery batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (677 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 14, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com

Sony MDR-XB500 40mm XB Diaphragm Driver Extra Bass Headphones

• Sony Sound
  
• Direct Vibe Structure
• Closed, Dynamic Design
• King Sized Ear Cushions
  
• Flat Y-Type Cord
  
• Travel Ready
  

Experience powerful bass through Sony's MDR-XB500 Extra Bass Headphones. The deep bass sound flows through the extra large driver units. Built with a direct vibe structure, the tightly sealed acoustic design allows for a higher level of sound. You will appreciate the closed-design, king-sized ear cushions.

Key Features

Sony Sound

Exclusively engineered by Sony, the extra-large 40mm Extra Bass diaphragm driver units accurately reproduce ultra-low frequency sounds and deliver dynamic, deep base reproduction. Additionally, the MDR-XB500 headphones have an exceptionally wide frequency response from 4-24,000 Hz.

Direct Vibe Structure

Built with a direct vibe structure to ensure high audio fidelity, the Extra Bass headphones feature a tightly sealed acoustic design that allows for a high level of sound isolation which reproduces powerful and extended bass sound.

Closed, Dynamic Design

Experience the ultimate in comfortable listening with the Extra Bass headphones' over-the-head, around the ear design. The drivers inside the ear cups are angled parallel to your ears to not only reduce pressure, but increase comfort and deliver an unbelievable listening experience.

King Sized Ear Cushion

Providing more than exceptional sound, the Extra Bass headphones feature ultra-thick, pressure-relieving ear cushions for supreme comfort and better acoustic performance. Each earcup measures 1.8 inches in thickness and 3.7 inches in diameter. The flat and seamless, cloth-lined headband delivers enhanced wearing comfort.

Flat Y-Type Cord

Minimize tangles while you're on the move with the flat yet durable Y-type 3.9ft (1.2m) cord. Also includes a gold-plated, L-shaped stereo mini plug.

Travel Ready

Easily carry your Extra Bass headphones wherever you go with the included carrying pouch.

Product Dimensions

Driver Unit:	40mm, Dynamic, closed, dome-type
Magnet Type:	Neodymium
Frequency Response:	4-24,000 Hz
Impedence:	40 ohms
Sensitivity (db):	104 dB/mW
Power Handling Capacity	1500 mW
Cord Length	3.9ft flat cord, Y-type

What's in the box

• MDR-XB500 Headphones
• Carrying pouch
  

 

Product Description

New Extra Bass Series Headphone - 40mm XB diaphragm driver units for Dynamic Deep Bass - Frequency response: 4-24,000 Hz - Sensibility: 104dB/mW.Connectors: Gold-Plated 3.5mm Stereo Mini Plug.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

172 of 175 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Headphones I've Used April 21, 2010

By Adam

The XB500s are the best pair of headphones I've ever used, and I've owned Bose and even tried the uber-pricey Bowers P5s. I'm considering purchasing a pair of the larger XB700s to see if they are any better in terms of sound and comfort (the specs look a little better on those).

The sound quality is outstanding. Deep, rich, undistorted bass and crisp clear mid and high tones. Very surprising for the price. There is a bit of natural bass added based on the construction of the XBs which some people may not care for; meaning if you don't use an EQ the bass will be a bit more powerful than a pair of standard headphones. I haven't found it obtrusive though, and setting your iPod to the Jazz EQ preset adds a bit more treble if that's what you like.

In terms of bass, calling these Extra Bass headphones is no a joke; you can really get some serious thumping out of them if that's what your music calls for.

The XB500s don't present the most "accurate" sound due to the extra bass; if you're an audio engineer using headphones for your work I would recommend a higher priced, reference quality set. But the 500s actually sound richer than a lot of higher priced headphones and I think they're most suitable for the vast majority of people, especially if you listen to a wide range of music such as pop, rock, metal, techno, and classical. With reference quality headphones even though they're more accurate they don't always have a better "character" of sound than others.

The ear cups are (almost comically) enormous but extremely comfortable and do a great job isolating sound. Very, very comfortable. And why not? You're basically attaching a couple of pillows to your head! You could almost fall asleep while sitting up. While others report their ears getting warm or sweaty over time this hasn't happened for me. I wear glasses and many headphones cause my glasses to dig into my temple and get sore after about an hour, but with the 500s this isn't a problem.

One downside of the cups is that someone would have to debate taking these out in public just because of how huge they really look in person. iPod earbuds are nearly invisible on the bus but I would think these would attract some attention.

The cord is pretty short but long enough for most purposes and I actually like its length. Good for iPods, Nintendo DS, connecting to your computer, etc. If you need them longer like for a living room stereo, you can just buy a cheap extension cable at Target.

In general, headphones are a bit of a personal thing in terms of their default (non-EQ) sound, like picture settings on a television. Each person has their own tastes regarding what sounds or looks "the best" to them. With that said I've owned quite a few headphones and I would strongly recommend people check the XBs out (Best Buy has demo units). Hope my review helps anyone on the fence about these.

153 of 159 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic headphones, just need an equalizer June 21, 2009

By M. Clark

I recently bought these headphones and have nothing but good things to say about them. I am a hobbyist with a home studio, and I am familiar with a wide range of headphones including more expensive Sony headphones, AKG K99s, and Audio Technica ATHm20s. It is my opinion that the xb500s are actually more capable than ANY of these headphones, but there is a catch. What some of the other reviews say is true. If you just plug them in and start listening, the bass does overwhelm the higher treble frequencies. But all you need to do this is use a simple graphic equalizer. Raise the treble frequencies, and these headphones, in my opinion, sound better than any in their price range. They even sound better than some more expensive headphones. I also find them to be very stylish and comfortable. I have a large head with large ears, and these headphones do not hurt my head even after an album's worth of listening. The large soft pillow like pads do make my ears a little warm, but not unbearably hot. They do about as good a job as other closed back headphones at isolating audio from outside ambient noise. In conclusion, I think these are fantastic headphones if you'll just take a second to play around with the EQ to get things balanced out right. Once optimized, they perform as good or better than any in their class.

77 of 80 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Dave2z's Sony MDR-XB500 Headphone Review December 2, 2010

By Dave2z

Amazon Verified Purchase

Quick Review
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Pro's:
Light, *Extremely* Comfortable, Great Sound, Great Craftsmanship, Amazing Bass, Price (79.99 Average, Shipping Included)

Con's:
Very short headphone cord, Have to Adjust EQ to get optimal sound, Need a quality sound card or a Mobo with great on-board audio to access an EQ for headphone adjustment, loud for nearby people (Not advised for office listening)

4.8 / 5.0 - Overall Rating
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Full Review
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Right out of the box these headphones feel very squishy and light with *excessive* ear padding and padding on the top bridge of the headphones as well, almost assuring you before you put them on that these will be comfy - and they are, Exceptionally! I wore these with no discomfort for over 12 hours straight. After a few minor EQ adjustments with my Creative X-Fi Fatality sound card these headphones come to life and sound better than the $299.00 Bose and Dr. Dre counterparts frequently shown at Best Buy. High's and Mid's are crystal clear with a little EQ adjusting and the bass does *not* "muddy" them up. The cable connecting the headphones from jack to your head is very very small at only 4ft long I would advise purchasing a cable extender if used other than with an mp3 player or PC right next to you. The cable is also flat, which is new to me and it seems to avoid tangling that way and works out great. The sound bleeds out of these when being used so I do advise not using in an office environment, library, or anywhere that low noise is desired although for home use this does not matter. The advertised low frequency of 4Hz these headphones do attain, though anything over 18kHz is usually not noticed by the general population so I did not test over 17kHz. Purchase price for me was $38.95 - Free Shipping. Durability was not rated because I have not owned them long enough.

Value 5/5
Overall 9.7/10

What I paid for this product: $38.95 - Free Shipping
What I would have paid for this product: ~$100.00