- Ear-conscious design for long-lasting listening comfort
- Sound mode switch to match the source (music and movie)
- Durable urethane leather construction
- Features 40 millimeter driver units and long stroke diaphragms
- Neodymium magnets (360 kJ/m3) for powerful bass and clear treble sounds
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Great Construction, Awful EQ,
By William H III (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sony MDR-XD300 Stereo Headphones (Electronics)
Sony continues their long-standing tradition of mixed-bag headphone design with the new MDR-XD300's.
It's hard to miss the fact that these headphones offer 40mm drivers for less than $40. That's a first for any headphone manufacturer, and Sony's greatest successes in the headphone arena have been with 40mm units (the now-legendary 7506 and V6 'phones, both of which list for $100), so on paper this looks like a huge bang-for-the-buck deal. And harder to miss is size - these headphones are large on a 70's-era helicopter pilot scale. The chrome accent earcups with large vinyl pads could easily swallow a toddler's head. But a closer inspection reveals a well thought out design engineered with all the complex detail of a suspended-deck bridge. The headband hinges on the earcups by means of sprung double suspension arms. The drivers are angled inwards to better face the ear. Even the cloth-weave cord is a thoughtful and retro touch. The next surprise comes when you actually pick the XD300's up. Despite the intimidating dimensions, weight-wise they give the impression of hollow paper. Weighing in at just nine ounces, it's clear from the outset that these are long term listening headphones. The soft rubber headband rests gently atop your head, and the overstuffed earcup pads are comfortable pretty much however you place them. It's easy to forget you have these on after a few minutes, with even the possibility of falling asleep with them on. But the first listening impression brings the last surprise, and it's not a good one. The sound is somewhat muffled and "distant"; Yo Yo Ma is sitting with his back facing the audience. The lead singer of The Killers has placed the mic in the corner of the room and is singing from the opposite corner. Symphony recordings have been made with the mic laying on the floor many rows back. The problem is equalization - the low end is fine, bass notes come through with chest-thumping authority, but there's a sudden sharp rise at the low midrange, with a slow decline thereafter, the rest of the highs dulled. The end result is the illusion of muffled distance, making any source sound as though it's not properly produced/engineered. This is nothing a modest-sized EQ can't fix. A slightly less-bassy, more-high "rock" scooped EQ curve (For the technical: Leaving everything alone below 200hz, compensating with a -5db drop around 600Hz and rising slowly thereafter to about +5db at 16k) will reward the patient knob-turner with a fantastic listening experience. Gone is the dull distance, replaced with dead-on accurate bass and highs, a giant sound stage, and overall the kind of sound deserving of the "Studio Monitor" name. Therein lies the rub with the XD300's; despite their lightweight comfort and how easily they can be driven by an iPod or portable, any source without a decent EQ is not an option. You can't simply plug and play these headphones into any random device you want to hear. There's only a small percentage of people who use and know EQs who will be able to get the most out of the XD300's, hence the two-star rating.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For Those Who Prefer Function Over Form,
By
This review is from: Sony MDR-XD300 Stereo Headphones (Electronics)
I bought these headphones with the purpose in mind to use them for my Ipod and PSP, after getting sick of little ear buds always falling out, not the sound I desired and just were not comfortable. Let me just say, that even without a full break in period, I can wear these headphones comfortably for many hours on end, and they sit exactly where you need them, without barely shifting.
Money was not a consideration in buying these - I considered the xd-400, which there is a 50mm driver instead of 40mm and $30 bucks more, and should be able to handle higher volumes and deliver more bass. For the purpose that I was using them, I felt that the 50mm driver would be too big for these smaller devices to power, so I got these. I was expecting a drop off in bass for this tradeoff, but I was very much surprised at how rich the sound was (I have worked for Bose for 3 years, and know sound.) Also a nice touch, inside the phones, the driver unit is not just set flat, they are angled at your ear for the best results. The extension cord adaptor is plenty long enough for my couch/TV distance, and decided to test it for movies with the movie mode, which to make it short, is useless. The music mode is cleaner and crisper sounding. As in the other reviews, these headphones will make you look like a huge dork if you wear them outside, but they have a good purpose. The bracing frame at the top keeps the phones steady, and is also there to run the wiring across to the other side - that way you only have a cord connected on one side, plus the cord is fabric covered, so tangling has not become a problem. The self adjusting headband is excellent - these don't "clamp" on your head like metal braced headphones. They sit solid and steady, with excellent comfort. I feel I got great value for a good price and I got an even bigger surprise with the sound quality I was not expecting from $40 headphones. I am giving it 4 stars for the useless mode switching, and its appearance. The bottom line is if you don't mind sacrificing looks (and getting them!) for quality and excellent functionality, these are for you and are a great deal at $38 bucks.
12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome headphones for music and movies,
By
This review is from: Sony MDR-XD300 Stereo Headphones (Electronics)
The specs are amazing - 104db efficiency and 8-25khz audio range. You want a high db # like 104db not 98db, also want a wide audio range 8 on the low end for low frequencies (bass) and 25kHz for the high frequencies. The discerning audiophile will appreciate the quality these headphones deliver. These might look a bit funny, hence the 4 stars but they deliver crystal audio. I am not a SONY fan but this is a quality product. I was tempted by Bose and Phillips but the specs and the quality were not up to par with the SONY MDR-XD300 headphones. Buy these and you will enjoy whatever reference media you play. I would have given these a 5 if they looked a little cooler.
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