What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
Tue, Aug 25 2009, 8:00AM
Sony MDR-XB500
For
Good looking
Against
Everything bar looks
We're always suspicious of anything that advertises ‘extra deep bass', and in the case of Sony's MDR-XB500 over-ear headphones, this proves to be well-founded.
These cans boast comfortable vinyl earpieces and build quality seems good.
But plug them in and it all changes. Any kind of subtlety in the music vanishes under the thick morass of sound.
The tonal balance is swamped by a fat bass, while a strident treble and rough midrange lurks in the background. Buy some iGrados instead and save £20 in the process.