DJ Picknmix is in the house, checking
out deep vibes from Sony's audio division
My family aren't big fans of the resounding
thud of the awesome 88mm gun on a tiger tank, I've concluded. Or the resounding
crash when the projectile strikes an opposing tank, obliterating it, when I'm
relaxing playing World of Tanks on my PC.
Because of this, I'd been looking to use
headphones instead of my usual 2.1 speaker configuration, but the ideal 'cans'
had evaded me until these lovely MDR-XB400's turned up from Sony.
These aren't expensive like the popular
Monster Beats headphones, but for the price they deliver clear, but markedly
bass enhanced sound while being comfortable for long gaming sessions.
They're mostly made of plastic, but
finished by Sony in a way that actually makes them seem much nicer than what
other manufacturers seem to achieve. They don't have a built-in microphone, but
they do fold flat when not in use, making them also a good choice for anyone
needing personal audio while travelling.
Sony also used flat cables, which don't
easily become entangled like the normal cylindrical variety. This is a nice
feature, and means that you can get your sound working without solving a puzzle
each time you want them.
How might these be improved? There are a
few aspects that could be addressed, if I'm being especially fussy. The size of
the cans themselves is slightly smaller than some might expect, though I didn't
feel an discomfort because of this. The 'L' and 'R' markings could be more
distinct, and the headphones don't disassemble for replacement parts (foam,
etc.), so once they're worn, that's it. That's a feature you see on expensive
headphones, but it doesn't appear here.
These also sound a bit strange if you use
them with other bass enhancement technology like the Dr Dre Beats Audio that
HTC puts in some of its smartphones. If you own one of those, you can disable
it, because the MDR-XB400's have plenty of bass effect on their own.
As with any bass-enhanced speakers or headphones,
the effect comes with a slight deficit in treble, but not so noticeably that is
ruins them.
For the price, these are a much better
investment than ones that cost about half this price and fall apart before the
next season change. If you just can't afford expensive cans but would like ones
that work well enough, these are a good alternative choice.
They also come in an attractive range of
seven different colour combinations, though the black review model did seem
very stylish.
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Details
Price: $80 or less
Manufacturer: Sony
Website: sony.com
Specifications
·
Type: closed, dynamic
·
Driver unit: 30mm, dome type
·
Sensitivity: 100dB/mW
·
Power handling capacity: 1000mW
·
Impedance: 24ohm at 1 KHz
·
Frequency response: 5-22,000Hz
·
Cord: Y-type
·
Cord length: 1.2m
·
Plug: gold-plated L-shaped stereo mini plug
·
Weight (without cord): approx. 150g
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