Review on Sony XB950B1 Extra Bass Wireless Headphones with App Control in Blue by Randolph Iglesias

UPDATE June 2018! Although it took them six months, I have to give them credit. I was recently contacted by a Sony support rep. They explained that after reviewing my service request for my broken headphones (the request was made about half a year ago), they are willing to replace the headphones for free. There was a caveat that I still had to have the broken headphones so I could check the serial number, but once I did they sent me new ones in the mail within a few days. I didn't have to send the old ones back, they didn't charge me for shipping; I didn't have to do anything other than fill out the required paperwork to confirm that I am the buyer. While it wasn't the most contemporary way, I appreciate that Sony is willing to support their products. The customer support was friendly and helpful and the process was hassle free from start to finish once it was up and running. While I can't necessarily recommend this particular product due to its questionable design and high failure rate, I can consciously recommend Sony products again in a good way. I hope Sony improves the build quality of their next line of headphones as, apart from being prone to breakage, they are some of the best sounding and most comfortable headphones I've ever owned. Hope they don't break again and thanks to Sony for supporting their products! TL:DR: DON'T BUY THESE EARPHONES! They are also comfortable to wear for long periods of time. They sound great if you like headphones with bass. Terrible durability and will break after a short time (less than a year) with careful use. No customer support; Sony refuses to endorse their products, which is unacceptable, especially at such a high price point. Full Review: From the moment I got the Sony MDR-XB950B1 I fell in love with it. They were arguably the most comfortable headphones I've ever owned, the sound quality was fantastic if you like bass-tuned headphones, and even the wireless battery life didn't let me complain. Then why am I rating these headphones so poorly? The reason is that after only 7 months of wearing, the headphones broke. They have been very well cared for, but even with careful treatment, they did not have the durability for long-term use due to manufacturing issues. For a pair of $200 headphones, that's an unacceptable lifespan. I'll attach a few pictures to show what I'm talking about, but let me explain here as well. For reasons I can only speculate about, there is a channel cut into the back of the arms that hold the ear pads. I can only assume this is for one side cable routing and they decided to make it symmetrical. Whatever the reason, it's also a breaking point, as that hollowed-out arm strains every time you straighten the headphones to put them on your head. For me, this is where the headphone broke, as the hollowed out space affects the strength of the plastic. Again, at the price they sound at, I can't in good conscience recommend them to anyone, as you'll probably be on the lookout for a new pair of headphones in just over half a year. Well maybe this is something of an isolated incident and I just received a defective pair. However, this does not solve the following problem. If you buy them and they break, you're on your own. When they failed I called Sony as they were still under warranty and they told me this is not covered under warranty. Does that mean a manufacturing defect is not covered by the guarantee? This makes me think (with a touch of sarcasm) that this warranty or extended warranty is only good if the rider dies within the first week or so. After that, they won't touch her again. This was extremely disappointing as I loved Sony products and even recommended them to friends and family over competing products. However, it seems that by this point they have lost all pride in their craft and are refusing to endorse their products. I've had better experiences with brands like Logitech than Sony over the past few years, and for a company I used to respect so much, that's very sad. I can't explain how badly I wanted to give this product five stars. because I loved her for the time that I had her. However, due to the lack of durability that they boast about and Sony's refusal to endorse their products, I cannot recommend this or any other product they make. Unless something major changes, I'll likely look for alternatives to Sony products in the future, and while it pains me to say it, I encourage you to do the same.