Review on 🎧 Sony MDRXB50AP Black Earbud Headphones/Headset: Enhanced Bass & Mic for Phone Calls by Matthew Bell

I have/had the following headphones in all different price ranges. Prices are roughly what I paid at the time and may vary. MEE audio M9 classic ($10), Skullcandy Titan ($20), Klipsch S3M ($25), Sony MDR-XB50AP (this $30), Senheisser CX3.00 ($30), Beats Urbeats2 ($100), Sony h.ear MDR-100ABN In-Ear Headphones ($200). I won't talk too much about other headphones and will focus on them as all headphones are fundamentally different in their own way. Here's my 2 cents. SONY MDR-XB50: Build Quality/Aesthetics = 9/10 The build quality looks very good and is pleasing to the eye. The cord feels strong and doesn't seem to tangle. Everything is plastic. Line noise from rubbing against them isn't bad. Sound: 9/10 First of all, the bass is definitely there. And it actually sounds good. No distortion, clean and can be deep. Does not dampen mid or high frequencies. Personal preference, but I'd give a higher note if the mids and highs were a bit more punchy or crisp, like the Klipsch and Senheisser. I like hearing more "hiss" in the drum symbols and splits. In the mid-high range, they seem a bit "muffled" compared to all the other headphones I own. Compared to the Klipsch and Senheisser, they are noticeably louder at the same volume. I felt the sound was more "on the ear" with them. Microphone control: The microphone works and is clear enough for calls. Tested on iPhone7+ only. One button controls everything. To manage tracks, single press to play/pause, double press to skip, triple press to previous press and hold Siri. Simple and works well. Comfort: 9/10 They're amazingly comfortable in the ears and stay in place. At first they hurt my ears because the body is bigger, but I think it could just be my ears, but they quickly got used to it and didn't have any more problems. Due to the lack of noise cancellation, they block sound very well. At high volume, they don't transmit as much sound compared to other headphones. So listening at high volume shouldn't bother your neighbors. My son used the Senheisser Cx 3.00 and liked it better and wanted to keep it. I like them a lot too, but I feel like the Sens had a slight edge in overall sound quality due to the clearer mids and highs. Of all the headphones I've owned, the Sony on-ear headphones offer the best sound and clarity. But that doesn't mean cheaper phones can't keep up or aren't good enough. I like all genres of music so I tried different tracks including just a few: John Legend, Eminem, Kanye, Tupac, Fry, Darius Rucker, Aaron Lewis, Ziggy Marley, The Weeknd, Hans Zimmer, System of the Down, Boney James. I would recommend them, yes definitely worth a try. UPDATE: 6 months later. After prolonged use they are comfortable and my ears have gotten used to them. I actually really like these headphones and use them more than the Senheisser ones. I really like that I can use them at higher volumes and they hardly miss a sound. Even if I'm out of my ears! I use them a lot at work (in the office) and they are great. You don't have to worry about colleagues hearing you while I mute you. Ideal! Oh, and they sound VERY good for the price.