Review on 🎧 Red Sony MDRXB50AP Extra Bass Earbud Headphones/Headset with Mic for Phone Call by Dee Mills

Short for those who don't want to read a detailed test report: Excellent headphones with powerful bass, clear mids and decent highs. The build quality is great and they look great (I have the red color). How comfortable they are varies from person to person, but I felt like I could wear them for long periods of time without issue. Soundproofing is decent, but not enough to isolate subway noise when you're out and about. will be suitable. If you're looking for critical listening, it might be worth looking into a higher-end IEM. ************************************** ********** ** *************************************************** ** ************ Detailed Review: Let me get rid of the non-essentials first. I've had them for about two years now and I haven't had any complaints. The build quality is excellent - I love that these wires are tangle free and strong enough to withstand some pretty rough use over these two years. Cable noise is noticeable. The microphone is fine - I prefer not to use it to receive calls. The paint on the body of these headphones has started to wash off (as you can see in the picture). The quality of the silicone ear tips is excellent - I've never had to replace them and they stay comfortably in my ears for a long time (8+ hours). Soundproofing is good, but not enough to completely isolate the sound of engines during a flight or the sound of a subway train during a commute. It may be worth investing in foam ear tips that fit your ear canal for a better seal. Now we come to the important part – the sound quality. This is where these IEMs excel. You won't believe how good they sound for the price. I mean, I open the box, take out these headphones, put them on and start listening and I'm immediately struck by how detailed the sound was. The bass on these things is amazing. It's sharp and powerful without being overwhelming. I'm not a bassist - I try to hear music exactly as the recording artist intended. The mids are clean, but the highs are a bit lacking. For example, it's sometimes difficult to hear the sounds of the piano or cymbals when the music is busy (listen to Jennifer Thomas' "The Fire Within" and you'll see what I mean). I mean, you get the idea - I treat these headphones like they're $300, they're that good. So I searched the internet for the frequency response curve of these headphones and found that they are obviously tuned for bass boost. But at higher frequencies (5000 - 24000 Hz) their response is noticeably poorer, meaning it's sometimes harder to distinguish sharper sounding instruments like cymbals or crisp sonic pops. If you have a critical ear you will always feel that they are very good but something is missing. I recently bought a 1more Triple Driver for $80 (more than 2.5x the price of the XB50AP) and when I compared the XB50AP to the triple drivers I found the XB50AP to be a little muddy and flat in comparison sounded, but only after I had to sit down in a quiet environment and listen carefully. The 1More triple drivers are THX certified for their Hi-Res sound and are often compared to Shure, Sennheiser and other high-end headphones, while the XB50AP comes very close to the triple drivers, but 2.5 times less costs. To be honest, you don't notice any of this unless you listen very critically. If you're the kind of person who just wants some really great sounding in-ear headphones without breaking the bank, go for them. They look stylish, sound great, are comfortable and very durable. At around $30, these things are a steal.