Our Verdict
Decent for mixed usage. The Sony MDR-XB950B1 don't have the most balanced sound quality or don't isolate well enough for all environments, but they have a sturdy, durable wireless design and do not leak much. This means they won't be the best headphones for critical listening or commuting in noisy environments but with their active features, they're decent enough for most use cases and with the app you can better tune the bass to your liking.
- Sturdy and durable build.
- Easy-to-use and efficient controls.
- Below-average noise isolation.
- Overly bass-heavy sound quality.
Mediocre-at-best for neutral listening. They're too bass heavy, even without the Bass Effect turned on. That and the dull treble range make them sound dark and lacking in detail with instruments and vocals. They also have a relatively small soundstage due to their closed-back design. They won't be the best headphones for most neutral listeners but on the upside, the Bass Effect can be further reduced via the Headphones Connect app so you may find some redeeming qualities in their sound profile.
Average for commuting. They're well padded, wireless and have a good battery life. However, their subpar isolation is not ideal for loud environments and may let some of the noise of your daily commute seep into your audio.
Average for sports. They're not sports-oriented headphones so they're a bit too bulky and unstable for exercising with. But they have a wireless design and efficient controls which are useful if you do decide to use them while jogging.
Decent for office use. The Sony MDR-XB950B1 do not leak much even at higher volumes so you won't distract your colleagues. Unfortunately, they do not block a lot of noise so they won't be the best headphones for loud and noisy workspaces. They can passively block more noise if you can get a good fit with the ear cups.
Sub-par for gaming. The Sony XB950B1 have a mediocre mic that isn't compatible with consoles and quite a bit of latency which is not really suitable for gaming. They also tend to make your ears a little warm during long gaming sessions and are not the most comfortable headphones to wear for extended gaming sessions.
Changelog
- Updated Feb 25, 2022: Added Sony's 360 Reality Audio feature to Soundstage.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sony MDR-XB950B1 are a well-built and premium looking headphones for bass-heads (check our recommendations for the best headphones for bass). They're wireless with a fairly long battery life and a great range. They even have a decent latency performance although there will still be some syncing issues when watching videos. Unfortunately, their bass-oriented sound can overpower instruments and vocals which won't be for everyone even when you EQ them. The earcups also do not fit as well on all listeners. See our recommendations for the best wireless headphones.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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