The Sony MDR-XB950N1 is a noise cancelling variant of the Sony MDR-XB950B1. These are also decent mixed usage headphones geared towards fans of bass with a sturdy, wireless design. However, their audio reproduction can be overly bass-heavy even without the bass effect enabled. Unfortunately, even with a decent EQ, their sound won't be for everyone, and their noise cancellation feature is a bit weak and not worth the price difference.
Our Verdict
The Sony MDR-XB950N1 are average for mixed usage. They have an overpowering and bass-heavy sound quality, and even with their noise cancellation feature, they don't isolate well enough for all environments. On the upside, they have a sturdy, durable wireless design and don't leak much. This means they won't be the best headphones for critical listening or commuting, but with their active features, they're decent enough for most uses. Also, you can somewhat reduce the bass effect with the app so they can sound a bit better balanced.
- Sturdy and durable build.
- Easy-to-use and efficient controls.
- Weak noise cancellation.
- Overly bass-heavy sound quality.
- Bass and treble delivery varies significantly across users. Sensitive to glasses.
The Sony MDR-XB950N1 are mediocre-at-best for neutral listening. They have the same sound quality as the Sony MDR-XB950B1, which is too bass-heavy, even without the Bass Effect turned on. They have a recessed treble range, making them sound even darker and lacking in detail with instruments and vocals. Unfortunately, they can't create a spacious soundstage due to their closed-back design, meaning they won't be the best headphones for neutral listeners. On the upside, you can further reduce the Bass Effect via the Headphones Connect app, meaning you may find some redeeming qualities in their sound profile.
The Sony MDR-XB950N1 are average for commuting. They perform a bit better in noisy conditions than the Sony MDR-XB950B1, but they won't be ideal for very noisy commutes. They're well-padded, wireless, and have a good battery life, but may still let some of the noise of your daily commute seep into your audio.
The Sony MDR-XB950N1 are average for sports. They're not sports-oriented headphones, so they're a bit too bulky and unstable for exercising with. However, they have a wireless design and efficient controls, which are helpful if you decide to use them while jogging.
The Sony MDR-XB950N1 are average for office use. They don't leak much, even at higher volumes, meaning you won't distract your colleagues. Unfortunately, they don't cancel enough noise for a lively office environment, and they have a bit too much self-noise, which can be a bit distracting if you're not listening to any audio.
The Sony MDR-XB950N1 are sub-par for gaming. They have a mediocre mic that isn't compatible with consoles and quite a bit of latency which isn't 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 Apr 10, 2018: Review published.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sony MDR-XB950N1 is the noise cancelling variant of the Sony MDR-XB950B1. These headphones are pretty much identical in terms of performance and look but with slightly better battery life. They also have a decent latency performance, although there will still be some syncing issues when gaming or watching video content. Unfortunately, their bass-oriented sound can overpower instruments and vocals, which won't be for everyone, even when you EQ them.
The ear cups also don't fit as well on all listeners. See our recommendations for the best wireless headphones and the best noise cancelling headphones.
The Sony WH-CH700N Wireless are better headphones than the Sony MDR-XN950N1 Wireless. They are more comfortable and have noticeably better sound quality. The XB950N1 have a very dark sound profile that's better-suited for very bass-heavy genres like dubstep. Unfortunately, both headphones’ ANC feature is disappointing and barely block ambient noise, but the MDR-XB950N1 are slightly better in that regard. On the other hand, you’ll get more battery life on the CH700N, although they take a very long time to charge. Also, their app offers more controls and a good 5-band EQ, while you can only play with the bass levels of the XB950N1.
The Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC are better headphones than the Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless. The Sonys have a very dark sound profile and their ANC feature is quite disappointing. On the upside, they have slightly longer battery life, but they take twice as much time to charge as the HD 4.50. The HD 4.50 can also connect to two devices simultaneously.
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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