Our Verdict
The Sony WI-XB400 are decent headphones for critical listening. Although they're branded as having extra bass, their overall sound signature is fairly well-balanced, as the bass is tight and punchy without being overpowering. The treble can be a bit sharp, but it doesn't sound sibilant. Sadly, there's no soundstage to speak of, as they're closed-back in-ear headphones.
- Light and portable.
- Good battery life.
- No app for customization.
- High latency.
The Sony WI-XB400 are decent for commuting. They're fairly comfortable to wear for a long time, and they have a great battery life; however, noise isolation is disappointing. They can isolate you against ambient chatter, but won't be able to block out the rumbles of bus engines.
- Light and portable.
- Good battery life.
- No app for customization.
- High latency.
The Sony WI-XB400 are great for sports. They're extremely portable and they're stable enough for most sports. Breathability shouldn't be an issue, as they're earbuds, and the in-line remote is easy to use, though it can be slightly annoying, as it tends to bounce around a lot during heavy movements.
- Light and portable.
- Good battery life.
- No app for customization.
- High latency.
The Sony WI-XB400 are okay for office use. They can be worn for a long time without causing discomfort, and they have good noise isolation in the mid range, which is good for blocking out ambient chatter. Battery life is good and should last through an entire work day, and the headphones don't leak much, as long as you don't listen at a very high volume.
- Light and portable.
- Good battery life.
- No app for customization.
- High latency.
The Sony WI-XB400 aren't a good choice for gaming. Even though they're comfortable to wear for a long time, the high latency can cause the audio to be out of sync. Also, they're not compatible with gaming consoles such as the Xbox One and PS4.
The Sony WI-XB400 are Bluetooth-only headphones.
The Sony WI-XB400 are mediocre for phone calls. In a quiet environment, speech sounds clear and understandable, but in a noisy environment such as a subway train, it struggles to separate speech from background noise, often causing speech to cut out.
- Light and portable.
- Good battery life.
- No app for customization.
- High latency.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 11, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
- Updated Feb 13, 2020: Converted to Test Bench 1.4.
- Updated Jan 24, 2020: Review published.
- Updated Jan 22, 2020: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
There are no variants of these headphones except that they come in two colors: black or blue.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sony WI-XB400 are pretty basic wireless in-ears when compared to other headphones of the same type. They lack features such as active noise cancelling and they can't be customized through a mobile companion app. They perform decently well in most uses, but there's nothing that really stands out. If you're looking for a pair with more features, take a look at our recommendations for the best headphones, the best earbuds, and the best neckband headphones.
The Sony WI-C310 Wireless are better than the Sony WI-XB400 EXTRA BASS Wireless in mixed usage. They perform similarly in most aspects, but the WI-C310 have a more neutral sound since they don't have the extra emphasis in the bass. Also, the WI-C310 have better noise isolation, especially in the treble range, but the microphone quality is significantly worse.
The Beats Flex Wireless and the Sony WI-XB400 EXTRA BASS Wireless perform similarly. The Beats are more comfortable, stable, and have a better build quality. They also isolate more noise and pair seamlessly with Apple devices. However, the Sony headphones have a better-balanced sound profile, which some users may prefer, and a longer continuous battery life of 19.5 hours.
The Sony WI-XB400 EXTRA BASS Wireless and the Sony WI-C200 Wireless are very similar headphones and have nearly identical performance in most uses. The C200 have less bass, but they tend to sound a bit muddy and cluttered, and the treble sounds much more piercing than the XB400. The XB400 have better noise isolation and the microphone is significantly better.
The Jaybird Tarah Pro Wireless are significantly better than the Sony WI-XB400 EXTRA BASS Wireless in most uses. The Jaybird have much better noise isolation and leakage performance, but battery life is much shorter. Also, the Jaybird have a significantly better build quality and they can be customized through Jaybird's mobile app. However, the Sonys are more consistent and will perform similarly from one person to another.
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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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