Sony MDR-XB40EX Extra Bass Earbuds In-Ear Stereo Headphones

2012-09-30T20:00:00

These are the worst headphones I have ever bought. There is asolutely no bass. The sound quality is terrible. I have a $5.00 pair of headphones that I bought before these just to tide e over until I received these, and the quality is 100 times better. Do not buy these headpones. I would give them a 0 but the site wont let me.

scbk28

Originally posted at

2011-09-07T20:00:00

I've had these earbuds for just over 2 years now and they are absolutely outstanding. They sound great, and work well for all types of music. They have an excellent balance and clarity as well, emphasizing the bass but not drowning out the treble. I've used them everywhere and even washed them on 2 separate occasions by accident, and they never stopped working. They've stood up great to extremely heavy use, and I couldn't be happier with them. Unfortunately, due to continued stress on the cable, the sound has started to cut in and out. The earbuds themselves never stopped working, but after a hard life the connection couldn't handle it. I would highly recommend these or the updated model (MDR-XB41EX) to everyone. More than worth the money for the quality you get.

Saxamaphone117

Originally posted at

2011-07-22T20:00:00

This is an earbud for Bass lovers... its frequency response starts with 4Hz which gives the best bass response than any other earbud in the market... (I'd searched for an earbud which gives response at low frequencies, none I could find as low as 4 Hz other than Sony MDR-XB40EX)... I love it....

nellyfruto

Originally posted at

2011-05-19T20:00:00

I bought these headphones thinking they are no comparison to the monster line of products that don't really disclose their driver unit measurements which is really true indicator of the bass the headphones can handle and after buying these, i returned my Dr. Dre in ear that were twice the price of this (paid 70+tax) for this and so far so good. Sony finally made great headphones affordable.

TorontoKing

Originally posted at

2011-02-23T19:00:00

the bass is so bumpin. you can barely hear other outside noise if you turn your music up. price is totally worth it these headphones are better than the ibeats by dre i know that for a fact

beatssuck

Originally posted at

2011-02-12T19:00:00

this is a great earbuds that really wqorth it. the bass it creates is amazing. i didn't expect an earbud like this would have that much of bass. the mids and highs are clear, but i'm not very impressed by that. overall, this earbuds worth the money, produces clear and distinguishable sound. i would recommend this for others

ilovesony11

Originally posted at

2010-12-30T19:00:00

I got these headphones for $23 off ebay and they are amazing. Before I got this, I had Sony Bass Booster (mdr-ed21lp). The bass is not so good when you listen to it on an old iPod. But when I used Sony Extra Bass headphones on my old iPod, the bass is really powerful and rich. I usually put it on Electronic or Treble Booster and the sound is amazing. I rated it 4 stars because the sound quality is almost the same as my other headphones. Only better and cleaner bass and noise-canceling. My headphones are refurbished but works like new.

RyanBP97

Originally posted at

2010-12-26T19:00:00

i didnt exactly get these by buying them, my friend found them in my school somewhere and gave them to me in return for a pair he borrowed from me and lost. but i have never had headphones this good before these. ive had them for 3 years (and someone else had them before, adding more time) with very much overuse, winding the cord around things and stretching it, dropping my mp3 and putting alot of weight on the cord without breaking (have a pretty heavy mp3), accidentally pulling on the cord part where it goes into my ears and it never coming out from the headphone like all my other headphones did, listening to music way too high in my ears and it always never giving up and playing just the same, and all that. im also a rap beat producer (i use fl studio & pro tools) and i love the bass these headphones give me. it sounds like i have professional subwoofer speakers in my ear, like there is even a subwoofer inside the headphones. sound is perfect. the treble is just the right highs, too. the headphones are somewhat noise-canceling (i cant hear anything else when im listening to music) and even when im not listening to music it's hard to tell what other peoiple are saying when its in your ears, even only in one ear. no static at all. works best for listening to rap & hip hop, rnb, techno, house, dubstep, or that stuff (i dont listen to house or techno or dubstep but ive seen that it works good for them too). works good with mastering audio also because you can hear what itll feel like in the club with a subwoofer without having one. music never has sounded as good to me anymore without these headphones. whenever mine break or get lost or stolen, if they do, im no matter what getting a new pair.

Jackary

Originally posted at

2010-12-20T19:00:00

Amazing headphones, when I look for headphones i usually look for bass.

emper911

Originally posted at

2010-11-24T19:00:00

the sound is amazing! except for the fact that the weight of the cord and ear phones hurt the ears and they end up falling out, not comfortable!!

dddmmmnnnccc

Originally posted at

2010-11-23T19:00:00

these are the nest headphones i have ever used and i have used lots of different kinds and they are even better than Bose headphones. if you like a lot of bass in your music then these are the ones for you!!!!!!!!

toocool3434

Originally posted at

2010-11-05T20:00:00

Buy these headphones with the illusion that would have a bass impressive, a bass ever heard with other headphones, but to my disappointment, these headphones sound nearly as other Sony I had before, the MDR-EX35LP. The advantage of these headphones is that the sound is more powerful, have more volume, not distorted bass, are well designed, and the cables are well made. Include a practical case for storage. In conclusion, if you've never had a sony headphones, these will be something awesome for you, but if you've previously had other in-ear type, brand Sony, you'll notice what I say.

Luismeza1789

Originally posted at

2010-10-28T20:00:00

sick nasty fat bass! still retaining clear mids and highs..

Zombs

Originally posted at

2010-10-27T20:00:00

all what i can say is AMAZING EAR BUDS, These are the best so far I have seen. if you like electronic music , just get it . Crazy BASS.

kiketracks

Originally posted at

2010-10-16T20:00:00

I've owned these pair of buds for over a year and I've barely noticed the wear and tear as far as sound quality goes. Worth every penny, the MDR-XB40EX earbuds excels at mid and low ranges and delivers them with a soft and clear but yet a powerful bass response. It handles high ranges fairly well; in my opinion, these headphones can handle rock music without much distortion. The only thing I would recommend is keeping these earbuds in the supplied case or in your bag. I noticed that the bud attachments may come loose if constantly kept in your pocket (especially if you walk all the time). I would recommend these headphones for commuter and home use (not for workouts). As this price range, you'll never find another product that performs as good if not better than $100.00+ headphones from the competition.

AudioBliss777

Originally posted at

2010-09-15T20:00:00

I love these headphones. I love them so much. I like the design. It sort of just makes sense with who/ how I am. Im sure they'd form to everyones personality though. I love the darker colors. (I despise pink and those who think every girl should own something pink... <- a bit of a rant there sorry...) anyway they're the best headphones I have ever owned. When I got them I ripped them out of the packaging and I connected them to my ipod. Wowww love at first song play. Pretty cheap for the quality of these headphones. I am in love.

Thatrandomstranger

Originally posted at

2010-08-23T20:00:00

These headphones rock the sh#t out of any in ear buds I've had before. they sound great and are easily just as good as or better than the beats headphones. you can also get a great deal on them at amazon.

davedog

Originally posted at

2010-07-26T20:00:00

I am very particular about my headphones being an old-school 'audiophile' and phones' nut. These things are too cool. The soundstage is broad and full. These aren't the least bit boomy, muddy, or TOO bass heavy- there's simply a great balance with low end that you can virtually 'feel' between your ears. I listen to everything from Jazz to Metal, To Dance, just a crazy mix- I go with my mood, and these things do it ALL. And Killer. That's what I look for- I have half a dozen 'test' tracks.. I use an iPod Touch (the smaller units I can't vouch for) with the Loudness preset, only to bring the highs out a bit and I'm way satisfied and in full enjoyment mode! I believe they do get even better as this is my second pair (lost the first) and after a few days of average use with REASONABLE volume levels I noticed richer sound- the burn in thing.. The Sensitivity is killer- I only need mid level volume and they are LOUD. Smaller, mouse powered players will have Zero problems driving the XB40EX's and getting more than enough volume. They're so clean the volume is misleading- Easy does it, no need to blow them up- the Sensitivity is THAT good. A preset that just brings the highs and upper-mids up out of the low end and you'll be astounded, typically the Jazz or Rock presets on most players if you don't have a custom EQ. And talk about 'bulit like a tank'- the wide ribbon cord is nice. The earpieces seem bulky at first glance but they are the secret to all the low end punch and add that much more durability.. Also, as with any ear-bud, one of the keys to bliss is getting a good fit so don't hesitate to try the other size silicone ear-piece covers. I use the largest ones and WHOA- what a difference!! The low end is nice and fat, adding thickness to the low mids so a kick drum has resonance and decay. Not just a bony 'click' sound.. The bottom line for me is though technically not in the upper levels these things sound like I spent twice as much and the sound is truly killer. The volume of these things is super nice... Enjoy!!

AudioScopic

Originally posted at

2010-07-01T20:00:00

Awesome sound quality. You hear really deep bass and a full range of subtle sounds. I'm extremely happy with the purchase. I bought the over-the-ear ex bass headphones as well, and the earbuds seem much better. With the over the ear ones you notice well 'noticeably' better sound when you push them in closer to your ear (which the instructions say not to do) and the bass sometimes overpowers the other sounds (i.e. vocals, or speaking in movies or tv shows). The earbuds on the other hand seem to give a much clearer sound quality. Its loud, vibrating, and yet subtle and clear/crisp. They also fit extremely well in your ear, something I was a little bit worried about because the shape seemed strange. The Y-cord actually does what sony advertises: it noticeably reduces tangling. Only negative: lots of sound leakage. If you pump it up to even moderate levels (not loud, but the basic min volume at which you'd want to enjoy extra bass headphones such as this) you can hear it outside of the headphones. So harder to wear in quite coffee shop or your workplace cubicle while listening to loud music. On the other hand, because this sound leakage is due to low frequency extra bass, quite a lot of it dissipates in the air over distance. So the amount actually heard by the guy in the cubicle next to you might not really be that bad. All in all, I would definitely recommend these headphones, and I would buy them again in a heartbeat.

BradleyCheap

Originally posted at

2010-06-08T20:00:00

They have reasonably good sound but you have to jam them into your ear to get it. I found them to be fairly uncomfortable compared to my Bose earbuds. Any time they start to slide a bit you lose the audio quality.

piccolabella

Originally posted at

2010-03-21T20:00:00

I have been through many, many headphones in my day, but never in my life had I dreamed that any could have such rich, balanced, and natural bass. The moment after I bought them, I plugged them into my iPod and fell in love. I hadn't even gotten such bass out of the most expensive DJ headphones I have used (borrowed, actually, because they were so expensive) before. The experience could be summed up as hooking up clear plastic tubes to each of your ears, attaching those with suction cups to the front of a bass drum, and having an ogre jump up and down on the kick pedal, without the ear-bleeding effects and hemorrhaging that might cause. The great thing is that bass is not the only thing that they excel at producing. They also have excellent, crisp, clear mids and highs, so if I wanted to listen to jazz or classical music without the bass, they would still induce a coma (in a very, very good way). They are made out of some of the most durable stuff on Earth, and the cords are extra thick and flat, so there's no need to worry about damaging them/rolling over the cord with your office chair. They come with an ingenious clip that works, and just stays clipped. The 1/8th inch jack is angled at 90 degrees, so no matter how you put your music player in your pocket, it won't stress the headphones' jack. They come with a really nice leather pouch which is as durable as they are. Another thing to note is that they block out sound several times better than any noise-canceling-technology enhanced headphones I've ever heard. Literally, nothing is heard but the music, and nobody can hear the music you're playing, even when it's on the loudest. Altogether, I would recommend this product to any friend (or even foe) who doesn't already have it.

moomooplatter

Originally posted at

2010-03-16T20:00:00

SO, I have normally stuck with Skullcandy because of their cheap prices, great return policy and sick street looks, but recently I've been leaning towards a more professional look and I love Bass but I don't want to have to carry around the Skullcrushers anytime I want some. So, being a Sony fan, I tried these out and was immediately impressed. The Bass is perfect for the volume I like to listen at and the Cord has to be the best part of them by far. It is flat and very sleek so it is almost impossible to get tangled and even when tangled it is easily fixed within 5 seconds. I am not abusive to my headphones to be clear though, I always keep them in cases and wrap up the cord but when I am in a hurry then i can just shove these in the leather case that they come with and they won't get knotted. They also look really awesome. They stay in my ears no matter what I am doing unless my ears are really dry in which case no earbud in the world can stay in them. The only con is the shielding of the wire, but so far there is only one pair of headphones that I have ever noticed that has good shielding when plugged into a computer, and that is the Skullcandy Proletariat which are no longer made to my disappointment.

LethargicBeing

Originally posted at

2010-03-11T19:00:00

Holy bass man! There is so much freaking bass coming out of these! I had some skullcandy headphones before these and they were recommended to be for "more bass." Yea right! They don't even get close to these. If you are a bass junkie like me, you will absolutely love these like a fat kid love cake! LOL! It really is stupid how much bass these things produce. That is the only way I can describe it.

Nuke

Originally posted at

2010-02-16T19:00:00

i had these about 6 months before i lost them but in that times i hit them with everything i had and they kept going but when i got in the car they caught in the door and drug the ground i even was listening to music on my laptop when lightning hit the pole out front and was strong enough to short out half the house and blow out my RCA tv and my altec lansing surround sound and my xbox but the sonys where fine i couldnt believe it the only reason i give then 4/5 for performance and value is cause of kicker there head phones topped at 112 but these will hit close only these are 59.99 in stores when the kickers are 39.99 so they have a slight edge but you really cant compare kicker and sony cause thats just wrong and i have the sonyxs xlim sub 10 right now but anyways i hit these earbuds with everything so in short they got hit by lightning strong enough to blow out half the stuff in my house and they drug the ground out the car at 55 for about 28 miles and the one earbud that hung on (yeah the left one was still there) when we stopped i opened the door and picked it up and pluged it in and it played fine i listened to that one bud for the rest of the day and i broke the thing open and you wouldnt believe the tech in these things and once again i slammed them even harder i maxed to sound and looped it and all the did was get warm but never blew i couldnt do it overall i dont think you can beat them due to design sound yes you could but design no the cord is perfect because they dont get tangled up and you just wont break them sorry but you wont sony makes strong stuff i had a 25& walkman that lasted 6 years and still works but i just needed to replace it with new haha over all nosy has great style thats why i give these 5/5 and im buying the new set in a few days i cant wait course ima have to break em in HAHA

NSMthebasshead

Originally posted at

2010-01-19T19:00:00

I received these as a Christmas gift from my family, knowing how much I disliked the cheap, treble-heavy phones I had lying around. Being of a technical nature, I can foresee the failure of things like strain relief and mechanical joints, but I have to say, these phones live up to Sony's reputed quality. I rather like the flat cable, it doesn't tangle easily. The plug seems sound in its construction, as do the connections to the phones. It seems like it's easier to make a strain relief for flat cable. The outside of the buds seem to be brushed aluminum leaf on plastic. I like it, it makes it look distinguished and old-timey, like the aluminum highlights of the Extra Base headphones. The left and right phones are clearly marked. The tips grip firmly for me, I don't know what people are saying about them falling out, maybe they need to use the large tips. The frequency range seems equally represented up and down the spectrum. Again, I'm not sure why these seem like they have too much base and not enough high-end. Try running a sine sweep of its frequency range on them, they have a fine high end. Portable devices like an iPod/Zune/PSP/iRiver/what have you don't really have the hardware to put out the highest of the high range, and even if they do, they don't have a full equalizer (well, most). Stick them in a computer and play a song with something like VLC, and play with the equalizer, you'll see. They have a 13.5mm driver, bigger than the other Extra-Base in-ears (XB20EX), which are 9mm. These phones DO require burn-in to get more depth. The carry case is very well constructed, it's that foam-leathery stuff on the outside and polyester fabric on the inside, with nets to hold the clip (an ingenious design, by the way, works better than most other clips) and the other tips. The zipper pull, slider, and teeth are all metal. They fit without too much force needing to be applied. they fit like foam earplugs, just without the rolling. The only thing is, sometimes when I remove them, the tips turn themselves inside out. I'm not sure if this is some sort of feature to make them pop less when removing them, or if I'm putting them in to hard, or what, but I think it needs reinforcement to prevent that. Maybe ribs that collapse when the tip is compressed in the ear, but are taut when it's pulled out? At least they don't seem like they will tear or anything. All things considered, these are pretty good for their value, although I paid retail for them...I think i could have gotten them cheaper. Oh well.

ThatBum

Originally posted at

2009-12-24T19:00:00

these are the best headphones i have every owned and i have owned a lot of headphones the sound in these headphones are awesome they just blow me away just as good as the $300 pair of sonys. But dont let me wrong the $300 dollar pair are very good because they are a sony.

masterdog3

Originally posted at

2009-10-31T20:00:00

I purchased these earbuds after my old pair from Sony (MDR-EX32LP) died. The wiring on the earbuds had seemed to come loose, and the connection to the left bud died. As a consequence, I wanted to look for a new pair that had a sturdier cable system. A friend mentioned the Beats by Dre because of their flat cables, and also pointed me to this model. I did try both models to see which i preferred and felt that the bass on this model surpassed that of the Beats. Yes, I do prefer amplified bass when i listen to earbuds, and a problem i often encounter with other buds is the fact that they cannot pump out the low frequencies i want at the volume i need. This pair was able to play my music (mainly electro, house, and some hip hop) at relatively high volumes without coming close to maxing out on the drivers' range. Unlike the beats, this pair was half the price - and the bass was less abrupt. Another benefit of this model is its compatibility with Comply foam tips - while I personally have no problem with the stock tips, the added noise isolation and comfort of Comply tips may solve any fit issues for those with smaller or more narrow ear canals. The only con I can identify as of yet is the length of the earphones. While the brushed stainless steel looks great, It is over 4 cm long - and it probably looks a little weird if you have short hair like me. I can't yet comment on the longevity of this product because I have only had it for a week, but it is constructed very solidly. Compared to other popular bass-heavy buds like my friends' Bose In-Ear buds and the Altec Lansing Backbeats, the bass on this model far surpasses the competition. It's the type of low and powerful bass that you expect to come from full size headphones, yet it does not make audio seem 'muddy'. On a final note, I am extremely satisfied with my purchase because theses buds seem to be exactly what I was looking for. While they are definitely not for audiophiles or those on a small budget, these "extra bass" from these buds is definitely something worth checking out.

Spython

Originally posted at

2009-05-11T20:00:00

I just got these today to Replace my EX85's and wow... these things sound 1nsanely great. I took these out of the Package and put on some Drum and Bass to test them out.... and as soon as the Bass kicked in I was quite suprised, The lowest of the lows was delevered loudly and with zero distorsion, and no trebel fade even during the Bassest parts of songs. These are quite comfortable, And a verry nice case is included Im more than satisfied!

tougenomikado

Originally posted at

2009-04-12T20:00:00

Before I purchased these, I bought the Dr. Dre In-Ear Beats. While the Beats were great sounding earphones, the just didn't have the low end I was craving. On top of that, in-ear headphones only really work when they're really sealed. The Beats were always dislodging themselves and never really stayed in my ears no matter which tips I used. The cord was heavy and was a nightmare at the gym which constantly pulled the earbuds out. Bottom line, the Beats were great for stationary home use, but nothing else. I decided to give the Sony's a chance. I've always loved the sound of Sony earphones as well as their fit. However, all my previous Sony earphones have had a shelf-life of about 4-6 months due to poor chord quality. No matter which Sony earphones I've owned, the chords always seem to be the Achilles heel. I can't say much about the chord on these earphones because I haven't had them for very long, but it definitely appears that Sony got the memo. The chord is flat but not as wide as the Beats and it seems to be of very good quality. Looking at the earphones themselves, I thought, how could they fit in my ear? Incredibly, they fit perfectly with a great seal. The chord doesn't pull and they don't fall out, not even at the gym. The sound is what you'd expect from Sony earphones. The bass is awesome. A good test song I use is MC Breed "Aint No Future in Yo Frontin." The bass is so low it's barely audible to most earphones. However, these earphones handle it easily. As these earphones get burned in, they sound even better, but even right out of the box they won't disappoint. The only con which I have is with the L-plug. I'd prefer it to be a straight, but that's just a personal preference. If you're looking for a great pair of earphones that can handle everyday use, with great bass, these are perfect.

h2opolo93306

Originally posted at

2009-02-20T19:00:00

do not buy the 150.00 head phones for bass these are the best ones out there not too bad on the highs, the mids are great and the bass is just right!i just returned the in ear beats fro dr. dre, these blow them away!

tstephe420

Originally posted at