Sony has been on every other person’s wishlist, especially for the WH-1000XM3 ANC headphones. But the fact that those aren’t cheap kept a lot of people from buying that ultimate piece of electronic gadget. But then Sony didn’t disappoint the music lovers and came up with the WH-XB900N headphones which we are going to talk about in just some time. The headphones are considerably cheaper than the elder sibling but are offering some features and tech which sure takes it a notch higher especially music lovers. Now let’s get into the details, shall we?
How Does It Look?
The construction of the Sony XB900N what we would call it here is good but the plastic is lightweight. The first touch does not feel very premium but then, there is more than what meets the eye. The overall weight is 254 grams making easy to carry around. The fir and flexibility are top-notch and the clasp is not too tight, making it comfortable to wear. The ear cups rotate 90-degree, lie flat and fold so you can carry it around in your bag easily. The texture on the headphones feels a bit weird, but it’s actually grippy so you will not end up dropping it off your hands. The memory foam padding is plush and the ears sit very comfortably inside the cups. However, I found them getting warm after extended use, but maybe it’s me nitpicking as I have never been a fan of over-the-ear phones. The padding keeps the isolation at a very high level and you will mostly not listen to most of the ambient sounds clearly after you put it on. The headphones look very stealthy in black. The left cup has two buttons, a power button and a custom button. There is a USB Type-C for charging and a blue LED light for indication, a 3.5 mm jack for using it as a wired headset.
How Does It Perform?
Paring it with my android smartphone was a simple deal. It quickly connects after you press the power switch on. The buttons feel a bit wobbly but are tactile in feedback. It also makes use of NFC to pair to nearby devices. It uses Bluetooth 4.2 but considering 2019, it’s a bit of a bummer. However, this headphone gets advanced codecs like Sony’s LDAC, aptX and aptX HD. You can download the Sony Headphones Connect application to control the amount of ambient noise as well as twenty different noise cancelling levels. The headphone gets noise-cancelling microphones which listen to everything around you. You can also select adaptive sound control and let the headphones adjust the settings on the fly. The app also allows you to have several other settings like in-built equaliser, surround options.
These phones also work with Google Assistant and Amazon Axela. The right earcup has the touch controls which allow you to play, pause, skip songs and rock the volume with just touch of your fingers. Placing your palm on the right earcup dims the volume of the music allowing you to hear in case someone is speaking to you which I feel is an amazing feature and you do not have to take your headphones off each and every time. Sony claims a total of 30 hours of battery life and personally, I have not been able to exhaust the charge in two days with a lot of constant use. You can still use them with the 3.5mm cable if the battery runs dry. These headphones are very bassy and are tailored for bass heads. The mids are quite prominent but the highs let lost, especially with the very punchy bass coming.
Verdict
If you are a bass head, listen to a lot of bass-heavy music, look no further. Great battery life, light-weight and ability to use them while travelling or commuting makes them an impressive buy. However, for a true audiophile, you can look at a lot more different options which however are far more expensive. For everything else, save some money and get the Sony WH-1000XM3 instead and you will be the happiest.
Specifications
- Weight – 254 grams
- Type – Over the ear with Active Noise Cancellation
- Battery life – 30 Hours
- Charging – USB Type-C
- Input – Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5mm in
- Price – Rs. 16,990