XBA-4
4.3
5
8
8
Rediscover your music
So finally I got the chance to own these heaven-sent earbuds. I have had my eye on these earphones since the beginning of the year and did a lot of research on it. The reviews do not lie and I'm glad the community is honest about the sound quality. The sound is simply amazing! Full range, well rounded and as the product name suggests it really is "balanced". When I put them on, I was blown away by the HUGE sound difference these earphones deliver. This year alone I had purchased several earphones looking for that "oomph!" in my music until I finally convinced myself to settle for Beats. But now with the XBA4 it is clear that there IS a difference and don't be fooled otherwise. The XBA4s, with the right earbuds (the right ones come in the box), have solid, full bass, crystal-clear highs and lows. Beats only have amplified bass; the bass pretty much compensates for everything it lacks so you're really not getting the true nature and definition of your sound and if you are a true audiophile you will know the difference. The XBA4 has it all, the bass is not the only thing you hear, you hear everything! It lost a star on the Design category as I think the buds are big and the L-plug is as well but non-issues I assure you. I wrote "none" in Cons unlike most of the reviews for now I can hear that the sound quality is there and it is only right that I pay that price for something this good (in return they can research and produce the best products) although as of today the XBA4s are on sale. I did not buy it for the original price at first because I wanted to hear for myself if this is what it claims to be, I'm not about to pay dollars for something that isn't good based on my previous earphone purchases, well, it really is what it claims to be and for the original price it only makes perfect sense. If you really care about the sound quality of your music, if you are in the market and in doubt, purchase these and your doubts will be laid to rest. This is the cure for audiophilia. Finally I can stop looking to upgrade my earphones. These are simply the best!
May 29, 2013
Low durability
I got this headphones in autumn 2012.
Sound at the beginning was not impressive. That's not bad since all the headphones deliver their best quality after many hours of use. However XB4 never reached the quality of my old MDR-EX510LP. Both compared one to one on a daily basis. After six months of use (4 hours per day), the superiority of the MDR-EX510LP was clear. I really wanted the XB4 to sound better than the EX510 (because they cost 700% more). However they didn't and then last week the right earphone started to sound less and less until it finally died.
I'm getting used to the idea that nowadays Sony products are low quality ones. :(
March 9, 2013
Great Earbuds!
Just received the XBA-4 earbuds for Christmas. The sound quality for this earbud is excellent and in my opinion is better then some noise cancelling headphones on the market. I have not listened to the XBA-1, 2, or 3 yet, but the XBA-4 provides good highs and a warm bass - very happy with the sound quality. The overall size of these earbuds is large compared to other earbuds, but they are light weight and comfortable to use. For convience, Sony provided a carry case and a spool to reduce excess wire. The reason this earbud was purchased is due to previously using full size noise cancelling headphones that were a pain to use when traveling due to their excess size. Because of the bulk of full size headphones, I wanted a high quality earbud and the XBA-4 offers a nice alternative. Happy with the purchase.
January 1, 2013
Great Earphones
All around, these are very good earphones. The sound quality is outstanding and so is the bass. Design is compact as well. The price though is ridiculous and that is what takes the rating down to 4 stars. If $50 or $100 less, I would give this 5 stars. Still amazing earbuds!
October 13, 2012
