Here's a chance to give your head a good shake
The vibration control on these new headphones from Sony ensures full-throttle bass
Cranked up full, Sony’s MDR-XB450BV headphones will have you feeling like you’re holding subwoofers to your ears. Some people actually like that sensation. For the rest of us, it’s a guarantee that we’re not missing out on anything when it comes to top-notch sound.
The latest headphones in the Extra Bass series actually let you turn up the vibration to full capacity, and you feel it in the jawbones.
A pair of AAA batteries can power the headphones up to 60 hours, and they alone are running the Electro Bass Booster, which increases low-frequency sound using Digital Signal Processing.
The Electro Bass Booster provides more of a multisensory, deep-bass experience than conventional enhancement tricks.
The Electro Bass Booster works with the phones’ built-in-house 30mm driver unit and diaphragm to deliver ultra-low frequency sound with thumping bass.
Sony says the XB450BV phones are especially designed for Club Music lovers because they’re capable of throbbing with deep, club-like bass using newly developed Neodymium Vibration Driver units to reproduce the rich bass vibrations of your favourite club tunes and deliver them straight to your body.
Yes, the headphones really vibrate to the bass tunes. The power switch is on the right ear cup, along with a rotating vibration-control knob. Twist the latter up to the maximum and hit play for the Club Music on your smartphone. Trance begins. You’ve gone supersonic.
Of course, if aural assault isn’t what you’re looking for, just ease the vibration control back down. The tunes get clear and clean.
The XB450BV looks sleek in a brushed-metal finish. The swivel-fold ear cups allow for maximum portability.
The on-ear headphones are comfortable to wear with soft and smooth earpad cushions.
In my test I found that the XB450BV is great for rock music in general. AC/DC’s “Rock or Bust” album gets full vent when the bass guitar and bass drum get hammering. My face and ears were shaking.
The famous drum solo in “In-a-Gadda-da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly comes across at a whole new level with these phones.
The rhythm was really powerful and the headphones got my heart keeping pace.
I also tried out some house music and, sure enough, I was getting a lot more out of the drum and bass than I ever had before.
The Sony MDR-XB450BV retails for Bt4,490.
Key specs:
- Type: Closed
- Driver Unit: 30mm Dynamic
- Frequency Response: 5Hz-22,000Hz
- Sensitivity: 100dB/mW
- Impedance at 1 kHz: Bass Boost on 100 ohms, Bass Boost off
40 ohms
- Cable: 1.2m Y-Type
- Plug: L-shaped gold-plated Stereo Mini
- Weight: 273g with battery, without cable
- Headphone power indicator: LED (green)
- Batteries: DC3.0V – Dry Alkaline Battery (Size AAA) x2 (not included)
- Battery life: 60 hours (1kHz, 0.1mW+0.1mW output), 20 hours
(100Hz, 0.1mW+0.1mW output)
- Passive operation: Yes (Bass Boost off)
