October 22nd,2017

SONY MDR-XB50AP REVIEW: IN EAR EARTHQUAKES

INTRODUCTION

Ahh, my first (technically) expensive IEM purchase, the gateway drug to my audio addiction, the IEM that started it all...

Back in 2015, all I had were earphones that came with your typical smartphone so I had no experience at all in this topic but 2 years later, I come back, armed with knowledge and age, as well as a set of ears that have gone through many IEMs, now I am finally ready to give this thing a proper review.

UNBOXING

The XB50AP's box

The packaging for the XB50AP was small and simple. Efficient. Appealing. A look aimed to entice mainstream consumers and teens alike, with blue accents and "EXTRA BASS" boldly printed and the branding here does not lie. There is also a lot of text thrown everywhere on the box and graphics that explain the "bass booster" that helps this IEM claim the Extra Bass moniker. Open the small tabs down at the bottom, you will be greated with the IEMs placed inside some cardboard.

ACCESSORIES

The accessories that come with the XB50AP

For what you pay, which was about 40 to 45 bucks at the time, you got the IEMs themselves, a very nice fabric carrying pouch, hybrid tips of various sizes (the M size tips are preinstalled) and a pretty detailed instruction manual. Despite not having too much, the XB50AP gives you the essentials to optimize your hearing experience and the means to carry that experience with you, all packed in a neat little rectangular box.

After a year of wear and tear, as well as another being stored poorly by me, the XB50AP has seen better days; a battle scarred warrior but a warrior still.

APPEARANCE

The XB50AP has a pretty unconventional look, with a tube running vertically with a small aluminum drum-shaped part and another plastic disc, this is to make the already strong bass even stronger than that outputed by this IEM's 13mm dynamic neodymium driver. Now with this look, you would think that this IEM will be no good for sleeping and listening and you would be right, it is almost low-profile enough to not poke out of your ears yet still does to a certain degree, though if you have a slightly deeper insertion than sleeping with these might be possible after all. Despite that, the fit is still solid and these IEMs won't fall out of your ears any day soon. Comfortability is a not the priority here but for what it is, it works fine enough and fatigue is pretty much non-existent, even after 3 hours of wearing. Durability is also a factor that is done well, given that this is a Sony product so even after 3 years the conection between the body and the wire, as well as the jack is still going strong albeit with scratches and the paint chipping off.

With that out of the way, it's time to inspect the sound of these bad boys. With the snazzy packaging and all, many will think that this will be your overpirced Beats V-shaped signature with horribly bloated bass, veiled mids and shrill highs, offering the worst sound possible. Well, that is not the case at all, the horrible sound quality at least. Yes the V-shaped sound is here but the sound is full of warmth with oodles of bass to spare, the treble and other features possess a backstage roll, only coming forth once in awhile for those particular occasions where they are needed. This IEM is definitely made for bassheads, and those who came for clarity should tread no further, as in that case something like the KZ ZS5 will suit you better.

Now that we've established this IEM's bass prowess, let's find some songs that do its low frequencies justice:

SOUND

Borgore - Kiss My Lips

Some good ol' dubstep outta do it, and while Kiss my lips by Borgore is not that old, it sure is good. Right at the start I am bombarded by bass with slight drizzles of other sounds here and there, did I tell you this IEM is basshead oriented? Ohh and the drop, my oh my the drop, I have only four words to describe it:"Deep as the Abyss". My eardrums are tingling with joy and melody, as the dynamic driver vibrates infinitely to generate sounds that make up the song pouring into me. Yes you heard me right, these IEMs have headphone level rumble! Hence why I described them on the title as "In Ear Earthquakes". Japan's annual seismic ruptures have nothing on this!

"Deep as the Abyss"

Apashe & Snails - Bubble Gun

The XB50AP shines bright once more, a beast lurking in the dark waiting for its prey to finally explode violently and deliberately. That prey mentioned are your eardrums, and boy oh boy, it will be subjected to all kinds of bass in Bubble Gun, from experimental bloaty sounds to "bubbly" eruptions that are tactile and hit Hard like Thunder. At this point in time, I touched the housing and as predicted, they were vibrating immensely, untamed and wild, truly a magnificent thing.

"Hard like Thunder"

Despite all of this, the XB50AP is treading dangerous waters, as its sound makes it ideal for EDM and more heavy genres, yet render it dead in the water for many other songs due to its subdued vocal presentaion and distortion-prone treble. A lighter song here will prove my point:

Varien - Sacred Woods (feat.Skyelle)

When faced with a vocal centric and orchestral themed song like Sacred Woods, the monster XB50AP is basically bringing knives to a tea party. And those knives are double-edged blades, as when this IEM tackles Skyelle's vocal, it sadly threw them by the wayside, focusing on bass-the only thing it can do, which in this song was supposed to be a supporting element. Those more classical sounding instruments didn't help either, they only revealed more of the XB50AP's faults, especially in the soundstage department. This IEM is sorely lacking in terms of imaging and seperation, though it is explainable given it being a basshead product.

"Double-edged blades"

CONCLUSION

So in the end, the three quotes that accurately depict the Sony MDR-XB50AP are: "Deep as the Abyss", "Hard like Thunder" and "Double-edged blades". If you are a basshead, then pick these guys up, you won't be dissapointed and because it has been 2 years, there are no doubt many discounts on this IEM for you to grab hold of. Otherwise, you would be better off buying other, more balanced earphones.