Home » Review: Sennheiser Urbanite XL (Over Ear Headphones)

Review: Sennheiser Urbanite XL (Over Ear Headphones)

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What is it?

The Sennheiser Urbanite XL are on-ear headphones designed for your smartphone. An inline remote in the cable allows you take and make calls, and adjust volume on the go. While approved for Apple, it also works for Android devices. The headphones are collapsible, and made of tough materials to survive the ‘urban’ life.

Urbanite XL? Is there an Urbanite non-XL?

Yes, yes there is. Urbanite comes in smaller more slick package as well, called the Urbanite. The XL is its bigger brother, and being bigger it seems to offer more cushioning, and better comforting, as well as some better noise isolation.

Tech Specs

  • COLOR
    black, denim, sand, olive, nation
  • DEVICE
    iPhone/iPad/iPod, Samsung Galaxy™, LG™, HTC™, Sony™, Other devices
  • IMPEDANCE
    18 Ω
  • CONNECTOR
    3.5 mm low profile angled plug
  • FREQUENCY RESPONSE (MICROPHONE)
    100–10000 Hz
  • FREQUENCY RESPONSE (HEADPHONES)
    16–22000 Hz
  • SOUND PRESSURE LEVEL (SPL)
    110 dB @ 1 kHz & 1 Vrms
  • THD, TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION
    < 0.5 % (1 kHz, 100 dB)
  • EAR COUPLING
    Circum-aural
  • CABLE LENGTH
    1.2 m
  • TRANSDUCER PRINCIPLE
    Dynamic, closed
  • PICK-UP PATTERN
    Omni-directional microphone
  • SENSITIVITY
    -44 dB V/Pa

Look and feel

The Urbanite XL offer a wide band, that features a smooth matt finish. The look seems to be inspired from the Beats family, but there is not much making you think this is one of them. The big on ear cups look and feel good, and while this is big, and not what you’d call lightweight, it isn’t heavy either. It sits comfortably on your head and ears, and you can enjoy music for hours on end.

There is a flat cable that can be plugged in with an inline remote, that works for Apple and Androids alike. Of course, flat has been the industry’s answer to tangling headphone cables, and the fact that you can detatch it means you can unplug it and wind it up in a safe place for travel.

Overall, it feels tough, and you know you can chuck it in your backpack while you’re out and about during the day, or dealing with the horror that is public transport.

Smartphone Compatibility

The box quite proudly talks about how this is designed for Apple, and works for iPhone, iPods and iPads. On the website, you can also find that you can use it with Android devices, and while I haven’t tried everything, the inbuilt microphone as well as call acceptance/volume keys work well with my Samsung Galaxy S4. The website offers the same if you have an LG, HTC or ‘other devices’, which seems a bit funny, but I guess you are safe to most features for most Androids on top of the Apple range.

Sound Quality

An interesting one this for sound. Being bigger on-ear cups means you get a good noise isolation, which is always a good thing. You get the impression that the bass would be higher than normal, just by the way they look, and because ‘that look features heavy bass’ in most headphones. No, these ones stick to the basics I’d say. You get a good dynamic range of frequencies, and while bass is clear, it isn’t overwhelming. Detail is what interests me in most music, and if you have a good source of music, a high quality MP3, or just something great you can plug into, you will not be disappointed. The high frequency notes are clear, and handling of voices and lyrics is good too. If you like your music, you will have good music, and if you have good music, you will not be disappointed by these.

More information

More information on these headphones can be found on Sennheiser’s website:

http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/urbanite-xl

They can be bought directly from Sennheiser’s website for £199.99, or other deals can be found on the internet.

They are available in black, blue, brown, green and a red/black mix.

Verdict

In a world which is being overwhelmed by a huge addition to variety everyday, these headphones definitely stand out. Great sound quality paired with great comfort and looks.

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