SONY MDR XD-200 Headphones Review

The Sony MDR XD-200 is not the one Sony waves its hands around for, but they are a stand out by themselves. We explore the same here.

The major specifications of the MDR XD-200 are:

• They are closed-type Headphones with a long stroke diaphragm for outstanding movie sound
• It is capable of providing movie quality sound. Sound Mode Switch for unique movie and music enjoyment
• The fit of the headphones is extremely comfortable and the ear cups are of Urethane leather
• Ear-Conscious design for wearing comfort
• They contain high-energy Neodymium Magnets which thus, reproduce brilliant sound
• A long and flexible 2.5m extension cord

Performance:

The sound quality is around average. At higher volumes, the sound remains good without any distortion. In addition, the bass and treble are matched properly, making it a good experience. However, the bass is a little bit on the ‘boomy’ side and the mids sound more nasal than deep.

A mode changer in the form of a slider is present in the device it is useful to switch modes from watching movies to listening to music or vice versa. The difference however, is not a great deal unless it is tried with 5.1 DVD movies or very high bit-rate music, which would be at least more than 160 bits. Cutting off external noise is what the headphones are good at, as they should be doing. However, there are times when the music quality is compromised when the volume is too high.

Comfort:

The comfort level of this headphone can be termed very good. Other important comfort-related features are the head cushion and ear cups. Looks like Sony has kept in mind the long durations of usage. The cushion parts are really good that they do not give even a little bit of discomfort. The headphone’s weight is also less. The only problem one might face when using these headphones is that these get a little warmed up on extended use.

A very good feature of the MDR XD-200 is the length of its cord, a nice 2.5 meters. It allows you to sit across the room while your music player is on the other end. However, a volume controller on the headset would have made the usage easier as one has to go over to the player every time to change the volume. Also sometimes, the idea of having a long extended cord can just get cumbersome to handle.

Verdict:

These are a good pair of headphones, which have their own setbacks. Priced at $30, it delivers an acceptable quality at a cheap price. It has a good bass and treble support, accompanied with good open sound and a tight seal. It also weighs less and is compatible with a variety of music players. Some of the drawbacks include dip in sound quality while listening to music, the movie-music switching system is rather ineffective and no volume control mechanism on the headphones.

Overall, sound and build quality of the MDR XD-200 could have been better, but it is a good buy if you are looking for a cheap and a stylized pair of headphones.