SONY MDR-XD150 HEADPHONE

Comfort
The first thing I noticed when I put them on was how light they were – 160 grams according to the specs.  I expected them to weigh twice as much for this size.  I found them very comfortable: even with my big head there isn’t much of a squeeze.  For smaller heads this might be a problem as I’m not sure the fit would be snug enough.

Build Quality
Understandably, the build quality feels cheap (very light plastic) yet durable enough.  When I pick them up they rattle like hell – yet somehow this disappears once they’re on my head (once again, your mileage may vary if your head is small).  Kudos for the thick, smooth and rugged-looging cable – why can’t Sennheiser put that kind of cable on cans that cost three times as much?

Appearance
I wish they’d had the black version in that store because I don’t usually go for the “big white headphones” look (this would better suit my teenage son).  But I like to think it’s a nice way to say, “You paid how much for those Beats?”

Isolation
None whatsoever.  What, you expect closed cans to keep outside noise away?  Get outta here.

Sound Quality
Of course, we’re very far from hi-fi here; still, we have a very competent (if a bit bright) rendering of the Sony house sound.  What you lose here (and by “lose” I mean “spend your money on other things instead”) is mostly punch and detail retrieval in the bass and lower mids.

Here’s a kicker for you: these dirt-cheap cans have angled drivers.  And here I thought I had to spend 30 times as much to get this feature.  On the box it says this helps achieve a better fit for the ears – nothing about improving the soundstage (which is nice and wide but rather one-dimensional).