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At $299.95, the Sennheiser Urbanite XL Wireless headphones have a lot to offer: a cool design, powerful drivers, and an included audio cable that allows for wired, passive use and even has an inline remote for mobile devices. The audio performance itself is crisp and articulate, but those seeking the massive bass response Sennheiser promises on this product’s webpage might be surprised; the Urbanite XL Wireless, like the wired Urbanite XL ($174.50 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) , offers a far more refined, moderate bass presence than most competing, bass-forward headphone models.
Design
Visually, the Urbanite XL Wireless ($193.63 at Walmart)(Opens in a new window) looks quite similar to its wired predecessor. The canvas-covered headband, matte plastic design, and simple white accents offer a minimalist take on the bulky headphone trend. The adjusting mechanism for the headband is a cable that retracts into the headband itself, allowing the earcups to slide up and down the ends of the band. The Urbanite XL Wireless folds down at the hinges to fit inside the included carrying pouch.
The Power switch is located on the right earcup, and it’s labeled in an odd way so that the power symbol is located just above the position for Off. Regardless, switching it on puts the headphones in Bluetooth pairing mode, and once you’ve paired the Urbanite XL Wireless, the headphones will auto-pair with your device every time you power up again. It was a quick and easy process with an iPhone 5s. An NFC panel on the left ear works for quick pairing with NFC-enabled devices. A pinhole microphone, a jack for wired listening (a 3.5mm audio cable is included), and a micro USB connection for the included USB charging cable are also located on the right earcup.
The included linguini-style audio cable offers an inline remote control and mic with a volume slider and a single button for Play/Pause/Call Answer/End. The button also controls track navigation depending on how many times you tap it. Connecting the cable immediately disables the Bluetooth connection, which is ideal for conserving battery life while the headphones deliver audio in passive mode. Passive mode is still quite powerful in terms of audio performance.
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The touch controls on the right earcup are ultra-sensitive and problematic. The volume, which works independently of your mobile device’s volume level, is adjusted by moving your finger up or down on the outer panel of the earcup. Play/Pause is achieved with a simple tap, but sometimes the headphones mix up a tap for a slide. Even worse, removing the headphones or adjusting them often involves placing your fingertips exactly where these controls are. Many times during testing, I unintentionally played a track or raised the volume while adjusting the fit of the headphones or removing them. You can learn to avoid these issues, but that is not ideal. The upside of the sensitive controls is that you rarely have to do repeated swipes to get the volume to raise or lower, and one tap will almost always play or pause the music.
Sennheiser estimates the Urbanite XL Wireless’s battery life to be up to 25 hours, but your results will vary based on usage, particularly your preferred volume levels.
Performance
Sennheiser’s site promises “massive bass for a club sound wherever you go” for the Urbanite XL and XL Wireless. Both headphones deliver a low frequency response that is powerful, but not over-the-top. This is a good thing, and while the big bass sound may be a bit intense by Sennheiser standards, it’s nowhere near approaching the Beats-style, subwoofer-esque lows that competing models strive to deliver. The Urbanite XL Wireless delivers some thunder at top levels, and doesn’t distort on tracks with challenging sub-bass content like The Knife’s “Silent Shout.” The high-mids and highs on this track are boosted considerably through the Urbanite XL Wireless, balancing out the beefy lows with crisp treble. Bass lovers will be pleased with the sound signature, but only those who seek articulate, balanced bass, and not an overwhelming wallop of unchecked subwoofer-style lows.
On Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” we get a better sense of the crisp highs the Urbanite XL Wireless are capable of. His baritone vocals are certainly rich, but they are graced with a crackling treble edge that lends the sound signature a brightness and clarity that outshines the bass response. The drums on this track sound solid, but not overly powerful as they do on headphones with inordinately boosted bass.
Thanks to the Urbanite XL Wireless’s high-mid presence, the attack of the kick drum loop on Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild” is particularly sharp, allowing the beat to cut through the dense mix. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the loop, however, lack the deep presence you might expect from a bass-boosted headphone pair. Things don’t sound anemic in the slightest, but at moderate levels this is not a massive bass affair; it’s a far more balanced sound signature.
Classical tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound excellent through the Urbanite XL Wireless, with a wonderful blend of rich-but-not-unnatural low frequency presence and bright, clear highs. The lower register instrumentation isn’t boosted wildly, but maintains a strong enough presence to sound full. The spotlight clearly belongs to the higher register strings, brass, and vocals, and you can hear all aspects of the performance clearly.
As we observed with the wired Urbanite XL, the sound signature of the Urbanite XL Wireless is dynamic and powerful, but reserved for a headphone pair marketed as a massive bass experience. If you’re looking for bigger bass from wireless headphones, check out the Harman Kardon Soho Wireless ($279.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) or the AKG K845 BT ($239.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) . And if it’s a more affordable Bluetooth headphone pair you’re after, consider the Editors’ Choice Jabra Move Wireless ($29.95 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) . At $300, the Urbanite XL Wireless may be marketed with bass lovers in mind, but it’s a much more balanced, crisp pair than one might initially assume. It’s also quite expensive compared with the Jabra, and the control panel on the right ear is annoying. The Urbanite XL Wireless delivers solid audio performance, but would have a higher rating with more graceful controls or a lower price.
3.5
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The Sennheiser Urbanite XL Bluetooth headphones deliver a balanced sound signature, but the wireless control panel suffers from design flaws.
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Source link : https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/sennheiser-urbanite-xl-wireless