These are the Sony WH-XB910N headphones, the brand's latest attempt at making its flagship WH series more accessible. With active noise cancellation, Extra Bass technology and a wide variety of connectivity features, are they worth their asking price of ₹14,990? Read on to find out in this Sony WH-XB910N review.
Design and Comfort
In terms of design, the new 910Ns sit somewhere between the more expensive WH-1000 models and the more affordable CH series. The construction is mostly plastic, but it is smooth to the touch and feels pretty durable. There's a foam cushion on the headband, encased in soft leather, offering a premium look and feel. This Blue colourway that we received looks a bit better than the all-Black look to me, but I do wish there were a few more colour options provided at this price point.
Thanks to the plastic construction, including the headband, the 910Ns are quite lightweight, and can be worn for long periods of time without causing discomfort on the head. Moreover, the foam pads on the earcups offer a plush, leather finish, that encased my ears nicely and felt comfortable even after a couple hours of usage. The cups also swivel enough to fit even larger heads quite easily, and can be folded, making them easier to store.
Sony WH-XB910N Sound Quality
As the name suggests, the XB or 'Extra Bass' 910Ns are tuned to favour lower frequencies, so if you mostly listen to songs with a lot of bass, these headphones will suit you well. Bass reproduction is thumpy, even with no changes to the equaliser settings. It's not what I'd call a neutral or balanced sound signature, and bass does tend to lead the charge. That being said, highs and mids don't take much of a backseat, even when you pump up the volume to near full.
Speaking of volume, thanks to 40mm drivers, the 910Ns get quite loud at full volume, and I found I rarely needed to go beyond around 65% volume in most indoor settings for a noise-free experience. Of course, there's active noise cancellation to help keep things quiet, but I'll get to that in just a minute.
In terms of codecs, the 910Ns support SBC, AAC and LDAC, and there's no Hi-Res Audio certification or support for Qualcomm's AptX.
Overall, the headphones provide a good listening experience for both content watching and music, and will please bass-lovers without the need to fiddle with the equaliser. It's worth noting that there is Sony's DSEE technology at hand to improve even lower quality audio coming through the headphones.
Also watch: Sony WF-1000 XM4 Review: solid upgrades, great noise cancellation
Active Noise Cancellation
Now for the main bit--the active noise cancellation. Considering these headphones are a part of the WH series, you'd expect them to be as good as let's say, the 1000XM3s or 1000XM4s. Well, you wouldn't be completely wrong.
The 910Ns provide a pretty good passive seal to begin with, and thanks to dual-microphones, there's good active noise cancellation too.
I will admit, it isn't as good as the noise-free experience of the XM range, and if you're in a particularly noisy environment like a busy cafe or office, a fair bit of ambient noise can get through. However, if you're in a relatively quiet place, the headphones are quite adept at drowning out a noisy fan or air conditioner.
There's an Adaptive Sound Control feature that allows both automatic and manual control of how much or how little of your surroundings the 910Ns let in. Using the Sony Headphones app, the headphones will detect your location and switch between Noise Cancelling and Ambient Sound. You can also set the Ambient Sound feature to help you stay aware of voices, in case you're in a public place and want to keep an ear out for announcements. You can also control both functions manually using the button located on the bottom of the left ear cup.
Another handy feature the XB910Ns inherit from the flagship WH models is the Quick Attention Mode, which reduces the volume and deactivates noise cancellation temporarily, just by placing your hand on the right ear cup. Speaking of the right ear cup, that's where the touch controls live, for functions like play/pause, next or previous track, and the volume control.
Connectivity and App Support
In terms of connectivity, the XB910Ns get Bluetooth v5.2, that ensured crisp and clear transmission even when I walked over 20 steps away from the audio source.
Moreover, they get Bluetooth Multipoint, that allows them to be connected to two devices at once, so you can, for example, be watching content on a tablet, and quickly switch over to your smartphone for a phone call. The headphones also support Google Fast Pair for near-instant pairing to Android devices.
Now a lot of the features I've mentioned like the Adaptive Sound Control, DSEE, and more, require the Sony Headphones app. It's available for both Android and iOS devices, but it's worth mentioning that it requires you to accept quite a lot of terms and conditions before you can use it. Moreover, if you want to use automatic Adaptive Sound Control, you'll have to let the app constantly track your precise location. This may not be a deal-breaker for most people, but it's still good to know, so you can make an informed decision when buying these headphones.
Also watch: Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones Review: Still the King of Noise-Cancelling!
Utility and Battery Life
Battery life is always an important aspect of wireless headphones, and the XB910Ns do not disappoint in this regard. Even with the active noise cancellation turned on, they offered me nearly 3 days of overall battery life. Plus, the headphones support fast charging, and Sony claims a 10-minute quick charge will give you over 4 hours of playback.
Apart from great battery life, the XB910Ns also come with this premium carrying case, similar to what you get with the higher-end WH series of headphones. The case also has a pocket to stow the USB type-C cable for charging the headphones, and a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable for passive connection.
Sony WH-XB910N Pricing and Verdict
For their asking price of ₹14,990, the WH-XB910N headphones offer a lot, whether it's active noise cancellation, touch controls, great battery life or a sound signature for bass lovers. Sure, there's some bits and bobs missing compared to the 1000XM4 flagship headphones, but they also cost much, much less.
Overall, for the price, the Sony WH-XB910N headphones are a great way to introduce yourself to Sony's flagship headphone range, at a more reasonable price.
