Sony WH-XB900N Wireless Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Review

The Sony WH-1000XM3 and Bose QC35ii are broadly thought-about the gold commonplace for wi-fi noise cancelling headphones, however each these fashions value properly over Rs. 20,000 in India. More reasonably priced headsets do exist, providing comparable options and first rate sound high quality, however there’s a appreciable distinction in efficiency as you come down the value ladder. Sony hopes to vary that with its newest product, the Sony WH-XB900N.

As the mannequin quantity suggests to anybody acquainted with Sony’s usually complicated naming conventions, the Rs. 16,990 Sony WH-XB900N falls into the corporate’s ‘Extra Bass’ lineup. This pair of headphones additionally options wi-fi connectivity and lively noise cancellation, making it essentially the most superior and costly product within the Extra Bass vary. It sits just below the WH-1000XM3 within the pecking order for headphones.

There’s quite a bit on provide right here, together with a lot of the options seen on the Sony WH-1000XM3 at a cheaper price, together with extra bass. Can all of this make the Sony WH-XB900N an appropriate and extra reasonably priced different to the WH-1000XM3? We discover out in our assessment.

Sony WH-XB900N design and specs

Sony’s headphones have a definite aesthetic which we fairly like, notably the form and styling of the WH-1000XM3. The Sony WH-XB900N has a predominantly plastic exterior, and is roughly the identical form and measurement because the WH-1000XM3; the variations are largely within the texture and colors. The decrease elements of the scarf and the ear cups have the identical color and texture, with solely the embossed Sony logos on both aspect and the small NFC emblem on the left breaking this continuity.

The higher a part of the scarf has foam padding on the underside, which is analogous to the froth padding across the ear cups. The color of the padding is nearly the identical as that of the plastic elements, contributing to the stark, single-tone look of the headset. The high elements of the 2 ear cups proper under the scarf have a shiny end. This can also be the place you will discover the bass vents that contribute to the bass-heavy nature of Sony WH-XB900N’s sound, however extra on that later.

The proper ear cup homes one of many microphones and the touch-sensitive management panel, whereas the left has all of the buttons and ports, together with the second microphone. There are two buttons on the headset — one for energy, and a second button that may be customised to both management the lively noise cancellation and ambient sound modes, or invoke the voice assistant on a paired machine. The Sony WH-XB900N even have a USB Type-C port for charging and a 3.5mm socket for wired connectivity.

The touch-sensitive management panel on the suitable was acquainted to us, because it’s the identical system used on the WH-1000XM3 and even the older Sony WH-1000XM2 headphones. Gestures management playback (double-tap to play or pause), observe choice (swipe left or proper for the earlier or subsequent observe respectively), and quantity (swipe up or down for quantity up or down respectively), and the panel was often correct and…