Sennheiser Urbanite XL Wired Bi-fold Headphone with Mic (Black)

Having been a fan of Sennheiser’s headphones for a long time I was absolutely excited when I saw that they were tipping their hat into the “lifestyle headphone” market. Upon the release of the Momentum line I purchased the on ear as the over ears were out of my budget at the time. I recently purchased the over ear Momentum and now own the Urbanite XL. What my review will have is a comparison between the Urbanite XL and the Momentum over ear as the sound signatures of both headphones are drastically different.

Build Quality

Both headphones are built with a lot of thought to durability and design for the end user. The thing that I’ve come to appreciate about companies like Sennheiser is that the ear pads are replaceable. Being that both headphones are in the sub $300 range in retail value this is a big plus in my opinion if you’re the type of person who doesn’t mind spending over a $100 for headphones. Both headphones feature a pressurized sliding mechanism for the headphones to smoothly slide up and down for finding the proper adjustment and comfort level for the user. This feature to me is one of the best parts about both headphones as this does away with the traditional ratcheting headband and for the price you pay it’s great that Sennheiser took care of a small detail such as this in the final design. In terms of durability both headphones are built super tough, the Urbanite XL having more of a tank like feel due to thickness of material.

Comfort

From my own perspective I’m finding that the Urbanite XL is a bit more comfortable due the the shape of the ear pads. The Momentum headphones are ok for me personally because although I don’t have large ears, the ear pads do run a bit smaller than most over ear headphones. With that said however the feeling of the pads on both headphones are very soft and don’t hurt over a long listening period. The Urbanite’s use a velour type material and Momentum’s use a real leather to cover the padding and both actually don’t make my ears hot which is great.

Sound

I listen to a wide variety of genres ranging from vocal jazz, edm, rock/alternative, folk, some country, hip-hop/rap, etc you get the point. The Urbanite XL definitely lives up to the “claim of massive bass without compromise of clarity”, but with an asterisk because when listening to vocal jazz artists such as Sophie Milman or Emilie Clair Barlow the mids do get a bit muddled into the lower frequencies. Than again these headphones were not engineered to create a clear even sound with music like jazz. No these are meant for genres like edm and they perform brilliantly! I’ve found that a good seal is important to hear the bellow of the lower frequencies and these sound marvelous. Any modern music in which the lower frequencies are emphasized will sound good with the Urbanite XL headphones. If you’re looking for a headphone that does well all across the board I would personally recommend the Momentum over ear as they allow a lot of detail to shine in every genre. No you aren’t going to hear the DEEP bass notes in hip-hop or edm track, but that’s not to say the lower frequency isn’t present in the Momentum’s. The Momentum’s sound is something I would classify as warm, the highs, mids and lows all have their place and it’s much more noticeable then the Urbanite XL. The Urbanite XL’s sound is darker which has a boosted low end, mids are a little bit laid back, and the highs slightly forward.

Overall

I would recommend either headphone because of the how much difference of taste there is between individuals who really enjoy music and the differences of sound signatures between each headphone that’s out on the market now. Both are built well, comfort is very much a factor on how big your ears/head are, and finally sound is certainly left up to the end user because everyone has different tastes in both style and sound. I hope my review has helped you make a decision if you’re trying to choose between the two.

I bought this product last year in Sale . Sound is not much Punchy . Both ear cushions came out within 2-3 times of use. Fixing is an issue. No service center in Pune. When called Customer care , the response was not encouraging . I was asked to courier the product to Mumbai . Even the ear cushions are too expensive if you want to fix a new pair. Finally we fixed the cushions with our own effort . I don’t advice anyone to go for Sennheiser high end products if they live in places other than Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bangalore . After sales servicing is poor and complicated . I gave 2 * considering servicing difficulty .

Like I think maybe I may have received a faulty one.
The noise cuts in and out every so often.
Like on a cue, of about every 12-15 minutes.
At first, I thought it was my computer due to plugging it from the front.
Tried plugging it into the back, and the issue persisted.
Switched it out with another wired headphone I had, and it never had the same issue.
The second thing I dislike is the short cable.
Been trying to find a longer cable, but due to the way this specific cable with it’s mechanism and only one tab makes it hard to find similar connections.
The ones I keep finding are the two tab variant for the other kind of headphones from Sennheiser.
Honestly, I would say just give more money and get something better than this.
Otherwise, if you got one that doesn’t have as many issues and don’t have to worry about the reach, then honestly, it’s not so bad.
The noise profile does have some accentuation to some of the higher frequencies, and does not lose or muddy the bass all that much. so it’s relatively flat with some “pop” or spice to some songs.
Sound stage is pretty open, so it does gives more of a grandeur to some songs that have their pan or sound mixing set up well, meaning that you feel a direction when the music decides to pull in that motion.
I got them for around 60 USD, and for the price, might buy them again because they are great when they work. But if it’s a lottery if I get a decent one, and trying to find a longer cable for this, then I would just pass and go for their higher tier versions or go with a different brand.
Main thing I liked was the aesthetic, for it was something simple that did not clash with my setup, nothing gimmicky or flashy, just a headphone that would work and play.
As for my next ones, I’ll either go for V-Moda because I recognize that brand and like the look.
Other wise, for more serious, would go for a more flat Sennheiser set or Audio Technica, or even Bose.
Although, I like the look more of Senn or AT than Bose.

My tastes in headphones have progressed in the past year. At first thinking that packed in earbuds were “good enough”, a very special purchase back in January introduced me to the world of quality headphones. Starting at the $50 mark, Ive moved up in tiers of quality and price since then. After a nice stint with my valued Koss ProDJ200s (despite the moniker, the ProDJ200s have more of a natural, uncolored response), I decided I wanted a nice pair of bassy headphones.

Thinking I just wanted some cans purely for my basshead moods, I sampled headphones from brands such as Beats, Sol Republic and even bought a pair of Monster N-Pulse for a tentative trial period. But despite an extensive search, I found I cared too much about mids and highs as well as bass to fully feel satisfied by these cans. So after seeing a series of entertaining advertisements on YouTube, I decided to go out on a limb in put my trust in the Sennheiser brand name. I never really found supra-aural cans all that comfy so I opted to go for the circum-aural Urbanite XLs.Let me say I was not disappointed!

First off, let me say that these things are built to last! The rugged headband is flexible enough to be stretched straight with no problem, yet is still sturdy enough to keep the headphones securely on your head. The hinges and position sliders for the individual earcups are made of a strong metal, and what is plastic is constructed very solidly.

They are very comfortable. The headband supplies adequate cushioning and the velour covered memory foam earpads are just the right density. Some headphones I barely notice at first, but they become uncomfortable over time. The Urbanite XLs aren’t unnoticeable, but even after 4-5 hour listening sessions they never get tiresome.

I bought the black colored version and they look stylish, yet have a hint of maturity. They have a bit of flash that goes well with casual clothes, yet enough subtlety that they don'[t look garish with buisnesswear as well.

So, onto the sound. Before I get into this, let me say that when it comes to headphones, the way people would rate the same headphone’s sound is subjective. Differences in shape and size of the ear influence how we hear sounds coming in as close as headphones do, and even the way our brains are wired will shape what combinations of frequency emphasis we find pleasing. Also of note is that this is the best sounding headphone I’ve heard as well as one of the most expensive, which may sound like a good thing, but it really means I’m rating the sound in a near vacuum with little else to compare it to. So even though I think it sounds good, a more seasoned ear might provide a more accurate perspective in terms of sound quality to price.

One of the viral videos advertising the Urbanite states that the focus of these cans is on bass quality, not quantity. And in this aspect, Sennheiser has nailed it. The best way I can think to describe it is as if the headphones were a sniper rifle, with a tight and controlled recoil. Tight and punchy with the right amount of emphasis, this is top quality bass and though it won’t rumble your head, it will feel as though someone was using your eardrums as a drum kit.Though the bass isn’t emphasized as much in terms of volume as some other headphones, the quality will probably more than satisfy most listener’s bass cravings.

The real genius of these headphones comes in the mids and highs though. Unlike most other basscentric cans, there is no sacrifice made for the sake of the lower notes. Detailed, yet with an acceptable level of pleasing warmth, the mids are best described as lush. The treble does start to roll off as you start going up in frequency (which I like as it is less fatiguing). However, the volume for the highs kicks in as it reaches the highest of highs, leaving the impression of a bit of sparkle. Overall though, due to the aforementioned rolled off quality, this headphone could be described as dark (or veiled as the Sennheiser trope goes). Though that is not a bad thing necessarily, it does mean that these might not wow you right away, but you will appreciate them over time.

Though I was looking for headphones specifically for my bass moods, the mids, highs and level of detail made them earn their spot as my all around listening headphones. The low impedance combined with the dark sound signature make these ideal for portable players, as they don’t require an amp to sound good and the sound is engineered in such a way that makes them more forgiving of poor quality music files (namely MP3s).

Overall, as a headphone that earns high marks at the intersection of build quality, comfort, style and sound, the Sennheiser Urbanite is sure to please most, if not all but the most fickle eared listeners, who still may laud it for bringing bass without the compromise to the masses.