Sony WH-XB700 Extra Bass Wireless Headphones
Sony expands the Extra Bass series with a model that mixes well in the niche of mid-price wireless headphones. Bluetooth with aptx, NFC, support for Google and Amazon assistants, bass sound, dedicated application, efficient battery, high quality and price of £60 for Renewed pair can be a recipe for success?
Sony WH-XB700 headphones use electrodynamics transducers with 30 mm membranes. Bass playback in headphones from the Extra Bass series has long been recognized by fans of strong sound and it will be similar in this case - in addition, Sony declares that the latest model has also improved the reproduction of high tones.
Audio personalisation will be provided by the Sony Headphones Connect application, which enables the activation of audio signal processing: Clear Bass, Surround and Sound Position Control. WH-XB700 has Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity with AptX codec and fast pairing function via NFC technology.
Sony WH-WB700 supports voice assistants Alexa, Siri and Google, and the microphone also allows you to use it as a headset for making phone calls.
The built-in battery allows 300 hours of standby or 30 hours of music playback. According to Sony, the fast charging function has been improved, which provides one and a half hours of wireless playback after only ten minutes of connecting to a charger. Important information is the fact that headphones can be connected to our source using the included mini-jack cable.
How were they made?
The XB700 are a fairly basic pair of wireless headphones, and you can tell that from their design. They have a very minimal, monochromatic design without any flashy elements or any design flair of any sort.
The headphones are made almost entirely out of plastic with a matte, sandblasted finish on the ear cups and headband. While not necessarily cheap-looking, it doesn't really hide the fact that this is an inexpensive pair of headphones. They are also very lightweight due to the plastic construction.
The relatively small ear cups have a swiveling design that turns 90-degrees so they can lie flat on your chest while hanging from your neck. The side headbands have a large Sony logo printed on either side and very clearly marked L and R speakers. However, there are no physical indicators apart from the buttons to help you figure out the left speaker from the right in the dark.
The headband extends generously and inside you see the only visible piece of metal covering the inner band frame. The headband at the top has been covered in soft leatherette material similar to the flagship 1000XM3, although not as dense.
Different colours
The XB700 come in two colors, black and blue. Both have matte finish, except on the speaker grille placed on top of the ear cups, where it's glossy. The blue model uses a brighter shade of blue for the glossy bits and the Sony logos, which gives it a more two-tone appearance compared to the monotonous black variant.
Sony WH-XB700 - specification
Transducers: 30 mm neodymium
Weight: 195 g
Impedance: 37 ohms
Frequency response: 20 Hz - 20 kHz
Sensitivity: 103 dB / mW
Battery: 4 hours of charging provides 30 hours of operation
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 (SBC, AAC, AptX, NFC), mini-jack, USB-C for charge Colors: blue, black
Accessories: gold-plated mini-jack cable, USB cable
Price: around £60
Recommended:
Sony WH-XB700 Blue Sony WH-XB700 Black