Sony put the promise in the name. These are Extra Bass earbuds, and almost everyone who writes about them starts and ends with the low end. The MDR-XB50AP is a wired in-ear headset with a 3.5 mm plug, a flat cable and a one-button remote with a microphone. It has been on sale for a long time, and that long record is the best thing about reading its reviews. You get years of owners, in their own words, and the words are not all kind.
The owner comments here are a small slice of a very large pool, so think of what follows as a sample and not a census.
Product image from the Amazon listing.
I think these are a good cheap choice for people who love bass and want a wire. I’m far less sure about them as your everyday calling headset.
All That Bass, and What It Costs
Owners agree on the headline. On Best Buy’s page for the blue model, one buyer wrote: “This headphones produce some really strong bass.” Another was “amazed” at the quality of the low end. A third summed up the appeal in a few words: “Good bass for a low cost”.
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Headphones Addict adds the part that fans tend to leave out. Its review describes the lows as deep and punchy but also excessively boomy, says the mids are recessed, and finds vocals somewhat muffled as a result. The reviewer’s advice is that these suit bass fans, and that anyone who wants balance should keep looking. It gave them 3.4 out of 5.
For most of the music people choose these for, that shape may be exactly right. For a podcast, an audiobook or a voice on a work call, recessed mids are the wrong way round. That’s the main reason I would not make these your only pair if you spend the day listening to speech.
Some buyers do say the bass fell short of what the name led them to expect. That fits a known pattern with in-ear sound: fit decides bass. Headphones Addict notes that smaller ear tips reduce both isolation and bass. If these sound thin to you, try a bigger tip before you give up on them. Four sizes come in the box, according to that review.
Big Housings, Mixed Ears
Fit is where owners part ways. Headphones Addict found them “surprisingly comfortable” with a stable fit for everyday and active use. It also says the earpieces are large, stick out of the ears, and can be uncomfortable if you sleep on your side.
Owners on Best Buy’s page for the red model back up both sides. One praised the sound but said they “did not fit well in ears”. Another called them “Rather large for extended wearing.” On the blue page, a three-star reviewer found them “kind of heavy and bulky for my tastes.”
So these are not small earbuds, and people with small ears should expect some trial and error. If you already know that ordinary in-ears fall out of your ears or press on them after an hour, take that seriously here. Isolation comes only from that seal, since there’s no active noise cancelling. A good fit gives you both the bass and the quiet, and a poor fit loses both.
Sweat is another limit. Headphones Addict says they are not sweatproof or water resistant, so the gym is at your own risk.
Illustration of this type of product, not a photograph of the Sony MDR-XB50AP Wired Earbuds.
Calls, the Remote and the Missing Volume Button
The remote is simple. One button handles play and pause and answers or ends a call. Headphones Addict puts the gap plainly: “Unfortunately, there’s no volume and song control.” Owners feel it. Best Buy’s page shows volume control on the cord as a common request, and it’s the gap most likely to bother a daily user.
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Sony’s answer for Android was the Smart Key app, which is meant to add more control. One owner with a Moto G said on Best Buy that the app “does not work”. That’s one report on one old phone. I would still treat the single button as all you are really getting.
Call quality is the weakest part of the evidence. One owner on the red page said they “need to make many calls and listen too so this is a great set of earphones”, and another tried them with a cell phone and said they worked fine. Those are friendly comments with no detail. I found no owner who described how they sound to the person on the other end, and I have no lab test of the microphone. For the occasional phone call, I’d expect them to do the job. For a day of client meetings, I would want better proof.
Wired Means Adapters Now
These end in a 3.5 mm plug. That one fact decides where they work without help.
Any iPhone without a headphone jack needs an adapter, Lightning or USB-C depending on the phone. Check which one your iPhone takes before you order, and buy one that carries the microphone and button signals as well as sound. If you don’t, you may end up with audio and no working mic. Sony’s manual describes button control on iPhone, and it also warns that functions can vary by phone.
On a Mac with a headphone jack, you can just plug in. I found no owner report on using the mic and remote on a Mac, so treat those as unproven there. For music at a desk, the plug is the plug and I see little to worry about.
The plug and cable are a real strength. The plug is gold-plated and L-shaped, and the cable is flat. Headphones Addict says the flat, Y-shaped cord can take a lot of curling and abuse. It also says cable noise is not a major issue, and a slider adjusts the split. Best Buy’s own summary of its reviews lists the tangle-free cord as a frequent point of praise, too.
Illustration of this type of product, not a photograph of the Sony MDR-XB50AP Wired Earbuds.
How Long They Last
The durability record is mixed, and this is what I would want to know before spending even a small amount.
On the positive side, an owner on the blue page titled a review “Still going strong with this item”, saying the earbuds were durable after more than two years. Another used a pair daily for about three years before reporting: “Now the headphones no longer work.” Three years of daily use from a cheap wired headset is a decent run in my book.
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The bad end is much shorter. One rider said: “They started shorting out after the 3rd use.” Some Best Buy reviewers describe one earbud dying after a few months, left or right. A couple of owners on the blue page bought the same model again after an earlier pair broke, which is a backhanded compliment if I ever saw one. There’s also a good story: one Best Buy reviewer said Sony replaced a failed set at no charge.
Wired earbuds tend to fail at the cable or the plug, and anything that lives in a pocket takes abuse. I can’t give you a failure rate from this sample. I can say that one dead side after a few months is a complaint that comes up more than once, so keep your receipt.
My Verdict for Bass Fans on a Budget
Buy these if bass is what you want, you like a wire that needs no charging, and you are fine trying a few tips to get a seal. For music on a commute, the owners who are happy are very happy.
Skip them if you want balanced sound, if you mainly listen to voices, or if you need a proven headset for long calls. Skip them if large earpieces have bothered you before, and don’t take them to the gym.
If you want a simple wired pair with a lot of low end, the Sony MDR-XB50AP Wired Earbuds are a good bet, with two conditions. Sort out your iPhone adapter first. Then keep the receipt in case one side quits early. This is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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