Slowly (but definitely) wired headphones are disappearing from the streets. Bluetooth sets, such as this Urbanite XL Wireless from Sennheiser, are the new standard. And that's a good thing. The mess with crumpled cords is irritating, the traditional headphone jack is disappearing from smartphones (yes you iPhone!) and you hardly compromise on sound quality with bluetooth.
Sennheiser Urbanite XL Wireless
Price: 279 eurosFashion model: over-ear
Connection: Bluetooth 4.0 or 3.5mm jack
Frequency range: 100-10.000Hz
Frequency Response: 16-22.000Hz
Impendance: 18
Battery life: approx. 25 hours
Codec: aptX, SBC
Info: Sennheiser.com 9 Score 90
- Pros
- audio
- wearing comfort
- Battery life
- Negatives
- Price
- Only in black
The Ubanite XL Wireless is, as you would expect, the same headset as the Urbanite XL. But then wireless. And let me get on with it right away. Because the fact that these headphones are wireless can be seen as a big plus compared to its wired brother. After all, fiddling with cords is increasingly becoming a thing of the past, and Sennheiser is happy to see that too.
And this no longer means a real limitation on the audio quality, since almost every modern device supports bluetooth 4.0 with aptX (okay, not the iPhone yet). The reception of the XL Wireless is also excellent, so you don't hear any hitches when you listen to music while your phone is in a pocket or backpack. The battery lasts about 25 hours more, which means for me that I only have to charge the headphones once every two weeks. Connecting your phone is also very fast thanks to the support of NFC.
Tap and swipe
On the earcup of the XL Wireless is a touch-sensitive panel, so you can control the music without taking out your phone. There is also a built-in microphone, so you can also make calls with it. And the quality of these calls is excellent. For all this wireless pleasure you pay a bit more than the bluetooth-less XL; 279 euros compared to 179 euros. A difference that, in my view, is quite significant.
The fiddling with cords is increasingly becoming a thing of the past.Urbanite vs Beats
With the Urbanite series, Sennheiser is entering the tough 'street style' market that is of course dominated by Beats. And where the two are equal in price, build quality and wearing comfort, the sound quality of the Urbanite XL Wireless is significantly better. The bass is full and warm without crowding out the rest of the music. Something that Beats heatsets often seem to do. In addition, the ear cups of the XL seal out ambient noise well, so that you hear the mid-tones in particular very clearly. A nice all-round headphone, which makes vocals especially excel.
Where the regular Ubanite XL is available in various trendy colors, the Wireless is only available in black. This looks sleek, and fits nicely with the fabric finish of the headband, but it's a shame that we as consumers don't get a little more choice. The further construction is fine, although made of smooth plastic, and there is also nothing to argue with on the fabric ear cushions (which completely fall around the ears). Because the ear cups close so well, your ears do get warm if you listen for a long time. That is of course no problem with the winter ahead, but I can imagine that this will be annoying in the summer.
Solid but safe design
Sennheiser usually provides nice-looking headphones, and that is no different with the XL Wireless. It is a large pair of headphones with a fairly wide headband, which gives it the solidity it also offers. The manufacturer does not take much risk with the appearance, which gives the Urbanite XL Wireless somewhat a dime a dozen. The ear cups can still be folded inwards, which makes the thing more compact to take with you. The manufacturer also supplies a 3.5mm cable (with control panel) to listen to music when the battery is empty, a protective case for the headphones and there is also a micro-USB cable in the box to charge the headset with. load.
Conclusion
With 279 euros, the price is a bit on the high side; With the Urbanite XL Wireless, Sennheiser simply delivers decent headphones that will provide years of listening pleasure in terms of functionality, construction and comfort. And if you know that you listen to a lot of rock, electro, pop, jazz or hip-hop, then you can see these headphones as highly recommended. For classical music, it unfortunately lacks some detail in the treble, but that is the only slight criticism that can be made of the audio. The XL Wireless is simply one of the best all-round wireless headphones out there – and I'm not just talking about this price range.
