Sennheiser Urbanite on-ear headphones were released a few years ago and we are seeing some of its variants like the XL over-ear version or the XL Wireless version. They all have a very similar sound signature, and of course, the Urbanite on-ear headphones are still the most affordable option at the moment. You can easily buy a new pair for around $70 at the time of writing this post. You might be concerned if this is a good product for such a low price, keep reading to find out.
Unboxing Video
Design & Quality
The Urbanite really changed my perception of the Sennheiser brand. I’ve never been a fan of Sennheiser’s designs, particularly on low-priced headphones. Amazingly, the Sennheiser Urbanite looks really good.
Inside the box, there are just a cheap carrying pouch, the headphones and audio cable with a low-profile angled plug.
The Urbanite looks a little different to other headphones at the same price. It features aluminum sliders where your earcups reside on. You actually adjust the headphones to fit your head by sliding the 2 earcups. Don’t try to pull the earcup holders from the headband or you might end up breaking the headphones.
The Urbanite obviously targets young music listeners as it looks so stylish. Mine come in plum color, you can find other nice colors like black, blue denim, red/blue and sand. I’m so surprised that such cheap headphones could have a stylish design and great build quality. Sennheiser also chose good quality materials to make the headphones, it’s a combination of plastic on earcups, aluminum on sliders, steel on hinges and rubber on headband. The upper side of the headband is even decorated with rough fabric which makes the product even more active and unique.
You can fold the 2 earcups inwards and put the headphones into the carrying pouch, however, the folded size is not really small and compact in my opinion. This is a little bulky due to the design and wide headband.
The headphones are fairly comfortable. However, I need to take a rest after about 40 minutes because clamping force still applies some pressure and heat on my ears. Anyway, I find this is a good balance between a soft snug fit and a clamping force to keep the headphones secure. They are still a lot more comfortable than the Marshall Monitor.
My review unit is the iOS version, so the in-line controls don’t operate properly. When I plug the headphones to my Samsung Galaxy phone, only the Play/Pause button works well, I couldn’t use the volume controls at all.
Audio Quality
The Urbanite is designed for mobile devices, so it has a low impedance of 18 ohms. It manages to deliver a very rich and full sound. After putting the headphones on my head, I was immediately aware that their drivers are very capable.
I compared the Urbanite to the Master & Dynamic MH30, which is another very stylish pair of headphones. Surprisingly, the Urbanite sounds ever clearer while the bass response is not as deep and overwhelming. The headphones might not satisfy bassheads but it is is more suitable for normal users as we can enjoy a wider range of music genres. The sound still has a little bass boost but not as significant as the MH30. I find the amount of bass from the MH30 is insane when switching between the 2 cans, it contributes to a very warm sound on the Master & Dynamic headphones. Obviously, the sound from Urbanite is well-balanced, the mids and highs are very well presented. Therefore, we can enjoy a good bass without sacrificing the clarity. These are really a safe choice as there is no distortion or treble spikes.
I spend most of the time listening to 320kbps music on Google Play Music. I believe most people will love the sound because the bass is punchy for EDM while the mids and highs are clear and bright enough for classical and pop music. The soundstage of the Urbanite is not bad at all as compared to other closed-back on-ear headphones. You can also enjoy music in loud places because the sound isolation is quite impressive as well.
Conclusion
Pros
- Stylish design
- Reasonable bass boost
- Clear mids and highs
- Low price
Cons
- A little bulky
- Not really comfortable
The Urbanite headphones are almost the best choice at the low price range. If Sennheiser made them a little more comfy, they will be almost perfect.
Buy Sennheiser Urbanite On-Ear Headphones on Amazon
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