Review: Sennheiser Urbanite XL Wireless headphones
Saturday, April 25, 2015 at 10:09AM 
By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla
If you’re going to buy just one set of headphones and want to use it for enjoying music and also for communicating, Sennheiser’s Urbanite XL Wireless is a superb all-around set.
Sennheiser’s Momentum top of the line of over ear headphones were one of the most impressive sets I tested over two years ago, they excelled mostly because of great fit and comfort as well as truly magnificent audio quality regardless of what type of music I was listening to.
I’ve been using and travelling with a newer series, the Sennheiser Urbanite XL Wireless ($ 349.95). Styling is sportier, slightly less lavish than the Momentum’s plush leather and steel build and finish, but still very comfortable to use for long commutes.
While the Momentum’s vibe was more sophisticated and dressed up, the Urbanite XL is definitely an ode to street style with shades of stitched denim and hard plastic as well as a variety of contrasting colours that are attractive yet neutral.
What I love about the Urbanite XL is that it is a wireless set of headphones that also incorporates intuitive and precise touch functionality and unparalleled portability. The wireless technology is also top notch.
Set up is effortless thanks to NFC, which allows easy Bluetooth pairing to NFC compatible devices. Use of the latest Bluetooth 4.0 standard enables multi-connectivity pairing up to 8 different devices as well as simultaneous connection to 2 devices, which means you can have it paired to your phone for music and calls and also to your PC for conferencing.
There’s also nothing janky about the Urbanite XL Wireless’ construction, I found that it could take a beating, survive the rigours of daily commuting as well and modern travel. The choice of materials, innovative construction as well as the exacting fit and finish are aspects that most users will appreciate right away.
The convenience of not needing a wired connection, having easy access to a microphone for calls, Skype or Hangouts and using voice assistants like Siri or Google Now makes the Urbanite XL Wireless a great accessory that can be used in various situations.
Personally, I’ve preferred earbud-type headphones because they are more compact. My experience with over the ear headphones hasn’t been great. They don’t fit well; they get hot and sweaty and can be uncomfortable after an hour of use.
The unique design of the Urbanite XL Wireless features a rubber support for each ear cup that constantly adjusts and offers a good fit without feeling too tight. The soft ear cups gently hug your ears and form a seal for sound. While these aren’t noise-isolating headphones, they do a pretty good job of muting external noise and have saved me from going crazy while sitting right next to a turboprop’s propeller for two hours.
Sound quality is superb with pronounced bass but no distortion. I gave the Sennheiser’s a barrage of music from CDs, high-resolution audio files as well as my Spotify playlists and they delivered great sound each time.
Some pop songs ,like Ariana Grande and the Weeknd’s ‘Love Me Harder’, usually sound just okay but hearing it on the Urbanite XL made me feel I was listening to it for the first time. The driving beats, the oscillating bass line as well as the delicately nuanced vocals sounded fluid and silky.
Jack White’s “Lazaretto” album was a joy to listen to on the Urbanite XL Wireless and had a nice live feel to it as well as great sound separation that allowed me to distinguish the various layers of instruments.
With built-in Li-Polymer batteries, the Urbanite XL Wireless can last for up to 25 hours and has a standby time of 15 days plus has a decent Bluetooth 4.0-enabled 10 m range.
The only niggle I have about this set of headphones is that the fabric that covers the headset tends to attract dust and pet hair, this doesn’t affect performance or sound quality at all.
If you’re going to buy just one set of headphones and want to use it for enjoying music and also for communicating, Sennheiser’s Urbanite XL Wireless is a superb all-around set. Long battery life, solid wireless performance and stunning audio quality are as impressive as the build-quality and cohesive fit and finish.
Sennheiser’s made the Urbanite XL Wireless its most connected set as well, touch control for volume and NFC pairing functionality make competing products feels stale and old fashioned, while the Urbanite’s street-smart styling and balance of features make it a superior choice.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Reader Comments (1)
great review and details but the price quite high. I will wait when it has a discount program and will get it. Thank for your information