What can be a better gift than the gift of music for Christmas? Sennheiser is delivering just that this season with their brand new URBANITE headphone line.
The name of these cans is very telling. They are designed and tailored for the youthful and outgoing music lover. URBANITE are on-ear headphones, and personally, I am not a fan of this style of sound delivery. However, I found the fabric and cushioning extremely and surprisingly comfortable. The build quality of these headphones are very sturdy with its stainless steel hinges. Sennheiser has done something rather unique. Instead of the cups moving up and down to extend space, they actually slide down the sides of the exterior and stay in place. Each pair come with a simple yet elegant 3-button remote flat cable. This means you will have easy access to your music and have a tangle-free experience while on the go.
Design-wise, these look fantastic. I was sent the blue Denim version. It has fabric laid on top of the stainless steel with white stitchings along the sides. These come in a variety of colours other than mine, including Sand (brown/beige) , Plum (dark purple), Nation (red, white and blue) and Black.
The most important criteria of any audio device is sound performance. The URBANITE does an excellent job at this. The bass is really good and heavy but without sacrificing clarity. Unlike brands such as Beats by Dre, which produce very hard bass lines, but tend of have muddy mid-tones.
I am a big fan of Sennheiser. We use their MD 46 microphones for musicians and celebrities interviews. However, I am disappointed that a large number of my peers haven’t used or even heard of this great German audio company. I believe this is because they targeted the higher-end of the audiophile spectrum with their HD 800 over-ear and IE80 in-ear products in the past. Sennheiser is making new mainstream strides with URBANITE on-ear headphones.
If you’re a lover of music or are in need of a gift for that audiophile in your life, be sure to pick up the Sennheiser URBANITE headphones this holiday season. Overall, they pack a powerful bass with full clarity in a sleek and stylish design in the $199 USD price range.
A variety of songs tested with:
- “Fall in Love” by Phantogram
- “Good Fortune” by PJ Harvey
- “A Sky Full of Stars” by Coldplay
- “Save The Day” by College feat. Nola Wren
- “Captive” by Sarah Harmer
- “Touch” by Daft Punk
- “One More” by Elliphant
