Sennheiser was founded way back in 1945 by Dr. Fritz Sennheiser. Originally founded as Laboratorium Wennebostel (Lab W) it wasn't until 1958 that the companys name was changed to Sennheiser electronics. Sennheiser didn't start out as a headphones manufacturer, it started out by making high quality microphones for the likes of Siemens. It wasn't until 1968, that Sennheiser made their first headphones and these weren't just any old headphones. They just so happened to create the worlds first open headphones (The HD 414) which thus created an entire new market and it was this product the propelled Sennheiser into a rapid growth state and created the start of one of the most iconic audio technology brands ever to have existed.
Fast forward to the present and Sennheiser is still as strong as ever. They now produce a massive catalogue of products including consumer headphones, earphones, microphones and all the prosumer electronics as well.
Now you know a little of Sennheisers history you can check out their full story at Sennheiser a history in the decades.
Now onto the main event, the review. But before I start I just wanted to thank Sennheiser for sending these headphones out to review.
Unboxing
Well I guess with any product it all starts with how the product is presented. The Urbanites come in a very secure and nicely styled box, that features the Urbanite headphones front and centre. On the bottom is Sennheisers clean and tasteful logo and the Urbanite nomenclature. Round the back is a list of the headphones specifications and a quick summary about the headphones.
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| Front |
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| Back |
Inside the box you are presented with the headphones, I have the Nation version but they come in a variety of different finishes and for different phones as well.
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| Inside (How I packed them this is not a representation of how they come new) |
These include Denim, Sand, Plum, Nation and Black for iOS whereas you are limited to Denim and Black for the other variations of mobile devices. That doesn't matter too much to me as I like the Denim and Black version, but if you want any other of the colour options you will have to trade off some additional functionality. You can check here Urbanite device compatibility to see if your device is compatible.
Back to the unboxing and the headphones are very nicely nestled in a generous amount of soft foam on both sides of the box, this will keep your headphones nice a secure during shipping.
Also included in the box is a soft carry pouch, some documentation and the included cable (see below in Accessories).
So all in all a very nicely presented and superbly packaged product.
Accessories
Like mentioned previously you get some documentation which includes a safety guide, a quick guide, your soft carry pouch and the cable (see below)
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| Included accessories |
The soft pouch is a nice addition and will prevent your headphones from getting scratched if you take them out and about with you. The material is very soft and it features very subtle branding in the top left corner.
The pouch however will not do too much if you so happen to drop the headphones so caution is advised. But like mentioned it is a nice addition to the overall package.
The included cable (iOS version in my case) features a three button remote (Volume control and play/pause) and a mic, so these can be used for taking phone calls. But more on that later.
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| iOS cable |
Design
The nations colour scheme is red, blue, white, beige and black. But like mentioned you can choose different colour schemes if this one doesn't take your fancy.
The first thing that really grabs your attention is the striking red on the ear-cups which really captures your eye and draws your gaze there. This is surrounded by a thin white accent which really compliments the vivid red finish on the ear-cups. It also acts as a nice break between the ear-cups and the ear-pads. Speaking of the ear-pads, they are a very deep black and made from a soft touch velour. On the inside you'll notice a small amount of stitching which attaches to another fabric material on the inside.
The back of the ear-cups are a lovely deep and dark metallic blue and is a surprising, but very pleasing contrast to the punchy impact of the red.
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| Right earcup |
Move around onto the slider and that is finished off in the same deep metallic blue as the back of the ear-cups. This when in direct sunlight has a lovely shimmer to it, thanks to the inclusion of microscopic flakes in the paint. On there you'll also the Sennheiser logo printed in a sharp and very contrasting white.
Move up a little and you'll see a silver support, this again features that lovely flake in it which makes it glimmer. Though only slight it adds an extra dimension to the finish that I really love. On the left side you'll see the Sennheiser name finished in blue and on the opposing side the Urbanite nomenclature.
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| Left slider |
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| Right slider |
Move around onto the headband and there you'll find a fabric finish which is a refreshing change to all the plastic stuff on the market. The headband is really nicely finished and features exposed stitching which adds a touch of class to the quite youthful aesthetic. Underneath the headband a thin white accent curves around the contours of the band mirroring the same accent featured on the ear-cups.
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| Headband |
Underneath that is the headbands padding which is navy blue and matches the rest of the colour scheme very well indeed. On the inside you will see the left and right indicator flanked by some silver exposed screws. Now Sennheiser could have easily covered up those screws but I like that there on show and they add to the overall design rather than detract anything from it.
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| Left indicator |
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| Right indicator |
Finally the cable management, now to be honest I personally think that this could have been streamlined a bit to make it a little less obtrusive, but there is probably a very good reason why its designed like that. But that's just my personal opinion on it, you might not mind that particular feature but like I said its just an opinion. On the top of the ear-cup (where the cable enters) there is an unexpected silver accent which Sennheiser could have left red, but that just shows the level of fine detail Sennheiser puts into their products.
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| Additional detail |
Now we move onto the cable. The cable is a black and a flat ribbon esque design and is coated with a very smooth and soft coating. At the top of the cable is the Urbanites proprietary 2.5mm cable that has a cool feature, which I will discuss later on.
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| 2.5mm jack |
Move down the cable and we come to the three button remote for iOS or Android if you go for that model. The remote features a volume up and down, your play/pause button which also acts as a button for taking calls and finally a mic on the back.
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| Three button remote |
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| Mic |
Then right down at the bottom is the 3.5mm gold plated L shaped connector. This is a decent length and should easily fit into your phone whilst wearing a case, unless its something really massive like a Otterbox case.
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| 3.5mm jack |
Overall the headphones design is very nice, I've really grown to like the Nation colour scheme and it makes a change to the restrained products you see all to often. The design although full of features is really coherent and well thought out. The colour combination works much better in person than it would suggest on paper and I am thoroughly impressed.
Build
The headphones are made from a combination of metal of plastic. The slider mechanism is made from a very solid but lightweight Aluminium, this feels very robust and solidly built. The slider is also very smooth and has a very fluid motion when adjusting the height of the ear-cups. This is then securely fixed to a Stainless Steel hinges which again feels sturdy and not in the slightest bit flimsy. The headphones do feature a folding mechanism, which unlike some is rugged and very well made. I really don't think it will be failing any time soon.
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| Folding mechanism bracket |
The headband does have a little bit of flex in it, but nothing of major concern and that actually helps with comfort too, but more on that later. The band although has a little flex is still again very well made, the finish of the fabric is very good quality as is the exposed stitching. The fabric although tough in nature doesn't feel that was at all, its actually quite smooth with a little bit of texture to keep things interesting.
Under that is the very smooth padding which is seamlessly joined to the headband, usually there are some tell tale signs of bad craftsman ship, but not here. The joins are very coherent and the fit and finish is superb. Even the area around the exposed screws is perfectly shaped around it. Its in these details that you can tell Sennheiser haven't scrimped or cut corners in any way.
The cable is also top quality too, its finished in a soft touch rubber like coating that feels very nice and very smooth. All the joins and connection points are well executed with no areas for concern. Even the joins on the main connectors are expertly finished. The control module even though plastic is solid and well made. The buttons have a reassuring feel and they've even changed the finish on the play/pause so you can distinguish it from the volume controls. This is brilliant as it means you don't need to fumble around trying to look at it.
The only minor negatives I have (and they are minor) is the plastic ear-cups, yes they look nice, but it does have a tendency to creak a little when pressed. But again its only a minor issue and will not in any effect the performance of the headphones.
The other small issue I found is the ear-padding comes off quite easily, now this maybe a feature where you can remove them to clean. But I thought it was worth mentioning as they aren't the easiest of things to put back on.
Comfort
The headphones have to be up their with the most comfortable on ears I've ever tested. The ear-cups are so soft, plush and feel great on the ears and they are very comfortable indeed. The usual comfort test was carried to see how long I could wear the headphones before wanting to take them, surprisingly I lasted around 3 and half hours before I took them off (that's only because I needed to do other things) I could have possibly gone longer. But the ear padding is pretty awesome, with one issue. The velour finish does attract a lot of dust and dirt, so keeping them looking fresh is a task but this is a very worth while trade off for the extreme comfort factor.
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| Ear-cups |
Unlike leather the velour finish didn't get overly hot, even with extended use. I can honestly say that I think I'm actually going to start looking for this material over leather in the future.
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| Headband |
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| Axis of movement |
All in all, the Urbanite are very comfortable headphones, so
if you like listening to music for extended times or if you’re on a long
commute these don't disappoint.
Isolation and Leak
So as usual I tested these in my room and on public transport. In my room they performed better than many other headphones I've tested. That is with music in the back ground. They blocked out surprising levels on noise and the noise that did get in, we are unlikely to encounter on a daily basis. On public transport they performed really great, sat in a rather old and loud bus I could not hear anything (with music at about 75% volume). I mean were talking loud engine noises, tyre roar and outside traffic noise. Its only when you pause your music does it let noise in but even then its nothing really of note. So they actually performed better than I thought a pair of on-ears could.
As for leak, they again perform great, but then again usually when a headphone isolates well it doesn't leak that much either. That is true for these. The ear-pads fit very nicely against your ears and provide a great seal, which like mentioned works for isolation as well.
The leak from these is very minimal, so really you're not going to bother anyone unless you have them on full volume with someone sat very close.
So what does all this mean. Well with good isolation it means you can enjoy your music at comfortable listening volumes with no background noise seeping in and spoiling your listening experience. So not only does it improve experience but can save your hearing as well. That's because you can have it on quieter as you don't have to block out any background noise with increased volume.
Features & Specs
For features the Urbanites have a folding mechanism, which means they fold down into quite a compact form factor. This means they can easily fit into the included carry pouch, which you can then easily slip into a large jacket pocket or a bag.
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| Folding mechanism |
Although no actual information is available on the drivers, they look to be approximately 40mm and an educated would say they include neodymium magnets in the drivers. But without the actual information I can't be 100% sure.
Other features include a single sided cable input, an iOS controller and premium materials. The included controller works very well, the buttons feel great and like previously stated its a joy to use on the go. The microphone quality is pretty good, usually with these mics you can sound a bit robot like, but I found this one to be quite clear. The audio through the drivers is respectable, its not the best I've heard but you can still hear whats being said, its just not the best of quality.
But all this still makes taking calls on the go a breeze and means you don't need to get your phone out to have a decent conversation.
The specs
- Headphones type: Closed back
- Coupling: Supra-aural
- Frequency response: 16 - 22,000Hz
- Impedance: 18Ohm
- SPL (sound pressure level): 118dB @ 1kHz
- THD: < 0.5%
- Weight: 260g
- Cable: Sennheiser proprietary cable (2.5mm to 3.5mm)
- Cable length: 1.2m
- Cable controller: iOS (Android as another option)
- Microphone: 100 - 10,000Hz
- Microphone pick up: Omni-directional
- Microphone sensitivity: -44dB V/Pa
- Warranty: 2 years
Sound
So we've already established that they look great, they are very well made, they are comfortable, they isolate well and don't leak noise. But the most important thing, how do they sound?
Well these are not your normal Sennheisers, these are designed for the younger generation that want a more impactful sound with big amounts of bass and a more club like experience. Well they certainly deliver the bass, but they are so much more that just that.
All the initial listening was done with a flat EQ.
Bass: Is very powerful in its delivery, it hits really hard when the occasion calls for it. The bass has a lot of presence in the sound and can sometimes dominate a little too much for my personal taste. This can sometimes lead to a loss of detail and refinement across the spectrum of the bass region. But you can't deny that the bass isn't a wow factor. Its very deep and has a significant amount presence which can sometimes creep into the lower mids and the mid-range, which in turn adds more depth to the sound in that area.
This is not necessarily a bad thing and it all means is that they excel for bassy genres such as DnB, electronic genres, rap, hip-hop etc.. so if you are into that sort of sound then these will deliver that.
I will admit though that I did find myself listening to some drum n bass and actually really liking the sound, as DnB can be notoriously difficult to get sounding good. But I have to say these didn't disappoint in that regards.
Mid-range: This is where it sort of is a bit of let down for me. Personally I prefer a wide open and airy mid section. These though can come across a bit closed in and a bit subdued at times. I'm putting that down to the powerful bass. This means a loss in clarity and can make instruments sound a little repressed and not gaining the attention that they deserve.
A little bit of shame, however there is a very simple fix for that.
Adjusting the EQ did make a difference, it brought out the mid range a lot and gave the bass a little less impact. Before the EQ change change, things like the sound of pianos, guitars and other instruments/synths that sit in the mid were a little lost.
Boost the mids (@ 500, 1K, 2K, 4K), drop the bass a bit and everything changes, they become totally different. They still have the big bass character but its presence is lessened which gives lacking details chance to come through. All the suppressed sounds come to life and become more lively, that means its all there it just needs some coaxing to get the most from it.
Vocals: Is actually is strong point. I was expecting them to be a little lacking because of the mids. But I was wrong, they are strong, clear, defined and have a little bit of a warm edge, which goes hand in hand with the sound Sennheiser are trying to achieve. The warm tones make the sound exciting which is what the younger generates wants and these defiantly deliver an exciting sound.
Back to the vocals though and I was impressed before the EQ shift, but even more so after. They became much more expressive, emotive and really added a new layer to the sound. With the EQ change these are no up there with some of the best I've heard.
Highs: Are again a little bit muted, but I don't particularly mind that at all. I like my highs to be just audible rather than trying to take center stage. So for me these are perfect. They aren't harsh or tinny and they have a fairly soft approach. Which again is fine by me.
I can see what Sennheiser has tried to achieve here and they have delivered on that. Although the sound did take a bit of tweaking (but most headphones do) they did sound like they were meant to. They are supposed to have powerful bass with an intense sound and they really do. Its not to my personal preference but that doesn't make it bad in the slightest. They actually are very enjoyable to listen too, especially if you enjoy bassy genres of music.
Summary
So to wrap this up, the Urbanites are very nicely designed especially the flakes in the paint (I really do like shiny things). I like the slider and I think the cable locking mechanism is something more companies should incorporate into their designs. They are very well made with their use of materials not usually found at this price. They are comfortable, they isolate noise sublimely and don't leak sound either. And finally they deliver on the sound that they promised too.
All in all I have really enjoyed my time with the Urbanites and I'm actually quite sad to see them go. So if you're looking for a modern urban styles set of headphones that look good and sound great then these are worth it.
Thanks again to Sennheiser for sending these out and thank you to everyone reading this review.
All the links
Sennheiser Website: http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/
Sennheiser Urbanites: http://en-uk.sennheiser.com/urbanite-on-ear
Sennheiser Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sennheiser_UK
Sennheiser Google+: https://plus.google.com/sennheiser
Sennheiser YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/sennheiserofficial
My links
My YouTube review of the Sennheiser Urbanite: http://youtu.be/PwRrrUFLCk4
Google +: http://plus.google.com/westonreviews
Instagram: https://instagram.com/weston_reviews
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