The Start
This review is part of the Official Sennheiser URBANITE Australian review tour organized by White Lotus and made possible by Sennheiser Australia .
Many thanks to White Lotus for his efforts and Sennheiser Australia for their trust and generosity .
I have no connection to either party and received no reward or inducement for this review
Cast and crew
For the week the Urbanite was with me it alternated between the following
Ipod nano gen2
FIIO X1
Ipod Classic + Denon DA10
Dell Inspiron 17r
Woo Wa7+Tp
Venue
In order to test the Urbanites suitability to the urban environment we went for a ride on the train , a walk in the park with my dog Pea and hung out at home listening to music and watching TV
Players
I listen mostly to Indie/Alternative music last weeks play list comprised random selections from the following albums
Gary Clark Jr Live : Gary Clark Jr
Planet Blue Eyes : The Preatures
.5: The Grey Chapter : Slipknot
Goin' Boogaloo : C.W. Stoneking
Neutral Ground : Maggie Koerner
Seeds : TV On The Radio
Echo Of Miles : Soundgarden
Roll The Bones : Shakey Graves
The Good
First thing that struck me was build quality
No throw away blister pack here instead you get a keep forever thick card slip box with form fitting foam lining
Sennheiser make plastic feel classy it never looks like the cheap option always the best considered material for the job
From the hard plastic cups and slider through the silicone liner on the headband with fabric top cover to the metal hinge plates and cable guides , everything feels like the right tool for the job
On to design
Sennheiser have clearly dropped some big time and money on some serious industrial design in the Urbanite
Everything here is new , innovative slider and cup gimbal , flat cable which slides in and out of the headband and solid hinges which allow the Urbanite to curl up into a little ball for transport
Sennheisers design brief appears to have been one of quiet strength there is nothing flashy or eye catching but I get a sense of solid dependability about the Urbanite
In Use
While on my train journey to the big city I cranked up the volume while looking for expressions of disapproval from my fellow travelers there were no awkward glances , near journeys end I inquired politely to the elderly couple sitting opposite if they had been disturbed by my loud music to which they replied "Didn't hear a thing dear"
With the volume set low I listened for the rumble of the diesel and the clunk of the track both were subdued to unobtrusive levels
During my walk with Pea who can be quite demanding the Urbanite never felt cumbersome and were easy to manage single handed
Sound quality is in the high end of the spectrum I would say neutral to dark
Bass
Bass is a little distant particularly with my lower powered devices but fills in nicely with more power
Overall bass is good for this price point and the flaws are apparent only when compared to more expensive headphones
Midrange
All is good in the midrange very pleasant timbre and good detail regardless of device
Voice tone was particularly noticeable when watching TV streamed on the laptop great depth and realism
Treble
Treble is never harsh or sibilant , much like bass a little rolled of on the low power gear but full of detail and sparkle with more juice
Stage
Stage is tight as I would expect of a headphone with small closed cups but image is good with clear separation
The Bad
For me the only major downside with the Urbanite was fit while the ear pads are beautifully made from a material similar to the HD800 they are just too small for my ears
While it was possible to achieve a good seal by performing some origami on my ears this caused some discomfort over a long session and when combined with the arms of my glasses it became painful
Headband padding is minimal and although the Urbanite is quite light they still became uncomfortable within an hour
There were also minor quibbles with sound quality on the low power devices , merging bass lines and confused treble but a small amp fixed that
The Ugly
The End
I enjoyed my time with the Urbanite despite my fit issues which are largely due to my large sticky out ears and wearing glasses
While the Urbanite is not spectacular in any respect it never really offends or disappoints
I think they would make a great gift for someone (with average to small ears) new to quality headphones as they have a pleasing sound and are built to last
This review is part of the Official Sennheiser URBANITE Australian review tour organized by White Lotus and made possible by Sennheiser Australia .
Many thanks to White Lotus for his efforts and Sennheiser Australia for their trust and generosity .
I have no connection to either party and received no reward or inducement for this review
Cast and crew
For the week the Urbanite was with me it alternated between the following
Ipod nano gen2
FIIO X1
Ipod Classic + Denon DA10
Dell Inspiron 17r
Woo Wa7+Tp
Venue
In order to test the Urbanites suitability to the urban environment we went for a ride on the train , a walk in the park with my dog Pea and hung out at home listening to music and watching TV
Players
I listen mostly to Indie/Alternative music last weeks play list comprised random selections from the following albums
Gary Clark Jr Live : Gary Clark Jr
Planet Blue Eyes : The Preatures
.5: The Grey Chapter : Slipknot
Goin' Boogaloo : C.W. Stoneking
Neutral Ground : Maggie Koerner
Seeds : TV On The Radio
Echo Of Miles : Soundgarden
Roll The Bones : Shakey Graves
The Good
First thing that struck me was build quality
No throw away blister pack here instead you get a keep forever thick card slip box with form fitting foam lining
Sennheiser make plastic feel classy it never looks like the cheap option always the best considered material for the job
From the hard plastic cups and slider through the silicone liner on the headband with fabric top cover to the metal hinge plates and cable guides , everything feels like the right tool for the job
On to design
Sennheiser have clearly dropped some big time and money on some serious industrial design in the Urbanite
Everything here is new , innovative slider and cup gimbal , flat cable which slides in and out of the headband and solid hinges which allow the Urbanite to curl up into a little ball for transport
Sennheisers design brief appears to have been one of quiet strength there is nothing flashy or eye catching but I get a sense of solid dependability about the Urbanite
In Use
While on my train journey to the big city I cranked up the volume while looking for expressions of disapproval from my fellow travelers there were no awkward glances , near journeys end I inquired politely to the elderly couple sitting opposite if they had been disturbed by my loud music to which they replied "Didn't hear a thing dear"
With the volume set low I listened for the rumble of the diesel and the clunk of the track both were subdued to unobtrusive levels
During my walk with Pea who can be quite demanding the Urbanite never felt cumbersome and were easy to manage single handed
Sound quality is in the high end of the spectrum I would say neutral to dark
Bass
Bass is a little distant particularly with my lower powered devices but fills in nicely with more power
Overall bass is good for this price point and the flaws are apparent only when compared to more expensive headphones
Midrange
All is good in the midrange very pleasant timbre and good detail regardless of device
Voice tone was particularly noticeable when watching TV streamed on the laptop great depth and realism
Treble
Treble is never harsh or sibilant , much like bass a little rolled of on the low power gear but full of detail and sparkle with more juice
Stage
Stage is tight as I would expect of a headphone with small closed cups but image is good with clear separation
The Bad
For me the only major downside with the Urbanite was fit while the ear pads are beautifully made from a material similar to the HD800 they are just too small for my ears
While it was possible to achieve a good seal by performing some origami on my ears this caused some discomfort over a long session and when combined with the arms of my glasses it became painful
Headband padding is minimal and although the Urbanite is quite light they still became uncomfortable within an hour
There were also minor quibbles with sound quality on the low power devices , merging bass lines and confused treble but a small amp fixed that
The Ugly
The End
I enjoyed my time with the Urbanite despite my fit issues which are largely due to my large sticky out ears and wearing glasses
While the Urbanite is not spectacular in any respect it never really offends or disappoints
I think they would make a great gift for someone (with average to small ears) new to quality headphones as they have a pleasing sound and are built to last
