Meet the Urbanite XL, Sennheiser's new, hipper, more fashionable over-ear headphone that retails for $250 (available in the UK for £200) and comes in a few different color options. In Australia, the XL goes on sale in mid-November and will cost AU$399.
It's a little bit of a departure for Sennheiser, which has staked out more of an audiophile audience in the past. But Beats has had such a profound impact on the market that Sennheiser's decided to come out with a headphone with a little more flair that seems designed to appeal to the Beats audience.
A smaller, on-ear Urbanite retails for $50 less -- $200 (also available for £150 in the UK; AU$299 in Australia) and is appealing for those who don't to wear quite such a full-size headphone, particularly for mobile use.
Both models are comfortable to wear, but this XL model is arguably a bit more comfortable and it does a good job of passively seal out a decent amount of sound without clamping down on your head too firmly. The headphones fold up into a more compact form factor and they come with a carrying pouch, but it's pretty skimpy, which is a little disappointing.
While the headphones are mostly plastic, they do have metal hinges and seem sturdily built. They're not light for an over-ear model, but they aren't heavy either and are designed for both home and mobile use. A detachable, thick flat cable with an integrated remote and microphone is included and Sennheiser says both iOS- and Android-friendly versions of the headphone will be available (we tested the iOS-friendly version and call quality was decent using the headphones as a headset).
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