Sennheiser Urbanite XL: A Beats competitor with quality bass

[MUSIC] This is the Urbanite XL, Sennheiser's new, hipper, more fashionable over-the-ear headphone that retails for 249 and comes in a few different color options. Hi, I'm David Carnoy and welcome to another CNet video review. This new headphone is 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 urban flair. Seems designed to appeal to the Beats audience. There's actually a smaller tinier Urbanite that retails for $50 less or 199, but I haven't got my hands on that one yet. What I will say is that this XL model is quite comfortable and manages to passably 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-the-ear model, but they aren't heavy either. And they're designed for both home and mobile use. A detachable cable with an integrated remote and microphone is included. And there will be iOS and Android-friendly versions of the headphone. As for the sound, Sennheiser says the Urbanite XL delivers massive bass with the company's uncompromising audio expertise. I wouldn't say it goes super deep, but there's definitely a lot of bass, and it's pretty tight bass. The detail is also good and while this isn't the warmest headphone, it's pretty forward sounding. It does sound more open than a lot of closed back headphones we've tested. This doesn't have the sound profile of the more balanced sennheiser momentum, but we liked it overall and it's certainly worth considering if you want an exciting dynamic sounding headphone in this price range. Hopefully that price will come down a bit, as this seems more like a $200 headphone than a $250 headphone. Then again, Beats are a low price too, but that doesn't stop people from buying them. I'm David Carnoy. Thanks for watching.