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First looks at the Sennheiser Urbanite series headphones

By Marcus Wong - 24 Oct 2014

First looks at the Sennheiser Urbanite series

The Sennheiser Urbanite and Urbanite XL differ mainly in terms of size and fit.

Meet the new Urbanite headphone series

Headphones for millennials who are "always connected". That’s the premise behind Sennheiser’s new Urbanite series of headphones, and we were on hand at SUP clothing to get a quick look at the first two models for this series: the compact on-ear Urbanite, and the larger over-ear Urbanite XL.

Both have been tuned to provide impressive bass while not losing clarity throughout the frequency range, and have been made light and durable with the specific aim of being comfortable enough to stay on your head for hours on end. This durability is something that was stressed quite a bit, as both models feature stainless steel hinges and tough aluminium sliders that are made to last. Further to this point, flat cabling is used on the headsets, which means less chance of tangle and so less wear and tear in that manner.

Flat cabling for enhanced durability.

The fabric wrapped headband is nice and comfortable, while the cushions are plush and supportive.

The fabric wrapped headband in particular is impressively flexible, and we’re told it’s cushioned with silicon so that you can wipe it down after wear. The sliders work well and also solidly built, but the entire package feels very light overall, and the on-ear Urbanites actually felt extremely comfortable on our head, thanks to the super soft ear pads, which plump back out to their original shape after use. We’re told that even the amount of the perforations made in the ear pads were specifically calculated to allow more air in, but the main take away is this: these headphones are light and comfortable, and you could easily have them on your head for hours on end.

Demonstrating the flexibility and strength of the headband.

Do take note of the version when ordering!

The entire series comes with an integrated in-line remote with microphone for taking calls and basic playback control, but what’s interesting here (and important to note when making a purchase) is that Sennheiser is shipping the headsets with dedicated cables for Apple devices and Galaxy/Android devices, with universal cables coming as a separate accessory towards the end of the year. Sennheiser says this is to ensure perfect compatibility as there are slight differences (and legal complications) between remote controls for the various handsets, so do take note to pick up the appropriate version when making a purchase.

The in-line remote and microphone for playback controls and making calls.

Both the Urbanite and the Urbanite XL fold up for transport and storage.

There are a total of five color options for both the Urbanite and the Urbanite XL, with one unique colorway for each. The common colors for the two being black, denim, sand and nation. The Urbanite has an exclusive plum colorway, while the Urbanite XL’s exclusive colorway is olive (the last options in both pictures).

The entire selection of colorways for the Urbanite.

The color options for the Urbanite XL series.

Overall, we’d say the bass in these headsets is noticeably stronger than the Sennheiser Momentum and Momentum On-Ear, but not to the extent of what you might get in say, a set of Beats. Blessing It by Nujabes got us grooving to the hip-hop beats, and even on more instrumental tracks we felt both the Urbanite and the Urbanite XL performed well, with a crisp response and good sense of detail. Surprisingly, we found that the Urbanite XL proved a harder fit for our head, which meant the drivers were ever so slightly further away, making them feel slightly veiled compared to the Urbanite. Thus, we'd highly recommend you try both sets out for fit to see what works best for you.

The Sennheiser Urbanite will be retail for S$269, and the Urbanite XL goes for S$339 and both will be available at the Sennheiser Concept Store at Marina Square as well as authorized retailers from 28 October. There's also a special pre-order via Stereo Electronics on their Facebook page, so head there if you'd like to secure a pair.

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