Hands-on: Balanced Armature Experience with Sony's New XBA Headphones

What Is Balanced Armature?

While the Sony Experience Balanced Armature (XBA) headphones were released in Japan some time back, unforeseen circumstances have delayed their arrival in Singapore. On 7th February 2012, the XBA lineup finally made its debut on our shores at a launch held at TCC cafe in Suntec City Mall. Sony projects that the in-ear headphones market is set to hit 30 million users in 2012 and has focused to expand their already formidable range with the addition of 11 new models featuring balanced armature technology.

Balanced armature technology is not one that is widely implemented. In fact, even after the introduction of Sony’s contenders, the split in Japan in terms of units sold is 93.9 percent dynamic driver based headphones (which are the traditional designs) while balanced armature headphones garner a measly 6.1 percent of the total share. With just a handful of companies (Sony, Westone and Knowles Electronics to name a few) possessing the resources, know-how and expertise to produce balanced armature driver units, it is no wonder that the numbers are so low.

As is the case with competing technologies, Balanced Armature has its own strength and weaknesses when compared with Dynamic drivers. The fundamental differences lies in how the voice coil behaves with respect to the diaphragm. In a dynamic driver, the voice coil moves itself. In a balanced armature system, a metallic armature suspended between magnets moves instead, with the voice coil being stationary. Not only does this switch give balanced armature drivers greater sensitivity and resolution, but also allows for the driver size to be greatly reduced. This also means that earphones based on these are generally lighter as well. On the flip side, balanced armature drivers traditionally struggle with low frequency performance.

Sony has taken all the advantages that Balanced Armature technology offers and launched the new products as part of a comprehensive XBA lineup centered on the XBA-1, XBA-2, XBA-3 and the XBA-4. The same products are also sold with smartphone compatibility after being fitted with a control pod and in-line microphone. Wireless, Noise Cancelling and Sport headphones complete the new lineup.

Armed with our usual test tracks loaded onto our trusty iPod Classic, a pair of medium ear-tips and wet wipes (hygiene is important), we gave the XBA headphones a shot. Head on to the next page for our full hands-on experience.

Hands On with the XBAs

Sony was kind enough to allow us some serious quality time with the XBA earphones and we were able to put them through their paces. Here is what we found out after our audio trial session.

Sony XBA-4 Earphones

The Sony XBA-4 earphones are the crown jewel of the new Balanced Armature range. It's also the most expensive at a suggested retail price of S$529. Fitted with four balanced armature units handling full range, tweeter, woofer and super woofer duties, the earphones pack a lot of hardware. And even though the balanced armature driver units are small, four of them under one housing results in the XBA-4 looking bloated.

However the hardware really shows off its worth when the XBA-4 is put to the test. The earphones have an extremely natural tone and show excellent attention to detail, evidenced on our play through of Adele's Melt My Heart To Stone. Low frequency performance borders close to being classified as bass heavy but delivers great impact making techno tracks like Tiesto’s Elements of Life come alive. Personally though, we found the bass to be just a smidgen too high with the XBA-4.

Distortion was handled with aplomb when the XBA-4 was tasked with reproducing the harsh guitar tones of Buckethead’s Sail On Soothsayer. The high point of our listening test was a live rendition of Hotel California by The Eagles. The wide vertical soundstage produced by the XBA-4 made it feel as if we were present in the concert hall itself.

Sony XBA-3 Earphones

One step down from the XBA-4, the Sony XBA-3 earphones has a full range driver, a tweeter and a woofer, missing only the super woofer found in the other model. The casing is large but not as off-putting as the XBA-4. With one audio driver less, this unit's SRP is tagged at S$419.

A good soundstage and good transient response made for enjoyable listening when playing Hotel California by The Eagles. Adele's Melt My Heart To Stone was also rendered beautifully although the trebles were not as bright when compared with our experience of the song when testing with the XBA-4.

Balanced Armature technology is known to struggle with the lower tones, but with the XBA-3‘s bass performance on Tiesto's Elements of Life, we were unable to spot any shortcomings. Similarly with Sail On Soothsayer, the headphones navigated the distortion and chiming guitar lines with ease.

In our opinion the XBA-3 seems to be the milder, more sedate brother of the XBA-4. While the latter is full of verve and energy, the XBA-3’s sound is more neutral without sacrificing any of nuances and details. Both are great headphones and the choice between the two would depend on the individual aural preferences of the user.

Sony XBA-2 Earphones

If you have not picked up the pattern of the nomenclature as of yet, the number at the end of the XBA series denotes how many balanced armature driver units are present. The XBA-2 features a full range driver and a woofer and is comparable to the usual dynamic driver fitted sounds buds in the market. Of course, given the nature of these drivers which are inherently more expensive to manufacture, the XBA-2 goes for a pricey S$279.

Bass performance for the XBA-2 can be qualified as weak even though Sony decided to fit it with a woofer rather than a tweeter. Elements of Life by DJ Tiesto lacked the oomph required to really grab the listener's attention and the song suffered from the loose bass characteristics of the headphones. Similarly, distortion on Sail On Soothsayer was muddy.

However, Adele’s Melt My Heart To Stone and Hotel California by Eagles were right up the XBA-2’s alley. As mentioned earlier, balanced armature drivers excel at reproducing details as the melodies for both songs flowed beautifully.

Sony XBA-1 Earphones

The most affordable of the new Balanced Armature headphones from Sony is the XBA-1 at just S$109. With just a single full range driver handling audio duties, the in-ear headphones are quite small. Like the rest of the XBA line-up the XBA-1 features double housing for greater noise isolation and better handling of vibrations.

Plugging the XBA-1 into our iPod Classic and popping them in our ears, the first thing we noticed was the snug fit offered by the headphones. Ambient noise was also blocked out to an impressive degree.

Overall, the tracks sounded slightly flat and clipped especially when compared to our listen through with the more expensive models. That said, the XBA-1 paid great attention to detail for a natural, neutral mix as the earphones aspired to make sure that the songs sounded pleasant to the ear.

Slight blow-out was observed when we tried to tax the headphones at high volume with Sail On Soothsayer’s distortion. But on the whole, the XBA-1 is a good proposition for the audiophile on a budget as the audio quality for its asking price is very decent. These earphones should also serve as an easy stepping stone for audio lovers to try out balanced armature technology.

Other Considerations

The popularity of portable music devices and smartphones has led to headphones being used in a variety of circumstances which requires specific design and functionality. Making sure that every user can enjoy the new XBA line-up, Sony introduced three special headphone models to meet unique criteria of usage.

Sony XBA-NC85D Headphones

Featuring a control box free design, the XBA-NC85D has an integrated digital noise cancelling processor to help protect you from ambient noise. A battery life of 20 hours means that the headphones can last you on long flights as well. It's also priced to match the premium group of travel audio accessories at S$699.

Sony XBA-S65 Headphones

Targeted at the sports and fitness enthusiast, the Sony XBA-S65 has a unique around-the-ear loop design which can be tightened to ensure that the headphones stay in place during the wildest of rides. The headphones are also washable and completely waterproof, meaning that wiping the sweat off them is as easy as putting them under running water. At S$129, this set is priced very competitively given its design and technical properties.

Sony XBA-BT75 Bluetooth Headphones

Bluetooth compatible, the Sony XBA-BT75 does away with wires entirely. Battery and control IC chips have been housed in the ear piece itself due to the small size of the Balanced Armature driver unit. As such, the headphones do not feature a control box. A two-inch stretch of memory wire helps the user ensure the headphones fit properly. This stylish pair has a retail price of S$419.

Pricing and Availability of the XBA Series Headphones

The entire XBA line-up is expected to be available in mid-February 2012 and you're going to like this last bit of information: Sony is so confident with their new products that they will be launched with a Sound Quality Scheme Guarantee. What this entails is, if you're not satisfied with the performance of your XBA headphone, they can be returned for a full refund within 14-days of purchase at the Sony Care return point located at Isetan Orchard (Singapore).

This is a bold move unlike anything we've heard in the audio headset business here. It's an excellent strategy to win the consumer's vote of confidence and encourage users to try out and adopt their new XBA headphones. So if this sounds interesting, look out for them in stores really soon and here's the pricing summary:-

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