I have a Sennheiser HD448 headphones which is a excelent to pass very good good in the classic jazz pop variety etc ... but for rap / techno dubstep RnB he sinned by lack of bass. So I took the XB500 because I already have the XB700 is also very good but too big for the nomad. Good on this point XB500 is limited. This is a big helmet must say !! But very comfortable and above all very hot. AC in summer can become a bit annoying. On this point the Sennheiser is meilleur.Ensuite vien sound. I have an ipod and in normal mode the overpowering bass headphone eats the rest of the spectrum but by regulating the unit to "flat" the eclipse is erased. You can listen LINKIN PARK MUSE U2 carefree (it's not as good as the Sennheiser headphones but for this price range with serious purpose, it is very good) voices are well rendered and treble ( always felted) is the tip of their nose. it is a pleasant listening in this mode. Now its primary purpose the big sound with very heavy bass. The it is for me the equal of XB700 bass are very very powerful, sustained and especially do not saturate !! The XB700 or surpasses that in the rest of the spectrum. We will certainly want to say m that but for me it is very largely the Beats By Dr Dre! (Which is outrageously expensive for what it is). So here is a very good product with solid material a divinely friendly cable car yes it s not CAUGHT! Super nice as nomadic headphones !! And for the price it is more than an affair! I recommend 100%