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The latest addition to my earphones/headphones collection is a Sony In-Ear Headphones from Balanced Armature series. Normally, I couldn’t justify myself to buy any headphones with price tag above $100. And this Sony product has retail price of $249 (AUD), or $220 (USD) according to Amazon. Even Amazon’s discounted price still $129 (USD). So how did I end up getting this one?

Few weeks ago there’s a sale in Sony Australia website with unbelievable price for their Balanced Armature series. Their site was crashed due to the massive response from people interested in the sale, then they decided to stop the sale and implement a queuing system. I jumped in the queue, waited about a week, and received email from Sony with my unique promotion code. So I get this interesting earphones for $37.49 (AUD).

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Now let’s talk about the Balanced Armature series. According to Sony’s microsite, there are 7 variants of earphones of Balanced Armature. I would consider the first 4 types as the main ones: XBA-1, XBA-2, XBA-3 and XBA-4. As you can see in the picture above, the more advanced model has more sound drivers. The one I get is XBA-2, which has full range driver + woofer. Why didn’t I get XBA-3 or XBA-4? Well, XBA-4 was not offered in the sale program from the first place, so I was aiming for XBA-3. By the time I got Sony’s email with unique promotion code, XBA-3 is already sold out. So my best bet was XBA-2, and it does not disappoint !

In the package, we will get the Sony In-Ear Headphones, hybrid silicone rubber earbuds (4 different sizes, including the one already attached to the headphones), noise isolation earbuds (3 different sizes), cord adjuster (winds cord up to 50cm), cord clip, carrying case and operating instructions. The L-shaped plug is detachable, means we can choose not to use it. All the plugs are gold-plated. The earbuds are color-coded, red for super small, orange for small, green for medium and light blue for large. The default one attached is medium-sized hybrid silicone rubber earbuds.

Changing the earbuds is easy if done correctly. This is the first time I need to read operating manual to use an earphone ! To my personal taste, noise isolation earbuds feels better in my ears compared to the hybrid silicone rubber earbuds. Both earbud models look similar actually, except for the extra layer between the colored part and the outer part. There’s a layer called “pressure-relieving urethane cushion” there, and I guess it does more than just isolating noise, it makes the earphones rest more comfortable in my ears.

When using this headphones with a smartphone, we can adjust volume and perform some remote actions. The remote button can be used to play/pause music, answering calls and ending calls. In my iPhone, double-clicking the button when playing music works well to skip the music to the next track. The included carrying case is well-made, feels solid and exclusive. I choose not to use the cord adjuster and the cord clip, so I can’t comment about them.

Now, the most important factor of headphones: the sound quality. So far in my collection I have Apple original earphones for iPhone 4S or older, Apple original In-Ear headphones, Apple original EarPods for iPhone 5, Philips In-Ear headphones (I forget the model number), Philips O-Neill Stretch headphones, Philips SHB6110 Bluetooth headphones and Sennheiser PMX 50. I compared them all, and my new Sony XBA-2 is clearly my new favorite. By far, XBA-2 produces the most natural sound compared to my other headphones. The bass is there, but not too much. The treble is clear. I can hear the very detail of the music instruments, including some I have never realized before.

However, Sony XBA-2 is not the most comfortable one for prolong use. For hours of music listening, I would still choose my Apple EarPods because it’s NOT an In-Ear headphones. Its unusual shape makes it comfortable for long-term use without straining my ears. Sony XBA-2 shares the common problem of most In-Ear headphones I’ve tried so far.

Overall, Sony XBA-2 is a good in-ear headphones worth its reputation. I will definitely NOT buy it on its retail price. But it’s a very nice buy for the price I paid (AUD 37.49 or about USD 34.39 using today’s rate).