 I'm very glad that I visited the Sennheiser factory in between starting my listening impressions of the Urbanite and the Urbanite XL and actually filming this video. It gave me a much greater appreciation for the positioning of this product, even though for me personally, it doesn't really light any fires. Cooler Master Neptune Series CPU Coolers are available in a variety of radiator sizes to perfectly suit your next build. Click now to learn more. So for me, the Urbanite really begins with the headband. Sennheiser has learned a ton since the original Momentum series. The rock hard headband padding and lack of foldability for a product that's designed to be used on the move. I mean, it's right in the name, were issues with both models of the Momentums. And the ear cup foam of the on-ear specifically was pretty darn uncomfortable for me until I'd broken it in for a couple weeks. No longer issues. By using the materials they chose for the Urbanite headband, Sennheiser maintains the thin profile that fashion headphone users demand and yet managed to make it comfortable on my noggin. The outside has a canvassy feeling material of tasteful stitching on either side. Then on the inside is where the magic happens. This soft-touch rubberized material seems to automatically distribute pressure more like an air cushion than a traditional pad. It's very nice. And its grippiness also helps it stay in place even during vigorous back and forth movements. Although I did find that the on-ear didn't hold up quite as well in my side to side shake test as did the XL. Now, as well as they fit on my head, I really feel like they were actually designed to be worn around the neck. That rubberized inner pad is amazing for this. Somehow it keeps the headphone in place but manages to not tug on any of the fine hairs on the back of your neck. And the flat wire cover that retracts into the ear cup when you adjust the size was impossible to get caught on clothing or anything else in any situation. So bravo, Sennheiser. They really do work well around the neck. Since we're moving down the headphone, I guess, we might as well talk about how overbuilt they are in general. The hinge is made of stainless steel and snaps into place with a satisfying tactile click. And even though I wish it locked so I wasn't adjusting it constantly, the size adjust slider on each side is made of a solid piece of aluminum that just makes me mad, actually. Not because it's bad, it's really good. I mean, these things are built like a tank. But because it makes me feel like headphone makers have been holding out on us. I mean, how do similarly priced products get away with being made like airplane headphones when it's possible to do this at this price point? Anyway, rant aside, the next major stop of our tour of the product is the ear cups. The foam they're using here is this wonderfully dense, slow rebounding memory foam with a velvety soft outer covering that I found managed to isolate outside sounds reasonably well, bearing in mind, of course, that they don't have active noise cancellation or anything like that without being unbreathable. It's really quite nice, probably my second choice to natural leather. So overall comfort wise, except when wearing them with one ear off, I find the XL significantly more comfortable for me because I have sensitive ear lobes that make on ears like this pretty hard to wear for long. But I still think it's worth mentioning that in general, they're quite comfortable and the on ear is more comfortable than any other super aural headphone I've used. So for those of you who can use on ears, you might find this to be an excellent choice, which leads us to the end of the physical look. On the bottom of the left ear cup, which, by the way, you can easily feel for in the dark with the three bumps on the headband, is a four pole detachable locking connector that leads to a heavier than I'd like, but undeniably tangle resistant cord that terminates in a right angled three and a half millimeter connector. Before you get to the end though, you'll find the inline three button control pod with an omnidirectional microphone that folks on the other end of the line described to me as just fine. The cool thing here, though, is that Sennheiser has both iPhone and Android versions of the Urbanites. So just check their online compatibility list if you want to use multiple presses for media control in addition to being able to answer calls and adjust volume. Pretty cool stuff. Alright, so this video has all been incredibly positive so far, Linus. What was up with that bit at the beginning where you said that they didn't light any fires for you? Well, I've got one big complaint. The sound just isn't right for me. I mean, it's not like it's bad. Sennheiser as a company didn't completely forget how to build headphones or anything. And if I was only comparing them to plastic rubbish like the Star Wars Streets by 50 I Wrapped About slash Reviewed here, both Urbanites would win my coveted gold Star of Awesomeness Award for sure. But since my job is not to compare new stuff against the worst thing you could possibly spend your money on, but rather the best, I spent most of my time comparing them against the excellent Momentum and Momentum on ear, which just plain sound better to me. Highs are typical Sennheiser, so clear but not sparkly to the point of sounding harsh to my ears. But like, I'd be sitting there trying to listen to the Urbanites and something would sound a little off to me, usually some masked clarity in the mids, particularly vocals, and I'd switch over to the equivalent Momentum to see if I was imagining it, then I'd catch myself, you know, five or ten minutes later, still wearing the Momentums and just listening to music because I forgot I was supposed to be working. Additionally, while it's a heck of a lot better than the poorly tuned boomy mess that Millennials have been fooled into believing is acceptable through celebrity endorsements and flashy advertising, I just didn't find the low end of these as tight and punchy as I personally like, and I found myself wishing I could trade some of that rumble for better mids. So the conclusion here should be simple then, right? Skip the Urbanites and pay an extra 50 bucks to accidentally get lost in your music when you put your headphones on? Well, hold on a second, maybe not actually. I don't really care for dubstep or electronic music, and I'm not accustomed to listening to beats all day. So the real conclusion here is that these were made to appeal to a group of people I simply don't belong to. For the target audience, I can pretty much guarantee these are going to sound like the bee's knees because Sennheiser has delivered something very untraditional for them here. A headphone with a smiley sound signature that the Beats generation folks crave, but done much better. A stepping stone product, seemingly made to capture like a laser targeted audience, and at the same time, turn them into a more discerning user overall. So when the time comes for them to graduate to something truly audiophile grade, they won't settle for the quality that they used to accept. To me, it looks like Sennheiser is playing a really long game here. And if every step is as well executed as the Urbanites, then like bloody hell, I think it's going to work. I mean, after all that stuff I said about not being part of the, you know, fashion conscious, Lord knows I'm anything but fashion conscious, but not being part of the fashion conscious crowd, even I was blown away when I saw the nation version of these in person. They look really, really cool. Speaking of things that are cool, audible.com. I'm sure you guys have heard me talk about what an awesome service audible is by now, but if not, I'll give you a short breakdown. They're an audiobook provider with a library of over 150,000 titles, and they make it super easy to keep up on your reading, or in this case, listening. With their monthly audiobook membership, your first audiobook is free, and after that you get one every month for being a member. With discounts on additional audiobooks you want to pick up. If you've been waiting to see the new Maze Runner movie, because you haven't yet had a chance to read the book, then you should probably run. Oh, this is a terrible joke that I didn't write. You should run to use your free audiobook credit on the Maze Runner Part 1, written by James Dashner and narrated by Mark Deakins. And when you do, make sure you use the link in the video description. That's audible.com slash Linus. So they know that we sent you. Thanks for watching, guys. Like this video if you liked it. Dislike it if you dislike it. Leave a comment if your feelings are more complicated than this. And as always, check the link in the video description if you want to support us. There's a link there where you can give us a monthly contribution. You can buy a cool t-shirt like this one, or you can change your Amazon bookmark to one with our affiliate code. So if it's time to buy new headphones or whatever else, we get a small kickback when you buy stuff. That kind of thing helps us out a lot. Thanks again for watching and as always, don't forget to subscribe.