Stout sound, good imaging and very comfortable

I had never owned over-the-ear headphones but I wanted these for late night TV viewing and noise screening. I'm comparing them to Sony's Fontopia in-ear design and several on-ear lightweight headphones I own. I do my listening through a good quality home stereo (with bass & treble flat) so I can't comment on performance with portables. As bulky as these are, few people would want to use them away from a chair or desk.

The first thing I noticed was an apparent lack of high-end compared to the other headphone types. Maybe it's the large 40mm drivers, or maybe the bass fullness overwhelms the treble. But, after a few hours of use, I either adapted to the new sound or the drivers got broken in. I ended up very impressed overall. All the detail is there, amidst a full-bodied soundstage. They don't sound as "airy" as on-ear designs but definitely more robust. Sony Fontopia bass is huge for their tiny size, but these win for raw energy.

I notice perhaps a 5% increase in bass in movie-mode, which I leave on most of the time. You can almost feel super-low bass notes, as if a virtual subwoofer is in the room. The 10 Hz rating seems realistic, though few sounds exist there. Watching movies or TV with good stereo headphones is in some ways better than a surround system. It envelopes your brain and you notice details impossible to isolate with speakers. Dialog rarely gets muddled.

The XD200s are very comfortable and provide decent blockage of external noise without feedback circuitry. On hot days I'm sure your ears will sweat but that's a fact of over-the-ear designs. I think the low price is due to the all-plastic frame, not inferior drivers. The plastic feels a bit fragile but the rubberized headband is a quality touch. Handle them with care and they should last. They are excellent for $30.