Hi guys, to quickly introduce myself, I am quite new to the whole audiophile world. I don't consider myself as one, just a person who likes products that fulfill my needs and give the best quality for the money (Since nowadays, you wanna save a penny if you can).
Now, before I start, I'd like to mention that the only types of audio equipment I have ever owned are the Koss Porta Pros (newest version I believe), Sony headphones (with my walkman 6 years ago xD), Logitech Headset, Logitech X-530, Zune, Ipod Touch 3g(I use now), and Creative X-Fi sound card.
Over the years I have also became "bass" prone. I love songs with tons of bass, and the presence of bass guitars playing. However the music I listen to is practically everything ranging from rock, rap, pop, r&b, reggaeton, electronica, country, classical, the whole 9 yards.
So here it is, at the store (Saturn) I stumbled across some Sennheiser headphones and stopped at the PX100s and the PX100-IIs. I have heard alot about the PX100s being great for portability and sound quality, also on the spot I tested the PX100s they had on the wall. I instead opted for the PX100-IIs since I would assume they would be better, even though they didn't have them to sample. For a little more Euros, it was a choice that didn't break my wallet.
They came in a nice compact package like this.
The box was smaller than the ones from the PX100s, and included a pouch instead of a plastic case seen here.
The only headphones that I can compare these with are the Koss Porta Pros, so I'll mention those every once in awhile.
Sound:
Right away fresh from the box I noticed the bass was very obvious, even more than the PX100s I have tested at the store. The initial listening experience was just bass to me with mids and treble kinda there, so I let a few minutes of songs go through to warm up the drivers. Right through watching the FIFA 2010 World Cup (England vs Algeria ;D), all the frequencies came out beautifully! I heard sounds (instruments, etc) that I haven't heard before. I was already blown away by the Porta Pros, but these PX100-IIs added an extra layer of detail to the mix. So that was a nice surprise. At this point, the PPs in comparison had more sparkly highs and a bit better 3d soundstage. The PX100s at the store were also more on the treble side. The PX100-IIs beats them in mids and lowish lows? and bass. I would assume from the mods I have read, adding HD414s big yellow fluffy earpads would bring out the highs more all for a low price.
Comfort:
Alright, this mostly applies for people with watermelon heads like mine, but I found these to be less comfortable than the Porta Pros. Initially they were great, but after like 45mins my ears start to hurt. The padding on top are nice though, and sit great. The Porta Pros definitely win in this department, since 1. They have the comfort setting 2. is more flexible, less rigid, and the speakers move more freely. So I was able to wear the PPs for hours on end. I can't say for the PX100s since I only had them on for 2 sample songs.
Durability:
Just by looking at the PX100-IIs at first sight, they look more sturdier than the PX100 and PPs. They are also heavier than both, but still light in terms of being a portable headphone. If anything happens, you have the 2 year warranty to back you up, though Koss gives you a lifetime warranty.
Extras:
These only came with a pouch, instead of the traditional plastic "ritual" case. As much as I like the plastic case, the pouch was not bad at all either. I was able to fit the headphones, my ipod touch, and IEM all in there.
In comparison to the PPs, they also give you a pouch, but also an adapter for the big equipment. The pouch for the PP is rather small, and I always found it tricky to put the cans in, despite making the PPs as small as possible.
Conclusion:
Well there it is guys. Hopefully over time when burning them in, I would get even more out of these headphones. But still I believe for this price point you simply can't go wrong. Simply fantastic for mp3 players such as my Ipod Touch. You can also use them for gaming, I used these with COD4. Though I think the PPs had more of a 3D feel as mentioned be4 and the volume was more sensitive.
