[size=large]Sennheiser CX-300 Review[/size]
by a non-audiophile.
[size=medium]Introduction: [/size]
I've owned a 5G iPod for a year, and been using the stock white Apple earbuds that came with it. I hate them; they're extremely uncomfortable, sound quality is terrible, and not very durable (mine have almost fallen apart, with the phone coming apart with little force and the rubber coating deteriorating and exposing the wire). Also, they don't provide any isolation from external noise, making it very difficult to actually hear my music unless I crank up the volume (which I really prefer not to do).
I began looking at options for a pair of new headphones. I decided that I wanted them to be relatively cheap (around $50 or less), portable (earbuds, canalphones, or IEMs) and comfortable, with good sound quality and a moderate amount of isolation. After some research and a few posts on the
Head-Fi forums, I had narrowed down my options to a few models. The CX-300 was especially appealing; however, the main turn-off was the price; MSRP is $90, and they were $60 on Amazon (minus shipping).
I turned to eBay. I'm aware that most of the headphones on there, especially CX-300s, are fakes that are sold for impossibly low prices. However, I came across one seller named "pigheadman" who provided a guide to detecting fakes. His price was low, but not too good to be true, so I decided to take a chance and paid $18 + $10 shipping.
He shipped from China, so it took a little while to arrive (paid for and shipped on the first, received on the 19th). They arrived in a blister package (pics in
this topic) that looked different from some packages I had seen in pictures, so I was suspicious of fakes. However, after opening them and giving them a good listen, I am confident that these are, in fact, real.
Here's my personal review of the Sennheiser CX-300 canalphones. Note that I've only had them for a few days, and that my opinion may change, but I believe that I've used them enough to provide an accurate and dependable opinion.
[size=medium]Pros: [/size]
- Cord - The cord is a J-style cord, with the right side longer than the left. You stick the left plug in your ear and the right one wraps around the back of your neck. I like it; it's more ergonomic and you can leave the left one in and dangle the one on the right when you're having a conversation or something. It's also more comfortable, since there's less weight on the ears. The cord itself is extremely light, thin and made of durable rubber, but isn't sticky-feeling at all. The cord is relatively short (1 meter), but adequate.
- Plug - The plug is a 90-degree angle plug, which is more durable (providing more flexibility) than straight plugs. However, some may prefer a straight plug (such as the one on the Creative EP-630) as the angled plug may not work with some iPod cases or whatever.
- Isolation - It's a canalphone that sits partway inside your ear, providing a good amount of isolation. It's still possible to hear external noises and have conversations, but most external noise is blocked out.
- Comfort - These phones are very light and cause very little downward pull on the ears. The silicon tips may take some getting used to if you've never used any kind of canalphone or IEM before, but the tips are soft and fit in the ear rather nicely, providing a good seal. The phones lie flat against the ear, so they're comfy enough to sleep with them on. They include three sizes of tips to accommodate all kinds of ears, too, so pick the size that's right for you. The tips are very easy to remove and replace, but they will never fall off or get stuck inside your ear. The CX-300s are comfortable enough to wear for long periods (I've been wearing mine for almost 20 hours now.)
- Sound - In terms of sound quality, these blow the iPod earbuds far, far away. Nice, precise highs, clearly defined bass, large soundstage, and a very detailed sound. Note that these, being a noise-isolating IEM, have a "closed" sound instead of the more airy sound of "open" headphones. Therefore, the sound almost seems like it's coming from inside your head. Most of the sound quality is dependent upon obtaining a good seal (which can be achieved by choosing the right tips and pushing them far enough into your canal).
- Volume - The CX-300s are very loud, especially when taking the noise isolation into consideration - with these phones, I consider the bare minimum volume on my iPod an ideal listening level. With the iPod earbuds, I had to turn the volume up to 30-40 percent.
- Look - I know it's not a serious factor, but they are rather attractive. They come in black and silver (and I think a limited edition white version was made, too) with a black cord. Personally, I prefer the black because it goes with my black 5G iPod, but both look nice.
- Portability - The CX-300s are very small and very lightweight.
[size=medium]Cons:[/size]
- Phonendoscope effect - (stolen from Head-Fi) As with all IEMs, any body movement against the cable creates a low rumble that can be somewhat uncomfortable. Since the CX-300 has a lighter cord, though, there is less of this than with other IEMs.
It does take a little while to get used to, but after a while you barely notice.
- Cord - As mentioned above, the cord is a little on the short side (1 meter) and may not be suitable for some purposes.
- Sound(?) - It may just be my source, but I notice a very faint static hiss when these are plugged into my 5G iPod (haven't tried any other sources). It's nearly inaudible when listening to music, however, even on the lowest volume. Can anyone confirm/deny this?
- Price - Although I managed to get them for a good price on eBay (at the cost of extending shipping times and no guarantee of authenticity), the retail price is $90 (though they can be found on Amazon for around $50-60 minus shipping), which may be a turn-off. Some may prefer to go with the cheaper but nearly identical Creative EP-630 ($30 retail).
- Maintenance - This is not a problem for me, but the silicon tips might get clogged with earwax and require cleaning. They also pick up a small amount of dust and lint every now and then, but one good blow of air and they should be fine. The tips are easy to remove and replace, making cleaning a cinch. However, those with very waxy ears might want to consider something other than IEMs.
- Comfort - It's worth noting that these are canalphones and are inserted partway inside the ear. Some people just don't like the feeling of things inside their ear.
[size=medium]Conclusion:[/size]
The Sennheiser CX-300s are extremely comfortable, ultralightweight, and cheap. They isolate well and sound great! They're very nice, and well worth my $28. I would strongly recommend them to anyone looking for a good pair of headphones in the lower price range.
Note: This review was originally posted on the OiNK chat forum, but I thought I'd post it here too.
