SARodrigues
New Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2011
- Posts
- 18
- Likes
- 0
First of all, let me say I know these canalphones are already well debated. However, I noticed most of the reviews come from long time users of earbud and canalphone users. How about those making their first steps in the headphone world? I have absolutely no background in any sort of headphone listening apart from the usual chineses ones and a cheap HP Stereo headset: and I can't stand them. I have never listened to iPod buds either. That being said, I thought an unbiased review would be a good resource for those in the same situation, since we never know what to expect; on the other hand, lurking around the forum for some time brought to my attention these are usually the canalphones people usually choose, so let's go.
I like to listen virtually anything, and I do consider myself a little of a basshead. I have no much background in audio except for a connection to the SQ Caraudio world a few years ago (and that means I end up equalizing everything to death). A whole different world, I must admit. Life changes, and being a music lover (I do listen to music for 12+ hours a day), I found myself in the need for headphones. Actually, since I wanted both canalphones and cans, I ended up lurking around for budget ones. Being a basshead I got the Sennheiser CX 300-II (gold) canalphones and in a couple of weeks I'll probably get the Sennheiser HD238 Precision (and yes, they will be modded!). Let's start.
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First impressions of canalphones
Let's face it: sticking something inside of our ears is not such a pleasant thought. On the other hand, one of the reasons I never used earbuds was because my ears don't hold them on. Never. Why would it be so different? Probably my ear canal is as strangely shaped as my ears, this thing won't fit properly. Ever. - Oh, I had no idea how wrong I was!
It took me a couple of hours (go ahead, laugh at me) untill I found out the proper way to insert them, since they just wouldn't go in and stay there. I found out if I inserted them with the cable pointing to the front of me, softly pushing them in while twisting them, they would fit snuggly and create a seal. It even seems vaccuum is created when I try to get them out. No need to push the top of the ear, no need to open the jaw. A few minutes later, I didn't even feel the canalphones - and it was the first time I was trying them!
Now it was time to listen to them!
-----------------------------------------------------
Sources I Use
1. Home - HP Pavillion Entertainment PC (laptop) with a Realtek High Definition Audio sound card (ALC268). I'm sorry but I wasn't able to find a frequency response graph for it.
2. Portable - Nokia C5-03
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Sennheiser CX 300-II Review
1. Build Quality - I'm not going to say much here, because this is a very subjective and well debated subject. They are pleasing to the eyes, that may be because I got the Gold version. I was expecting strong gold color but they are very of a light gold, very pleasing to my eyes. Very, very light phones, so light I found them strange to hold - however they seem to be very well constructed and probably capable of take a small beating.
I can't say the same from the cables though. Although they look ok below the Y junction, they are extremely thin above it. They don't feel like rigid plastic to me, more like a rubber+plastic combination. The connector is a little bit flexible and feels right.
2. Accessories - They came with 3 sizes of what seems to be silicone tips (which feel very confortable to me) and a carrying pouch. Not too big, not too small, just enough to fit the phones inside. One thing I noticed: it is very, very nice to the touch.
3. Sound Isolation - Since those are my first canalphones, I can't compare them to other phones except actual sound isolation plugs. They cut down the outside noise bot not that much. For me, it is almost perfect. With music playing at a low volume, I can't hear anything around me, but if I turn the music off, I can hear people talking to me - it takes a little attention but it is hearable. However, I did not try them in a bus or street, so my opinion may change.
4. Microphonics - Horrible! However, with music plaing at a now extremely low volume, that is easily overcome. I'm used to wear the right phone cord underneath my clothes so I have no problem there. On the left one, it can be more or less fixed by clipping the wire with something. This is not much of a problem, and I got used to it quickly.
5. Sound - I got a little disappointed here, although I was not sure what to expect. (Not really a problem, I always get disappointed with new stuff. Yes, I complain a lot.) I consider myself a basshead (and that was one of the reasons I bought the CX 300-II, but there's just too much bass. However, it is controlled, not boomy. It sounded dark, with very recessed mids and highs. But despite the excessive bass, they sounded pleasant. On the other hand, the instruments were well spaced; I never thought canalphones could achieve such a good soundstage! But once again, their sound just doesn't cut it for me.
-----------------------------------------------------
Equalization
As I said, I'm used to equalize everything. However in my opinion, the less eq the better. And the worse the equipment, the more difficult it is to achieve a bearable sound. As simple as that. But I'm lazy, so I usually follow a very simple procedure in order to equalize everything to my taste, leaving the fine tuning for later. (If someone is interested, I'll explain it later: it doesn't take more than 10mn.)
My Windows EQ (the phone's eq mimics this one almost exactly:
Just to make it clear, I don't really know how is the scale in the windows EQ, but as a point of reference 1K and 2K are supposed to be at 0db's. I'd usually make in this case 8k at 0db's but.... I'm lazy.
EQ'd this way, they sound amazing to me for a 30Euro phones! Very well controlled bass, and damn, it goes low! (Once again, I had no idea the bass could go so low in headphones. Obviously there is something missing, the body vibrations, but good bass nevertheless). The highs became very bright and well defined, but soft at the same time. They don't even get my ears tired after a 6-hour session at high volumes. The mids are very clear and bodied. There is still something quite not right, but hey... those are 30Euro phones!
After that, I searched online for a frequency response graph of the stock Sennheiser CX 300-II, and it all maked sense to me:
(I now it has a logo from another place, but it was the clearer graph I could find. If it is not allowed, a mod please PM me and I'll replace it.)
-----------------------------------------------------
In the end, I really want to thank the wonderful guys at head-fi for such wonderful reviews and discussions, which help newbies and newcomers like me in their purchases.
I hope this simple review contributes to other newbies and first time canalphone users as much as your reviews helped me!
I like to listen virtually anything, and I do consider myself a little of a basshead. I have no much background in audio except for a connection to the SQ Caraudio world a few years ago (and that means I end up equalizing everything to death). A whole different world, I must admit. Life changes, and being a music lover (I do listen to music for 12+ hours a day), I found myself in the need for headphones. Actually, since I wanted both canalphones and cans, I ended up lurking around for budget ones. Being a basshead I got the Sennheiser CX 300-II (gold) canalphones and in a couple of weeks I'll probably get the Sennheiser HD238 Precision (and yes, they will be modded!). Let's start.
-----------------------------------------------------
First impressions of canalphones
Let's face it: sticking something inside of our ears is not such a pleasant thought. On the other hand, one of the reasons I never used earbuds was because my ears don't hold them on. Never. Why would it be so different? Probably my ear canal is as strangely shaped as my ears, this thing won't fit properly. Ever. - Oh, I had no idea how wrong I was!
It took me a couple of hours (go ahead, laugh at me) untill I found out the proper way to insert them, since they just wouldn't go in and stay there. I found out if I inserted them with the cable pointing to the front of me, softly pushing them in while twisting them, they would fit snuggly and create a seal. It even seems vaccuum is created when I try to get them out. No need to push the top of the ear, no need to open the jaw. A few minutes later, I didn't even feel the canalphones - and it was the first time I was trying them!
Now it was time to listen to them!
-----------------------------------------------------
Sources I Use
1. Home - HP Pavillion Entertainment PC (laptop) with a Realtek High Definition Audio sound card (ALC268). I'm sorry but I wasn't able to find a frequency response graph for it.
2. Portable - Nokia C5-03
-----------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------
Sennheiser CX 300-II Review
1. Build Quality - I'm not going to say much here, because this is a very subjective and well debated subject. They are pleasing to the eyes, that may be because I got the Gold version. I was expecting strong gold color but they are very of a light gold, very pleasing to my eyes. Very, very light phones, so light I found them strange to hold - however they seem to be very well constructed and probably capable of take a small beating.
I can't say the same from the cables though. Although they look ok below the Y junction, they are extremely thin above it. They don't feel like rigid plastic to me, more like a rubber+plastic combination. The connector is a little bit flexible and feels right.
2. Accessories - They came with 3 sizes of what seems to be silicone tips (which feel very confortable to me) and a carrying pouch. Not too big, not too small, just enough to fit the phones inside. One thing I noticed: it is very, very nice to the touch.
3. Sound Isolation - Since those are my first canalphones, I can't compare them to other phones except actual sound isolation plugs. They cut down the outside noise bot not that much. For me, it is almost perfect. With music playing at a low volume, I can't hear anything around me, but if I turn the music off, I can hear people talking to me - it takes a little attention but it is hearable. However, I did not try them in a bus or street, so my opinion may change.
4. Microphonics - Horrible! However, with music plaing at a now extremely low volume, that is easily overcome. I'm used to wear the right phone cord underneath my clothes so I have no problem there. On the left one, it can be more or less fixed by clipping the wire with something. This is not much of a problem, and I got used to it quickly.
5. Sound - I got a little disappointed here, although I was not sure what to expect. (Not really a problem, I always get disappointed with new stuff. Yes, I complain a lot.) I consider myself a basshead (and that was one of the reasons I bought the CX 300-II, but there's just too much bass. However, it is controlled, not boomy. It sounded dark, with very recessed mids and highs. But despite the excessive bass, they sounded pleasant. On the other hand, the instruments were well spaced; I never thought canalphones could achieve such a good soundstage! But once again, their sound just doesn't cut it for me.
-----------------------------------------------------
Equalization
As I said, I'm used to equalize everything. However in my opinion, the less eq the better. And the worse the equipment, the more difficult it is to achieve a bearable sound. As simple as that. But I'm lazy, so I usually follow a very simple procedure in order to equalize everything to my taste, leaving the fine tuning for later. (If someone is interested, I'll explain it later: it doesn't take more than 10mn.)
My Windows EQ (the phone's eq mimics this one almost exactly:
Just to make it clear, I don't really know how is the scale in the windows EQ, but as a point of reference 1K and 2K are supposed to be at 0db's. I'd usually make in this case 8k at 0db's but.... I'm lazy.
EQ'd this way, they sound amazing to me for a 30Euro phones! Very well controlled bass, and damn, it goes low! (Once again, I had no idea the bass could go so low in headphones. Obviously there is something missing, the body vibrations, but good bass nevertheless). The highs became very bright and well defined, but soft at the same time. They don't even get my ears tired after a 6-hour session at high volumes. The mids are very clear and bodied. There is still something quite not right, but hey... those are 30Euro phones!
After that, I searched online for a frequency response graph of the stock Sennheiser CX 300-II, and it all maked sense to me:
(I now it has a logo from another place, but it was the clearer graph I could find. If it is not allowed, a mod please PM me and I'll replace it.)
-----------------------------------------------------
In the end, I really want to thank the wonderful guys at head-fi for such wonderful reviews and discussions, which help newbies and newcomers like me in their purchases.
I hope this simple review contributes to other newbies and first time canalphone users as much as your reviews helped me!
