Sennheiser CX 300 headphones (black)

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 112 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 8 stars

  COMPARISON: Sennheiser CX-300 vs. Shure E2c

  by HeyItsJoel on October 7, 2006

  Pros: read review

  Cons: read review

  Summary: I'm the most picky consumer I know. I don't buy anything without reasearching it first and doing a personal comparison side-by-side second. Rarely do I buy anything without ...

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  Summary: I'm the most picky consumer I know. I don't buy anything without reasearching it first and doing a personal comparison side-by-side second. Rarely do I buy anything without doing my homework. I'm using the ARCHOS AV500 as my mp3 playback device. So, here we go...
  
  1. SOUND- Advantage: Sennheiser. I gave the slight nod to the CX300 because it delivered a more prominent BASS than E2c. The E2c had a difficult time handling the lower end and I had to max out everything on my equalizer to be able to get some bass. On the CX300's however, the bass hit me right from the get-go. I had to literally turn down the bass to a more manageable level. Otherwise, it will be thumping in your head. The way I see it, too much bass is better than not enough at all. In all fairness though, the E2c's handled the high's better. It's clearer and more crisp. If you listen to ROCK, POP or ACOUSTICS, go with the E2c. For R&B, HIP-HOP and JAZZ, the CX300 is the way to go.
  
  2. COMFORT- Advantage: Shure. The E2c's came with an array of tips including both rubber and foam. The CX300 came with only rubber but they are noticeably softer ones so it will contour to your ear's shape better than E2c rubbers. The most comfortable out of the two were E2c's foam tips though which CX300 doesn't provide. All tips came with SM, M, and L sizes.
  
  3. FIT- Advantage: Shure. Given the right size tips you choose, the E2c's fit your ear perfectly. These things will not fall out. Believe me I tried jumping up and down and shaking my head vigorously. They're in there good. The CX300 doesn't have the around-the-ear design that give the E2c's such a good fit so adjustments need to be done from time to time. For working out, E2c's will do nicely.
  
  4. CORDS- Advantage: Shure. The CX300 has irregular length being that the right side is longer than the left. This is so that you wrap the right earbud behind your neck and you have no choice but to put the mp3 player on your left side pocket. The E2c's not only have equal lengths (which I prefer) but have the luxury of durability with its thicker cords. It'll take significant abuse for these to be damaged. As far as length, both are generous. I stand at 5'10" and I can put my mp3 player in my pants pocket without the danger of the buds being pulled out during activity.
  
  5. NOISE REDUCTION- Advantage: Equal. If you have a good seal around you ear canal, ambient sounds coming from the outside world are drastically reduced. I played loud music with my stereo system and stood next to the garage door while opening/closing it and I couldn't hear a thing. It will give you complete sound isolation (when the music is playing. Without music you will be able to hear your fingers snapping). Please note: Do NOT use these in places where you need to hear important noises. In other words, if you're using these at the airport and you miss the announcement about your flight boarding early, don't blame me. Or when you're driving in your car with these on (dumb) and you run smack into an ambulance with its sirens in full blast, you're going to find yourself riding in the back seat of police car instead. Don't blame me.
  
  6. PRICE- Advantage: CX300. As of this writing (10/07/06), Amazon.com has the cheapest prices on the net. Shure E2c = $72+$5shipping. Sennheiser CX300 = $47+free shipping. Needless to say, you don't have to be a genius to figure this one out. Either that or go to your local retailer and pay MSRP. E2c's go for $99 and CX300's for $79.
  
  So, pick your poison. Both have their positives and negatives and which one you pick depends on which are more important to have. To me, the BASS sound and price of the Sennheiser CX-300 made it a no-brainer for me. Good luck.

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  20 out of 20 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Awesome Sound! Definite Buy!

  by crazywidget on March 16, 2006

  Pros: Rich, Yummy Sound! Sound Isolation is great...

  Cons: cost, lacks carry pouch

  Summary: I just got these yesterday, and I have to say the sound is absolutely terrific, not to mention the added benefit from the sound isolation! I can finally hear all ...

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  Summary: I just got these yesterday, and I have to say the sound is absolutely terrific, not to mention the added benefit from the sound isolation! I can finally hear all those minute details. Seriously, you don't know what you're missing until you hear these puppies.
  
  My only wishes were for a carry pouch (given the cost) and the cost itself. I would also mention that since these do such a good job of isolating outside sound, you *do* hear noise as the cable rubs against your clothing if you move around...

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  9 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Great ear buds!

  by sannyc22 on February 26, 2006

  Pros: Love the bass

  Cons: Not good if you need to be aware of suroundings.

  Summary: I absolutely love these ear buds. They provide the sound that I used to get when I pressed my old ear buds deep into my ears to hear the nuances ...

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  Summary: I absolutely love these ear buds. They provide the sound that I used to get when I pressed my old ear buds deep into my ears to hear the nuances of a particular song, but lost all richness when I removed the pressure of my fingers. I wanted the E4s, but didn?t have the $200 plus so these are great substitutes for the price.

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  8 out of 9 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  I love 'em!

  by Elvis_1967 on March 14, 2006

  Pros: Sound quality.

  Cons: No carry case.

  Summary: This is my first pair of ear canal 'phones, I changed from Sennheiser MX550s. The sound quality is incredible, the detail is much better. For work I use Beyer Dynamic ...

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  Summary: This is my first pair of ear canal 'phones, I changed from Sennheiser MX550s. The sound quality is incredible, the detail is much better. For work I use Beyer Dynamic DT990s and the Sennheisers obviously aren't as good as these but nor are they as big & heavy. On the train & walking through central London to work there's a lot of background noise & it no longer gets in the way of the music although I'm still aware of it as I don't need to turn the volume anything like as high. My Creative Zen has a volume setting of 0-25, with the OED 'phones it was set at 20-22, the MX550s at 15-17, the CX300s it's down to 9 or 10. My hearing's safe & I get all the clarity (and a little more battery life)!

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  5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Surprisingly great sound quality, particularly for the money.

  by make_or_break on April 7, 2006

  Pros: Very detailed sound, reasonably good isolation.

  Cons: C'mon...even the (far) lesser MX earbuds came with a case.

  Summary: After having little or no luck with other canal phones at the this end of the market (namely with those from Sony), I thought I was resigned to continue to ...

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  Summary: After having little or no luck with other canal phones at the this end of the market (namely with those from Sony), I thought I was resigned to continue to use my Etymotic ER-4S set everywhere and anywhere, at least whenever I chose to go for the maximum isolation with my portable DAPs.
  
  Don't get me wrong; I truly enjoy my ER-4s set. Their sonics are exceptional, and they're really comfortable to me once they're fitted properly. But I tend to be HARD on my portable music gear, particularly when it comes to cans. Some might not have a problem with the sort of harshness and abuse that I'd put them through; they'd just go out and buy a replacement set. I tend to be too cheap for that, however; I want the ER-4s to last a while, if at all possible.
  
  The Senn CX300 makes that possible. This unit has a sound that, in my opinion, will match up favorably against any comparable design going in less than $125 street price range. They're affordable enough that if I break them I won't cry nearly as much, but the perform so well that most anything else in this range will at best finish runner-up. They're quite comfortable out of the box (probably should be no surprise considering how Sennheiser usually has a pattern of making very easy-to-wear designs to begin with), and while they like virtually all canals in this range have a habit of transmitting cable vibrations, it's not as irritating as it was with other brands that I tried in the past. Fatigue with use is less of a problem with these as well; in fact, I actually prefer the CX300 over my Etys from a comfort and extended-use standpoint.
  
  The only real drawback is that Sennheiser didn't provide any sort of protective carrying case for when these canals are not in use. Surprising, but not the end of the world; considering how good these sound, it wouldn't be earth-shattering if one wanted to keep these on all the time, anyways.
  
  The CX300 have been a very pleasant surprise. Highly recommended for those on a budget that want a high degree of noise isolation.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Amazing IE buds!!!!

  by artgoi on February 16, 2006

  Pros: amazing quality at an amazing price!!

  Cons: so far none

  Summary: Excellent IE buds...for the money! As good if perhaps not better than the super.fi 3S which are at almost twice the price. Good going, Senn!

  Summary: Excellent IE buds...for the money! As good if perhaps not better than the super.fi 3S which are at almost twice the price. Good going, Senn!

  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 8 stars

  Much better than the Creative EP630

  by juzzle on January 6, 2008

  Pros: Sound insulation (changes the way you listen)

  Cons: Still not enough bass

  Summary: Good units. Don't be fooled by the similarity with the Creative EP630 - the Sennheisers are a cut above (better sounds, better build).

  Summary: Good units. Don't be fooled by the similarity with the Creative EP630 - the Sennheisers are a cut above (better sounds, better build).

  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  sweet buds!!!

  by lindfr on November 6, 2007

  Pros: great sound

  Cons: none so far

  Summary: As an ear physician, I am very critical of all ear buds. I usually find that they lack clear sound and bass. These buds rock! They have the sound of ...

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  Summary: As an ear physician, I am very critical of all ear buds. I usually find that they lack clear sound and bass. These buds rock! They have the sound of very good mickey mouse type ear phones. Great buy for <100$.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  How can you do better for the money?

  by nothardtoplease on May 18, 2007

  Pros: Good sound with a little EQ tinkering

  Cons: None come to mind

  Summary: It's hard to plow new ground reviewing something as simple as a set of earbuds. Like everyone else reading these posts, I look to the opinions of others before ...

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  Summary: It's hard to plow new ground reviewing something as simple as a set of earbuds. Like everyone else reading these posts, I look to the opinions of others before I pull the trigger on an electronics purchase. I really have to wonder how anyone can pay 60 bucks delivered for the Sennheiser CX 300s and complain about them!
  
  I don't pretend to be an audiophile but I know what sounds good to me and what is anemic. I've been listening to music all my life and (I'm embarrassed to admit) didn't buy my first iPod until late last year at age 54. I thought they were a silly way to avoid interacting with the outside world until I came to the realization that the outside world was going out of its way to annoy me with rude cell phone conversations. And, my wife couldn't seem to put CDs back in their proper jewel boxes (she reaches for the closest empty candidate) so I found myself attracted to playing music less and less because I coudn't find what I was looking for without undertaking a treasure hunt. The iPod allowed me to suck it up one time and catalog everything I wanted so that no one could mess it up. Enter the headphones.
  
  My reference set is the Grado SR-60s, quite possibly the best sub-$100 listening experience on the planet. Their biggest flaw, however, is that the open architecture that defines their sound stage makes them leak like hell. I've had people three rows distant on an airplane shoot darts at me with their eyes and I've been prone to buy them a drink as an accommodation but that's five bucks so I send them a bag of peanuts and a copy of Sky Mall instead.
  
  The Sennheisers are an awfully good alternative in the budget earbud category. My son's Shure E4cs are pretty sweet but they don't have the Senn's low end capacity, they cost triple and they're a little touchy to get to fit properly!
  
  The CX-300s fit great with the earcup selection provided and the unequal length J-cord (how can people not GET this?) is the most inspired industrial design element since the French put a hole in the Germans' toilet seat. Or maybe it was the Brits. Whatever. Anyway, draping the longer right-side cord behind my neck and tucking my iPod Nano into the inside left pocket of my jacket eliminates the cord rustle sound, keeps the cord out of my way and (heaven forbid) allows me to easily remove the phones, leaving them conveniently draped down each shoulder should someone deign to actually speak to me in the outside world. The nerve.
  
  In terms of frequency response, these Senns are most of the way there. Their bass response is a given and midrange is terrific. But, maybe as a consequence of my lifelong insistance that rock music should be listened to at the volume at which it was recorded, either the buds or I need a little help in the high end. No fear. With 22 preset EQ possibilities in the Nano, I found that either the Treble Booster or the Dance setting helps make my $60 investment seem like an absolute steal.
  
  The Sennheiser CX 300s are feather-light and can be worn for hours without discomfort. They are quite effective at isolating outside noise but not perfect (correction --- they're 60 bucks perfect). Any San Francisco Bay Area resident familiar with the outrageous screech of a BART train in the transbay tube will understand they will either have to wear a commercial divers' hard hat or a set of bulky, over-ear noise-canceling phones to make that seven minutes tolerable. But, if you want a decent set of buds that will give you an air of superiority over those effete snobs with two or three hundred dollars worth of Shure or Etymotics stuffed into their heads, buy these phones.

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 7 stars

  Decent, lightweight, portable in-ear buds

  by scoofy on March 23, 2007

  Pros: Portable, sensitive, solid bass, detailed midrange, comfortable, good isolation, good value

  Cons: No carry bag, resonant and somewhat decayed highs

  Summary: My first encounter with in-ear monitors were the Sony series many years ago, when I was amazed by the quality of bass and clarity of sound that such a small ...

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  Summary: My first encounter with in-ear monitors were the Sony series many years ago, when I was amazed by the quality of bass and clarity of sound that such a small piece of equipment can create. During the recent years, I mostly used closed and open headphones, at the top of the list being the super-detailed open Sennheiser HD590.
  
  Recently I was looking for a good in-ear monitor for my portable, and - as I had good experience with Sennheiser - I was glad to find out that they started producing in-ear monitors for a fairly good price. Upon reading many reviews I decided that this is what I need. Luckily, I immediately found a guy who just bought a pair but he did not like the idea to stick something into his ears, so he sold it for 20% less than the new price.
  
  Upon first listening to these earphones, I was somewhat dissatisfied with the sound. Because I had much experience with more expensive ($250) Sennheisers, I expected more. But later I realized that these earphones have very good value for the price.
  
  Build:
  They are really lightweight in-ear monitors with soft silicone rubber pads that fit inside your ear-canal providing very good isolation and bass. They're very comfortable even for longer periods of time. They come with 3 different pad sizes, for me, the default size is fine. In order to get decent bass, the pad needs to be placed in your ear canal properly. If the cable's pulled a bit, the isolation may not be perfect. The noise-blocking is pretty good, it filters out most of the ambient sounds in the mid and high range, making them suitable for traffic. I used it on subway, tram, bus and train, and it's quite relaxing. The cable is a 1m long asymmetrical cable, which tends to conduct the noise of the cable movement into your ears, which is strange at first but you can get used to it Unfortunately there's no carry bag provided. I found a nice small leather bag for them, which protects them properly.
  
  Sound:
  These earphones have low impedande and very high sensitivity (112dB), so even the cheapest portables can deliver high sound levels with plenty of bass without distortion. As mentioned, the fit in the ear canal should be perfect to produce proper bass, which is very solid and detailed. The midrange is very detailed and clean, giving a decent soundstage. The main (only?) weakness of these earphones is the highs, which have a loud +10 dB resonant peak around 6.2 kHz. This makes the highs somewhat exaggearated, owerpowering the mids a bit, and causing ear fatigue after some time. After using more high-end headphones ($250) and sound system ($1250), this was hard to get used to. Above the resonant peak, the highs decay somewhat, lacking crispness. Still, at this price, these in-ear monitors provide pretty good sound, probably the best in this price-range (and if you only used cheap earbuds before, you'll truly be amazed at the power of these tiny little earphones!)
  
  Tweak:
  If you are a lucky owner of a soundsystem with a customizable parametric equalizer, you may get an amazingly good sound out of these earbuds by equalizing out the response. To almost perfectly eliminate the resonant peak, use the following parametric EQ setting: frequency: 6.2 kHz, bandwidth: 0.5 oct, gain: -10 dB. For crisper highs, you may as well boost the highs above that. I found the following settings the best (I used a measurement microphone to get the best results):
  
  band 1 - type: paramEQ, freq: 6.2 kHz, bw: 0.5 oct, gain: -10 dB
  band 2 - type: paramEQ, freq: 6.6 kHz, bw: 0.5 oct, gain: -3 dB
  band 3 - type: paramEQ, freq: 7.6 kHz, bw: 0.33 oct, gain: -2 dB
  band 4 - type: high shelf, freq: 8.5 kHz, gain: +3 dB
  band 5 - type: paramEQ, freq: 9.9 kHz, bw: 0.4 oct, gain: +2 dB
  band 6 - type: paramEQ, freq: 15.5 kHz, bw: 0.33 oct, gain: +2 dB
  band 7 - type: high shelf, freq: 16 kHz, gain: +2 dB
  
  These advanced EQ settings in my DSP-powered EMU1212m sound card eliminated all peaks and dips in the frequency response, giving an amazingly good, detailed, flat, clean, punchy, spacey sound you can usually get only from >$300 headphones. Unfortunately most portables don't offer such sound-sculpting tools, so I can enjoy this sound clarity only at home. I was even thinking of building a simple passive electronic filter circuit for eliminating the resonant peak. I hope Sennheiser will fix this annoying resonance in future models, making them overkill!

  Updated
  Upon comparing my measurement results with headphone.com's frequency response curves of this earplug, I found that the two graphs look different. Headphone.com's measurement shows two distinct resonant peaks with less amplitude (about 5-6 dB), which may be more pleasant to listen to with a large peak with +11 dB. Headphone.org's measurement:
  http://scoofy.psysector.com/tmp/wav/pink.wav

  Updated
  Upon comparing my measurement results with headphone.com's frequency response curves of this earplug, I found that the two graphs look different. Headphone.com's measurement shows two distinct resonant peaks with less amplitude (about 5-6 dB), which may be more pleasant to listen to with a large peak with +11 dB. Headphone.org's measurement:
  http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=603

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  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

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