 Fantastic Sound Quality for the Price |
| Review Date: October 2, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Lew Tarnopol, Hillsboro, OR United States |
Similar to another reviewer here, I was looking to replace the stock earbuds that came with my new iPod Nano (5th generation). As a former recording engineer, I tend to expect my music to come across in reasonably high fidelity, that is, full frequency response with all the highs and lows present. Mind you, I'm not a crazy audiophile nut, but I'm probably more picky than most.
My first replacement attempt was a pair of Jbuds J2 Premium, but I was sorely disappointed in their sound quality. Highs were severely attenuated and the midrange appeared to emanate from a 32 gallon oil drum. It was like I was in a tunnel. So, I started doing my research.
Sennheiser has always been a high-quality audio company - every studio I've worked in has had Sennheiser headphones (and Sennheiser microphones, in addition to Shure, AKG, etc.). I know, and love, the sound of Sennheiser, so when I came across their brand of earbuds, I stopped my research, realizing I'd come home.
And when they arrived, I wasn't disappointed. Beautiful frequency range up to 22K Hz (regardless of whether one can actually hear that high in the spectrum is irrelevant - overtones live around 18K - 22K, so having this high-end margin really lets percussion and other high-frequency producing instruments sing through.)
I was also pleased to be ordering the cx400-II model, an improvement over the previous cx400, which only comes with a short cable plus an extension cord. That's too much weight, and having a connector between the device and the earbuds is just another place where something can fail. BTW, unless it's been changed since I wrote this, the picture on Amazon's cx400-II order page shows the cx-400 - you can see the extension cable. Don't worry, just place the order...you'll receive the cx400-II. I don't know what the "MK" stands for; it isn't on Sennheiser's website, nor is it anywhere on the packaging when you receive the cx400-II.
Another plus is the cx400-II comes with lots of different earbud tips to choose from, both single and double-flanged. My fav is the small, single flange. The cx400-II also comes with a cord winder, a wire clip you can optionally use (clips the wire to your shirt) and a little leatherette-style carry bag.
I realize there are better (and more expensive) earbuds out there with dual and even triple drivers, but for a single driver version, these Sennheiser earphones are great - and perfectly priced. |
Superb sound quality, plus excellent noise isolation
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| Review Date: October 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: eric_f, Boston, MA |
Oh, how these earphones are sweet. I'm no audiophile, but one doesn't have to be in order to hear the difference between these and lower quality ones. It's like night and day. One thing I need, and I mean absolutely *require* when listening to music, is good strong bass. These fit the bill. And yet, the bass never overpowers the other elements of the music. Everything is mixed together just right. Yesterday I was listening to Cartel's new song "Faster Ride" and it was pure music bliss.
One great feature of this CX 400-II model is that the cord consists of only one piece. The CX 400 model (and perhaps other previous models as well) had a very short cord, presumably intended for those who store their iPod or MP3 player in a breast pocket, and a longer cord that one had to connect to it if they wanted to actually hold their music device. This connection requirement caused unwanted extra weight to the earphones. So having just one cord is a welcome change.
The cord in this model has a slide volume control knob, which to me is the only unnecessary feature. It is quite small, so the range of volume that one can select is fairly minimal, not to mention having to use precise control to get the desired volume level. So I just keep it all the way to Max and use my iPod Touch's volume control. It works fine, and I highly recommend doing that.
Another thing worth mentioning is the excellent noise isolation that this provides. I live in Boston and take the subway to commute to and from work, and that's one place where I listen to my iPod Touch. Anyone who has been to Boston knows that our subway cars screetch, scream, grate, and make other ear-piercing noises due to it being the oldest subway system in the country. Before I bought these earphones I was using the Apple pair that came with my iPod Touch, and of course, the sounds of the subway totally drowned out any and all music I was listening to. Well I'm just amazed as to how these actually let me hear the music when I'm in the subways. It doesn't totally block out the sounds (these are noise isolating, not noise eliminating), but it sure comes close.
Finally, a word about counterfeits. As many others have mentioned, they're all over the place. I recently bought a CX 400 model through a third-party seller here and got a counterfeit. I first suspected they were counterfeit due to the muddy and "flat" sound quality. After doing some research I confirmed that that's one sign of a counterfeit. But the best way to tell is actually by looking at the small imitation leather bag that comes with these. All bags have the "S" emblem on them, however, counterfeits will have the "S" the exact same color as the rest of the bag. A genuine one will have the "S" a darker shade of black and also shiny. The overall quality of the bag will also be a lot better. So if you think that you might have a counterfeit, check the bag out. And pay the extra money and buy directly from Amazon - too many counterfeits out there (and some third party sellers may not even know that they're selling fakes). The old cliche "you get what you pay for" holds true in this case.
All in all, I highly recommend these earphones for someone who's looking for great sound quality and good noise isolation. You can't go wrong with them. |
One of the best
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| Review Date: June 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Duong Nguyen, California |
I ordered this when looking for a replacement for my ipod earphones and since I already owned Sennheiser HD201 headphones and very impressed with Sennheiser products so I thought I gave this a try. The sound quality is stunning, though it does not advertise "noise cancelling" as other products but it reduces lots of outside noise when you listen to music. Bass is strong for a tiny earphones. High is also clear.
[...] |
thumbs up
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| Review Date: January 27, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Johannes Vogt, |
| superior sound quality for classical music. best in-ear headphones i have had so far. wouldn't recommend it for bass oriented pop music listeners tho |
Key-phrase "natural sound"
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| Review Date: May 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Derreck Robinson, Salt Lake City, UT |
| These headphones are great as long as you understand that they are meant to provide a natural sound, there not super base heavy, which if there were I honestly think it would make them worst because these have to be the most clear and balance headphones I've ever used. If your looking for headphones that have good base but don't over power the mids and highs look no further. |
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