benchpress's Full Review: Sennheiser CX 500 Consumer Headphones
I can never quite figure out why people will spend hundreds of dollars on a media player and then use the cheap stock ear buds that come with the unit. On the other hand, my wife is less choosy and will take any head sets as long as the bass is adequate and sound is crisp. So, needless to say, she is the recipient of all the stock ear buds from various players.
For air travel and trips, I use the Sennheiser PXC 250 (see my review http://www.epinions.com/content_177692380804) and I had a pair of old Sony Fontopia MDR-EX51LP for gym and day-to-day use. The Sony buds were adequate though not noteworthy and do a decent enough job.
Recently, my gym has been adopted a new policy of cranking up the volume of the sound system in all hours of the day, unrelentingly bombarding us with annoying dance and other inane music that is the worst form of noise pollution. The PXC 250, small as they are, are not really great for the gym. So I started my research on a more portable noise canceling and/or sound isolation solution.
For a brief moment or two, I briefly considered the Sony MDRN-C22 but quickly banished that thought as my experience with the older generation Sony MDRN-C11 was less than satisfying. I toyed with the idea of a pair of SHURE but I found them less than comfortable to wear.
I was overjoyed to discover that Sennheiser had made a big entry into the ear bud market, and was very much encouraged by all the reviews on the CX300. After all, this is the same Sennheiser that has been in high end audio business for over 50 years. So, when the CX500 became available, I read a couple of reviews and bought myself a pair.
Sound
It appears to me that a lot of well-rated headphones get their sterling reviews from the consumers simply because they are loud or they provide a heavy bass response. Personally, I prefer to hear the music 'as is' or the way it is meant to be heard without a lot of artificial boosting or emphases. The CX500 buds do exactly that. While the bass is more than adequate, it does not sound artificial or 'boomy' at all. The highs and lows are both very well represented without a lot of distortions. Unlike some of the buds I have tried through the years that sound flat or 'strained,' the CX500 gives an overall impression that is warm, full, and enjoyable.
I am able to use these buds to listen to both classical music and Rob Zombie without sacrificing a lot of sound quality. For classical music, the buds come across a little flat and tweedy sometimes, particular in the higher frequencies and with string instruments.
Construction and Form Factor
Comfort is a really big differentiator for me when it comes to anything that has the potential of attaching itself to my body for hours. The best-sounding headphones in the world could be a complete waste of money if they are not comfortable to wear. The CX500 is easy to plug into your ears, and very comfortable to wear for long periods of time. The fact that noise isolation works well on these buds (provided that you select the proper tips of the right size) adds to the comfort level of the buds. After wearing them for a while, you will forget their presence in your ear canals and may catch yourself wondering where the music is coming from. Yes, it is that comfy.
As long as the tips are of the correct size, these buds will stay in your ears once they are placed there properly. One of my pet peeves with the Sony Fontopia is that they fall out of my ears without provocation, regardless of the silicon tips used.
The unit, designed in Germany and manufactured in China, is very well constructed. These buds come in high gloss black, titanium and silver. The cable is 3.5m long with a miniature volume slider in line. The cables are of the right width, not too thick, not too stringy.
There were a lot of complaints about “cable noise” on the CX300. Apparently, the users are hearing noticeable scratching noise when the cable/cord is touched. Sennheiser seems to have made design changes in the CX500 to address the issue.
Package
The packaging of the CX500 is very attractive and very clever with built-in Teutonic efficiency. Along with the ear buds, the package offers:
- Cable winder
- 5 pairs of tips of varying sizes
- 1 pair of Shirt clips
- Leather-like carrying pouch
The cable winder has two built-in rubber 'cups' to store the buds and notches on the sides to secure the cable - overall a very smart design.
Sound Isolation
This is a very interesting feature since at times it works almost as well as active noise cancellation. Almost. CX500 attempts to block out external noise through a better fit in the ear canals using the silicon tips. In environments such as office and home, the effectiveness of sound isolation is good enough that makes you question why you should shell out a lot of dough for a good pair of noise cancellation headsets.
However, in really noisy environments such as airplane in flight, the buds make a difference in reducing the noise level but you will still hear the noise leaking through in the background and you are definitely still aware of it. In contrast, with a pair of good noise cancellation headsets, the noise just 'melts' away, for the lack of a better description. In other words, I am not throwing out my PXC 250 any time soon to reduce my luggage footprint.
Summary
I am really happy with the CX500. The buds offer clear, crisp, distinct, natural, and well-rounded sound with strong enough bass. The unit is well designed and constructed, up to the usual Sennheiser standard. It comes with a load of accessories that are useful and attractive. The price tag is a little high but it is worth the money.
Powerful bass-driven stereo sound Fits perfectly within the ear canal and reduces ambient noise thanks to the included ear adapter rings Ideal for use...More at Amazon Marketplace
Powerful bass-driven stereo sound Fits perfectly within the ear canal and reduces ambient noise thanks to the included ear adapter rings Ideal for use...More at Amazon
CX500 Headphone (White) N Title: New Sennheiser CX500 High Performance Lightweight In-Ear Noise-Isolating Headphones (White) Part Number: CX500 Condit...More at eBay
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