Sennheiser CX 500

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Product Info

Introduction

It seems that every MP3 player on the market today comes bundled with less than average sounding earphones. The iPod is certainly no exception. Really, the first thing you should be doing when you buy a new iPod, is buying a pair of decent sounding earphones. The CX 500′s are certainly decent sounding, and at a more than reasonable price mark, certainly an option for anyone in the market for a set of earphones. The CX 500′s certainly live up to the Sennheiser name, with excellent overall sound quality and superb lows, as well as a good, comfortable design. Sadly, the CX 500′s don’t have iPod/iPhone playback control, but for the price, there is no doubt that they are excellent value.

Packaging

Annoyingly, the CX 500's come packaged in a plastic shell. It is beyond my understanding why any company would use plastic shell wrapping. They are the most annoying invention of all time, and quite frankly, dangerous. I would have preferred a humble cardboard box a hundred times of the current design, which makes it impossible to open without both cutting your hands and damaging the packaging. Overall, a huge disappointment in the packaging.

Sound Quality

These are Sennheiser earphones. So you pretty much know you're going to get great sound quality before the earphones are even plugged in, let alone fit into your ears. The lows (bass) of the earphones is truly spectacular, and while the highs are not quite up to the same standard, they manage to keep the overall quality high. For the money you'll spend on them, I would be surprised if you could find a better sounding pair of earphones.

Noise Isolation + Comfort

Sennheiser have included plenty of different sized tips for the CX 500s, and this really is a must for in-ear headphones, as we all vary in ear size. You should therefore be able to find a size that fit you well, and with that will come excellent noise isolation. Though maybe not to the same extent as other much more premium in-ear sets, the CX 500's definitely hold there own in this department, while they don't block out all noise, they certainly do a pretty good job of it.

Design

The earphones themselves actually look pretty darn decent. There isn't really that much to say about the however, as the design is pretty much the same as every other set of in-ear headphones, but they do look clean and sharp, though the volume control looks and feels a bit like it was taken from a '60s walkman. The cord is a simple rubber, and the jack is a 90 degree output, meaning damage to the jack on you device is going to be much less likely.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the CX 500's look, feel and perform great for their price. But if you have ever used a more premium set, you will find yourself craving to use them again, as, at the end of the day, you do get what you pay for.