Sennheiser MX 75 Sport review

For some time now, Sennheiser has been synonymous with quality headphones, from the consumer level to their studio professional line. With competitors such as Shure introducing several affordable, excellent in-ear sets specifically suited to portable use, Sennheiser was bound to eventually throw its hat into the ring. Not that the company hasn't offered in-ear headphones in the past, but the MX 75 ($49.95) stands out and stacks up well against--and perhaps bests--its closest competitors.

First things first: these headphones are neon green. Neon colors seem to be somewhat of a deal-breaker for certain people. You either love them or hate them, and all you haters need read no further (we don't blame you). Now that we have that out of the way, these headphones are a design delight from an ergonomic standpoint. Sennheiser's Twist-to-Fit holding system insures a snug fit, even when you're jogging, though this takes a little fiddling at first. Each earpiece has a rubber stopper above it which pushes against the outer ear and ensures stabilization, though the left and right pieces will not necessarily sit in the ear in identical ways, requiring a little adjustment on the user's part to find the position that both is secure and sounds best. The MX 75 also comes with an attractive rubber, semitransparent carrying case, a shirt clip that's attached to the cord, and rubber ear-piece covers to facilitate a snug fit.

Unfortunately, if you can't get past the neon green highlighting, you'll miss out on the entire Sennheiser Sport Line, which includes six earbud styles, all accented in the same color. There's the LX 70 ($54.95) with an ultralight headband design; the MXL 70V ($44.95) with an incorporated lanyard; the OMX 70 ($44.95) with adjustable ear hooks for a secure fit; the PMX 70 ($49.95) with an ergonomic neckband; and finally, the MX 70 ($34.95), which features a design similar to that of the MX 75 but also incorporates magnetic earpiece faces for connecting the earbuds around the neck when not in use.