Sennheiser CX 300 headphones (black)

CNET editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Design : 7.0
  Features : 7.0
  Performance : 8.0
  Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Steve Guttenberg
• Edited by:
  Jasmine France
• Reviewed on: 02/14/2006

We've conducted an informal poll on the streets of New York City, and from that vantage point, it looks like 80 percent of iPod-toting denizens are using the pathetic earbuds that came with their players. Shure and Etymotic's in-ear headphones are surefire cures for the bad-sound blues, but their teensy in-ear models all come with hefty price tags, with the very cheapest starting around $100. Sennheiser's new American division saw an opening and introduced this nifty $80 in-ear model, the CX 300, which you can actually find for around $60 online.

The Sennheiser CX 300's construction quality exceeds that of most earbuds, and the soft and flexible Y cable is a good length at 49 inches. The CX 300--available in black or silver finishes--doesn't come with the usual accessories, such as a travel pouch or an airline plug-in adapter that you get with the higher-priced models.

Like all the in-ear phones we've tested, the Sennheiser CX 300 won't produce any bass at all unless its soft silicon ear tips form an airtight seal inside your ear canals. That might require a little experimentation, having to switch between the CX 300's three sizes of ear tips. We settled on the largest ones, but the fit was never as secure as we've achieved with other in-ear phones, and a slight tug on the CX 300's cables would dislodge the earpiece from the ear. To evaluate the CX 300's noise isolation, we took a trip on the 4 train on New York City's subway, where the CX 300 proved itself to be an effective noise blocker, almost on a par with the higher-priced in-ear models. The isolation won't make them a safe choice for joggers, plus we heard a significant amount of rustling from the CX 300's wires rubbing against our clothing whenever we moved about.

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Where to buy

Sennheiser CX 300 headphones (black): $31.37 - $99.95

store	price	in stock?	rating
CrispDeals.com	$64.00	Yes
Amazon.com Marketplace	$31.37	Yes
	$99.95	Yes

see prices from 3 stores

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	CrispDeals.com	$64.00
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	6th Ave.	$99.95

Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 121 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars Write review

• Showing 3 of 121 user reviews

• 4.0 stars

  "Great sound! with a bit of noise through the cord"

  by xsnydx on December 9, 2009

• 4.0 stars

  "Crisp sound and comfortable."

  on September 5, 2009

• 1.0 stars

  0 out of 1 people found this helpful

  "The worst headphones I have ever tried. Don't bother."

  by RuthLC on July 9, 2009

• See all 121 user reviews Write review

Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 90

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 11031 reviews of Sennheiser CX 300 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 82/100 and users 78/100. Comparing these reviews to 158056 other Headphones reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 90/100 = Excellent.

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• stuff.tv

  Editors' rating: 100

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• techradar.com

  Editors' rating: 80

  Summary: One notable drawback of these buds is that there's no carry case to stash them in and keep them safe and protected. We found this a little disappointing, especially when even the budget variety that we reviewed managed to provide one. Furthermore, a ...

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• whathifi.com

  Editors' rating: 100

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• pocket-lint.com

  Editors' rating: 80

  Summary: As the next step up from the headphones you get in the box the CX 300 perform well

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• personal computer world

  Editors' rating: 80

  Summary: The CX-300 is a great portable choice for those who make no compromises with their music and will gracefully handle anything you throw its way

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