Sennheiser CX 3.0 Review
I've been using earphones from the Sennheiser series for at least ten years now, and I've bought quite a few sets, starting out with the MX series.
I've always been impressed with the CX-300 II Precision but not with it's longevity. I hope that I'll get some more time out of the CX 3.0 because of it's thicker cord and Jack-cover build. I always had them in between 3 to 6 months before a cable breach on the inside would occur, although I did then once have a warranty extension (new pair) for a similar amount of time. I've been paying Sennheiser quite a lot throughout the years.
Just to get into the sound of the Sennheisers a bit, the highs and mid highs on the Sennheiser in-ear versions have always disappointed me a bit in that they are either too sharp or a bit dull, that includes the CX 300 II Precision. I always had to tweak them a lot with equalizing, which detracts from the sound image.
With the CX 3.0 however I am completely satisfied if not almost amazed with the highs and mid highs. I am very glad to finally hear those violas and strings in general come out of the stereo image so marvelously on a Sennheiser In Ear set! (I haven't gone beyond the price range of the CX 300 II precision so in any case I wouldn't know any better). Hans Zimmer's Man of Steel soundtrack along with other orchestral types of music (Classical!! Woodwinds, Copper, everything) burst out of Sennheiser's new drivers beautifully!
I went with a set of Soundmagic e10's before this, which gave me a very good time and listen, especially for the money. But the CX 3.0 has definitely reunited me with the series. At a price that's only €10,- in difference it is very much worth it for me.
The only tweaking I had to do, and something that has always been necessary (to me) with Sennheiser's in-ears is decreasing the mid low range a bit, because of the overwhelming and thumpy bass, but not nearly as much is needed with the CX 3.0 to get the sound image (bass) I like. Tweaking over the whole spectrum for that matter almost isn't necessary at all with these babies, they sound awesome. I would still describe some higher sounds like high register xylophone or celesta (or S vowels / Cymbal crescendos) sounds as a bit harsh at times, but this is very nitpicky.
The noise canceling has also been improved upon, as in there's just less dB's of outside noise. I hardly notice they're in my ears (great fit), and with the improved noise cancellation my music merges fully with the real world enabling much more immersion and "privacy" / more peaceful listening.
Summary:
*Awesome highs/mid highs! (Especially mid to mid high!! Go Strings!)
*A bit sharp around the higher edges
*Far less equalizing needed, almost nothing! And I'm picky when it comes to sound.
*In combination with Cowon's BBE+ functionality these just sound amazing.
*Great Value for your money!
*Sturdy cable design; less tangling and hopefully inner cable breaching after maybe a year or so. (later, hopefully)
*Can't find a genre that doesn't sound great! Haven't listened to them all though. (List of genres below)
*Improved noise cancelling, and great fit, although the fit is always very personal
*Better than Soundmagic's e10, although comparable (<-- headphones that are peer-reviewed and found by many to be awesome, with which I agree)
*Big improvement on the mid-range (in price) series!!!!!
My experience with Sennheiser In-EarÂs:
MX300/400 (Older models)
CX 175
CX 200 Street II
CX 215 (Coloured)
CX 300
CX 300-II Precision (Last one I owned before getting Soundmagic e10)
CX 400-II Precision
My "sound-biases": I'm a Jazz pianist who likes softer, more detailed and rich sounds. I love soundtrack, these buds make soundtrack a joy. My ears are not used to really expensive equipment. (ordered shureÂ's and boseÂ's once, hated them for some reason) Also, I might be really happy to hear something else than two weeks of my stock-buds after the death of my Soundmagic e10Â's. I listened to at least 50 songs across genres. (Classical, Jazz, Rock, Soundtrack, Pop)
One more thing, removing the buds from the casing is a pain, and I damaged them in the process. I used metal to fork-lift them out of the cups and in doing so damaged the metallic brand finish on the sides, stupid me. (Didn't want to pull them by the cables) Watch out!
Ruben Stolp, NL
