Sennheiser CX 880 Noise-Isolating Premium Earbuds

Product Description

Style: Standard

From the Manufacturer

Looking as classy as they sound, the Sennheiser CX 880 in-ear headphones offer lifelike sound quality and a custom fit that feels like they were made for your ears. Co-designed with BMW DesignWorksUSA, the CX 880 provides aggressive noise blocking thanks to its close-fitting ergonomic design, which also channels cabling away from your ear.

These ear-canal, noise-isolating headphones use a dynamic speaker and a specially tuned transducer that reproduces a transparent, clear audible image. And you can keep your audio player in your pocket and still control playback volume with the included in-line rotary volume adjuster. The cleaning tool and ear-debris-guards protect your investment, while the included carrying case makes it easy to bring along wherever you roam.

What's in the Box

Headphones, ear adapter set (S, M, L), cable clip, ear debris guards, storage pouch, cleaning tool

Specifications

• Frequency response: 17-23,000 Hz


• Sound pressure level (SPL): 115 dB


• Ear coupling: In-the-ear


• Impedance: 32 ohms


• Total harmonic distortion (THD): <0.1 percent


• Connector: 1/8-inch (3.5mm)


• Cable length: 3.9 feet


• Weight (without cable): 0.46 ounces

Compatibility

Optimized for MP3, iPod, iPhone (iPod and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries), and portable media players.

Warranty

The Sennheiser CX 880 is covered by a 2-year warranty with the backing of Sennheiser's worldwide service network.

Classic line delivers balanced sound with refined ergonomics. Stylish design with modern touchs like chrome plated accents and fine metallic lines for subtle shimmer.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 2.8 x 7.9 inches ; 4.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0035JKJAE
• Item model number: CX 880
  

Price : $89.99
You Save : $79.96 (47%)

List Price : $169.95

Technical Details

• Silicone ear adapters for a personalized comfortable fit
• Ear wax guards for enhanced audio performance
• Intergrate volume control and storage pouch
• Sophisticated ergonomic design

Customer Reviews

I received a pair of these directly from Sennheiser after sending in a pair of CX400s for some rather severe microphonics issues. While these do still have microphonics issues, it's much less noticeable and isn't deafening when they get bumped. It's also mostly only noticeable where the cord splits for the two buds. I'll cover cost and microphonics later on.

Comfort

I've been wearing these for around two hours now and barely notice them. The silicone earbuds are soft and very comfortable.

Sound Quality

Sound quality will vary for people with each person's choice in music and earbud fit, but this here's my take on things. I love that these headphones provide balanced sound, because I listen to a wide variety of music, which artificially bass heavy headphones will ruin. They provide clear sound across the range of highs and lows and seem to have a good sound stage.

Sound Isolation

These seem to provide slightly more isolation than the CX400s did for me. If foam earbuds were included, that'd greatly help with the isolation. If people want better sound isolation, they should look for triple flange ear tips, which are common on models from Etymotic and some others.

More on microphonics

I could see these being a bit distracting to exercise/walk around in, because the microphonics become more pronounced when anything comes into contact with the buds themselves. Wise use of the included clip takes care of most, if not all, of the microphonics from the cord for me. These can also be worn over the ear (rotate the bud so that the cord will go over the top of your ear), which will take care microphonics, though that may not be comfortable for everyone.

Cost/Accessories

Because I received these within the warranty period for the CX400s, I can't quite as accurately gauge if they're worth it. As a base for the earbuds alone, I would, being a fairly cheap person, probably be willing to spend around $50-$70 on them.

What easily makes them more worthwhile (could easily add $50?) is the solid construction, a two year warranty (that they honor without hassle), and excellent customer service (professional ; fast responses that directly address the issue/question - rare finds!), volume control (not really all that needed but convenient), and the accessories. The earwax cleaner isn't particularly expensive, but it's handy. The well-designed hard leather case makes a difference; it's not an overly bulky cheap plastic case. It's designed for the cord to be wrapped around then covered (may upload some pictures later).

I think that I've gone on long enough... anyway, I love these and prefer them over Monster Turbines for balanced listening across multiple genres.

The warranty only applies if it was purchased from an authorized dealer (such as Amazon), so be careful! Watch out for counterfeit headphones and check the Sennheiser website for a list, because I can't link to it.

I'm not really a rabid audiophile, so after being very pleased with some Etymotics MC5 buds I bought a few months ago on lightning deal for $50 I realized it can actually be worth spending the extra money on a good set of earbuds and I've been on the hunt for an even better set since. These Sennheisers came up as a recent Amazon lightning deal and I snapped them up. I have a pair of Sennheiser HD595 headphones that I really love (but unfortunately can't use at work due to their open air nature) so I was happy to try out some Sennheiser earbuds.

When I tried the CX 880 out though, I was somewhat disappointed.

First, the cons:

The fit is poor for a set in this price range. Unfortunately, fit is everything with earbuds. There are 3 pairs of sized rubber tips, but they're the same unremarkable crappy jellyfish shaped tips that you'd find on a $30 set of buds. I placed the triple flange tips from my Etymotics on them and that helped a little, but the left earbud still doesn't seal well even with the largest provided tip. There really should be more tip options, sizes, and styles included for this price.

The case was also a disappointment. It's a well constructed case and a good idea in theory, but getting the earbuds and the volume control bar to both fit in the slot while wrapping the cord around can prove to be an exercise in frustration. If the volume bar wasn't so long and inflexible this might not be a problem.

Speaking of the volume bar, reducing or increasing the volume will cause the sound in either side to cut out intermittently. If left at full volume both sides work fine, but if you reduce it and keep it at one of the affected levels you risk getting one-sided performance from this set. A pair of buds with this price tag should definitely not have this problem, and frankly, I'd rather not have the volume control feature at all if it can't be engineered to work properly.

The pros:

When I can get these adjusted properly in my ear (takes some time) the sound they produce is awesome. They are really a great performing set if they can be made to fit right. If you're like me and maybe not a serious audiophile, but can tell the difference between a decent sounding set of earbuds and crappy ones, you won't be disappointed.

The actual physical construction of the buds and accessories is also excellent, even though some aspects lack in application (the fit issues and impractical case).

The fit issues still have me on the brink of returning this set, but I'm still giving 4 stars because I recognize that individual fit is very subjective and the deal price seemed good (just under $100). Ultimately though the sound is pretty good on these. Your experience may vary.

UPDATE 12/2/11

I tried to make this purchase work out, but the fit issues were absolutely critical. Because of this, and the other issues I outlined in the review that I felt shouldn't be present in a set of earbuds in this price range, I returned these earbuds to Amazon about 2 weeks after writing this review.

Before returning them I sent a last ditch email to Sennheiser support, who replied promptly, but only with the suggestion that I get a custom molding performed by an audiologist. Since the price of the molding was going to be more than the price of the earbuds themselves, this was NOT going to be a viable option. I also looked into some aftermarket foam Comply tips, but they don't support this model as the diameter of the shaft is too big. I've learned from this experience that I won't be purchasing a set of earbuds in the future without checking to make sure that Comply supports them first, just in case.

I also downgraded my star rating to better reflect my experience. For the sound produced by the buds I would give this product 5 stars, but for fit options and the buggy and unreasonably enormous volume bar I would give it 1 star. In light of this, I'm trying to be fair by only giving the product a middle of the road 3 star review, though I know most people with the same experience wouldn't hesitate to give it a 1 overall.

So ultimately, if you buy these and they fit you, great. If they don't fit though, you're hosed.