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Sennheiser CX 300 headphones (black)

Product summary

The goodThe good: The Sennheiser CX 300 offers solid sound quality, significant isolation from outside sounds, and an ultralightweight design, as well as three sizes of silicon ear tips to ensure a perfect fit--all for well less than $100.

The badThe bad: The Sennheiser CX 300 doesn't come with a travel pouch or any other accessories.

The bottom lineThe bottom line: If you're looking for an affordable, decent-sounding pair of earbuds, start with the Sennheiser CX 300. Sennheiser's first in-ear design sounds like a winner to us.

Specifications: Product type: Headphones ; Design: In-ear canalphone ; Color: Black ; See full specs

Price range: $23.35 - $59.95

See all products in the Sennheiser CX 300 headphone series

CNET editors' review

  • 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): $23.35 - $59.95
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Amazon.com Marketplace
$24.99 Yes 5.0 star rating
Buy.com
$37.99 Yes 5.0 star rating
Amazon.com
$23.35 Yes 5.0 star rating
Circuit City
$57.99 Yes 5.0 star rating
zZounds
$39.95 Yes 5.0 star rating

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Where to buy Sennheiser CX 300 headphones (black)

Price range: $23.35 - $59.95

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Reviews from
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  • pcmag.com

    Editors' rating: 80

    Summary: If you want thumping bass with minimal mud, you'll love these compact in-ear headphones.

    Read full review

  • 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

    Read full review

  • digitaltrends.com

    Editors' rating: 75

    Read full review

  • goodgearguide.com.au

    Editors' rating: 70

    Summary: For their price, the CX 300's offer a more than adequate replacement for your standard iPod headphones in terms of sound quality; and you'll also be pretty pleased with their bass levels.

    Read full review

  • 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 good

    Read full review

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