The Sennheiser CX-150’s: The best £15 I’ve ever spent
We consume music through a variety of mediums: a radio, a television, iPods/MP3 Players, Headphones, Speakers etc. and every individual has their own personal tastes when the matter is brought to the table. I have always thought highly of the way we enjoy music and I personally believe the quality of how one listens to it reflects upon how one appreciates it.
Naturally, a first post on the matter should be one common to many music listeners in the current era - Headphones.
The question, “what headphones should I buy?” is one of the most frequented questions that people have asked me when they discover my passion for music. Even now I don’t have an answer for people, as the choice of headphones is suited just as much to your tastes as buying a pair of jeans; firstly they have to fit you, as you don’t want them falling down to your ankles, but as well as that they should be a reflection of your taste.
My personal problem for answering such a daunting question is that I am a blank canvas when it comes to musical taste. As a very basic example, I need to be the guy that doesn’t scream “Oasis fan” as much as I don’t want to scream “Jay-Z lover”. This makes headphone choice a very challenging problem to overcome, as a need a pair of headphones that look understated but also need to perform as ‘all-rounders’ serving to my very erratic music library.
On the biggest off-chance of the century I think I may have found such headphones. They cost me £14.99 and I am completely blown away by what they have been capable of in the short time that I have possessed them.
The date was the 23rd September, around 3pm, staring at the biggest wall of headphones I have ever seen in my entire life in Preston’s HMV. There I saw some of the worst looking headphones of my entire life. Some cost more than I would ever want to pay, some looked like they wouldn’t last a week commuting to University and some left me with nothing more than a feeling of mediocrity (HMV’s home-brand earbuds need a serious re-marketing if they ever want to sell in good numbers).
On a whim, I bought at a special offer on a Sennhieser branded pair of headphones. Specifically, the CX-150’s, an in-ear “bud” style with interchangeable ear adapters for varying sizes in lug-holes.
The one thing I have always struggled with in terms of the in-ear bud style designs is the reluctance they have to sit still in my ear. Half of my commuting time was spent trying to keep the damned things in, which normally involved trying to keep my head/neck as still as possible without looking to of had a serious case of whiplash.
The good news is that the CX-150’s are pretty happy sitting in my ear without frequent dislodgements that I have gotten used to through the years. This is probably courtesy of the fact these headphones are incredibly light. Admittedly this does question how well built the CX-150’s are; but I am quite a responsible carer for my headphones, regardless of price, and I hope that I shall not be hindered by any such problems in the near future.
In terms of audio quality, the CX-150’s are fantastic. If I had to critique them in anyway I would suggest that they are naturally quite ‘bass-heavy’. This is remedied easily by the iTunes EQ settings that I use, at which point these headphones sound incredibly full-bodied for such a cheap price.
Design-wise, these headphones are tastefully understated which I have no qualms over. They also feature a right-angled 3.5mm input, making them less prone to cable stretching as well accidental pull-outs from my iPhone’s input jack - always a nice thing to have.
Hopefully these headphones live up to the hype I am currently giving them. At the moment I would highly recommend them if you can grab them for the same price that I have.
