Sennheiser PX100 Headphones

From recommendations on this site i looked at the Sony MDR range and these Sennheisers.

First, Sound - the PX100's sound quality, ie. dynamics, clarity, base and soundstaging (how much 'space' you can hear between the instruments) are EXCELLENT, and noticabley better then the Sony MDR's....so that sold me.....

Price - i bought mine in Canada and to be honest they are no more expensive over here....so the price, for £30, JUST BUY THEM, great price....

Handling and construction - hmm, the PX100's do feel pretty delicate and i always feel myself handling them with care, i have stopped taking them out mountain biking because of this. It's a real shame. They DO come with a nicely designed hard carry case which you should carry round with you so you can chuck them in your backpack with no worries, but i find myself not taking it out, its hassle and just another thing to carry, so i run the risk of damaging them again :(

Sennheiser customer service - withought doubt, in my experience, excellent. I stepped on the wire of these 'phones and pulled out a small part inside the one of arms. They still could be adjusted but not quite correctly. I rang them up and even though i had bought them 9 months earlier in a different country, had NO recipt or packaging, they still took them back and i am now sitting here with a fresh set on my noggin. Kudos Sennheiser.

All in all, GREAT for sound, let down if you want to use them for anything more rigorous then a trip round town.

4 *'s out of five.

PS if you aren't worried about the best sound quality, take a look at the Sony MDR range...more destrucaproof and probably the only other headphones to compete on sound.

Sound quality is amazing for something so small (and cheap). The base is nice and deep (without distortion) and the vocals clear and crisp. I also own the Sennheiser MX500 ear buds and I would say that the PX100's are very slightly better - possibly due to the way that the phones cover the whole ear.

For the money you get a plastic carry case but to be honest it is a bit of a fiddle to get the headphones back into it. I use the headphones for the computer so do not need to bother with the storage case.

So why only 4 stars?

1) I personally have found that a mammoth game session can leave my ears hurting. Not from the volume, but from the pressure of the headphones pushing onto my ears. So continuous use may cause some people some discomfort.

2) The output is quite quiet in comparison to other headphones meaning the volume needs to be turned up. If you alternate between PC speakers and the headphones it means you are constantly playing with the volume - plus the headphones do not have a volume slider like some do.

3) These are dubbed as "portable" headphones - yes they are small but for listening to music in whilst out and about, I find the ear bud headphones much more practical and discreet. These headphones are not exactly pocket sized. Obviously this is down to personal preference though!

4) As another reviewer points out, the sound 'leakage' out of the headphones is quite loud - obviously it does not bother the listener but other people in the room/train/bus could find it really annoying.

In summary, excellent sound for headphones this price - slightly better sound than the Sennheiser MX500 and also better than the standard iPod ear buds. Let down slightly by the long term comfort.