Sennheiser CX 3.00 Review: Bass-heavy earphones with good sound

Sennheiser, a name known for its audio products and the maker of the open-ended audiophile headphones category, has a huge consumer product offering. From that portfolio, today we have the CX 3.00 earphones from Sennheiser, a replacement for the popular Sennheiser CX 300 II earphones. These earphones are purely for listening pleasure; they don’t come with mic functionality. Their CX 2.00 and CX 5.00 handle the in-line headset functionality. Build and Design: 7/10 The earphones look pretty, almost like earrings due their shiny stylish back and ‘S’ logo. [caption id=“attachment_299796” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] The Sennheiser CX 3.00 has a really nice styling[/caption] Also these earphones are shaped inward to point sound inside, while keeping the earphones in line with ear rather than stick out like normal earphone designs. [caption id=“attachment_299797” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Very peculiar design, yet comfortable[/caption] Keeping in tune with compactness, Sennheiser has thoughtfully designed the 3.5mm jack to sit parallelly with the phone rather than stick out, very slick indeed. However, as per the user reviews online, some users have expressed concern over the connector sheathing coming off overtime due to tension, unfortunately we cannot test this, but something to keep in mind. [caption id=“attachment_299798” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Smart L-shaped connector stays in line with the contours of the phone and yes that is my super abused 2 year old Nexus 5[/caption] Sennheiser’s packaging exudes premiumness too. As soon as you open, you’ll notice the thought and quality put behind it. There is curious little plastic box that holds the earphones comfortably and an extra pair of earphones tips. [caption id=“attachment_299799” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Sennheiser’s neat little box[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_299800” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Left-Extra ear tips tucked away, Right – The box is quite impractical in daily use[/caption] At first I thought, this box was just packaging, but apparently this is the “convenient carry case” that Sennheiser includes. Using it honestly, it didn’t exactly feel “convenient” at all, in fact quite the opposite, am sure Sennheiser team can definitely come up with a better design. Most people will just stow away the box with the packaging. [caption id=“attachment_299801” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Four tips to rule them all[/caption] I like that four different sizes of ear tips are included for everyone, and the smallest sized earphone tips that I’ve ever seen. All the ear tips are silicone based and convenient to swap. The largest or medium size that I generally wear, didn’t feel very comfortable, the large size stretched my ear a bit more than usual and the medium size was a bit loose, but this is an individual case, I’m sure your mileage will vary. [caption id=“attachment_299802” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] The red and black look particularly good[/caption] I like that these comes in more colour options than just plain black. Performance: 7/10 I love it when marketing actually gets things right without exaggeration or muddying literature, in the case of Sennheiser CX 3.00 it’s typically the case after listening to the earphones. The marketing literature mentions, “High-quality earphones offering detailed sound reproduction and enhanced bass response”. Fantastically all these are correct, “high-quality” – Yes, “detailed sound reproduction” – Yes, and “enhanced bass response” – that is a double YES! And Sennheiser isn’t joking. These earphones have their “bass response” really pronounced. So much so that I thought I was wearing my ear tips too tight or incorrect size. The bass is so pronounced that it over-powers other sounds and eats away at the mids; couple that with typical Sennheiser highs and you have a sound output that is Bass & Treble high, therefore your typical sound output would be equal to “Rock” equalizer setting of in all players. [caption id=“attachment_299803” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”] Sennheiser CX 3.00 sounds like the “Rock” EQ setting - Notice the reverse bell curved sound[/caption] That being said, even though I personally don’t like my sound that bass heavy, most people will actually enjoy this. Not to criticize anybody but most people do equate “good sound” with more bass, more highs or loudness. I’d prefer this kind of sound handled by the EQ of the player when required, as I can change a level through software, but I cannot rectify sound with EQ when it is the very-signature (at the hardware level) of a pair of earphones or speakers. Despite my personal tastes, the earphones do sound good. It was fun listening to the same music with more bass than before; it gave a different flavour to the sound. While the bass did eat the mids, it didn’t sound unclean the way cheap earphones do. Sennheiser highs are very-peculiar and it balances the sound well. And of course EQ settings will help as per your tastes. Just remember to keep the “Rock” EQ setting off, otherwise who are going to have a really bass and treble heavy sound experience, unless of course you like that kind of sound. Verdict and Price in India Would I recommend these? Yes, to almost everyone with the caveat that these are bass heavy. To an audio enthusiast who likes a more balanced sound, there are certainly more options around the same price.