Sennheiser CX300 In-Ear Headphones (Black)

Firstly, let me start by saying i don't skateboard, cycle, or extreme pogo. I sit on the bus, the train, the tube and walk to work. And reverse the process on the way home.
I bought these to replace the standard head set that comes with my blackberry, as i use it as a music player. The sound quality was, in comparison, a revelation. The semi noise cancelling (more muting really) is effective because of a very snug fit in the ear - i've always had problems with push-in plug-type earphones but these are excellent, super comfortable and immerse you totally in the sound. On sound quality alone, they'd get 4.5 out of 5
However....
I had had my first pair for 1 month when the right bud stopped working. Now because of the two different lengths of cable you pass the right ear bud behind your neck (from the left) so it sometimes get caught if you look right - so i end up constantly fiddling with it to give the cable some slack. Not a problem if you're sitting still but occurs mainly when walking - so somewhat irritating.
Play replaced these with no hassle, so hats off to them. However, the second pair has developed the same fault after 3 weeks - seems to be a loose connection in the right earbud because a little fiddling and the sound comes back.
A real shame because the really are an excellent sound pair of buds for the money..

WOW! These arrived this morning made me sweat trying to get into the box but well worth the wait......I wanted these for my ipod as i seem to have a problem with ear phones always coming out my ear or give me ear ache cos there shoved so far into my ear canal to stop them coming out (Which never works) have small ears so im told but after reading the revievs on here i decided to give it a go......WOW WOW WOW if u are thinking of buying in earphones you HAVE to buy these they are surperb!..blocks out ALL outside noise and felt like i had a sub woofer on my head out of this world sound the bass was awsome without making ya deaf superb earphones you wont be disapointed, even went for a run and they didnt move an inch.... Clare ;-) so pleased with these .

Firsly, I'm pro-Sennheiser and have a pair of their excellent cans but I don't know what happened with the CX-300 ear buds.
1) The packaging, what were they thinking?? I eventually found the small ear cups under the fridge after they flew everywhere. They need a lesson from Apple.
2)They ARE very bassy, but this is at the expense of clarity, the resulting sound is simlar to activating one of those stupid X-Bass/Super-Bass-Plus buttons on cheap stereos. Not for music-lovers.
3) There's no damping between the cable and the driver, so whenever you touch the cable you get this THUMP in your earhole! Running with it is like having someone constantly jabbing your ear-drums with chopsticks. They do fit nicely and block out ambient sound well though, just don't move your head...or body...or clothing.
4) The cable sticks to...well...everything, so don't move your head or the buds will pop out. In fact just stay abolutely still.

My wife has some Sony MDR-EX71SL (the sony equivalent to these). They sound better, fit better, have a longer non-stick cable and come with a little bud-case. Go with the Sony, they're worth the extra 50p.

I have owned this particular model of earphones for over 1.5 years (I checked, I bought them in August 2007 from another retailer!) and would never, ever, hesitate to recommend them.

This is assuming you do buy the *original* earphones and not the equivalent OEM - I remember this was a hot issue back in 2007 and anyone who did complain about the earphones had inadvertently ended up with the OEMs. There should still be sites with photos to help you identify the latter.

The review:

I use these on the way to/from work on the bus, on the Tube and when out walking on the street. The noise cancellation is excellent - they are in-ear bud earphones which are very comfortable in my experience - although how much is blocked out is also dependent on the volume of your music! Clearly it's safer to let some sound through when you're crossing the road or listening out for Tube driver announcements, but if you want your own little bubble of music or radio comedy from the BBC, this will be an excellent purchase as it is good value for money and it works just as it says on the tin.

I cannot fault the quality of the sound that comes through the earphones, although it does actually depend a little on the processing engine (or whatever it's called) of your music player. For instance, I have noticed that I definitely get a richer sound from my Sony Ericsson phone than my LG phone.

Durability wise, as with every other commuter, the wire can get caught in the most annoying things (like coat buttons and bag zips when squashed on the Tube) and 1.5 years later, they are still going strong, which I think speaks for itself! One other reviewer mentioned breaking their first pair within the first month, and since I use mine all the time - not necessarily gently since I am a a normal person - I am going to assume they gave it some seriously rough handling which would ruin any set of earphones.

To summarise though: iif you want earphones that will give you that 'bubble of space' when you want it, produces good sound, is durable and doesn't break your bank balance, then I would definitely say "Please consider buying this product." and make sure you get the original version if you do.

p/s: And to fellow commuters who get annoyed by others who blare out their music through their poor quality earphones, and would not like to be labelled as one, from what I've found - if the volume has been turned up and the music has a strong beat, some sound will filter through.

However, if the volume is adequate, the ear-buds will pretty much 'seal' in the music just for your ears only.

After purchasing an iPod 80GB and knowing how weak the standard headphones supplied are i read the reviews of these Sennheiser CX 300 and decided to give them a go..... and got to say for £17.99 delivered they`re an absolute bargain - fantastic sound quality from in ear phones. Can`t fault them so far.