Sennheiser PMX80 In-Ear Sport Series II Behind the Head Earphones
by Sennheiser
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List Price: Our Price: $49.98 You Save: $9.97 (17%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sennheiser PMX80 In-Ear Sport Series II Behind the Head Earphones
Customer Review: Best head phones I have found for running
Summary: 4 Stars
I did quite a bit of research before I settled on the Sennheiser PMX80s. I had tried running with IEMs but they kept popping out or slipping out because of sweat. This annoyed the heck out of me because running isn't my most favorite activity, but when you are in the "zone" and suddenly your headphone pops out, it kind of killed the moment for me. So, based on all the reviews I read I decided that these would be the best option and took the plunge and ordered them. I have been running in them for about 4 months now and they definitely haven't let me down.
Comfort/Fit:
The cord is plenty long, I run the cord down the back of my neck and shirt to keep it out of the way, and I haven't ever had it pull or feel uncomfortable. The fit is pretty good too, however I did loose one of the little foam covers pretty quickly, but I don't think this detracts from the comfort of the ear piece when it is resting in my ear. The behind the ear fit took some adjustment for me but overall, I think it is comfortable. The only thing I will say is that I wear a hat when I am running and this can put some pressure on the part of band that goes over the ear and can get uncomfortable on longer runs of an hour or more...but most things start to get uncomfortable at this point.
Sound:
I am not an expert at all, but I have no problem with how these sound. I tend to play more bass heavy music when I am running and these seem to keep up fine. They also let in just enough of the surrounding noise that I can still be aware of traffic. However you will lose this effect if you crank the volume up on these, which is a plus if you are in a loud noisy gym or on a loud noisy treadmill.
Overall Impression:
I would say just save yourself the hassle of reading and rereading reviews and just buy them. The Sennheiser PMX80s are a great set of headphones. They perform well sound-wise. They are lightweight, durable (holding up to miles of sweat), and are probably the most functional set for runners.
Customer Review: They Suit Their Purpose.
Summary: 3 Stars
I needed a pair of headphones for outdoor use; something comfortable that i could listen with over lawn mower & chain saw noise. These head phones fit the bill, and have an adequate sound quality if you keep the purpose in mind. The fact is I was a bit disappointed with the sound quality, but then again, i didn't purchase this particular set for critical listening.
I first tried a set of regular headphones - old walkman style - over the ear, but not an ear cup. Sennheiser PX 100's. I like the sound quality as far as light weight headphones go, but they let in a lot of extra noise. Then I tried a set of noise reducing head phones made by Travelon. As far as portability is concerned these headphones have fantastic sound quality, and do an amazing job of filtering out noise from mowers & engines. However, they are heavy & begin to hurt your neck while doing yard work. Plus, they require a battery for the noise reduction feature to be active; the long chord, which has the battery pack sandwiched right in the middle just below your chest, and is so long it needs to be coiled up, is a constant irritation to wrangle with. Likewise, In-ear/canal phones seem to pop out of my ears regardless of design, and are a constant interruption to my work.
That brings me to this selection of head phones. They are earbud-like in design, fitting securely into the ear, but without being inserted into the canal. The headband feature prevents the phones from constantly popping out of the ear. They don't pop out at all for that matter. Fitting into the the ear the way they do, they do a relatively decent job of blocking out engine noise. I do have to turn up my mp3 player louder than I hoped, but not all the way to 11! The chord can easily be run down the back instead of the front and is for all intents and purposes hassle free. They are comfortable and seem to be durable thus far. As I mentioned, the sound quality was a bit disappointing. But this is a small compromise since they are otherwise perfect for my purposes.
Customer Review: Excellent sturdy construction and sound for this class of headphones
Summary: 4 Stars
No, these are not the CX300's nor do they sound quite as nice. That's not what you're paying for here. These headphones are sweat and moisture proof and can and, to avoid buildup of dried sweat residue, should be rinsed after a sweaty workout. The speakers sit in a good position in the ear canal, directing sound optimally. The cord and fittings are quite robust. They are sturdy and well engineered and wouldn't come off your head even after the loud music you're running to had distracted you to the point of not seeing that car coming and "SPLAT!"
Seriously, though, folks, be careful out there.
What you're getting with these guys is a pair of headphones that sounds far better than any others that even approach their sturdiness. They are not top-of-the-line reference-quality earbuds. After all, you're not in an optimum listening environment while running or working out anyway, right? These are as good as you need. The more audiophilic among you will probably want to tweek whatever EQ settings you have on your ipod or other audio device to really optimize the sound.
Another reviewer complained of how the behind-the-head band is interfered with while lying on or against a workout bench: I haven't tried these at the gym yet, only running which they're great for. But I can totally see how that might be an issue. Lying against the back of the sofa at home it was a problem. I was able to easily resolve this by tilting my head back slightly. If a slight tilt of the head throws off an exercise you're doing, you may want to examine your technique. If the headband remains a huge concern, there are the Sennheiser CX380 Sport Series II Noise Isolating Earphones. They were my second choice, but I wanted to avoid the increased tendency to tangle inherent in separate earbuds. Also, I can't vouch for how they sit in the ear.
Customer Review: Awesome For Running, But With A Few Issues
Summary: 4 Stars
UNSHAKEABLE, GREAT SOUND
For running, these are great. They don't move- not one tiny bit. The sound quality and clarity is excellent, both for music and spoken word (eg: podcasts). Once I've got these in my ears, I never have to adjust them. That said, there are a few drawbacks which I'll detail.
COMFORT
It's true, these headphones are a little uncomfortable at first. They stay on due to the vice-grip of the flexible headband, not because of the ear pieces, so how comfortable these are probably has to do with the width of your head. For me, I got used to it very quickly (within the week) and I no longer think them uncomfortable. They're certainly a pleasure to wear as compared to my other earbuds, which require constant adjustment during a run.
BENCH WORK AT GYM
If you use flat benches at the gym (eg: bench press) the headband gets in the way a bit. Basically when you're laying on your back the headband gets between your head and the bench, which places pressure on the earpieces. The earpieces never come out, but it's not comfortable. It's also not a serious issue, because you can just tilt your head or the headband to avoid it, but it's a nuisance. I'd say if you do a lot of bench work, these headphones might not be ideal for you.
BUILD QUALITY
Overall these headphones look really sleek, and the parts seem to be high quality. Nice soft rubber for the audio cable, durable plastic headband, etc. Unfortunately the pieces themselves aren't put together so solidly. After just the first two weeks of use, both the reflective Sennheiser logo sticker and the audio wire started separating from the plastic headband. It wasn't a big deal to superglue them back into place, but for a premium brand/product like this, I was disappointed.
OVERALL
I would definitely recommend these for runners. Despite the potential flaws, these are still my preferred exercise headphones.
Customer Review: Perfect for outdoor activities
Summary: 3 Stars
I've owned these for nearly 2 months now. First thing I did with them was listen to music while riding on my mountain bike. PERFECT! Sound was great, wind didn't affect sound much at all; barely noticeable.
Two days later I use them in the gym to lift weights. First thing that bothered me is the wires, they're like a rubber material and they grip clothing and don't move around much at all. Not good for lifting since it requires a lot of movement in your arms, legs, and head etc. The wire is pretty short, another foot would be perfect but it's great for bike riding because you're sort of hunched over.
The next day I use it while running on the treadmill, I am sweating and it's warm; I try to take the headphones off and rinse away my sweat from my head and the headphones. The towel grips onto the rubber headphones and it's pretty hard to do. I had to stop and carefully wipe away the sweat.
After every sweaty workout I have been washing them, not the actual speakers though. For some reason I don't think that is water resistant. So I don't want to waste $55.
A week later I notice the sound is quite low. It's as if my sweat and ear wax is blocking the sound or something. I don't see anything by the way, but I do know sweat has gotten in it.
Another problem with these is I noticed sweat easily gets in between the speaker and your ear. It's like the sweat travels down the headphones and into your ears. So these suck for ellipticals, treadmills, and lifting weights. (What I have used them for) I am constantly having to re-adjust and wipe away sweat carefully.
Edit: Last week the gray rubber protective covering for speaker part came off.
For $55, I expected decent sound like from their CX300 model.
I don't recommend these unless they're only used for outdoor activities.