Sennheiser PX 100 Lightweight Collapsible Headphones
by Sennheiser
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sennheiser PX 100 Lightweight Collapsible Headphones
Customer Review: New king of the hill for portable audio
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying that I am a professional musician, do considerable amount of writing and mixing music and I am borderline audiophile. I know a good sound when I hear it and this set of headphones is about as good as my home studio full size cans by Philips (HP910). Before buying Philips I did a lot of research and listened to at least a dozen different models and brands that were available to me at the time and at my price point. I was lucky I found all the models in stock in local stores to try.
Just recently I bought a new Archos mp3/video player and although the player is great the ear-bud headphones were pretty much useless. I started doing some research and through multiple on-line reviews narrowed my choice to three models AKG K26P, Sennheiser PX100 and KOSS Porta Pro. Of the three models I had previous experience with only KOSS. The other models were impossible to find in stock at any of LA area store so I had to go by other people's opinion. I went with Sennheiser, for their portability, light weight and fantastic specifications (on paper). What follows are my first thoughts:
1. Package
The headphones come in a sturdy plastic case with a spool for a cable. It is great, since it prevents any cable tangle or breakage in transport and also protects the drivers and plastic mounts of the headphones (more about it later).
2. Design
The ear pads of the phones tilt 90 degrees inside to make them flat and the sides of the headband fold inside and lock onto each other, creating a compact yet sturdy form to transport the cans. Add the great box to fit them in and you are good to travel. the outside of the headphone is plastic, as is the 90 tilt mechanism for ear pads. This is something that potentially can wear out and cause unintentional folding/unfolding of ear pads. On Sennheiser website I found a catalog of replacement parts and these mounts I believe are on the list, so it should be an easy fix, if it needs fixing. One more thing, they are not at all flashy so wearing them on the street you don't have to worry to be assaulted for them (unlike Bose or other brands).
3. Sound
As I mentioned I like my sound projection devices of high quality. Having said that, with mp3 players it is not so crucial, since the music is already compressed to death. If you are like me, you use the least possible amount of compression (I use WMA10 algorithm at 192 kbps) so the loss of quality is the least possible. Sometimes I also put wav files straight onto my players to avoid any loss in sound quality. I have listened to multiple genres of music with different mixing styles, from heavy club trance music to film scores to classical, big band, acoustic and electric jazz, progressive metal and pop. All I have to say is WOW... WOW... WOW. With these headphones you get all that you will need on the street or in the plane and more. The bass frequencies are very present, deep and crisp, but they do not overwhelm the mids or highs and there is no muddiness in the sound (unless the recording is mixed that way). The mids and highs are present and crisp, but not harsh. As I mentioned, they are not affected by the bass frequencies which is pretty amazing with such a small driver unit. The idea of flat response is probably familiar to you and I believe there is no such thing. Every speaker (headphones included) is tuned in some way or another, but the tuning of PX100s is close to what I am used to on my other headphones so for the sake of this review, without going into deeper detail, I will call them "flat". Until now I considered KOSS Porta Pro to be THE portable headphone, not any more.
4. Comfort
The headphones, once unfolded are a tight fit (at least on my head), but they do not push on the ears so much that it bothers me. The fit should be tight enough for running, although I have not tested that yet. The pads on the headband protect the top of your head from fatigue, nice addition.
5. Bottom Line
I know what you are thinking, this must be the longest review ever. I agree and usually I don't bother to review items I buy, because I don't have time, but I believe that these headphones deserve every good word I wrote. For the price ($32.99 + SH from one of the sellers on Amazon) you will most likely not find a better headphone. As with anything there is personal preference and taste involved, so go ahead find them and try them out! I am impressed with the quality of sound and design and hope they will last me a very long time.
I hope this helps !
Customer Review: new PX100s compared with my old PX200s
Summary: 4 Stars
I have been a fan of the Sennheiser open back sound since the late Seventies, and my main "house " phones for the last 10 years have been a pair of HD565 Ovations (this model is no longer sold). For about the last 4 years I have also been using closed back PX200s with my portables.
While I quite enjoy the PX200s (being lucky enough to have ears that seal well with them), when using them I miss that wider sound stage that the open back design provides. I have read with interest various reviews which rate the open back PX100 as being sonically superior to the PX200s, but have not till now been motivated to buy a third concurrent set of headphones. However, my wife has recently 'claimed' the PX200s, so last week I ordered the PX100s, thinking I would keep for myself which ever of the PX200s and PX100s I preferred, and (generously!) pass on the other pair to her.
I have now spent a weekend doing back to back tests between the HD 565s, PX200s, and new PX100s (Sources Toshiba Gigabeat S30, Denon PMA-450SE, Realtek on board sound. Test music included Litte Feat's "Last Record Album", The Rhythm Kings "Anyway the Wind Blows", Santana's "Supernatural", and others). I was not initially impressed with the PX100s, finding the bass overwhelming and muddy. However, this appeared to improve somewhat after a few hours of usage. Finally, at the and of the weekend's tests, and much painfull deliberating, I was unable to decide on a clear preference. I left the choice to my wife (who after a mere five mins listening to each, without hesitation chose the PX200s !).
I rate the HD565s as the most comfortable, followed by the PX100s. The PX200s rate last for comfort, a result of their greater clamping force. However, none of the three are uncomfortable, and I have in the past worn the PX200s for hours on end without issue. (And interestingly, when quizzed, my wife said she chose the PX200s because she found them more comfortable - the PX100s felt too loose on her head).
Contrary to many reviews I have seen, I prefer the bass response of the PX200s. Reputedly the quality of bass from the PX200s is reliant on the seal they achieve against your ears. I have never found it to be an issue. While not as prominent as the bass of the PX100s, the PX200s seem to go deeper, and the percussive bass has more 'attack'. The muddier bass of the PX100s was the main factor in my hesitation in picking them over the PX200s. The HD565s have the 'weakest' bass of the three, although it is well controlled, and I have never been unhappy with it.
The HD565s have the clearest mid/highs, and the widest sound stage. I much preferred the wider sound stage of the PX100s over the PX200s, and this probably also contributed to my feeling that the mids/highs were slightly better on the PX100s. After years of loud concerts I am probably no longer qualified to comment on treble extension !
Both the open back designs leak sound to the extent that they would annoy someone sitting at the next desk in a quiet office. For me this is not now an issue, (although it was when I first got the PX200s, and was the main reason I initially purchased them in preference to an open back design).
I would give even points for build quality. While they do not look all that robust, my PX200s have stood the test of time. The PX100s look to be built to a similiar standard, although I wonder about the durability of the foam earpads versus the pleather of the PX200s. The PX100s have a smaller plug, which apparently makes them suitable for use with Apple iPhones - looks a bit dinky to me. (And just for the record, my HD565s have been re-cabled, due to an intermittent connection issue, but that was some years ago now).
In conclusion - a dead heat: PX200s 4 stars (discounted for 'in your head' sound stage). PX100s 4 stars (discounted for quality of bass).
I very much enjoyed my weekend of listening, as these are both excellent little headphones. However, if I had to recommend one to others who do not have the opportunity to try them for themselves, I would suggest the PX100s are the safer bet. This is entirely due to the reported
uncertainty of obtaining a good seal with the PX200s.
Customer Review: The PX-100; Best Open Portable in its class in my opinion
Summary: 5 Stars
I started a journey about a year ago into the world of the audiophile, the lover of good sound. One of the first set of cans (audiophile speak for headphones) I purchased was the PX-100. I also received the Koss PortaPro at the same time and the PX-200 a few days later. The audiophile reviews in particular seemed to favor the PortaPro "slightly" and at first, I agreed with these reviews. As time has gone on, I have come to believe that the Sennheiser PX-100 outshines the comparable Koss PortaPro with better, more open and natural sound that isn't bass heavy and reproduces mids, highs and lows all equally and vividly! (I still am very fond of my PortaPros but I consider them to be a 4.5 star model vs. the Sennheiser PX-100, which I consider to be a true 5 star model.)
I've been so incredibly impressed by the Sennheiser PX-100 (and its closed, more bass reflexive relative, the PX-200) that I haven't even bothered to try the new iGrado portable made by my favorite headphone company, Grado Labs. So in terms of an Open Portable set of cans, the PX-100 are the very best set in my opinion. By comparison, the Koss PortaPro, has a somewhat "muffled" sound, requiring a little more power and not sounding quite as rich or dynamic, in my opinion. The PX series has a very low sound impedance of only 32 Ohms, which means that small low-power output devices such as CD/MP3 players and iPods can drive these cans without having to turn the volume way up and sucking your batteries dry quickly.
I have found the Sennheiser cans to be comfortable with durable pads on the headpiece and soft ear cushions, all of which are replaceable. So you are making an investment that will last! Being comfortable, you can also fall asleep in them; I have! They are also very sturdy and can be taken for walks, jogs, trips to the gym and so on. The PX-100's are Open cans so they will leak sound if you turn the volume up too high, possibly disturbing others around you. (If you want a portable set that both keeps your sound in and other people's sounds out, the PX-200 is the way to go.) The PX-100 sounds equally GREAT whether you are listening to an audiobook, classical music, rock, metal, contemporary, country or even a DVD or video game! Having said that, I believe you will be blown away by how much these little cans "can" do with whatever you throw at them! I listened to Samuel Barber's Adagio for String's (a very difficult piece that tests any headphone's abilities to handle all ranges!) and these cans handled every last detail beautifully. Martina McBride, Third Day, Metallica, Mozart and many others as well sounded absolutely amazing!
A lot of to do has been made about the difficulty of folding them up and storing them in their (very rugged and sturdy) plastic case. I have a nerve damaged left hand and I was able to fold them up and stow them the first time I used them in less than thirty seconds. In my opinion, it's a piece of cake! (And the directions are on the headphones as well as the case and packaging.)
Now the "but" or "qualified statement" list: These ARE audiophile level cans, which sound great right out of the box but there is there really is a break-in period for the absolute best results after about 12-20 hours. (I know; I didn't believe it at first either but I could hear the difference with every hour of use.) I believe that should you choose to purchase these Sennheisers, you are going to get a pair of absolutely amazing and out-of-this-world cans that will last for years to come!!
My final qualification is a warning: BEWARE blasting your hearing to pieces! These portable cans are able to produce amazingly accurate and beautiful sound but they are also able to produce amazingly LOUD (and yet still accurate!) amounts of sound.
In conclusion, I believe that the Sennheiser PX-100 is a fantastic portable open set of cans worth every penny you pay for them. They come with a full two year warranty from a company who stands behind their product. I am extremely pleased with all of my Sennheiser headphones and I believe that if you are looking for a Portable set of open headphones, the PX-100's are awesome and the choice to go with!
Customer Review: Great comfort, sound, and portability at an attractive price
Summary: 5 Stars
Since receiving a 40GB iPod last Christmas, I've been looking to replace its stock earbuds with something a lot more comfortable, a little less tinny-sounding, yet comparable in portability. The local Costco recently was demo-ing several Sennheiser headphones, and since I happened to have my iPod in my pocket, I had a chance to listen to it paired with the PX100s.
Putting them on, I immediately noticed that I'd be able to wear these for hours with no discomfort. They are light (65 grams), which is comparable in weight to a comfortable, El Cheapo headphone that typically comes bundled with Walkmen/MP3 players. Pads at the top of the metal band help to keep even more weight off of your tender ears. They are the open-air style where you only have sponge pads pressed against your ears (as opposed to having them enclosed within full, heat-retaining ear cups), and the spring pressure holding them against my ears was not excessive, yet there's no sensation of them wanting to fall off. In summary, 'A+' for comfort.
That's where the El Cheapo comparisons ended, however. Listening to the sonics, I was immediately impressed by the low end response. Bass this good usually needs either an in-the-ear design, or a larger speaker mounted inside an enclosed ear cup design. Dialing up King Crimson's bass heavy "Easy Money" on the iPod, I noticed how clean the bass sounded. Lesser speakers/headphones tend to turn the low end of that tune into a muddy, boomy mess, but the PX100s handled it flawlessly -- the individual bass notes were distinct, and still retained their "plucked string" character. Impressive. The high end sounded crisp, and the midrange felt very airy and open. Perhaps even a little too airy. Despite this latter suspicion, I'll give the PX100s an 'A-' for sonics.
I'd originally only been considering ear buds since I wanted something that is easy to carry around with my iPod (and since I'd erroneously assumed only ear buds would have acceptable bass response). The PX100s pushed their way into my candidates list due to a clever fold up design that squeezes them into an eyeglass-sized case (145 x 75 x 27 mm). This is still a bit larger than what I'd hoped to find (especially compared to ear buds), but acceptable. You have to spend 30 seconds folding it, and winding up its cord, but I'll give the PX100s a 'B' in portability.
OK, so now I'm tempted. Scanning for the price tag, I'm thinking I might be willing to go as high as $80ish. It turns out they only cost $39.99! 'A+' for price.
Sold! :-)
Addendum: After getting these home, I compared them to my home headphones: AKG K240DF Monitors. When I first got the K240s about twenty years ago, they were considered high end from a sonics perspective. By today's standards, however, they are middle of the road performers. The fact that they're still in production, and still command a market (as opposed to MSRP) price of $100ish means they probably make a good benchmark for mid-priced headphone comparisons.
As studio monitors, the K240s strive for "flat" response. Comparing them to the PX100s, I see my comment about the midrange being "too airy" is probably justified... the PX100s emphasize those frequencies beyond flat response. At the low end, I'd say the PX100s slightly outperform the K240s -- the PX100s make individual bass notes a little more distinct (i.e., low frequency response seems a bit faster). At the high end, the two headphones sound about the same, at least with my iPod. With a better sound source (MP3s ripped from a CD lose some of the high frequencies), high end differences might be more evident.
From a price-performance perspective, the PX100s are a big winner in my book. The comment about overly-airy midrange should be taken with a grain of salt. When it comes to sonics, personal preference is the ultimate gold standard, and I personally don't find the PX100s midrange emphasis to be distracting or tiring. You'll need to listen to them yourself, and decide for yourself whether you agree. These are not audiophile caliber headphones, but for my iPod, they are more than good enough.
Customer Review: Excellent value, truly good sound - your iPod is lonely for these!
Summary: 5 Stars
These headphones sound far better than they have any right to, given their price and easy-to-drive nature. I own Grado SR-225's and an Apogee Duet DAC/ADC unit, and when I listen to my iTunes library on my Macbook Pro with the Grados and Duet, the sound quality is clearly superior to my PX100's and iPod Touch. To be sure. But the Duet is a $500 DAC and the Grados are $200 headphones, not to mention the Macbook Pro! At about $50, the PX100's are a flat-out incredible bargain, and what's more, they can easily be driven by portable music players like an iPod. This together with how portable they are, makes these a very easy and smart choice. Buy them. You won't regret it!
I went with these instead of IEM's like the Shures or Etymotic Research because I need to be able to hear the environment around me most of the time. As much as I may want to, I can't isolate myself from it most of the time, and these headphones definitely let you hear both your music and the sounds around you. Also, I don't like sticking things deep inside my ear. I don't even like ear buds, even apart from their atrocious sound quality. Plus, keep in mind that closed headphones are harder to design and build than open ones, although some companies manage to pull it off quite nicely. Point is that the open nature of these headphones is in part responsible for their good sound quality.
So, as mentioned by others, these headphones accentuate the bass a bit, but in a way that isn't annoying or displeasing. Still, if you're into flat response and high accuracy neutral sound, give these a pass. Most people won't mind the slight bass accent, however, or may even like it. I think it goes pretty well with the overall sound balance of these headphones. The midrange and highs are excellent, although the soundstage isn't as open and spacious as more expensive, full sized cans, like my Grado SR-225's. I wouldn't want these to be the only headphones I owned, but I actually end up doing the majority of my listening on these, and I'm quite happy with them.
Getting the knack of deploying and replacing these takes some time, but is well worth it. Here's what works for me: open the case by holding it in your left hand (assuming you're right handed) and depressing the release with your right. Push the cover out of the way and unwind the cord all the way. Now pull the phones out of the case and bring your right hand around them to grip the grommet on the cord. Hold the cord to the left of the grommet with your left hand and PUSH the grommet away with your right hand. Now grab the grommet with your left hand while holding the cord with your right hand, and pull the grommet out all the way to the end of its travel. Now, hold the headphones so that the pads are facing down and away from you and the cord is hanging down and away from you. Extend the leg on your left first, then the one on your right. Now flip the headphones around so that you can read the "Sennheiser" label right side up, and finally, snap each pad in place and you're all set to go. This may sound complicated and tedious, but once you do it a few times, you can unpack and repack these in about 10 seconds or so. No joke. It is possible to pinch the cord in the hinges if you're not careful, so keep that in mind.
The build quality of these headphones is quite good, and the case and fold-up mechanics are well designed. If you've only ever heard the sound from the Apple ear-buds, you'll be in sonic heaven with the PX100's. And if you're used to truly high quality sound from full size headphones or IEM's, you'll be pleasantly surprised with how good the PX100's sound. Highly recommended. In fact, I like these so much, and rely on them so heavily, that I am buying a second set to keep new in the package as a spare in case I break or lose my first set, and in case Sennheiser ever decides to discontinue these. For the money, they're that good. Incredible performance to price ratio.