Sennheiser PX 100 Lightweight Collapsible Headphones
by Sennheiser
|
List Price: Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
(Click here)
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sennheiser PX 100 Lightweight Collapsible Headphones
Customer Review: Superb with Sansa Clip+
Summary: 5 Stars
These and a Sansa Clip+ have superb synergy. Summary: this combo is like 3-Buck Chuck: isn't the absolute best out there, but what is there is WELL-TUNED, compliments it's pairing in a highly satisfying way, is UTTERLY inoffensive (unlike lesser cheap wines that readily offend the palate), and shockingly good for the price. The PX-100's will handily beat the KSC-75 in this configuration, but of course you are paying over three times street on that. That said, at such "small ball" numbers (relatively speaking, I come from an audiophile background), it's well worth the step up to the Sennheiser PX100's...$40 more bucks to enjoy each day's portable music 20% more. The combo will yield you a $95 TOTAL rig that puts a smile on your face daily.
Tried Etymotic HF5 headphones with the Sansa Clip+, and while I am sure they are amazing amped, with *this* portable they were lame. Yes I got a great seal, bass was fine as expected, but I was having exactly ZERO EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES (and isn't that what music is really all about?). These cans are AMAZING for portable unamped use (I wanted a player-and-cans-only rig, no amp to fool with...yes I know that tends to stunt potential, but it is what it is...this is my exercise rig).
Total champion combination that flatters the absolute p*** out of lossy MP3's while wrenching every last bit of realism from them. Does a very neat trick of flattering compressed music in hugely beautiful ways.
Finally, most importantly...FLAC files. All bets are off with FLAC, that is where these things SHINE. They just do so much BEAUTIFUL musical justice to uncompressed digital files.
EXTREMELY HAPPY with this combo. Realistic, punchy with body, high detail and RIDICULOUS soundstaging (on well recorded, preferably lossless, music...remember, garbage in, garbage out, as always...although these do the amazing feat of maximizing the music and minimizing the unpleasant parts of garbage really nicely). It's a done deal, for me.
Thank you, Sennheiser.
EDIT II:
I shouldn't say these have amazing soundstage on EVERY song...it is #1 a function of how the song was recorded. They do have the ability to wring out a lot of it, whereas the Etymotic Etymotic HF5's soundstage feels compacted and sounds "close". The Etymotics (again, in this unamped rig, with this particular player and with my particular music) have that mosquito-around-your-ear closeness and compactness to it. It's not like a Stax or something, but it's more relaxed and at least "confusing" to the ear - plausible that it could be far out - on most tracks.
HOWEVER - on well recorded tracks, the PX100 / Clip+ soundstage is HUGE. Better than any unamped portable rig I'VE ever heard.
p.s. Grado SR-60's sound like crap with this player...way too bright, shouty and unpleasant. Have to keep the volume down to minimize distortion, but that also thins out body of music. The PX100's have a very smooth flat treble that allows you to really crank it with no painful peakiness. If you want to feel like you are enjoying music in the presence of the musicians (and not with your ear to their PA speakers), you want these.
On a final note, POP music is BRILLIANT with these - despite common belief that Sennheisers suck for pop and rock - they don't. It's called CRANK THEM UP, which is the correct listening style ANYWAYS for pop and rock. Forget the Grado or "analytical detail" lovers - listen to the MUSIC, LIFE and EMOTION lovers: Sennheiser is where it's at with the Clip+.
I have owned headphone rigs up to $5000+ (Stax Omega 3 and custom Gilmore amp), but dollar for dollar against performance, and I am just getting a lot of MUSICAL enjoyment out of this $99 combo (Sansa Clip+ and PX-100 Sennheisers with an extra 8gb MicroSD card thrown in to support my FLAC addiction).
Recommendation? GO GO GO!!
Customer Review: Excellent choice for replacing cheap headphones
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought these headphones after extensive research (my favorite site is headphone.com). I already had a pair of excellent higher-end $180 Sennheiser headphones but I wanted something more practical for portable listening. I am completely happy with the purchase and I would give them as gifts to any of my music-loving friends.
Sound:
These headphones offer an immensely improved sound quality over anything that you will get packaged with a player. They are smooth and fairly clear in most of the ranges. The bass can be heavy and a bit muddled, but I only really notice on songs that are bass-intensive. Most of the hip-hop songs that I listen to aren't a problem, only the poorly balanced ones. Keep in mind that this is in comparison to other nice headphones, they are still a vast improvement over cheap-os.
Comfort:
For higher end headphones, you usually have to choose between heavy monster headphones that fit around your ears or ear-canal headphones that are uncomfortable unless you have a perfect fit. As mentioned in a lot of reviews, these are almost as small as the cheap variety, and are worn in the traditional headband fashion. They are very light, but they are also high quality and durable (unlike Bose headphones which are known to break easily). I had thought the pads on the top looked kind of silly, but they don't really cushion so much as lift the headphones off the head so the band almost feels like it's floating. The ear pads also rotate horizontally, so when you put them on, they automatically fit perfectly to the ears. I usually wear them all day and they are just as comfortable when I take them off as when I put them on.
Portability:
On top of everything, these headphones are also foldable! They come with a custom hard plastic case that perfectly fits the headphones and even has a place to wrap the cord. The closed case is about the size of a glasses case, if a bit shorter and wider. The headphones fold in a way that may be somewhat confusing the first time, but there are illustrations printed right on the case to remind you how to do it (it's not that hard - really).
These headphones are also open-air, which means that they are not sealed from outside noises, and it also meaning the outside noises are not sealed from your music. For me this is important for portability because I want to be able to hear what's going on around me for safety or in case someone wants to talk to me. I wear these at work where I share an office, and I haven't gotten any complaints. I listen to music at a reasonable volume - don't want hearing loss - and I sometimes take them off with the music playing to see how they sound. In most cases, I can't hear the music when I hold the headphones a foot away from my head. If escaping sound is a big problem, or you want to use these mostly on a plane where you really want to seal out ambient noise, the same type of design is available in the Sennheiser Px200 Collapsible High-Performance Closed Headphones (Black). However, many reviews say that you would be sacrificing some sound quality.
Overall, if you're looking for something to replace the typical packaged headphone, look no further. These greatly improve on every aspect of cheap headphones and are a great value for the money. I would highly recommend these headphones to anyone. If clarity of sound is your highest priority, and you're willing to sacrifice comfort and portability, then the SR60 by Grado may be another option you want to consider within this price range.
Customer Review: Handle With Care
Summary: 4 Stars
Like all Sennheiser headphones, the PX100 is very comfortable. The pads press snugly against the ears and 2 small cushions rest on top of one's head (in contrast to the loose-fitting Grado headphones, "SR" series). The PX100's construction is a work of art, Sennheiser obviously wanting their product to look beautiful. And they look better "in person" than they do online.
For the price, they sound quite well. Although the midrange frequencies are a bit recessed, the bass is strong & well defined and high frequencies are very detailed without sounding aggressive or harsh. For example, on "Something I Learned Today," by Husker Du (Zen Arcade), I can easily hear the last guitar note in the song quietly reverb (echo) 5 times as the song ends. But when played thru the Sony MDR-7506 headphones ($100), I only hear a single guitar note, no reverb. And with a tiny, new battery-operated headphone amplifier I got on eBay for $65, the pace & rhythm of music thru the PX100 greatly improves and the midrange fills out a bit. (Although the sensitivity of the PX100 is quite high at 114dB, the impedance is a low 32 ohms which may strain the power supplies of portable music sources, affecting sound quality. This is where a headphone amp that boosts CURRENT can greatly help. But if you own headphones with high impedance, like the 300-ohm Sennheiser HD-600, you may need a headphone amp that boosts VOLTAGE or the phones may play too quiet - even at full volume. For best results, the input impedance of headphones should be 10 times the output impedance of the music source. For example, if the owner's manual of your portable music source lists the output impedance as 15 ohms, you'll get best results using headphones with an input impedance of 150 ohms. Most people will never buy a head amp. But if you're a nerd like me and want perfection to your sound, you'll need one if your phones' impedance is not approximately 10X the output impedance of the music source.)
On the downside, the PX100 is very delicate and can easily break if handled roughly. The covering over the 2 cushions that rest on the head seems quite thin and may wear out sooner rather than later. And the cord is very thin, especially where it enters each phone. A firm tug on the wire could dislodge it from the phone. Also, the hard plastic carrying case has a spool to wrap the cord around when placed inside. But over time, this flexing/tugging of the cord by wrapping on & off from spool will fatigue the thin wire, probably causing it to eventually break; the cord may appear fine but you'll have one of the phones go dead since the wire inside the plastic covering has broken. (BTW, most Sennheiser "HD" series headphones with the detachable cord will, within 1-2 years, have one or both of the phones cut out. Replacing the cord won't help as the problem is internal where the 2 plugs make an electrical connection into each phone. I had a great-sounding $200 pair of HD-565 Ovation headphones with this problem that couldn't be repaired. Threw them in the trash. What a waste! Avoid Sennheisers with the detachable cord.)
So...4 stars for overall sound: 5 stars for high frequencies, 3 stars for recessed midrange, and 4 stars for bass which has a slight emphasis due to the recessed midrange. Using the head amp easily brings the sound up to 5 stars. However, the construction of the PX100 is frail and the very thin cord will break unless you're super careful. But I'm happy with the PX100. So far. (If you buy portable Sennheiser headphones be sure to buy from an authorized dealer since many are counterfeit fakes, especially the Sennheiser CX-300 earbuds. Google for more info on this.)
Customer Review: Extreme comfort, underwhelming sound.
Summary: 3 Stars
I really wanted to love these headphones. For what they are, meaning portable headphones that seem to be meant to be used with portable audio players, they cost a pretty penny. I has also read all sorts of extremely positive customer and "professional" reviews. I couldn't wait to get them in the mail.
Here's the good news... These are the most comfortable headphones that I have ever worn. Aside from the fact that sound comes out of them, you can barely tell that you have are on. The little pads on the headband are great, and they seem to kind of "float" on your ears. I've had a lot of trouble with other earpad phones, but these fit terrifically.
Now the bad news... They don't sound that great! Let me be clear about this... they sound a lot better than most headphones that come with MP3 players. Compared to some other headphones in their price range, however, they are most underwhelming.
I am fairly picky about sound, but not to an extreme. I've played guitar for a dozen years, drums for a few, done a bit of recording, and have a reasonably diversifies music collection. In other words, music is a big part of my life. I listen to styles ranging from Wilco to Radiohead to Joe Pass (a jazz guitar virtuoso), to The Beatles, Stones, and Kinks, to Miles Davis, to Yo la Tengo, to old Weezer and far beyond. Anyway, that's just reference information...
The PX 100's have unacceptable bass response. I'm not talking about electronic subbass, or what not, as I'm not a bass "freak". I'm talking about nice kick drum sounds and decent rock and roll bass lines. These headphones just don't cut it. Kick drums are especially important to my listening experience. These headphones just have very little punch in that department. I would say that the bass response is terrible, but it is better than the bass response in most cheapo phones. The bass in these is relatively "tight", at least.
In addition to the poor bass response, I find the PX 100's to be a bit bright, and, I dare say, even "tinny."
I do think that the clarity provided by the PX 100's is a quite good. At the same time, especially in distinguishing between instruments, it is not phenomenal.
Now, I am not trying say that the PX 100's should sound like a pair of $100 studio headphones. But they should sound quite a bit better for how much they cost. I bought these at the same time that I bought a pair of AKG 26P's. The AKG's cost $10 less, and sound, to me, quite a bit better in most areas, and especially in bass response. You do trade off a bit of comfort in going with the AKG's, but I'm going to make that trade without regret and sell the PX 100's on eBay. I actually feel that while the bass in my $15 pair of Koss KTXPRO1's is a tad muddier than (though superior to) the bass in the PX 100's, the overall sound of the KTXPRO1's is pretty darn close in quality to that of the PX 100's. I found this hard to believe, but I really ran all three sets through the ringer pretty thoroughly with various styles of music. The said, the PX 100's easily destroy the Koss phone in terms of their comfort.
As for the reliablity, I love how the Sennheiser's fold up into the nifty case. I am little suspect about the reliability of the hinge, though. And besides, the AKG's fold up into a wad that is only slightly larger. To bad they don't sell 26P's on Amazon!!!
Customer Review: Excellent headphones for general use -- but not at current price
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought my first pair of PX-100 headphones in 2006 as a replacement for my then-new iPod's stock headphones. A friend enthusiastically recommended them to me after he bought them himself following an unsatisfactory experience with pricey Shure earbuds that had been positively reviewed in a music periodical. My friend was astounded that the $30 (at the time he purchased them) Sennheisers sounded markedly better than the $120 Shure 'phones. I have been very happy with them since then--they are comfortable, light, and as unobstrusive as any headphones can be (I'm very sensitive to any apparatus that sits on my head or face--one reason I opted for Lasik eye corrective surgery). The sound is excellent--smooth sound spectrum with decently strong, clean bass--and much better than one would expect from headphones small and light enough to tote around with iPods or other portable media players. I usually listen to rock and pop-rock music only, but the PX-100's have excellent fidelity and uncolored sound, so I surmise they will sound great with any music, except for music with predominantly very low bass 50Hz or lower or with listeners who like to boost the bass frequencies to exaggerated levels. Open-air/on-the-ear headphones inherently have notably weaker bass than around-the-ear headphones that seal the sound stage in each ear such that ambient noise is also greatly reduced.
Compared to some ultra-portable open-air and earbud headphones, the PX-100's are still somewhat bulky even folded up, and cannot be placed alongside most compact media players in their cases. I believe that these headphones are as compact and light as they could be without sacrificing significant sound quality, so I don't consider this a drawback. Some users will find these headphones too bulky and will likely have to give up sound quality for size.
Almost no product is flawless and the PX-100 headphones have one minor drawback and a significant disadvantage, although the latter is not associated with performance or construction. The "straight-on" wiring design of the 3.5mm plug is somewhat vulnerable to breakage over time; I think the perpendicular wiring of the 3.5mm plug of many other portable headphones is less prone to wear and breakage over time. I have much greater concerns about another issue--the current Amazon price ($82.95 at time of this writing) is far too high, even given its sound quality and comfort. I bought my first pair from Amazon directly in 2006 for $34, a very good price. In December 2008, one of Amazon's associated sellers listed the same headphones for $29.95 including shipping; I recall Amazon's price at the time was approximately $36. The current PX-100's don't look any different than the ones I bought in 2006 or 2008 and no upgrades are listed in the description, so I assume the only change is the price. I do not know why the price increased so dramatically, other than perhaps they became so popular that Sennheiser and/or their dealers gave in to the greed instinct. I think these headphones would still be a reasonable value if priced $45 or under, but barring any significant upgrades I am unaware of, $82.95 or even $60 is far too much for these headphones. Hopefully the PX-100's will be available in the near future for the mid-$40's or less.