Lost my old ones. Sennheiser CX300-II, can be had for £12. Anything better for the money?

Ta, Duane 🙂

You sure they’re genuine ones for that price? Lots of dodgy ones about, even on Amazon.

If real, at that price no, nothing better I’m sure.

I think I paid a bit more than that though!

£12 for a £40 rrp item that has a famous history of counterfeits. I’m sceptical like.

Duane – IIRC – you’re in Edinburgh???

If so, there is a really wee place in Ocean terminal that trades online as http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/shop/about_us.php

Nowt to do with me btw. But IF you ring them and chat about what you want and what you want to spend – they are super helpful ime. Then say “I can turn up” – et viola- a demo of some damn expensive and more mainstream gear.

And as a major bonus – they sell parts for stuff you buy from them 8 years later!

Get some Soundmagic PL-21s. Read some reviews on hifi forums, people love them and for good reason! Very clear in that you can hear things you don’t always hear with cheaper headphones. Not as clear as Grados though but suppose that’s a given 😛 They’re slightly more expensive at £20 though but worth it. I don’t really like Sennheisers.

I’ve had cx300’s, 80 quid Skullcandy ones and i’ve settled on cx150’s as they’re cheapish and sound very similar. I keep breaking expensive ones… The 12 quid ones will almost certainly be knock offs as others have said.

Hi duane. Definitely go with the comments above … I bought a set of £10 cx300s which were definitely fake so replaced them with pl21s from advanced mp3 players and they are so much better 🙂

I used to have some cx300s, which were appalling, bought for Amazon, so fairly sure they were genuine…

A lot more manufacturers now in the headphone/IEM market now than there was when I bought my expiring CX300’s (mark 1), just to reiterate they will almost certainly be fakes at that price.

Hed Fi is you friend

Cheers all! I’ve had a few pairs of the cheap CX-300s, always came in legit looking packaging, and always been happy with them, so never really thought they might be fake!

Think I’ll “splash” out on some PL-21s though 🙂 Will it be OK to buy them through Amazon?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/SoundMagic-PL21-Sound-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B0041BYSVG

I know it says its from Amazon themselves, but you never know? Just that they’re a few quid cheaper than Advanced MP3 (well that’s because they’re the non-mic version, but AMP3 doesn’t sell them…)

Also, anyone know what the deal with warranty is with these?

Ta, Duane 🙂

You can certainly buy genuine mk1 cx300’s for that sort of price. eg http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/26954681/Sennheiser-CX300-Eco-Ear-Canal-Headphones-White/Product.html

One thing I forgot, I’m guessing the PL-21s have symmetrical cables? Kinda gotten used to the unsymmetrical cables on the CX-300s, any other decent ‘phones in this price range with unsymmetrical cables?

Ta, D.

My cx300s lasted a couple of months, I got some free logitech ones (with a duet) that seem a lot beefier, sound seems good.

Philips/specked also durable.

Got some Sony sports jobbies from Tesco £15 wrap around your ear rather than stck in allowing a bigger sound part and much better sound than any in ear design Ive tried. Most stable on your ears too never feel loose.

I went through this a while ago and I settled on sound magic ones. I bought mine direct from china for pennies but they took forever to arrive. They hook over your ears and have lasted me well over two years of daily use and still sound magic 😉 . Highly recommend them.

One thing I forgot, I’m guessing the PL-21s have symmetrical cables?

Yeah. I hate assymetrical cables, really annoying. The only “problem” with my PL21s is that I can sometimes find them a bit dull without a bit of EQ’ing. But again I can’t tell whether that’s just because I’m comparing to Grados which are pretty bright in comparison.

Oh and you have to play around with the supplied bud sizes to get the right fit for your ears. I first tried them with the size they came fitted with and they sounded crap because they weren’t seated properly.

I use RadioPaq dots, which I suspect are ‘technically’ crap, but they’ve outlasted all of the 3 sets of CX-300s I’ve had (all genuine), and they’re more than good enough for when I’m riding and there’s windnoise etc (not that I can tell the difference in quality anyway, they’re certainly better than iPod headphones!). They’re very small, and seem to stay put nicely, do for me.

I got a pair of those free logitech headphones too. They sound OK but seem to transmit loads of mechanical noise up the cable.

So is I wear them running they make a lot of noise.

Not bad for nowt though 🙂

Soundmagic E10s are very good if your budget will stretch to them.

I got a pair of those free logitech headphones too. They sound OK but seem to transmit loads of mechanical noise up the cable.

Are you hooking the cable over the ear? That helps damp the “microphone” effect of the cable a lot IME.

Istuff 808’s for dance / Rock music . Nice and loud and punchy . Way betterer than £30 – £40 in ear phones , for around £10 ( IMO )
SkullKandy Ink’d also worth a look , very good sound for about £16 .