SennheiserCX 400 II Precision Noise Isolating Ear-canal Phones with Integrated Volume Control - Black

These Sennheiser's were bought to replace the Bose in ear model I had before. Whilst the Bose sounded good I was disappointed with their build quality. For the price of these Sennheiser and the positive reviews on the sound I thought I'd give them a go.First out of the box and hastily plugged into my iTouch I was not that impressed. They sounded very tinny and lacked any bass. That was until I figured out how to wear them. I changed the medium size ear plugs for the large ones and that enabled them to fit much better. They are called "noise isolating". This has nothing to do with the noise cancelling type. It means you must plug them in your ear like you would ear plugs if you went swimming. This stops any sound entering from outside, but more importantly enables you to hear the clear and bass tones of the headphones.In comparing them to the Bose they have a less boomy bass and more sound in the higher frequencies. It gives a much clearer and pleasant sound. I can have the iTouch equaliser set at "off" and they still sound good. Switching them to "Bass booster" I find even better.I'm really pleased with the sound they produce and the fit in general and they are a good addition to the Sennheiser over-ear pair. For the price they are very good value from this perspective. I really hope they hold up in the build department. Having read the reviews that does seem to be an issue for some so we'll wait and see.

Had these a few years ago and found them to be comfortable with good sound. The volume control isn't that good to be honest. It just muffles the sound. If you leave the slider at its highest point and use your device to control the sound you'll be fine.I use triple flange ear tips that were bought off the Amazon site and they block out a lot of ambient sound plus you don't need to have the volume too high which saves your ears.I don't find these overly bass heavy. To my ears they're clear with a good sound stage for the size. I mainly use them for spoken word and for this they're perfect. They have a natural sound for this.Would I buy them again? Yes definitely. I'd also recommend them too. At £18 I think they're good value as these used to sell on Amazon for around the £40 mark.

OK, let's get one thing clear from the start. If you're after a pair of in-ear, noise isolating, superb all-round sound reproduction earphones for <£40, you simply can't look past Sennheiser's CX300 II or CX 400 II series (if independent volume control isn't essential to you, plumb for the cheaper former). Believe me, over the last 5 years I've been through my share of different makes and models and always grudgingly return to Sennheiser; in this price bracket, the likes of Sony, SkullCandy, Radiopaq, Panasonic, et al just don't come close.Why grudgingly? They simply don't last.Mind you, there are a hell of a lot of fakes on the market (***only ever buy from amazon.co.uk directly***) so be cautious of reviews mentioning faults/sound degradation after only a few weeks. However, any comments referencing left/right phones failing after 6 months will generally be bang on the money.In the last 2 years I've been through one pair of CX 300 IIs and two pairs of CX 400 IIs. Each has developed the same problem after roughly 6-9 months of 1-2 hrs usage per day max. First, the sound becomes muffled in both phones, switching between stereo/mono. Then everything mysteriously returns to apparent normality for a few days. And then the right earphone fails. Every single time. And as much as I try to convince myself that the sudden imbalance to the left phone has always been present, my heart realises my Sennheisers are once again toast.So why haven't I given up on them? Why am I back with a third set of CX 400 IIs in 18 months? Several reasons: the audio quality and isolation (used on public transport, car journeys, planes, walking near traffic) really are so superior to anyone else, switching to another brand would be to cut off one's nose to spite one's face. Also, as fellow Blackberry owners with sensitive hearing may empathise with, the minimum volume within the Music Player is far too loud when trying to relax in a quiet area, so earphones with independent volume control are an absolute must; there are *very few* if any alternatives with said function equal to the CX 400 II.Finally, there's the 2 year warranty. Ah, you see, this is why it is extremely important that you purchase from an authorised seller. Because when your CX 400 II's perish, and they will, you're entitled to a replacement pair/refund. No quibbles.These earphones are wonderful when they work and as such all the more annoying when they oh-so-predictably fail. From experience, their sound quality, noise isolation and exterior build aren't surpassed at this price point. So, go ahead, order them, you'll more than likely adore them. Just keep that warranty handy.

I used to think that Apple earphones were good... that was before I decided to try a pair of Sennheisers.It would take a truly ASTOUNDING alternative for me to buy another brand of earphones in this price range. This is my first set of CX400s, having previously owned a few sets of CX300s and a set of CX500s. I'm still burning this set in, but already I can tell that they're the best of the three models I've owned. Bass is deep and precise, with excellently defined mids and trebles. Top quality sound across the full range of tones seems to be somewhat uncommon for earphones at this price, but Sennheiser have managed it - and brilliantly so.I would strongly recommend to anyone considering buying these that you buy them directly from Amazon, and not from a Marketplace seller. Sennheiser's 2 year warranty is invalid if you buy from a Marketplace seller - I feel that it's worth paying that little bit extra for peace of mind. There are also an abundance of extremely well-copied fake Sennheisers on here, buying directly from Amazon will ensure the earphones you receive are the real deal!If you're struggling to chose a set of new earphones, go for these. You won't regret it!