[MrG99]

Hi,

Looking to upgrade the standard phones that came with my version2 30gb ipod video.

Seen lots of great reviews on the Sennheisers and the Shures but which are best.

CX300s for around £17 on amazon and the e2cs for £35

What do you reckon?

[zmaster007]

Do you like bass? If you do, the CX300's have that by the bucketload.

Watch out for fakes, there have been a lot flying around recently.

[neilmcl]

Originally Posted by MrG99

Hi,

Looking to upgrade the standard phones that came with my version2 30gb ipod video.

Seen lots of great reviews on the Sennheisers and the Shures but which are best.

CX300s for around £17 on amazon and the e2cs for £35

What do you reckon?

Don't forget to add on delivery to the CX300s, so that's more like £22. Still a bargain though IMO.

[blisteringblue]

Originally Posted by neilmcl

Don't forget to add on delivery to the CX300s, so that's more like £22. Still a bargain though IMO.

I just ordered some black cx300s from Amazon and delivery was free as I went for the super saver option. £18.99 delivered !!

You will pay delivery on the cheaper marketplace items, but you cannot guarantee they won't be fakes.

[Steven]

Check who the seller on marketplace is though. Most are actually other websites that are legit. Some are private sellers

[eviljohn2]

Discount Discs on Amazon are a legitimate site, I got my CX300s from there.

TBH I've not been blown away by them or the bass as suggested by members here but maybe I've just been spoilt with my larger Beyerdynamic cans.

[doctorjuggles]

Of the two, I'd pick the E2c every time. Not that I dislike the Senns, but the E2c just presents a far more balanced and natural sound to my ears.

[cooperg]

I have both, and the e2cs definitely sound better, and are worth the extra cost. They are more difficult to fit in (and take out of) your ears though, so I prefer the cx300s when I know I need to take them in and out of my ears frequently.

[mrmcdean]

Curse you, ive just bought a pair of the CX 300 from Amazon but couldnt remember the code, just checjed to make sure and found out they must have dropped the price right after I bought them .

The sound is very good although I find its quite easy to move them accidentally whilst moving around, this results in a dop in sound quality so constant adjustments are required (im trying out the 3 different size earbuds so that my be sorted soon). Another point is that the sound of the calbe is amplified when it hits your clothes etc. which can get annoying. I assume this problem occurs with all in ear headphones though, this is my first pair so I have nothing to compare against.

[Steven]

Originally Posted by mrmcdean

Another point is that the sound of the calbe is amplified when it hits your clothes etc. which can get annoying. I assume this problem occurs with all in ear headphones though, this is my first pair so I have nothing to compare against.

Yes and no

Earbuds don't suffer so much from microphonics, but they get a little. If you ever upgrade from canalphones to IEMs, Shure are pretty good if you wear them behind your ear, with it being nearly non-existent. Westone though are brilliant and have zero

[Father Ted]

Hi,
Had my CX300s for a couple of days now.....17.99 from Amazon

Got to say i'm very impressed......for me , the fit is perfect and outside noise is not a problem . At work i've worn them under ear defenders too and they don't easily become dislodged with movement or normal cable flexing.

The audio is very impressive .....deep bass when called upon and clear mids and trebs.

Was going to get the E2cs at 34.99 but figured as i've got sensitive ears the cable around the back of the ear would irritate my skin so plumped for the Senns
I'm currently listening to Muse / Origin of Symmetry on 'lossless' and i'm sat here wondering how something so useful and enjoyable only costs 17.99!

Do Senns do replacement wives?


I'm happy anyhow

[Brava 210]

I will add to that....£17.99 From Amazon and yes they sound VERY GOOD

[jason44mag]

Another vote here for the Senns, although fitting can be tricky

[Agincourt]

I've got both and use them in different ways. The CX300s are quite a bit smaller and are great in the gym (despite what the publicity about them says, the Shures don't like getting sweaty) or when I am going to be taking them off regularly or sound isolation is less important. The Shures are ideal when I'm at my desk and want to cut myself off from the rest of the (open plan office). They feel better quality and come with a wider variety of ear sleeves, so you're more likely to get a good fit. I have no trouble with the wires going over the back of the ears and there's virtually no 'microphoning' (cords picking up noise by rubbing on clothing), unlike the Sennheisers. Also, unlike the Sennheisers the wires don't get tangled so easily (they're quite a bit thicker). Whether they're worth the extra ~£20 is a matter of personal choice and budget.d

[thetargetarcher]

An alternative to the CX300s that I have is the Creative EP-630. Around £15 on Amazon.

Outstanding low-to-high frequency response, from 6Hz to 23kHz

CX300 has 18 - 21000 Hz frequency response.

[alexs2]

Originally Posted by thetargetarcher

An alternative to the CX300s that I have is the Creative EP-630. Around £15 on Amazon.

Outstanding low-to-high frequency response, from 6Hz to 23kHz

CX300 has 18 - 21000 Hz frequency response.

It's worth pointing out that at this end of the market,whilst both manufacturers post a frequency response,in neither case do they specify a response curve,nor the limits between which this response was obtained.

It is far better to have a transducer with a frequency response of 18Hz-18Khz +/- 2db,than one from 2Hz-25kHz +/- 10dB for instance.

In this case,whilst the Creative is indeed an alternative,I would not be swayed by frequency response claims that in all likelihood may not be audibly different,at this price level.

[Spacecat]

Had Both

Had Ec2s great sound but v uncomfortable & heavy cable

now using 300s v good sound very comfortable very light clear winners

[Brutos]

I've got both.

I prefer the cx300's, lighter, more comfortable , better bass and cheaper

The E2c's have good sound quality but they lack bass and depth, they sound like non in-ear phones in my opinion. Good but not worth the price.

[Malcolm4000]

Another person who has used both, and I have to say that I was a little disappointed with CX300 - I found them fiddly to fit and therefore the sound suffered. The Shures on the other hand sound great, and I find them more straightforward to take in and out - took a little while to get used to wires over the ear, but once that was OK, I liked them better - and I liked the heavy cable actuallt, more than the CX300 thin and weedy wire. I guess if you want cheaper option then the Senny's, but I am very happy with the Shures

[TameRacingDriver]

My mate has the e2c. I have the cx300.

I would say, without wanting to sound arrogant, that i have much more experience than he does with audio components....

Nevertheless, I was the one who recommended the e2c. I now personally own the cx300. The e2c was the best around at the time. The Sony EX70/1 were crap and no cx300 around then.

When it came out, the cx300 was the better compromise for most. Not quite as good isolation, but still good. The sound is more or less on equal level. The cx300 much more comfy, and practical.

The e2c are now falling to bits. Granted my mates not exactly gentle with stuff but still...

Personally, the cx300 is the clear winner on virtue of being half the price.

[BurnBaby]

I have never tried the E2C's but have tried the CX300. They are not worth the money. There is alot better out there . I use a Soundwise G4 and its very good. I have also heard,parden the pun, that v-moda are good earphones.

[KingEdward]

having just bought a pair of the 300's as a temporary replacement to my
e2c's (broken connection on right bud) I must say, for the price i'm impressed.
i did find them awkward to insert due to the smaller size & also the supplied earpieces i found a little small. this was easily rectified by snatching the largest black earpieces from my shure's. I do, generally find them more comfortable than the shure's, which i found, after prolonged use, would make my ears ache ???
i can't really fault the sound quality & in all honesty i think i'll stick with them instead of buying another set of e2c's

[j98]

My CX300s just arrived from Amazon. I paid £16.19 on Thursday and chose super saver (free) delivery. They couldn't have come any faster if I had paid £5 for first class.

I quickly attached the smallest of the 3 buds and was totally blown away by the sound. It sounds like when you press the standard iPod headphones into your ear and hold them there - you get a much more satisfying range, with proper bass, mid and treble.

Now, I like kick drums to really thud (they certainly do) but the bass is actually a bit overpowering. I had a flick through the EQs and the best two were Treble Booster and strangely, Spoken Word. I'm not keen on using the clumsy preset EQs but the sound is still way better than what I was used to. Hopefully the heavy bass will be less of a problem on the tube, where I do most of my listening!

£16 well spent IMO

[tjradiohead]

I cant help but feel underwhelmed by the CX300's after all the hype on here

[honglong]

Does anyone own both of these headphones?
Which ones isolates outside noise the best?

[Steven]

Originally Posted by tjradiohead

I cant help but feel underwhelmed by the CX300's after all the hype on here

Remember that they are budget canals I have the luxury of having owned (some sold) about 5 canals from different manufacturers and also 3 IEMs. It does help to give a more "educated" opinion on x headphone

But then again canals are not for everyone Or it may simply be the case that they really are hyped up Its all opinions anyhow

[tjradiohead]

If anyone is interested, im selling some E3C's here on the forums:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=505372