Upgrade from Sennheiser CX300

[wicker_man]

After almost 2 years of daily use, the left earphone of my Sennheiser CX300 has stopped working, so I am now looking for a replacement.

I have an iPod Classic and listen to mainly metal (heavy/death/power/thrash) and hard rock. My music library is mostly encoded at 224-256kbps.

I'm looking to spend up to £40 on some isolating earphones, I liked the bass on the CX300, but want something better quality/detailed. Also, something with good quality cabling is preferred.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[Brava 210]

Get another pair
2 years use is GOOD

[jagr]

I just got these Beyerdynamic DTX50 for £37.50 delivered from here:

http://www.hificablesandaccessories....r_Dynamic.html

These were £150 last year

[wicker_man]

Originally Posted by Brava 210

Get another pair
2 years use is GOOD

The CX300 were good, but I'm looking for something a step higher in quality. They are quite cheap now though, but I'm going to research the successor CX400.

Originally Posted by jagr

I just got these Beyerdynamic DTX50 for £37.50 delivered from here:

http://www.hificablesandaccessories....r_Dynamic.html

These were £150 last year

Thanks, I came across the Beyerdynamic DTX-50 whilst browsing, along with other (rather large!) list of potential earphones in my budget:

Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 2
Skullcandy Full Metal Jacket 11mm
Sennheiser CX 55 Street
Sennheiser CX500
J-jays dynamic driver
Shure E2c
Goldring GX200
Sony MDR-EX85
Altec Lansing UHP306

Does anybody have any feedback on the above earphones?

[r@mside]

I'm upgrading from CX300 and have ordered a couple of canalphones.

The Denon AH-C700, which has a reputation of great bass, very detailed with wide soundstage and forward vocals. This is the exact same earphone as the AH-C751 but without the case.

I've also ordered Crossroads Mylarone X3i from jaben.net in Singapore after reading some rave reviews on HeadFi, cost less than £30 shipped.

[wicker_man]

I've just noticed that the CX300s actually have a 2 year warranty. Upon checking my order history at Amazon, I purchased them in July 2006, which means they are still under warranty. Would they replace them or class it as general wear and tear? If so, should I contact Amazon or Sennheiser?

Originally Posted by r@mside

The Denon AH-C700, which has a reputation of great bass, very detailed with wide soundstage and forward vocals.

I've also ordered Crossroads Mylarone X3i from jaben.net in Singapore after reading some rave reviews on HeadFi, cost less than £30 shipped.

Thanks for the suggestion, but the cheapest I can find the Denons for is £69.99. I'll have a look at the Crossroads though, please leave feedback once you receive yours.

[wicker_man]

OK, after spending a lot of time looking at reviews and reading various forums, I have my final shortlist:

Beyerdynamic DTX50
Goldring GX200
Ultimate Ears Metro.fi 2
Crossroads Mylarone X3i

Which one of these would be the best to go for?

The Crossroads look good but I am a bit concerned about the reports of poor build quality. R@mside, have you received yours yet? If so, how long did they take from ordering and what are your opinions?

I would like to order tomorrow because I am going on a residential field trip in 10 days which involves a 5 hour coach journey and at the moment I am forced to use some old Sony earphones which hurt after about half an hour of use!

[r@mside]

I haven't received them yet, delivery is expected to take a couple of weeks.

I understand your concern about the build quality, this is supposed to have improved with recent stock. The two big issues would appear to be the paper grille protecting the driver (rather than metal mesh) and the cable has no stress relief (a simple knot tied and hidden inside the housing on most earphones).

I'm pretty confident that these can be alleviated with the help of a sharp knife and some glue should they become a problem.

Personally, I'm so intrigued by the SQ claims, that for the price I'm prepared to take a risk.

[wicker_man]

Thanks.

I've been looking on the Jaben website and this looks like a good deal for £50.15:

Bundle : Beyerdynamic DTX 50 [Black Only] + CrossRoads MylarOne X3 Earphone + CrossRoads iPod Line-Out Dock
[US$99.00] - Free International Shipping

I'm quite tempted because the Beyers are £37.50 from the link Jagr gave, but for an extra £12.65, I get the CrossRoads MylarOne X3i and the iPod Line Out Dock (which is quite good).

I have sent an email to Wilson at Jaben regarding colour options for the X3i and warranty for both models, but not heard a response yet.

Also, I have contacted Amazon regarding my broken Sennheiser CX300, and they said to contact the manufacturer, but after emailing Sennheiser, they said to contact the retailer! I'll try ringing Amazon tomorrow.

[r@mside]

Originally Posted by wicker_man

Thanks.

I've been looking on the Jaben website and this looks like a good deal for £50.15:

Bundle : Beyerdynamic DTX 50 [Black Only] + CrossRoads MylarOne X3 Earphone + CrossRoads iPod Line-Out Dock
[US$99.00] - Free International Shipping

I'm quite tempted because the Beyers are £37.50 from the link Jagr gave, but for an extra £12.65, I get the CrossRoads MylarOne X3i and the iPod Line Out Dock (which is quite good).

I have sent an email to Wilson at Jaben regarding colour options for the X3i and warranty for both models, but not heard a response yet.

Also, I have contacted Amazon regarding my broken Sennheiser CX300, and they said to contact the manufacturer, but after emailing Sennheiser, they said to contact the retailer! I'll try ringing Amazon tomorrow.

It might be better to register on the forum and pm him. I've heard Jaben's 'no quibbles' customer service is so good you get an effective lifetime warranty.

[wicker_man]

The forum looks helpful, I am just awaiting my registration to be approved now.

I can't seem to see a full price list or anything on the site or from a quick browse of the forum. Do you know if there is one available?

[r@mside]

The site has a poor product list, nothing like what will be available in store.

I guess if you are looking for something in particular, contact David, enquire about a price, then barter. They are Singapore based after all.

[r@mside]

C700s arrived today - are you sure you don't want to stretch your budget to £70?

[wicker_man]

It would be nice to spend £70 on earphones, but unfortunately I live on a student budget.

I still haven't had a reply from Wilson or David at Jaben yet, nor have I been approved to post on the forum. Maybe they are busy?

[supagod]

Originally Posted by r@mside

C700s arrived today - are you sure you don't want to stretch your budget to £70?

Where did you get the c700's for £70? My se110's have just died after 3 months use so i'm getting my money back on them. TBH, I didn't like them and want something of better quality that is more comfortable.