Sennheiser’s New AirPods Rival Has the Best Sound You Can Buy for $130

If you’re available in the market for a pair of wi-fi earbuds with glorious sound however don’t need to blow your whole finances on Master & Dynamic’s superb MW08s or Sony’s spectacular WF-1000XM4s, for $130 Sennheiser’s new CX True Wireless buds will make your ears glad—though you’ll sacrifice options now discovered on even cheaper wi-fi headphones.

The CX True Wireless, obtainable beginning as we speak, are Sennheiser’s entry-level wi-fi earbuds and a extra reasonably priced follow-up to the corporate’s CX 400BT True Wireless earbuds from final 12 months. Aside from some aesthetic enhancements (the Sennheiser emblem on every bud is now subtler) and improved battery life, probably the most notable improve with the brand new CX True Wireless is a $130 price ticket which is $70 cheaper than their predecessor. They’re not the most cost effective wi-fi earbuds you should purchase as we speak, and whereas they arrive with compromises, Sennheiser hasn’t compromised on the one factor the model is understood for: glorious sounding headphones.

Bigger Buds, but Worth the Added Bulk

As with any gadget, designing a pair of wi-fi earbuds is a balancing act between their dimension and weight and the know-how stuffed inside them. Some firms, like Sony, prioritize performance, leading to earbuds just like the WF-1000XM4s, which are massive, cumbersome, and require particular reminiscence foam ear tricks to keep securely snuggled in a person’s ears. Others prioritize dimension, leading to tiny earbuds just like the Beats Studio Buds which can be extremely snug and straightforward to put on, however don’t ship sound as spectacular as some customers would love at a $150 worth level.

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With the CX True Wireless, Sennheiser has taken the center floor and delivered buds which can be a little bit bigger than what I often want to put on, with a design that sees the majority of the machine protruding of the person’s ear. Aesthetically, it’s not probably the most pleasing look, and firms like Master & Dynamic have carried out a significantly better job at designing bigger earbuds that also handle to comfortably nestle contained in the wearer’s ear—however you’re paying a premium for that.

With 4 units of included silicone eartips, nevertheless, I had no drawback getting a safe match for the CX True Wireless, and so they’re mild sufficient that regardless of protruding a bit, the buds by no means felt like they had been going to fall out beneath their very own weight.

Solid Tap Controls

When I’m not an outdated man yelling at clouds, I’ve spent simply as a lot time complaining about firms that use contact controls on earbuds. The tapping gesture usually dislodges an already precariously perched earbud, and I are likely to want the usability of bodily buttons. That being stated, Sennheiser’s implementation is extremely delicate, responding to the gentlest faucet, and whereas there’s a delay between the faucet and the requested operate being carried out, the earbuds do make a really quiet beep so that you not less than know your request has been famous, even when you need to wait a second for it to occur.

The shortcuts are additionally customizable via a free app obtainable for iOS and Android gadgets, however extra importantly, the faucet performance may also be utterly disabled so there’s no threat of by accident pausing your music or skipping a observe when all you had been attempting to do was alter the bud in your ear. I’ve all the time most well-liked to manage my music playback via a smartwatch than continually touching my wi-fi earbuds, and with the ability to disable these contact controls earns the CX True Wireless some bonus factors in my ebook.

A Basic Charging Case, but at Least It’s Tiny

For $130 it’s no shock that Sennheiser isn’t packing the brand new CX True Wireless in a charging case bedazzled with diamonds and rubies, however regardless of being an all plastic affair, it’s fortunately very compact (one of many smallest I’ve examined, however nonetheless bigger than the AirPods and AirPods Pro circumstances) and fees via a USB-C cable.

There’s no wi-fi charging (for simply $10 extra the Amazon Echo Buds not less than provide that as an possibility), however the case can be utilized to completely recharge the earbuds twice over, boosting their 9 hours of playback time to a complete of 27 hours if you’re away from an influence supply.

By comparability, the unique Apple AirPods, lengthy overdue for an improve, provide a complete of 24 hours of listening, and are nonetheless $30 costlier than Sennheiser’s new entry-level possibility.

The Best-Sounding Wireless Earbuds You Can Get For $130

I wasn’t anticipating my ears to cringe after I first caught Sennheiser’s most reasonably priced wi-fi buds in my ears; I’ve examined sufficient of the firm’s higher-end headphones to realize it has an experience in such issues. But I used to be pleasantly shocked with how good they really sounded given their worth level. The earbuds function Sennheiser’s “TrueResponse transducer,” a reputation the corporate likes to throw round, and whereas their 7mm drivers are quite a bit smaller than the 11mm drivers Master & Dynamic makes use of in its MW08s, the CX True Wireless are among the finest sounding wi-fi earbuds I’ve ever examined—throughout the board.

My go-to observe for testing the bass efficiency of wi-fi earbuds—one thing that’s most frequently missing as firms go for smaller drivers that don’t drain rechargeable batteries as rapidly—is the Tropic Remix of Surf Mesa’s “ily,” particularly when the beat drops at across the 30-second mark. On wi-fi earbuds just like the Beats Studio Buds, the bass efficiency is a little bit flat for my preferences, and tends to be overshadowed by in any other case crisp and clear highs. With the CX True Wireless, your entire sound spectrum comes via clear and well-pronounced, whereas nonetheless delivering decrease frequencies with a satisfying thump.

That aforementioned “TrueResponse transducer” would possibly sound like advertising and marketing communicate, however it’s clear that Sennheiser hasn’t cheapened out on the necessary {hardware} with the CX True Wireless earbuds simply to hit a less expensive worth level. These aren’t low-quality earbuds capitalizing on the Sennheiser model, they’re Sennheisers via and thru that prioritize sound high quality whereas sacrificing lively noise cancellation and different premium options.

That being stated, with the ability to customise the performance and sound profile of your wi-fi earbuds is often a function you don’t look forward to finding on extra reasonably priced choices, however the Sennheiser Smart Control app presents a shocking degree of customizability. Yes, the adjustable EQ is proscribed with simply three sliders, however it’s excess of what most wi-fi earbuds at this worth level provide.

Worth Buying?

If you possibly can stay with out lively noise cancellation—a function that I really feel isn’t fairly as efficient because the advertising and marketing hype makes it appear—and don’t thoughts the trade-off of barely bigger earbuds for a lower cost level, it’s arduous to think about anybody being upset with how the brand new CX True Wireless sound and the stable performance that Sennheiser has included. Robust customizability via an app is extraordinary at $130, and whereas many will take into account these “no frills” wi-fi earbuds given the dearth of ANC or ambient sound boosting, Sennheiser has clearly made these compromises to give attention to creating an reasonably priced set of wi-fi buds that that sound implausible for many who prioritize audio over all the pieces else.