If you are looking for headphones that offer a cool yet discreet look, then you need look no further. We are told that the CX 310 will offer a powerful, bass-driven stereo sound, which we find amazing, as in most cases you can pick these up for less than £30. Just because these bear the Adidas Originals logo that they would be sports headphones, but you would be wrong.

If you want a pair for sport then you need to stick with the CX 680, as the 310s do not have any over-the-ear clips or neck band to stop them from falling out while jogging. No, these are for everyday use, which is to be expected considering the price. First impressions were a little mixed; we loved the style and the colours, but were a little put off with just how light they were. More often than not light headphones do not offer much in the way of sound quality.

The headphones are a mix of metal and plastic, the Sennheiser logo appears on the metallic strip, while Adidas appears on the back plastic part. The quality of the rubber tips leave a lot to be desired, as they are a little on the thin side, so will struggle to form a perfect seal when in the ear. There are three sets in all, small, medium and large.

There is no separate volume control, but is not much of an issue. However, what disappointed us the most is the little carry bag for the headphones. Although it is light and durable, the quality of the Sennheiser and Adidas names leaves a lot to be desired, as they are a little on the blurry side. So now let’s see how well these perform.

Even though those rubber tips are thin we are told that they are sound-isolating, just try not to push them in too far. The feel while in the ears did not seem as comfortable as the CX 680 Sports, but why would they? The sound quality from the headphones was a bit disappointing considering who makes them and the dynamic speaker systems. The sound range is limited and the bass levels seems to overpower everything else – even though they do not go as deep as some other headphones on the market.

Trying to listen to detailed sound can be a bit of a struggle, but they do offer a decent overall sound. We do not want any of this to put you off, as we have to keep reminding you off the price. Having said that, we do feel that you are paying about £10 over the top, as you are paying a premium for the Adidas branding. If you loved the CX 300 model, then the CX 310 is certainly a worthy upgrade.

For more details visit Sennheiser UK.

Main features include:

• 2-year warranty
• Convenient carrying pouch included
• Excellent fit in the ear canals and high attenuation of ambient noise (ear adapters in different sizes included)
• High-quality dynamic speaker systems for powerful, bass-driven stereo sound
• Optimised for MP3, iPod, iPhone, CD players and portable gaming systems (iPod and iPhone are trademarks of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. and other countries)
• Symmetrical cable

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First impressions were a little mixed, as when you first take them out of the beautifully packaged box we were surprised at just how light they were. Now in our experience light in-ear headphones like these means that they will not be able to hold their own against the likes of those Denon ones that we reviewed. However, we should not always read a book by its covers, as they could be hiding something, and if know Sennheiser then we can expect something very special here.

First we would like to note that we were impressed that in the box there was:

• 2 sets of extra earbud sizes
• 2 sets of extra earhooks
• Alligator clip for securing cable.
• Cable extension for the earbuds, with included volume control.
• Carrying case
• Cleaning tool
• Instruction manual
• The earbuds themselves

Surprisingly there was also an instructions manual, which is a little rare for headphones. This shows you how you should remove the earbuds and use the cleaning tool to remove the diaphragm guards. Before we get on to see how well they perform we would just like to point out one or two other features that we were impressed with.

The first is that you can either go with a short lead configuration, or use the extension, which means that you also gain a volume control. This comes with a handy clip, so ideal if you wish to go out jogging. The carry case is the icing on the cake here, because we have seen just how tangled the wires can get when left in a drawer somewhere.

Knowing which was left and right was a little difficult, as there are no signs on each headphone, but thanks to the instructions manual we know that the earbud with S on it is the left and the Adidas logo is the right. Normally I have to change the earbuds to one that fits more tightly, but the set that was already on the device was perfect – it’s as if they were molded just for my ears.

You can instantly tell that sitting with them in your ears for hours at a time will not hurt your ears in any way. Having them in you can still hear outside noise, which we feel is important if you plan to jog in the street – just hope that this does not affect the sound quality.

The moment that we selected a song we knew that both Sennheiser and Adidas have produced something very special, this is thanks to the High-output ear-canal drivers and also being Acoustically closed. We only had the volume halfway and there was no hissing like there is in cheaper products. Bass levels were very good, so no fear of getting a headache due to a tinny sound. We were very surprised that turning the volume up to full did not distort in any way, however, they do not go as loud as some other headphones out there, but is that really a bad thing?

Overall we loved the waterproof finish of these CX 680 headphones, as you never know what weather you will run into while out jogging. If you are only a casual listener then these headphones are certainly worth the purchase. The one issue is the cost, as they are far more expensive than other mid-range headphones, but then again we believe that these do have the edge in sound and build quality.

For more details visit Sennheiser UK.

Main features include:

• 2-year warranty
• Acoustically closed – blocks outside noise effectively hence more recommended for indoor use
• Cable clip and storage pouch included
• Dupont™ Kevlar® reinforced cable: superior strength and reliability
• EarFin holding system: secure and comfort fit during workouts
• High-output ear-canal drivers for energizing sound and high noise insulation
• Short cable; option of using extension cable with volume control
• Sweat- and water-resistant: ideal for sports
• Variety of ear-adapters (S/M/L) included

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All the new models are based on models currently available from the company and first up are the $90 PX 100 IIi, and the $110 PX200 IIi. Both models conveniently fold up to fit into a case for traveling, and are based on the popular PX 100 II and PX 200 II models. They are a lightweight on ear type headphones with the PX200’s being of the closed back design.

The $80 HD 218i and the $130 HD 238i are headphones which are bigger than the PX range, and have a sturdier build with cushioning on the earpieces and headband. They still have earpieces that fold flat for storage. Having a closed back design the HD218i has a more bass heavy sound, while the HD238i are open backed for a more balanced sound.

The high-end IE 8i which will set you back $450 are in-ear-canal type headphones. These let you adjust the bass by using the tuning control on each earpiece, and come with replaceable cables. With the $100 MM 70i and the $140 CX 880i you have earphones that instead of fitting deep inside the ear canal sit just inside.

The new headphones are available immediately from Apple online and retail stores, and Sennheiser dealers.

Source: Macworld.com

His first successes were his open headphones and shotgun microphones and made great strides in infra-red transmission and wireless radio. The company’s developers were given whatever technical and creative freedom they needed.

Sennheiser have since expanded and became one of the leading manufacturer of headphones and other audio products. Fritz Sennheiser retired from the company in 1982 handing over to his son Prof. Dr. sc. techn. Jörg Sennheiser, but continued to keep an interest in the company.

He recently celebrated his 95 birthday earlier this month and leaves behind a company which generates over 385m Euros, and employing more than 2,100 people.