Sennheiser CX 980

The basics

The fact Sennheiser CX 980 headphones have been designed in conjunction with BMW Designworks, lets you know they have design credentials to die for. Add to this the fact they are sold in the Apple Store and you know they’ve passed the good taste test before you even unpack the box. With an overall weight of 20g they are slim and slight but the high quality finish means they don’t feel frail or likely to break. The cable is a tidy 1.2 metres long, while the drivers offer up to 115dB of balanced audio.

The good

It’s that word ‘balanced’ that pretty much sums the CX 980 experience. There is nothing that feels superfluous or not agonisingly thought through. The balanced weight of the buds in your ear oppose to the sculpted metal support arms means everything sits flush and never feels as those they’ll slide out.

The 3.5mm audio jacks can be split in two and rotated from straight to 90 degrees, so giving you a choice of how the cable lies. Then there are the little tricks that show off the quality finish, such as the reinforced housing where the two cables meet, or the neat little toggle that is actually the inline volume control.

That word ‘balanced’ tunes up again when it comes to audio quality too. The drivers restrain the sound at high-volume while at a mid-point you’ll find everything sounds nice and even.

The bad

If we have any problem it’s with the even nature of the sound. Sure, there are two sets of silicon ear adapters, so you can choose between balanced or bass-driven sound simply by switching them over. However, no matter which option you go for the overall sound is rather bassy with a lot of bottom end and no sharp edges.

The bottom line

Understated, elegant and an absolute joy to wear, the Sennheiser CX 980 are for the music fan who doesn’t need to try too hard to impress. Little extra flourishes, like the inflight adapter and leather carry case, as well as a wide assortment of in-ear buds, with their own leather carry case, make for an amazing well rounded package.