In this review, we are covering the Sennheiser CX True Wireless which are the upgrade on the CX 400BT that landed before them. Although they are an upgrade they are in fact cheaper coming in at £85 compared to the CX 400BT being sold at £129.99 via HMV online.
First Impressions
Sennheiser needed to do something special to compete with the CX 400BT and as you expect with a brand like this the audio does not disappoint. You get a wide soundstage with powerful bass. If you consider the price point of Sennheiser CX you will feel happy with the sound.
The buds come with touch controls and the Sennheiser app allows you to customise the EQ. The buds come with Bluetooth 5.2 with a 10-metre range and you also get Hi-Res audio support as well.
The buds also come in two colours Black or White and you might notice a slight difference in cost. I found a £5 difference between the black and white models but if am honest I don’t see why they have done this for the same model.
Design
When you look at the design of the CX model they are very similar to that of the CX 400BT. They offer a minimalist design without trying to make too much of a statement. I did, however, feel they are a little large in the ear and the large square housing is noticeable. This is only depending on if you have small ears you will notice the buds more so compared to larger ear users.
If your find trouble with the fit Sennheiser also provide you with a range of different size eartips and changing them is a very easy process.
In terms of controls as mentioned they are touch-sensitive and via a series of taps you control – Playback, Volume, Track Control, Call management, voice assistant. In testing the touch controls are very responsive and after a few days of use, you will remember the controls with ease. I found the inclusion of the volume control also very helpful something you don’t get with other brand offerings.
A handy feature you get with these buds is the master and slave feature meaning you can use one bud independently. It’s nice when am at work and I want to hear around me at the same time enjoying some music, It’s also useful when receiving a call.
Speaking of calls when both buds are in the dual microphones inside each bud helps deliver clear calls and the sidetone feature is designed to make you hear your own voice on a call and is adjustable due to a slider in the Sennheiser app to reduce how much of your own voice you want to hear.
The Charging Case
The Charging case is very similar to that of the CX 400BT it’s quite large compared to the Jabra Elite 4 Active I have just reviewed. You will notice the case in your pocket compared to the Jabra offering. The charging case is finished off with a USB-C cable that is also provided. Please note these buds are not Qi-compatible so wireless charging is not a feature you can benefit from.
In terms of the case design, it’s a simple USB-C port to the rear and to the front you have a LED light that will indicate the amount of charge left via a traffic light system. Green is fully charged, Yellow for up to 50% battery & Red for required charging.
Battery Life & Connectivity
The battery life is a massive increase from the CX400 BT model before, the CX true wireless now offers you 9 hours of playback from the buds and a further 18 hours from the charging case. This gives you a total of 27 hours which is not bad but hardly industry-leading. The Jabra 85T gives you 31 hours and the Skullcandy Push Active gives you 44 hours. So you can see the difference in battery life when you compare earbuds of a similar price point.
In terms of Connectivity, the CX model now comes with Bluetooth 5.2 so pairing the buds to your phone was effortless. The buds are also compatible with AAC, aptX and SBC codecs meaning hi-res audio from the likes of Tidal should not be an issue.
Audio Performance
The Sennheiser CX True wireless comes with 7mm dynamic drivers and they also come with Sennheiser’s TrueResponse transducer which assists with providing a deep base but not only the base it also offers natural mids and a clear detailed treble.
I was impressed with the overall sound quality when listening to “Alice Merton- Island”. The bass on this track is something bass fans will enjoy. Alice’s vocals are very clear and the track is full of details coming out of these buds. The soundstage is wide with a nice level of clarity.
When listening to a track that is guitar-heavy like “Prince – Purple Rain” the guitar solo is so rich it’s a joy to listen to. When you get to the part that has both guitar and vocals. The guitar part does not overpower the track and the bass is powerful but without being too much.
You will also be pleased to know you can adjust the EQ via the Sennheiser Smart Control App which nothing has really changed with the app since I mentioned in my Momentum true wireless 2 review.
You get the option to adjust the frequency sliders or you can select one of the presets such as Neutral, Podcast, Movie & Bass Boost.
Verdict
The Sennheiser CX true wireless is a budget-friendly but premium sounding pair of earbuds. They offer a good level of bass without affecting the overall soundstage and the fact they come with AAC, aptX & SBC codecs you get that hi-res audio quality.
We also found the touch controls to be really responsive and easy to use and the Sennheiser Smart App allows you to adjust the EQ to get a custom sound that you want.
However, we did find a few negatives such as the design I found the buds to be very bulky and this can lead to the buds being uncomfortable for some users.
Another downside to the CX model is the lack of ANC so expect some unwanted outside noise getting in which is a little annoying. However, when testing it did not affect the sound that much and you learn to live with the lack of ANC.
Overall the Sennheiser CX comes in an excellent price point that comes with good battery life, not the best in the market but still a decent number of hours offered. You will also find the controls easy to use and the fact you have volume controls is a real bonus. You will also find the Sennheiser smart app is also great to have in order to customise EQ. If you can look past the bulky design of the buds I recommend you consider the CX model as your next earbud purchase.
Product Rating:
Design: 3.0 out of 5.0 stars
Battery & Connectivity: 4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Audio Quality: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Ease of use: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Value for Money: 5.0 out of 5.0 stars5.0
Overall Rating: 4.4 out of 5.0 stars – 4.4 Stars
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