Sennheiser CX True Wireless Earbuds: Offering a substantial design, secure fit, and remarkable audio quality, the CX earbuds provide an immersive listening experience. With Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, customizable touch controls, and Hi-Res audio support, they cater to audiophiles seeking versatility. Priced at $69, they offer exceptional value for their features, despite the absence of active noise cancellation, making them a compelling option in the true wireless earbuds market.
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Design and Comfort
The design of the Sennheiser CX earbuds is quite substantial, making them protrude noticeably from your ears, giving the impression of something jutting out. However, despite their bulkier design, they stay securely in place, especially if you insert them using the twist method. During my extended usage over several days, they never showed any tendency to unexpectedly fall out. Additionally, the package includes three extra sizes of ear tips (extra small, small, and large), in addition to the medium ones pre-installed, ensuring you can find a comfortable fit.
I personally found the medium-sized tips to be a good fit for my ears. Another notable feature is their IPX4 splash-resistant design, which comes in handy, especially in unpredictable British weather. When it comes to color options, you can choose between classic black or crisp white.
Bluetooth Connectivity
In terms of connectivity, the Sennheiser CX earbuds offer full Bluetooth 5.2 support. I experienced no difficulties connecting them to my smartphone, even when I was out and about in the real world. When I initially took the earbuds out of the case, I didn’t receive an NFC pop-up window on my smartphone asking if I wanted to pair with the Sennheisers. However, I simply went into the Bluetooth menu and paired them in just a matter of seconds, which was a hassle-free process. Furthermore, there’s no hidden button on the Sennheiser CX case for re-pairing with another device.
To pair the earbuds with another device, simply long-press both buds for three seconds, and they will enter pairing mode. Each bud has small LED indicators that provide information about their status, such as when they’re searching for a device, when they’re paired, or when they’re in pairing mode. Unlike some other earbuds and headphones with flashing LED lights on the outside that can be distracting, especially when trying to sleep or relax, Sennheiser has sensibly placed these indicators on the inside.
Touch Controls
The touch controls on the Sennheiser CX True Wireless earbuds are a standout feature. They offer comprehensive functionality, with single, double, triple taps, and long presses on both buds performing different actions. The best part is that these controls are fully customizable through Sennheiser’s mobile app. Simply download the Sennheiser Smart Control app, and it pairs seamlessly with your earbuds if they’re already connected to your device via Bluetooth. The setup is quick, taking only a few seconds.
Within the app’s settings, you’ll find a range of options to fine-tune your experience. This includes features like auto power-off, firmware updates for the earbuds, and control customization. Personally, I found Sennheiser’s default control setup to be excellent, so I stuck with it.
A single tap on either bud plays or pauses your music, while a double tap on the left bud skips back to the previous track. A triple tap activates the voice assistant, and holding down either bud adjusts the volume. It’s important to note that the order of these actions can’t be swapped, but you can disable any you don’t want to use. Overall, I must say Sennheiser has done a great job with these touch controls. They’re highly responsive, providing both tactile and tonal feedback to confirm your touch input.
Audio Quality
The Sennheiser CX2 buds support all the standard Bluetooth codecs and even offer aptX compatibility. This ensures seamless synchronization when you’re enjoying content on platforms like Netflix, YouTube, or any other media of your choice. As expected from Sennheiser, the audio quality is impressive. You’ll experience crisp, distortion-free playback with a full range of sounds coming through cleanly. Each instrument has ample space to shine, allowing you to discern the subtle details in high-quality audio. It’s a listening experience that truly stands out.
These earbuds also come with an equalizer feature that allows you to fine-tune your audio experience. You can adjust the equalizer using either a user-friendly interface or traditional sliders. It’s a relatively simple equalizer, with settings for bass, midrange, and treble. There are also a couple of presets, including a bass boost option. Interestingly, because the CX True Wireless earbuds already offer good bass performance for earbuds in this price range, I didn’t notice a significant difference when using the bass boost. There was a subtle change, but nothing groundbreaking. However, if you’re a bass enthusiast, these earbuds are still one of the better options available in this price range.
Lack of ANC
The main drawback of the Sennheiser CX buds is the absence of active noise cancellation, a feature commonly found in many competitors at this price point, and sometimes even in cheaper options like the Oppo Enco X or the Anker Soundcore Life Q3. Fortunately, due to the silicone tip design and the variety of earbud sizes included in the package, I was able to achieve a perfect seal. This provided effective noise isolation, helping to reduce external noise significantly.
I had no trouble walking along busy, bustling streets with traffic and people conversing. I could still enjoy my audiobooks or podcasts at a moderate volume without having to turn it up and risk straining my already tired ears. However, it would have been a welcome addition to have some form of noise cancellation on the Sennheiser CX earbuds, especially for situations like noisy subway rides.
Microphones
Each of these buds features a dual microphone setup, designed to capture your voice when using the voice assistant or taking calls. In noisy environments, it may still pick up some background noise, but I found that I could communicate without the need to shout, which is especially convenient in public settings.
Battery life
On a single charge, these buds offer an impressive 10 hours of use before needing to be placed back into their case for a recharge. In my testing, I consistently got between eight and a half to nine hours of use on a full charge. This battery life stands out as one of the best I’ve encountered while reviewing true wireless earbuds. It’s worth noting that this exceptional battery life is partly due to the absence of active noise cancellation. If you anticipate long journeys and want earbuds that you can use for extended periods without worrying about them running out of charge, the Sennheiser CX2 is a solid choice.
The case itself is made of plastic and doesn’t have a particularly premium feel. It’s also quite bulky and boxy, which is a contrast to some slimmer cases on the market, like the Huawei FreeBuds. While it may create a noticeable bulge in your pocket, it’s still a practical option. With a fully charged case, you can get about three full recharges of the earbuds, making it great for extended journeys when you won’t have the opportunity to charge the case. The case charges via USB Type-C and doesn’t support wireless charging, so it’s a fairly standard and functional design, albeit lacking some premium features.
The Sennheiser CX true wireless earbuds, which are definitely solid despite the lack of active noise cancellation. That's my only real grumble about these things if you want strong audio quality but particularly impressive battery life.
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Design and Comfort9
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Bluetooth and Connectivity8
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Touch Controls8
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Audio Quality8
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ANC5.5
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Battery Life7
