I’ve been a lifelong fan of Sennheiser headphones, and like many DJs I used their cans professionally for years because of their durability and audio quality.
In more recent times I have enjoyed their CX 400BT which were like a more affordable version of the firm’s flagship in-ears, Momentum True Wireless 2, without the active noise cancellation.
I rated the CX 400BT as among the best in-ear headphones of 2020 so I was excited when their successor CX True Wireless landed in recent weeks.
As they come in at a substantially less expensive cost, reducing the headline price by €70.
They add IPX4-rated water resistance, improved battery life – they last close to nine hours – and better, bassier, audio quality.
Still present and correct are a snug and comfortable fit, customisable and reliable touch controls, support for digital assistants, EQ control in the Smart Connect app, in-ear detection and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
The charging case has a USB-C port and is almost identical to the CX 400BT box too. And it contains an additional 18 hours of play time which gives you 27 hours overall.
There is no wireless charging support.
The touch panels on the buds enable you to adjust volume, answer calls, access your digital assistant and control playback.
You can change these to suit your preferences in the Smart Control app which works with both iOS and Android. (Though the long press for volume controls cannot be changed.)
The responsive and reliable app also gives you the option to seamlessly switch between recently paired devices one at a time.
This is useful as even though these buds have Bluetooth 5.2 there is no multi-device connectivity.
Sennheiser CX True Wireless support the SBC, AAC and aptX codecs.
Music of most genres and eras sounds impressive. It's all very crisp and clear.
There’s plenty of bass for contemporary pop and dance music but it’s not overwhelming.
Make sure to get the perfect fit from the silicone tips in the box which fits your ears best, as you’ll find the audio quality at its peak performance when you do.
A snug seal also results in an impressive level of passive noise cancellation.
For making and taking calls, audio quality from the microphone was satisfactory and anyone I called said they could hear me sufficiently well.
I’m not a fan of making or taking calls on earphones without a decent transparency mode, so I ended up taking out one ear bud to make calls.
Another issue to note is that despite the sweat resistant rating, these are not ideal earphones for vigorous workouts or long runs as the snug fit can loosen in those scenarios.
Aside from those quibbles, CX True Wireless do almost everything reasonably well.
Verdict
If you do splash the cash on these everyday earphones, you won’t be disappointed.
But if you want a set full of bells and whistles such as ANC, you might be better looking at Sennheiser’s more expensive Momentum True Wireless 2.
Pricing and availability
Sennheiser CX True Wireless cost €129 from Harvey Norman.
