Customer Reviews

Sennheiser PMX80 In-Ear Sport Series II Behind the Head Earphones

5 star:		(167)
4 star:		(85)
3 star:		(59)
2 star:		(50)
1 star:		(87)

 

 

Length:: 3:17 Mins

Great sounding headphones for jogging, ultra light weight over-the-ear neckband (16g), very secure fit, rinse clean with water. Instructions and 'manual' are a bit hidden, though.

I didn't like the lime green color of the Sen PMX70's, so I had first bought the nicely designed Nike-Philips neckband phones. They were THE perfect design for a runner. However, the left side went out after 3 weeks! I'm a 50yr old who has been lifting weights for years, but just started running 3yrs ago. I searched and researched for headphones for runners because I sweat like a horse, and I didn't want to waste money on another pair that wouldn't suit my purpose.

So the PMX80 Sport II had just come out. Better design than the 70's, but the price is very hefty at $55. Still, I needed what these said they could do. No regrets!

First, they sound great. They have a natural bass advantage because of the way they fit in your ears. Basically, they "fill" the entire gap. However, this can be a drawback of sorts; as sweat builds up and drips down the ear-way, the excess water can create a "seal" between your ear canal and the speaker of each bud. This in turn, can create an "underwater" sound, so to speak. I see this as a design flaw, despite the waterproof nature of these phones because the sound will become muffled. Not frequently, but this CAN/DOES happen. There is also one other little issue to mention; because of the way these fill the ear canal and form that "seal"...the rigid neckband will carry the slightest sound waves (vibration). A bouncing necklace...the excess wire that may touch the neckband, etc., will magnify the sound and carry it right to your ears. A picky and perhaps minor point, but I felt I should mention it. In reality, it's only happened a few times, and only happens after you're soaked with sweat. It can be stooped by simply adjusting the neckband with one fairly effortless movement.

The video clip review you'll see here? The guy tosses out the clip saying you won't need it. Trust me, the clip is there for a reason. Maybe he's a casual jogger? Anyway, Sennheiser knew exactly why they needed to include the clip; because the one-piece wire attaches to the left ear bud, the wire WILL tug back & forth if you have it running down the back of your shirt...like everyone is going to do. The clip clips right to your shirt's neckline and keeps the wire from "moving". And actually, the wire can still tug its way through the clip channel and STILL pull! I've had to adjust it to get more slack in the middle of a long run. I'm just covering all the bases here, but trust me here...KEEP and USE the provided clip!

And yes, you can actually rinse these off under light running water after a run! Yes, the ear buds! I hold them so the buds are "vertical", so I'm not trying to force water into the bud. I simply let light running water cascade down the screen of the ear bud to rinse away sweat. I then use a towel to lightly dab off the excess water and then let them sit on my desk to dry for a few hours. Been doing this for several weeks and I haven't had any problems.

The bottom line; The rear exiting site of the Nike phones is a better design, but the quality of the Sennheisers (beefy wire, rugged, washable, better sound) negate that factor entirely. I only wish they'd just change this one design feature!!! Other than that, if you're a runner and enjoy quality sound and want durability....the PMX80's are exactly what you're looking for. They're comfy and you won't even know you have them on. I'm sure the price will drop, as I believe they are somewhat overpriced for MP3 phones, but they're also what I was looking for, so whaddayagonnado? These phones rock.

2 YEAR UPDATE: I'm only weeks away from having owned these headphones for two full years. The result? I sweat like an animal from hell, and I've run well over 1200 outdoor miles (3-5 mile avg run) with these phones...and they are as good as the day I got them delivered. Seriously, I will buy another pair of these if/when these ever fail me.

As to comments from others about hurting/discomfort on the ears; my wife liked the sound & feel of mine so much that she got the 70's model (cheaper at the time, and she only does light treadmill walking). Like some here, she also experienced the "over-tight" feeling the band caused on her ears. However, she liked them enough that kept them and when done using....places them over the treadmill panel arm/part so that they rest in a "stretched out" state. This seems to have solved her issue.

At a lower price point I would probably be less critical. I also follow the reviews closely and trust them. I was apprehensive going in a little as I intended to buy buds to workout with. The wrap was a concern but the reviews were so positive about this unit that I gave it a shot.

I am not upset but not altogether satisfied either. This headphone is not as comfortable as I expected. That is not to say they are uncomfortable. They exert a little more pressure on my ear canal than expected (based on reviews that talked about not even feeling them) and getting the in-ear position correct requires some adjustment (maximizing sound by getting the driver pointed in the right direction).

I like them ok for running but working out is a little more work. Anytime I lay down on a bench at the gym, the back moves around requiring a readjustment. I do appreciate them being less sensitive to sweat. However the cord has a more rubbery tactile fell that tends to stick or grab things as you walk by at the gym a bit more.

I will likely continue to use these but may go back to buds for most applications. Buds have challenges of their own but these may end up being my choice for running only. At this price point that is a bit disappointing.

These are sturdy headphones and work as advertised to stay on during even a strenuous workout... however... if you have small ears like me, you'll be lucky if you can make it an hour. I love the durability, color, one cord design and the clip to hold the cord in place. I love everything except the fact that they kill my ears after just a short use. I wish the manufacturers would make a small and a large size of their popular products. If these were a bit smaller, I'd give them 5 stars. I give them 2 as they are because they really hurt!


Pro - good construction
Pro - stays on
Pro - good sound for the price
Pro - clip and one cord design

Con - ouch!!! Not for small ears

It has taken me a while to find quality ipod accesories. Ive had every generation of nano and a few of the reg ipods and while some have been better than others, these products are all top-notch. My experience with accessories, however, has not been such. For example, after 3 tries, I have yet to find a good armband for the nano. It does not seem to exist yet. With sport ear phones, however, I have struck gold. My first job as a kid was as an audio salesman at C.City. more than 15 years have passed and I can say that today, I am a practical audiophile, meaning that I finally have a handle on the name vs. quality ratio. So, if you are looking for good frequency response, durability through weather & sweat, and comfort, you can take it from me - these are great. Also, these dont stop up your ear because they are forward facing. Unless you are submerged, it is not healthy to seal your ear canal. Fortunately you have enough sound projection for enough bass to get though, which is usually an issue when there is a significant open space between the driver and the canal. The only other trial left for these is to see how they hold up over time, which, based on the long-standing quality brand, should be an easy pass.

1. as with many products, there is no one perfect headphone. utlimately it comes down to for what one purpose one is going to use it.

2. with the above being said, i have several thoughts in re: these headphones compared to my other sennheiser compact headphones (PX 100 and PX200).

3. Pros:
* Nice quality design and craftsmanship.
* Very light.
* As advertised, these actually do fit well and are secure. i've tried numerous earbuds, in the ear "monitors" and they all either don't fit and fall out or are so secure that you can hear the headphone cords rubbing against your clothes etc... since these headphones are designed for those who do sports, it does succeed on it's primary goal. and thus, if you're main purpose is to have a decent pair of headphones for running, then these are a good choice for you.

4. Cons:
* sound quality. yes, in regards to sound quality, these heads really are lacking. if do not do a side by side comparison, the headphones will probably sound ok to you. however, if you know a thing or two about sound and are familiar with how your favorite music should sound, you'll realize after listening via these headphones for 20-30 minutes, that your favorite tunes just don't have the overall depth that you're accustomed to. i had a feeling that this was the case and thus i did a simple side by side comparison with my PX 100 and PX 200 and a pair of some sony wireless headphones. bottomline: these PMX 80 headphones had the "worst sound"--> ie the least amount of overall depth, the least amount of bass, and the treble was crisp but i would classify it as being a bit harsh. thus with extended listening and at higher volumes, things get uncomfortable.
* comfort: even though these headphones do fit well and thus succeed in not falling out of one's ears. the problem is that with extended use (ie 30 + minutes) one will become "aware" of the headphones; ie akin to having hotspots when wearing ill fitting shoes. if one tries to move the headphones a bit out of the ear, that'll help some, but then the sound suffers.

5. bottomline: as noted in the initial observation, whether or not you'll like these headphones will depend on what's important to you. if you're into high sports activities and can't tolerate wearing ear buds, this is a solid choice. if you need general portable headphones and value sound, then definitely skip these and consider the less stylish but superior sounding PX 100. if you're need headphones for active pursuits but also values sound--> then like me, you'll end up owning several different headphones, for different purposes.

I'm an avid runner and go to the gym 3 days/week. I also work in music production and know plenty on frequency response and fidelity. In regards to active, or fitness listening headphones...

Construction: 5 stars, Well built! Firm fit, reflective back band, bright color.

Fidelity: 3 stars sub par bass response, great mid/high to high end kHz. (for the size) But ultimately not well balanced.

Value: 3 stars Considering the price with the sound quality I think there are better options.

I have been using the Phillips SHS5200 for the past 2 years. Before that a pair of Pioneer(loved those cant recall the name specifically, discontinued). Big fan of "wrap arounds" for fitness listening.

Both headphones eventually failed me at the 1/8th connector(left/right channels would drop/fuzz issues) I was actually surprised how long the Phillips lasted, although they got slightly rusty (cosmetic problem not functional, looked a little gross). But what should someone expect primarily working out/running with their headphones?

If your not really particular about sound quality, and prefer rugged construction I'd say these will work. But I did return mine and went back to the Phillips, I like how they go over my ear so I can get some ambient noise while I run(I'd prefer to hear the car just before it hits me). They never slipped and theres value at $15 for the pair. Maybe I was lucky having these last for 2 years, but I got a lot out of them.

I bought these for running... the truth is that sound quality doesn't matter as much when I'm running because I'm either outside or at the gym on the treadmill; either way, I'm breathing hard and not fixated on sound quality... I just need the headphones to be comfortable and durable...

so I searched high and low for a good pair of headphones to wear when I'm running >> I read all the reviews on Amazon.com, and then I decided to buy these based on the reviews... I got them and after wearing them 3-4 times, I returned them... why? really simple. these headphones were really uncomfortable for me because they pressed and squeezed inwards and hurt my ears, so much so that I did not want to wear them after a few miles... in any case, I want to warn prospective buyers about this fit issue...

My first impression was a significant improvement of the 80 over the 70...then I remembered I had to make sure they were sitting properly in my ears--then the differences weren't quite night and day. The PMX80 has a less-harsh treble sound than the PMX70; the PMX80 also seems to have a much smoother bass curve that reaches a bit deeper and has a wider frequency band it stretches across. In contrast, the PMX70 sounds like it has a 80hz bass boost to compensate for poor bass response and not reaching as low (if we compare them as higher/lower end same model-year versions, rather than a newer model year). The PMX70 has a non-existent bass curve--it's unpleasant and requires EQ adjustments to attempt to correct; the PMX80 sounds much better out-of-box and requires less EQ tuning.

I purchased the PMX80 with the hope of upgrading my PMX70 as workout/outdoors headphones. They're better, but not enough to justify the upgrade unless 1) are a discerning listener, and 2) if the first thing you do with included headphones for your mp3 player is throw them in the trash.

Overall, I'm happy with the upgrade because I was pretty disappointed with the PMX70s, even though I was prepared to suffer a downgrade from my Sennheiser HD595 and I knew not to expect much from sport headphones or such small drivers...but the PMX70s made me regret their purchase. The PMX80s aren't necessarily an awesome improvement, but they're more like what I expected the PMX70s to be when I bought them. They're still small drivers and don't hold a candle to my HD595s or even my old HD570s. The PMX70s shouldn't bear the Sennheiser name, even though they are sport headphones and not meant to be excellent; the PMX80s are appropriate sport headphones to bear the Sennheiser name.

I'm very much looking forward to using these PMX80s for workouts and yard work. Now I can clean up my PMX70s and use them as my official don't-want-to-mess-up-my-hair-headphones, when the HD595s would mess up my hair. Actually, I'll probably clean them up and give them to someone, then purchase a second set of PMX80s. I'm partial to the single-wire design (in all my 'phones, actually), which is why I don't purchase any of the other Sennheiser sport 'phones.

I had high hopes for these headphones after reading the reviews and doing much research. I really wanted these to work for me and am frustrated that I am forced to leave such a poor review. Sennheiser makes quality products, and that is not my issue here. The problem is that these headphones are hands down the most uncomfortable units I have ever poked into my ears. I thought it was just me, so I passed these around the house to my wife and kids, with an unsolicited "hey try out my cool new headphones". Every one of them came back the same ... "ouch, yikes, geeze". 0 for 6.

The neckband places tremendous pressure inward on the ears, and the grape sized "buds" are so big they are nearly impossible to position correctly. I read one review where the user said the base sound was terrible. I see what he is talking about. They actually have very good base, but only if they are positioned just right, which is hard depending on the shape of your ear. Once I get them positioned for good base, they feel horrible.

I'm just your average guy. I listen to my ipod in the gym, maybe working on the lawn, and sometimes on the plane ride. I was looking for a better sounding alternative to cruddy ipod buds that would stay in my ears. I wanted a headband set so could take them out and rest them on my neck for breaks and conversations, and I so I didn't have to untangle the darn bud cords. Honestly, these babies would stay on in the ring with Mike Tyson. So if you are looking to go the distance with the Champ, try these. I understand that these are "sport" headphones so I was willing to make a few concessions, but I cant wear these for more than a couple of Def Leppard songs, so they just wont work for me. To be fair, if they fit you, they are high quality good sounding units. But then my stock ipod buds sound pretty good too when I jam them into my ear canals with a benchvise.

A few more things to note. Everyone around you can hear your music loud and clear. I found that out when I sat on the couch testing these and saw my wife across the room dancing to Beat-it along with me. In the gym, maybe this isn't a problem, but anywhere else you will seriously annoy your neighbor. And the neckband over-ear fit prevents me from wearing these with my snowboard helmet, or lying back on the flight to Maui.

If you have the same problem as me, consider a set of Klipsch image s2 or s4 ear buds. My son has a set and they sound far better, and are very comfortable. I tried them out. They are ear buds, so I don't think they will stay in as well as these, but for the average guy, they work well and don't make my ears bleed.

Good luck.