The Sennheiser CX True Wireless headphones is one of the latest contributions from the German audio giant. So today, we’re talking about this product here in our Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones review.
The Sennheiser CX True Wireless is a smart enhancement compared to its predecessors. What’s more, it’s much cheaper than the CX-400-BT and other true wireless earbuds available today.
It has a host of optimised features, outstanding audio performance, excellent connectivity, and decent battery life. So, it’s something you wouldn’t want to miss if you need cost-efficient but quality-performing headphones.
Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones Packaging
Before we get deeper into the specifications, build, and features of this product, let’s look into its packaging first. Plus, our Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones review will also discuss the other items Sennheiser included in the box.
The headphones come in a clean-looking cardboard box with an image of the product in front. Above the image is the model’s name. On the upper corners of the box are Sennheiser’s logo and the company’s name itself. The lower-left portion shows the headphones’ key features, while other details can be seen on the box’s rear.
Other than the CX True Wireless, there are other items you’ll find inside the box. These include four ear tip options, a charging case, a USB-C to A cable, an instruction manual, and other paperwork.
Next up in our Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones review is the design and functions of the CX True Wireless.
Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones Review- Design and Functionality
The CX True Wireless comes in two different colours, namely matte black and white. For its design, you won’t get anything fancy here since it’s just a basic-looking pair of in-ears.
If you’ve used the CX-400-BT before, you’ll notice that the CX True Wireless sports a similar squared-off shape. However, the difference between them is that the newer model has matte finish touch panels along with embossed Sennheiser logos. The older model instead sports glossier touch panels with silver logos.
Because of its build and design, the CX True Wireless are quite comfy. They’re lightweight and don’t push into your ear canals too deeply. With that, the headphones’ outer casing sticks out further from the sides of your head.
Do keep in mind that the CX True Wireless is quite bulky based on the standards of true wireless headphones.
The headphones have touch-sensitive outer panels on each earpiece, and these control the different basic functions. One tap on either controls answer calls or plays back music, while double taps control the track navigation. Triple taps bring up your smartphone’s voice assistant, while a long hold adjusts the volume.
We won’t forget to talk about the product’s charging case. So this time, our Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones review will look into that.
Charging Case
The charging case of the CX True Wireless is made from hard plastic so it’s quite durable. Also, the case features magnets to prevent the buds from popping out of their cradles.
Generally, the CX True Wireless’ charging case hasn’t changed much unlike the earlier model. So, you can still expect it to be tough.
It’s charged using a USB-C port, though remember, there’s no wireless charging going on here. But of course, it’s something you shouldn’t really expect considering its price.
The outer portion of the charging case features an LED to indicate the remaining charge life. It’ll light up red, yellow, or green, depending on the charge that is left in the case.
Now that we’re done with the design and functions, our Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones review will focus on features. Let’s see what the CX True Wireless has in store for us.
Key Features of the Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones
Excellent Audio Output
It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing. With the CX True Wireless, you can enjoy all your favourite tracks with its bespoke TrueResponse Transducer. It’s a feature that Sennheiser added to get that crystal-clear sound that every audiophile wants.
Get Your Immense Groove On
Sennheiser added bass boost to the CX True Wireless. And together with the integrated equaliser, you can enjoy your sounds the way you want.
Zero Noise, Only Music
Forget about the surrounding noise and get lost in the melody of your favourite music. Or, you can focus on calls and this is all thanks to the CX True Wireless’ Passive Noise Cancellation feature.
Ease of Use and Comfort
Its ergonomic design guarantees full-wearing comfort. And since it comes with differently-sized ear tips, you can get that perfect and secure fit.
Customisation Right at Your Fingertips
With customisable touch controls, you can easily manage phone calls, audio, and get quick access to Google Assistant and Siri.
Resist the Splash
You can go out anytime with your CX True Wireless and not worry about it getting wet. It’s IPX-4 splash-resistant, which means it can withstand light splashes or moments of misting.
But of course, you shouldn’t submerge it in water, and this rating isn’t applied to its charging case.
Now that we’ve talked about its features, our Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones review will now focus on its specifications.
Specifications
The speaker for this CX True Wireless is the TrueResponse Transducer 7mm dynamic driver from Sennheiser. It has a 5V = 500 mA max power supply and uses the standard USB-C.
Its microphone has a frequency response of 100Hz to 10kHz, while the headphones have 5Hz to 21,000Hz. Speaking of its mic, there are 2-mic beam-forming arrays that total to 4 microphones all in all.
For its batteries, the headphones use the lithium-ion rechargeable type. For its weight, the CX True Wireless is 49g. Breaking it down, one earbud is 6g, while the charging case is 37g.
These headphones work with Bluetooth 5.2 and support AptX, AAC, and SBC codecs. The company claims that the CX True Wireless can last up to 9-hours for every charge. And, it has around 18 hours of additional charge when used in its case.
These are good numbers when it comes to wireless headphones. But remember that all results will vary depending on how your volume levels are.
Now, our Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones review will discuss how it performed during our tests. This will help you determine if the CX True Wireless headphones from Sennheiser are something worth upgrading to.
Hands-on with the Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones
The Smart Control app from Sennheiser is available for both Android and iOS. It works well with all the company’s headphones such as the CX True Wireless.
This application doesn’t use the standard fader-based 5-band EQ, and instead, utilises animated curves for adjusting its audio balance.
You can decide to switch to the regular fader-based equaliser, but both these and the curves only feature three bands. Specifically, these are the mids, bass, and treble.
Aside from its equaliser, the app has a lot to offer, like control customisations, sidetone adjustment, and voice toggle prompts. Plus, you can even set the time for auto-power off when necessary.
Interestingly, it offers useful readouts such as the codec you’re using, and the amount of battery life left. Furthermore, it will allow you to update firmware for the headphones, remap the control scheme, and switch off audio cues. Of course, you can check the battery level as well.
Let’s continue our Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones review and look at how good its audio quality is.
Like what you’d expect from Sennheiser, the CX True Wireless’ audio quality is superb. With clear mids, wide soundstage, powerful bass frequencies, and detailed trebles, you’ll know you’ve got the right product for audio.
Nevertheless, we were quite surprised by the audio output of this product despite its price. Though some people might prefer the more neutral soundstage, we can’t deny that the CX True Wireless delivers enjoyable sounds.
The headphones have warm, bass-heavy sound profiles that emphasise the rumble and thumps of hip-hop and EDM. Though its treble range is under-emphasised which can veil the higher harmonics of instruments and vocals.
It’s a good thing the companion app has a graphic EQ and audio presets to adjust its audio reproduction.
The mid accuracy was great with over-emphasis on the bass range, carrying over into low mids. The high-mid ranges were accurate and balanced, making vocals and lead instruments sound clear. For high-mids and highs, these had a lot of crispness when the earpieces were sealed well.
The headphones’ treble response was also good. The low and mid-trebles were under-emphasised, concealing dull sibilants like T and S sounds.
The mic performed well and offered solid intelligibility. We recorded our voices and heard them clearly when we listened to the audio file. Each word was audible and easy to understand.
Although there was a slight distortion in the mix, the mic’s signal was strong. Communication was always clear with decent mobile connection.
For the CX True Wireless headphones’ Bluetooth connectivity, it was decent and satisfying. On Bluetooth-enabled PCs, their latency was high when using aptX or SBC codecs.
But when we connected the headphones to Android and iOS devices, the headphones performed excellently. We watched videos, and the audio and visuals weren’t out of sync.
Of course, note that latency can vary by device and the app you use.
Sennheiser CX True Wireless Headphones Review Summary
The Sennheiser CX True Wireless headphones are a cheaper yet greater upgrade than its predecessor, the CX-400-BT. In fact, it’s also better than a lot of wireless earbuds on the market.
These headphones do their job well and offer excellent audio & mic performance, stable connectivity, and long battery life. Although its design isn’t one of the best, its performance is superior, making it something worth considering.
Overall, we highly recommend the Sennheiser CX True Wireless headphones. If you want to get your hands on this product, you can purchase it from the company’s official website.