Sennheiser’s client audio division could be underneath new administration, however that hasn’t held the corporate again from launching new merchandise. The Sennheiser CX and CX Plus have lately been launched in India, they usually each compete with present choices within the mid-range TWS section from Samsung, OnePlus, and Jabra. Today, I’m reviewing the costlier and better-equipped of the 2, the Sennheiser CX Plus true wi-fi earphones.
Officially priced at Rs. 14,990 in India (the value on-line is round Rs. 12,990), the Sennheiser CX Plus is a formidable pair of true wi-fi earphones. You get lively noise cancellation, app assist, and options equivalent to the Qualcomm aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec, making this a horny proposition underneath Rs. 15,000. However, does the sound high quality reside as much as expectations? Find out on this overview.
The Sennheiser CX Plus is out there in black and white in India
The Sennheiser CX Plus is a well-equipped pair of true wi-fi earphones
Sennheiser has been within the private audio enterprise for a very long time, however its true wi-fi vary hasn’t earned a lot acclaim past the Momentum True Wireless 2, for my part. With the CX Plus, Sennheiser hopes to make a mark within the rather more aggressive mid-range TWS section, and guarantees a number of options for its asking value of Rs. 12,990.
With a design much like that of the Sennheiser CX400BT (Review), the Sennheiser CX Plus is significantly bigger than competing choices in its value section, such because the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 (Review) and Jabra Elite 85t (Review). Not solely are the earpieces pretty cumbersome, however the charging case can be significantly wider.
The earphones can be found in two colors, white and black. Despite their dimension, the gadget appears and feels good. The outer components of the earpieces are shiny, with a Sennheiser brand and touch-sensitive playback controls on every one. The inside sides of the earpieces have the contact factors for charging, and proximity sensors to mechanically play or pause music relying on when the earphones are worn or taken off.
I discovered the match of the earpieces to be comfy sufficient, regardless of their barely unwieldy form which causes them to stay out of your ears fairly a bit. They stayed in place whereas strolling and climbing stairs, and though the match all the time felt a bit precarious, I did not truly face any conditions when the earpieces may need fallen out. Four pairs of silicone ear suggestions of various sizes are included within the field, together with a brief USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable. The earpieces are IPX4 rated for water resistance.
The charging case of the Sennheiser CX Plus is massive, much like that of the CX400BT, and consequently fairly tough to retailer in a pants pocket together with anything equivalent to a pockets or smartphone. The USB Type-C port is on the again, and there’s an LED indicator on the entrance. On the entire, the headset sticks to Sennheiser’s basic fashion for TWS earphones.
The touch-sensitive controls on the Sennheiser CX Plus true wi-fi earphones are customisable by means of the companion app. It’s potential to manage playback, quantity, ANC and hear-through modes, and invoke the default voice assistant in your paired smartphone by means of numerous faucet gestures. All these gestures labored reliably, and I fairly loved the benefit with which I might function the earphones while not having to drag out my smartphone.
Apart from management customisations, the Sennheiser Smart Control companion app (out there for iOS and Android) helps you to handle paired units, make modifications to the equaliser, toggle the ANC and hear-through modes, and extra. It’s nicely designed, and simple to make use of, overlaying just about all the pieces you will must do with the earphones.
The earpieces of the Sennheiser CX Plus are a bit cumbersome, and because of this, really feel considerably unwieldy when worn
The Sennheiser CX Plus is powered by 7mm dynamic drivers, and has a frequency response vary of 5-21,000Hz. For connectivity, the headset makes use of Bluetooth 5, with assist for the SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs.
Battery life on the Sennheiser CX Plus is respectable for the value. The earpieces ran for round 5 hours with ANC on and the quantity at average ranges. The case added round two and a half extra expenses, for a complete runtime of round 18 hours per cost cycle. This is about what’s anticipated from a TWS headset on this value vary. This efficiency is definitely a bit higher than what I acquired with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 and roughly on par with what the OnePlus Buds Pro provides.
Very good audio and ANC efficiency on the Sennheiser CX Plus
For a market value of Rs. 12,990, the Sennheiser CX Plus provides rather a lot together with loads of customisability, good lively noise cancellation, and most significantly, superb sound high quality for the value. Support for the Qualcomm aptX and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs makes for higher sound when paired with a supported gadget.
The Sennheiser CX Plus is a no-nonsense true wi-fi headset at its core, and that reveals within the sound high quality. Listening to Living On Video (Claptone Remix) by Trans-X was an lively expertise from the get-go, with the earphones’ pure tuning providing loads of assault and drive. There is a delicate bump within the lows which makes for very refined and fulfilling bass. The mid-range additionally got here throughout as imposing, whereas the treble felt a bit laidback. I additionally preferred how the Sennheiser CX Plus was capable of sustain with the quick tempo of this observe with ease.
This cohesiveness and tempo had been additionally evident in different fast, beat-driven tracks equivalent to Go by The Chemical Brothers and The Great Divide (Soundprank Remix) by Velvetine. The sound was quick and interesting, making this form of bass-focused observe an absolute pleasure to hearken to.
Sound high quality and ANC efficiency are superb on the Sennheiser CX Plus
With slower, down-tempo tracks equivalent to Opposite Ways by Brasstracks, the Sennheiser CX Plus allowed the element within the lows and mid-range to shine by means of. The soulful saxophone riffs blended completely with the hip-hop beats and rap verses. Although the tight and well-tuned bass held my consideration over all the pieces else, it wasn’t onerous to give attention to any of the quite a few parts of this observe.
This degree of element was significantly noticeable when utilizing the Sennheiser CX Plus with an Android smartphone, which allowed it to profit from the Qualcomm aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codec. When utilizing an iPhone, the identical sonic signature and basic really feel had been retained by the earphones, however there was a noticeable distinction within the element of the sound. I used these earphones to hearken to audiobooks too, and whereas the expertise was respectable, the Sennheiser CX Plus is unquestionably tuned for music above all else.
Active noise cancellation (ANC) efficiency on the Sennheiser CX Plus was largely on par with what I’ve heard on different true wi-fi earphones priced underneath Rs. 15,000. It’s optimised for indoor use, the place it did a good job with decreasing the noise ranges within the typical workplace surroundings equivalent to the hum of central air con, and even the low chatter in frequent areas felt noticeably softer.
ANC on these earphones undoubtedly made music rather a lot simpler to hearken to, each indoors and open air, and had no affect on sound high quality. The hear-through mode on the Sennheiser CX Plus was efficient when wanted, and a helpful choice within the app helps you to select whether or not audio playback ought to proceed or pause when hear-through mode is activated.
Connection stability on the Sennheiser CX Plus was good, with the earphones performing stably at distances of as much as 4m from the supply gadget. Call high quality was respectable indoors, and acceptable open air for brief calls, though my voice sounded barely drowned-out to the individual calling once I was in noisy city areas.
Verdict
Sennheiser has been comparatively quiet within the mid-range true wi-fi section in India for some time, however the CX Plus marks a robust return to kind for the established and well-regarded model. These earphones are feature-rich, well-tuned with regards to sound high quality, and well-priced for what’s on provide, making this an excellent choose if in case you have a funds of round Rs. 15,000. This is a music-focused headset and is good for anybody on the lookout for refined bass and loads of element within the sound.
The earpieces and charging case of the Sennheiser CX Plus are a bit cumbersome, however that is about it with regards to drawbacks. Decent ANC and an excellent companion app are helpful bonuses, making this TWS headset amongst my prime picks at its value. Consider the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 if in case you have a Samsung smartphone, or the OnePlus Buds Pro if you wish to spend a bit much less, however for all different use circumstances, the Sennheiser CX Plus is the one to get.
