Shiny Headphone review: Sennheiser PMX 80 Sport II

Way back in March I told you all about 5 new sporty models from Sennhesier and I’ve been dutifully putting the PMX 80 Sport 11 through its paces to see if it can stand up to the rough and ready confines of my gym bag plus the large amount of acidic sweat that’s an inevitable part of sports ‘phones.

Design

The words functionality over form springs to mind when taking a look at these hot orange headphones, as they’re designed to be useful pieces of kit rather than super stylish accessories, But hey, they’re sports phones, and what really matters here is that they can cope with my semi-strenuous workout schedule (and general disregard for headphone care). I like how they rest across the back of the head, as this means they’re very secure when running, and the plastic band rests very comfortably and doesn’t chafe. They’re also designed to be sweat and water resistant and seem to stand up to prolonged workouts well.

Compatibility

They worked equally well with a variety of MP3 players and PMP’s. I tested them on a Creative, Sony, Archos and Nokia device and there were absolutely no issues. They also sounded great with the PC (though you feel very stupid wearing the neckband when sitting at your desk), and they’ve also been optimised for Apple devices.

The Earbuds

The earbuds consist of Neodymium magnets for detailed sound, but they feel rather plasticky and cheap in the ear. They come with small foam covers to place over them which aren’t very secure and don’t filter the sound very well, and extras aren’t provided if you happen to rip one when placing it on.

Sound Quality

For this type of price you can’t be expecting a full dynamic range, and that isn’t what you get by a long shot, but sound is passable, and both opera and hip hop are clear and audible through the ‘phones. They’ve integrated a vertical transducer system to make the audio very clear, and you never miss word when listening to audio books. They’re not to snug, and makes no pretence at sound isolating qualities, but I found they dealt with the noisy gym environment very well, and I didn’t miss a word of the latest episode of Greek.

The Verdict

If you’re looking for style and luxury these ‘phones will not be your friend, but it its rugged, hard wearing all rounders you’re after these will do very nicely. The budget price is very attractive, the band round the head is a must for keeping them secure and the sound quality is more than acceptable for the price.

£22.25 from Amazon

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