I guess some time back in January, the massive consumer electronics tradeshow CES featured the unveiling of a collection of adidas x Sennhesier headphones and earphones. All in all, it was a pretty exciting collaboration in my eyes. The key elements of the collection for me were the Kevlar-reinforced cables and the fact they were water-resistant. I’m notoriously hard on my earphones having gone through something like 3 pairs in less than 6 months. I was as audacious as to have a pair last a whole 2 minutes. I was wearing them around the house for the first time when I got them caught on a door handle and ripped something internally resulting in only a half-pair of earphones haha. So these were all pretty interesting aspects. I was more than happy when a pair of the CX 680s landed on my desk. (There’s some official press-release jargon at the very bottom)

Ok first off before I dive into things… I have a weird relationship with music. I listen to it virtually every day in some facet yet I could just as easily go without it. I have little ability to differentiate good and bad audio quality unless it hits me in the face like a sock full of quarters. So with that I mind I can only really offer my thoughts on the overall design of these joints. Maybe my indifference to music is a direct reflection of my inability to dance.  Here’s a review that actually talks about sound.

From the get go, the whole package was pretty complete. Aesthetically I think the earphones are pretty clean. There’s a certain yin-yang approach to logo placement as they balance things out with both the adidas and Sennheiser logo. While the yellow cord does draw attention to you rather easily beyond the usual white shit that comes with iPods that everybody seems to use… the use of color is a welcome change. When you first pull out the buds, another thing you’ll notice is an additional attachment to the earbud that looks rather Batman-esque. The angular rubber fin nestles itself into the lobe of your ear. Rather than just relying on the friction of the rubber flanges, the rubber piece does do a good job in helping the earbuds stay in place.

While putting them through their tests, the earbuds never once came out through both sprinting on the soccer/football pitch (warming up of course) and while in the gym doing various dynamic lifts like high pulls and power cleans. So passing marks in that regard cause I have worn earbuds that fell out part-way through a set.

Previous earbuds usually crap out after awhile when continually subjected to sweat so I can sort of take confidence in that fact that the same shouldn’t  happen to these. But I have a feeling that I won’t be entirely surprised if these decide to die on me in 6 months as has been my track record.

Packaged within the box are a series of customizable options. Included are ifferent sizes for the flanges and more of the lobe-fin attachments as well as a co-branded nylon bag, and an in-line volume control which I must say is pretty handy. The in-line volume control has a clip on it but unfortunately you can’t choose which direction it points. There’s also a swiveling clip (like on older mobile phone headsets) you can attach. The wing-lobe attachments can be removed but that seems like more trouble that its worth unless you REALLY think people will be staring at the black fins in your ears. But I must add that the fins do a good job when both earbuds are inserted, it doesn’t have enough holding power if the whole set is dangling from only one ear as I found out.

For a street price of about $90 USD, I think these are worth it. They feature a 2 year warranty which is about 4 times as long as any headphone I’ve used in the gym. If you’re in the gym, I think there’s more important things to worry about than the absolute best sound-quality that $90 can buy… but keep in mind the durability benefits. I love to bag the shit out of my stuff so we’ll see how these go.

-Eugene

The texturized part on the body doesn’t really serve any purpose in my eyes.

Yeh this happy face didn’t turn out so hot…

Perfect sound for jogging and working out – Sennheiser and adidas present new sports earphones

Top-quality sound, excellent wearing comfort and insensitivity towards external influences such as water, sweat and cold: these are the features that characterise the new range of sports earphones from Sennheiser and adidas. These two renowned companies are launching their new cooperation with a total of four earphone models that have been specially designed for sports applications.

“When you’re listening to music while jogging or working out, you want your headphones to provide an energetic sound. At the same time you expect them to meet the extreme demands of sports applications without compromises. Precisely these expectations are fulfilled by the new range of Sennheiser/adidas sports headphones,” explained Sven Wilhelmsen, Product Manager at Sennheiser. “The models of the new sport line enable sports enthusiasts to concentrate entirely on their training. The ear pieces fit securely and comfortably in the ears and offer fantastic sound,” said Franz Brunnberg, Head of Licensee Management and Marketing Cooperations at adidas.

For optimum sports performance
In all of the models, powerful and robust dynamic loudspeaker systems guarantee excellent, motivating sound. The volume can be adjusted at any time using the volume control integrated into the cable. Their sturdy and hard-wearing materials mean that the earphones are insensitive to vibration and even the toughest use. The fibre-reinforced cables still remain flexible at temperatures as low as minus ten degrees. These true sports companions are also unaffected by external influences: a completely new protection system against moisture not only effectively repels sweat but also protects the internal components of the earphones against rain water. After a workout, the earphones can simply be rinsed off under the tap.
A perfect fit is guaranteed by various ergonomically designed ear pieces. For the MX 680 stereo earphones, Sennheiser’s patent-pending EarFin holding system ensures, that the ear pieces fit securely and comfortably in the ear. A simple twist fixes the innovative “fin” to the outer ear. Ear adapters and various fin sizes are included to make sure that the earphones fit any ear size.

The premium-quality CX 680 ear canal earphones are also fitted with the new EarFin system and come with various ear adapters. The ear canal phones fit securely and comfortably and are ideal for sportsmen and women who want to concentrate on their music while working out: the ear pieces offer excellent insulation against external noise.

Adjustable ear clips and a special ear fitting system with three different adapters ensure that the OMX 680 also fits securely during even the most gruelling training sessions. The ear clips are made of a flexible material and offer optimum wearing comfort.

The PMX 680 guarantees a particularly secure fit with its sturdy and ergonomically designed neck band. The single-sided cable also offers plenty of freedom of movement while jogging or working out. An additional feature is the reflective strip on the neck band for extra safety in the dark.

Reliable training partner
Each sports earphones model comes with tried-and-tested accessories. An extension cable allows the standard-length cable to be extended at any time – depending on whether the audio source is in a trouser pocket or clipped to the arm. To ensure that the cable never gets in the way during the most energetic workouts, it can be fixed to the clothing by a handy cable clip. When the training session is over, the sports earphones can simply be packed away in the carrying pouch provided.
The new sports headphones will be dispatched to Sennheiser sales partners and adidas Sport Performance stores from January 2010.