REVIEW: As a die-hard fan of true wireless earbuds, I was sceptical about reviewing a pair of wired headphones.
To be frank, I haven’t owned a pair of tangly earphones since Apple stopped shipping them in the box with the new iPhon 300 hee.
But the new Sennheiser IE 300 earphones may just be good enough to get me to switch teams.
The IE 300 have a bit of an eyewatering price at $479.95, putting them squarely in the ‘premium, top-end’ market for headphones.
German brand Sennheiser is also renowned for its high-fidelity audio, so you know the sound is going to be worth the high asking price.
Design
The IE 300 earbuds are engineered nicely so they fit comfortably in your inner ear, while the wire hooks behind your ear for a snug fit.
It takes some getting used to as the bud swivels 360-degrees so I messed around for about 10 mins at first just trying to get them in.
Personally, I am not a fan of this design. I’d much prefer something simpler or a more robust ear-hook like Beats headphones have.
They also come with both three different types of silicone and memory foam adapters.
I’d recommend the memory foam, which has a cosier fit that literally remembers the shape of your ear-hole after use.
When it comes to the wire, I usually prefer a braided cable. But the IE 300 cable, which is 1.25m long, is reinforced with para-aramid, which makes it more flexible and more hardwearing.
It doesn’t tangle easily either and comes in a stylish carry-case so you won’t find them balled up at the bottom of your handbag.
Performance and Sound
For over $400 a pair, you’d expect the IE 300’s sound to be extraordinary.
And it certainly is impactful with rich, crisp audio. The IE 300 headphones don’t come with Active-Noise Cancellation (ANC) but it’s passive enough that you don’t really need it.
The memory foam earcups conform to the shape of your ear canal for noise-isolation, which works like a dream.
The earbuds are also designed with an optimised membrane foil which minimises vibration and distortion.
Sennheiser’s sound combined with the clever engineering of the earbuds means the audio experience is beautifully intimate.
I tested the earphones with a number of songs, from soft acoustics to bass-thumping bangers and they held up wonderfully every time.
Specs wise, the IE 300 come with a 7mm XWB transducer for a natural, balanced sound, a resonator chamber, and a frequency response of 6Hz to 20,000Hz.
Features
Despite a high price-tag, these headphones don’t come with many fancy features. Instead, Sennheiser wants the focus to be just on the sound.
There are a few basic features I would have enjoyed on the IE 300. This includes touch controls on the earbuds or even volume/play/pause controls on the cable.
There’s also no Voice Assistant compatibility, ANC or a water resistance rating.
Verdict:
8/10
The IE 300’s sound is 10/10 but the lack of key features and design lost it a few points.
PROS
Crisp, powerful sound
Noise isolation tech
Comfortable memory foam fit
CONS
No ANC
No touch controls
No wireless capability
