Review: Sennheiser PMX70 Sport headphones
The Propaganda
Sennheiser is the poster child of decent quality headphones, whether you’re hopping on your private jet, running across the Appalachian Mountains or just taking a nice walk through your neighbourhood. Their sports range encompasses everything from round the head phones such as the PMX70 (pictured) all the way through to in ear headphones such as the MX75. These ones are £30. I took a run on your behalf to see how the former fared.
The Good
The fit on the headphones is superb. They fit snugly around the back of the neck (which means it doesn’t matter about the size of your head) whilst the speakers nestle in your ear, unlike their relation the MX75, which relies solely on your ear doing the holding. As much as I jumped about, enjoying the stares I got whilst doing it, I couldn’t budge these things. They’re also water-resistant, although this should read sweat-resistant, rather than an enticement to jump in the pool.
I was also surprised to learn that the unusual green colour is not something you should feel inclined to grow your hair to cover up – it’s something to be embraced. Maybe it’s because I’m not a regular member at the gym, so I’m missing the vital part of me that enjoys neon green. But either way, these headphones actually drew compliments. From my trainer no less. Amazing.
The sound from the headphones is good, although it won’t block out the ambient noise of the gym-grunting completely. Bass and vocals both came through clearly, which is apparently the work of neodymium magnets. Obviously. In real life, that’s 121 dB and a frequency range of 19-20,000 Hz.
The Bad
It’s a small complaint, but the wire on the headphones is 1.2 metres, which does tend to flap about and get in the way, even with the clothing clip provided. This is particularly the case with the increasing number of MP3 players that strap to your arm. On the other hand, if I was mountain biking and had the player in my backpack, I’m sure I’d be glad of the extra wires.
Personally I’d have to put the colour in the realms of badness as well. The bright green is not an attractive colour anywhere but the gym. Whilst I got admiring looks next to the treadmill, I got an equal number of sniggers walking down the High Street with them. They’re just not the kind of headphones that translate to real life.
In our opinion
If you’re looking for headphones that stay on whilst you’re pounding the tarmac, and deliver great sound quality, these are for you. If you’re looking for headphones that you occasionally wear at the gym, you’re better of going for some more conventional over the head types, although for £30, you could have both. Unless you’re a fan of green..
