Sennheiser MX270 – User Review

I've had in mind to get a pair of headphones for listening to music and watching movies for a while, and much recently, I had the opportunity to spend a considerable sum for the same. Browsing through the myriad options — most of them being the ear canal type, which isn't a viable option since I find them to be rather uncomfortable — Sennheiser has particularly attracted me due to its reputation and all the good things I've heard of them. Sure, it was expensive, but I was willing to take the risk (hoping that I won't regret it). On the other hand, Sony's "extra bass" label on its headphones was equally desirable, considering the fact that I'm a bass lover. However, the weird design of the device made me apprehensive about my decision, plus I was quite inquisitive about Sennheiser's devices despite the fact that its headphones (priced exactly the same) had no mention of bass in its packaging. It was a gamble, but I went ahead.

Design and ergonomics

Most of the first impressions took place in my bus ride back home; it was going to be a long journey, just about enough for me to try them out. The design was really appealing, a "Sennheiser" logo printed on both the ear bud speakers for one to flaunt. The cable was long enough – just about the right length; not to mention the pair of soft covers for good ergonomics, which I really appreciate. There's also a cable slider to prevent the cables from getting tangled, however, I am yet to find it convenient enough. On the flip side, the quality of the cable has me worried; fortunately though, there has been no damage yet.

Not the in-ear variety

Mounted onto my ear canal, the headphones provide little to no trouble when it comes to comfort—rocking my head to an intoxicating tune usually invokes a sense of insecurity that the grip might loosen, but the headphones stick to my ear like they've been glued. The headphones score well on this aspect and you don't need to worry about comfort.

Performance 

Performance of a headphone seems like a misnomer, but is nonetheless appropriate considering the assessment of the sound output will be entirely subjective. I've no experience in reviewing audio equipment of any sort, but I will try my best to at least give you an idea of its quality from the little audio equipment related terminology/information I'm aware of.

Minimal packing with the MX270

I've tried to assess the heaphones taking into account a low end/cheaper pair of headphones as a benchmark (here, bundled Nokia headphones; unfortunately, I couldn't get my hands on something better). Secondly, I've checked the reviews and various claims of a particular headset (Sony MDR-ED12LP) priced exactly the same. And finally, I've listened to songs of various genres for a proper insight of the headphones. Going by genre – classical, pop, hiphop and electronica are simply a bliss on these headphones; the crisp and clear audio do justice to the price if you're dedicated to listening to these genres. Rock, on the other hand, turns out to be above average—soft rock being the exception (Coldplay, Kaiser Chiefs – Love's not a competition, Evanesence – My Immortal, to name a few, were simply enthralling).

Cables aren't anything special

Compared to a pair of stock Nokia headphones, they sure did provide a noticeable amount of difference in the sound quality, but is that difference worth the money I paid? Let's see. The most apparent positive point is the amplified output from the stock ones – I really appreciate it since my phone and my PSP lack that attribute in particular. Secondly, the audio manages to maintain the same quality despite the amplification, which is really admirable I must say. Next off, I hooked it on to my PC to watch some videos on YouTube – Asura's Wrath teaser trailer is one video I've watched numerous times along with my previous headphones, Philips SHE2550. It's an amazing video to experience some bass. Rather surprisingly, the bass was really disappointing; it merely came in trickles. Another video worth watching is the teaser trailer for "The Last of Us", Naughty Dog's take on the zombie apocalypse; the video brought to light some of the surround sound the headphones manage to pull off, which unlike the bass is quite impressive. While it does every rudimentary aspect right, the lack of bass is rather bothersome. So, does that mean that I should've bought the Sony bass headphones instead of this? Yes, and no. What that device achieves in bass and overall quality, it lacks in ergonomic;, a lot of people have complained that the earphones slips out of their ears with the slightest of bobbing, thus balancing the odds. 

Verdict

Sennheiser MX270, an affordable pair of earphones

In conclusion, the Rs. 790 price tag is really steep for what the device offers; one could pay maybe about Rs. 500 or 600 at the most. If these headphones meet your criteria, better look for cheaper alternatives since "value for money" isn't its greatest asset. The ergonomics may charm you, but one deserves better for that price. 

Disclaimer for User Reviews

Reviews written by non-tech2 staff are to be considered as personal opinions based on actual experiences by users themselves. Ratings depicted  are purely user based scores and are in no way a  reflection on tech2’s own rating mechanism. Tests  are conducted by users and their scores are gathered  through their own means with no involvement from tech2 in any way.