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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize sound quality and a wide soundstage for a truly immersive listening experience, and you mostly listen at home or in a quiet environment, the HifiMan Edition XS would be the better option, despite their higher price. However, they are open-back headphones, which means they leak sound and provide little noise isolation. The Sennheiser CX300S, being less expensive and closed-back, offer better noise isolation which makes them suitable for commuting or office use. They are also more portable and better for exercise, but they won't match the sound fidelity of the HifiMan. Neither has a microphone, so if making calls is important, you may want to consider other options. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the HifiMan Edition XS
- Very good for music
- Good for gaming
- Best in class for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser CX300S
- Good for air travel
Key differences
Music
8.8
6.9
The HifiMan Edition XS is very good for music, while the Sennheiser CX300S is only fair.
Gaming
7.4
6.1
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for gaming, while the Sennheiser CX300S is only fair.
Phone Calls
5.0
3.0
The HifiMan Edition XS and Sennheiser CX300S are both poor for phone calls, though the HifiMan Edition XS is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.9
4.7
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser CX300S is poor.
TV and Video
9.5
7.3
The HifiMan Edition XS is best in class for TV and video, while the Sennheiser CX300S is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
7.0
The Sennheiser CX300S is good for noise reduction, while the HifiMan Edition XS is poor.
Cost
$269
$50
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The HifiMan Edition XS has a price of $269 and the Sennheiser CX300S costs $50.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The HifiMan Edition XS and Sennheiser CX300S both have very good build quality.
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How the HifiMan Edition XS and the Sennheiser CX300S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HifiMan Edition XS | Sennheiser CX300S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$269 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | HifiMan | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2021 | February 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.9/10 | 7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5.1/10 | 3.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.5/10 | 6.1/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 9.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.4/10 | 4.2/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 421 Grams | 12 Grams | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
HifiMan Edition XS
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonesty
Eric D Hieger | January 2023
"The Edition XS easily compete with headphones in their price range with a very high price-to-performance ratio. The XS are an amazing value and offer performance not far off from headphones more than twice their cost. These will be a mind-blowing revelation for enthusiasts and music lovers who have only heard standard big-brand mainstream headphones."
Sennheiser CX300S
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Dig into reviews and images
Major HiFi
Carroll Moore | April 2019
"Sennheiser offers impressive bang for your buck when it comes to the CX 300S. Built like a tank and sounding surprisingly good for such a budget-minded earphone, the CX 300S out-classes many of its would-be competitors. Functional but beautiful, it’s the perfect in-ear listening solution for anyone who wants to hear everything and look good doing it."
Get a great deal on the HifiMan Edition XS or the Sennheiser CX300S
About HifiMan
HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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Why trust us
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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