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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If budget is a major concern, the Sennheiser CX300S earbuds are much more affordable and offer good sound quality with portability, making them great for commuting or casual listening. On the other hand, the Sennheiser HD800S headphones are a high-end choice that provide exceptional soundstage and detail, ideal for audiophiles seeking the best experience at home. They may not be practical for on-the-go listening due to their size and open-back design which doesn't isolate sound well. Remember that the HD800S also require a capable amplifier to get the best performance, adding to the overall cost and setup complexity. 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 Sennheiser CX300S
- Good for air travel
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD800S
- Best in class for music
- Good for gaming
- Best in class for TV and video
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.9
9.9
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for music, while the Sennheiser CX300S is only fair.
Gaming
6.1
7.5
The Sennheiser HD800S is good for gaming, while the Sennheiser CX300S is only fair.
Phone Calls
3.0
5.0
The Sennheiser HD800S and Sennheiser CX300S are both poor for phone calls, though the Sennheiser HD800S is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
4.7
8.1
The Sennheiser HD800S is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser CX300S is poor.
TV and Video
7.3
9.7
The Sennheiser HD800S is best in class for TV and video, while the Sennheiser CX300S is good.
Noise Reduction
7.0
2.5
The Sennheiser CX300S is good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD800S is poor.
Cost
$50
$1,390
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The Sennheiser CX300S has a price of $50 and the Sennheiser HD800S costs $1,390.
Build Quality
8.0
9.0
The Sennheiser HD800S has excellent build quality, while the Sennheiser CX300S has very good build quality.
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How the Sennheiser CX300S and the Sennheiser HD800S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser CX300S | Sennheiser HD800S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $1,390 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2019 | December 1, 2015 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Earbuds | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 3.1/10 | 5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 6.1/10 | 7.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.4/10 | 9.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.2/10 | 4.5/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 7/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7.6/10 | 10/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | Small | N/A | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 12 Grams | 371.9 Grams | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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."
Sennheiser HD800S
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | March 2023
"The cans offer stellar sound quality, comfort, and good maintenance options—so they're an easy recommendation if you have the cash and the need for the last headphones you'll buy for years."
Get a great deal on the Sennheiser CX300S or the Sennheiser HD800S
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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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
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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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