MX 500

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• Expert Rating

  2.00 / 5

• User Rating

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• Price

  $ 44.95 (AUD)

Ross Catanzariti Good Gear Guide 07/03/06 Follow @pcworldau

Pros

• Volume control on cord

Cons

• Poor sound quality, lacking in bass, Uncomfortable

Bottom Line

We can’t recommend these headphones. The sound quality is below average, they lack bass and they’re uncomfortable. A disappointing effort.

Would you buy it?

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Own this? Write a review

The MX 500's all-white design immediately gives it away. Sennheinser, like most other headphone manufacturer, are unquestionably trying to get a delicious piece of the large iPod pie - and who isn't? Their white plastic finish with silver chrome highlights means that these are ideal, at least in terms of looks, for the multitude of people who own the famous Apple player.

To say we were disappointed when we first placed these into our ears would be an understatement. They are quite large for a pair of ear buds, so those with small ears may be disadvantaged. If you're planning to listen to music with these headphones for more than about an hour, they become very uncomfortable and tend to easily slip out of your ear. Furthermore, Sennheiser hasn't included a slip on foam cover that some ear buds use. These tend to soften the hard plastic on your ear and make your listening experience a far more comfortable one.

In terms of features, the MX 500's are basic, although it was a nice touch to see a volume control on the cord. This is convenient, for example, when you are on a train or bus and you keep your music player in you bag or pocket. Be warned though that the cord is quite small; only one metre long. This is fine for those who like to keep their player close by, but for the rest of us, a short cord equals lots of hassle.

Sound quality is below average, which is disappointing from Sennheiser. If you like heavy bass then we'd advise to definitely look elsewhere. The bass response of these headphones are quite poor and even if they sit in your ear comfortably, bass isn't ideal. Overall, they sounded quite tinny, and any complex riffs sounded muffled and lost. We also noticed a little distortion at higher volume levels.

Included in the sales package is a convenient wind-up storage case, which is excellent for preventing cord tangling. It really is a nice touch and we'd like to see this in more units like these. At under $50, the MX 500 aren't overly expensive, but if you're looking for value for money, there are plenty of other options.