Comparison Sennheiser CX 3.00 vs Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear

The length of the cable supplied with the headphones with the appropriate connectivity.

The optimal cable length depends on the planned format of the "ears". So, for pocket gadgets, 1 metre or less is often enough, for a computer it is already desirable to have a wire for 1 – 2 m, and preferably 2 – 3 m. And models with a longer cable length — 3 – 5 m or even more — are mainly designed for specific tasks, such as connecting to a TV or using in recording studios.

Recall that in some models the cable is removable (see below) and can be replaced if necessary with a longer or shorter one. Also note that there are extension cables that allow you to increase the length of the main wire; such a cable may even be included in the delivery, this point (and the length of the additional cable) is usually specified in the notes.

The range of sound frequencies that headphones can reproduce.

The wider this range, the more fully the headphones reproduce the spectrum of sound frequencies, the lower the likelihood that too low or too high frequencies will be inaccessible. However, there are some nuances to consider here. First of all, let us remind you that the perceptual range of the human ear is on average from 16 Hz to 22 kHz, and for the complete picture it is enough for headphones to cover this range. However, modern models can significantly exceed these boundaries: in many devices the lower threshold does not exceed 15 Hz, or even 10 Hz, and the upper limit can reach 25 kHz, 30 kHz and even more. Such wide ranges in themselves do not provide practical advantages, but they usually indicate a high class of headphones, and are sometimes given only for advertising purposes.

The second important point is that a wide frequency range in itself is not a guarantee of good sound: sound quality also depends on a number of parameters, primarily the amplitude-frequency response of the headphones.

The coefficient of harmonic distortion produced by this model of headphones.

This parameter determines the amount of non-linear distortion introduced by the headphones into the reproduced sound. The lower it is, the less such distortions, the cleaner and closer to the original sound is. So, an indicator of 1% or more can be considered tolerable at best, from 0.5% to 1% — good, less than 0.5% — excellent (such indicators are acceptable even for monitor headphones), and less than 0.1% — almost perfect.

Note that a low harmonic coefficient in itself does not guarantee high-quality sound — a lot depends on other features of the headphones, primarily the frequency response.

The location of the microphone, which the headphones are equipped with (if available, of course).

— On the cable. A microphone installed on the headphone connection wire (or on the connection cable in non-TWS wireless headphones). Can be combined with volume control. This option allows you to separate the microphone and headphones, reducing the weight and dimensions of the "ears" themselves; on the other hand, the microphone when worn is often quite far from the face, which can be inconvenient. Therefore, this design is mainly used among earbuds and in-ear headphones, where the size of the "ears" is critical.

— Built into the body. A microphone located in the housing of one of the headphones. This arrangement is convenient because there are no extra protruding parts outside (as in headphones without a microphone), while the microphone is close to the face, and in some models it is also able to perceive sound according to the principle of bone conduction. However installation in close proximity to the speaker gives additional interference and may degrade the quality of voice transmission. However, these shortcomings are not critical: interference can be compensated, and the built-in headphone microphones, in fact, do not need perfect sound transmission accuracy. Therefore, this option is quite popular nowadays, and it is fo...und not only in miniature models, for which the absence of unnecessary details on the outside is important, but also in rather large overhead "ears".

— On the bow. A microphone mounted on a small boom that is attached to one of the headphones. The microphone on the bow is the most popular among overhead headphones: a large cup can be supplemented with a boom without sacrificing convenience, and the microphone itself is located far from the headphones, which has a positive effect on the purity of the sound. The boom often has a swivel or detachable mount, which allows you to remove the microphone from the face until it is needed (by lifting the boom vertically along the headband).

— Retractable on the bow. Headband microphone (see above) with a retractable design: the headband can be pulled out of the cup when needed and can be tucked back inside when not in use. These headphones are more compact and have a neater appearance than models with a headband on a swivel mount: in a hidden position, the microphone takes up almost no space outside. The retractable microphone design is especially popular in gaming models (see “Intended Use”): in single-player games where you do not need to communicate with comrades, the microphone can be folded compactly.

— Removable on the shackle. Headband microphone (see above), which can be completely detached from the headphones if desired. Such a design can be useful, for example, if the “ears” are used both as gaming and as “marching and musical”: in a multiplayer game, the microphone is indispensable, and for listening to music outside the home, it can be removed so as not to carry extra equipment (which besides, you can lose).

— At the receiver. A variant used in wireless headphones with a separate receiver. In terms of design and use, it is similar to the microphone on the cable described above: on the one hand, the headphones themselves can be very light and tiny, on the other hand, the microphone may not be located close enough to the face, and when talking it will have to be brought closer.

— In the mount. In this case, most often means a microphone mounted on a neck mount (see below). This option is found mainly among wireless headphones, which have a signal receiver in the same mount. Such a microphone is located close to the neck, which allows you to achieve good speech intelligibility and at the same time cut off extraneous sounds even without any special additional tricks.

— On the cable and in the case. Headphones equipped with two microphones — one in the case, the other on the cable. The features of these variants are described in detail above. Here we note that their combination is extremely rare, mainly among high-quality "ears" with a combined connection (see "Type of connection"). In such models, when working via a wireless channel, a microphone in the case is used, and when connecting a wire, a microphone on a cable is used, which is less susceptible to interference.

— On cable and removable. Another kind of headphones with two microphones, also quite rare. One microphone in such models is mounted on a cable, the second — on a detachable bow. See above for more on each of these options, and combining them allows you to tailor the headphones to the specific situation. For example, the bow is very convenient for voice communication at home or office computers, but on the street and in transport it is better to remove it and use the microphone on the cable.

— In the case and removable. A rather rare and non-standard option is the combination of a microphone in the case and a microphone on a detachable bow. See above for more details on each of these varieties, and their combination is used quite rarely — in separate premium gaming models with a combined connection. The main point in this case is that it is more convenient to use a removable microphone in one place, with a wired connection, and in the “mobile” wireless mode it is better to remove it and get by with the built-in microphone. However, such features are fundamental mainly for the most demanding users, so this option has not gained distribution.

The range of audio frequencies that the headphone's own microphone can normally "hear".

Theoretically, the wider this range, the more advanced and high-quality the microphone is, the closer the sound transmitted by it is to the real one. In fact, extensive frequency coverage is not always required. So, the working range of the human ear is about 16 – 22,000 Hz, and even then not everyone hears its upper part. And human speech usually covers frequencies from 500 Hz to 2 kHz, at least this range is considered quite sufficient for its transmission. So if you need a microphone for simple tasks like voice communication on the Internet or game chat, you can not pay much attention to the frequency range: even in the most modest models, it is more than sufficient for normal speech transmission.

The sensitivity of the headphone's own microphone.

The more sensitive the microphone, the higher the signal level from it, at the same sound volume, and the better this model is suitable for picking up quiet sounds. Conversely, low sensitivity filters out background noise. At the same time, we note that these nuances are important mainly in professional work with sound. And for simple tasks like voice communication over the phone or via the Internet, sensitivity does not really matter: in headphones of this specialization, it is selected in such a way as to ensure that the microphone is guaranteed to work.

The headphones have their own volume control. Such a regulator can be placed both on the wire and on one of the cups (the latter is typical for wireless models). Anyway, this function allows you to easily adjust the volume: for this you do not need to go into the computer settings, press the buttons on the player or smartphone, etc., just use the control at hand. On the other hand, additional equipment complicates and increases the cost of the design, and also increases the likelihood of distortion. In light of the latter, volume control is almost never found in professional headphones.

The main material used for the headphone housing.

Most modern headphones are made of plastic: it is inexpensive and at the same time practical, easy to process and well suited even for complex shapes. For such models, the case material is not indicated at all. However, there are more specific options, they can be as follows:

— Metal. The main advantages of metal cases are high reliability and a solid appearance — which also lasts quite a long time due to the resistance of this material to scratches. In addition, metal may also be the best option in terms of acoustics. At the same time, it costs much more than plastic, and therefore it is found mainly among fairly advanced models, including Hi-Fi class.

— Tree. Due to the characteristic colour and texture, the wood gives the headphones a pleasant and stylish appearance. In addition, it is also pleasant to the touch, and for many users, the wooden surface is associated with a “warm” and “soft” sound, which can significantly affect the subjective perception of the sound of headphones. At the same time, in reality, such a case has little effect on the sound quality, and the actual acoustic characteristics of such models may be different. Moreover, wood is rarely used in its pure form, it is usually combined with other materials — in this case, we are talking about plastic, the combination of wood and metal is placed in a separa...te paragraph (see below).

— Wood / metal. Usually, in this case, metal cases with wooden inserts are meant. See above for details on the features of these materials. Here we note that this option is considered more advanced than the “ordinary” tree (wood with plastic), however, it costs accordingly.

— Ceramics. Headphones typically use high-quality ceramics that are durable, reliable, and with advanced acoustic characteristics. At the same time, this material is very expensive. Therefore, it is found in single models, mainly in-ear "ears" of the top class — ceramics are not suitable for large cases, because such devices would be too fragile.

The total weight of the headphones; for true wireless models (see "Cable Type"), the weight of each individual earbud is listed.

This parameter is directly related to the design (see above) and some features of the functionality. Thus, the mentioned true wireless devices are very light, their weight does not exceed 25 g. More traditional in-ears and in-ears can be noticeably heavier, up to 50g for in-ears and up to 100g for most in-ears. Overhead models, for the most part, are quite massive: among them there are many models weighing 200 – 250 g, 250 – 300 g and even more than 300 g. It should be noted that a significant weight for false ears is often not a disadvantage, but an advantage: it allows them to stay on the head more securely, creates an impression of solidity and reliability, and most often does not create significant inconvenience.