Sennheiser PMX-680 Adidas Sport Headphones

Sennheiser is a name that needs no introduction in the hi-fi headphones community. If you have ever done research on a new set of headphones, the Sennheiser name has undoubtedly come up in your exploration. They have been making headphones, microphones, headsets and other consumer and professional audio equipment for more than 60 years.

They have recently expanded their product line to include sports-earphones and jogging-headphones. Sennheiser has teamed up with Adidas to design their latest sports-headphone offering for runners and exercise enthusiasts – the PMX680 Sports Neckband Headphones. Retailing at $79.95, they aim to provide a comfortable, durable and secure fitting set of sports-headphones without sacrificing a sweet-sounding listening experience. Let’s take a look to see if they’ve succeeded.

Design

The PMX 680 is the latest evolution of neckband fit headphones from Sennheiser, and for this version they have co-branded the product with Adidas. The styling is mostly black in color and is accentuated by bright green striping along the neckband along with a bright green cable. The “behind the head” neckband fit is traditionally used for providing extra support to the ear pieces in order to keep them from falling out while exercising, and the same is used for the PMX 680. A unique feature called the “neckband vertical transducer system” is the highlight of this set of headphones, as it is intended to absorb the impact of running/exercising and to keep the headphones firmly in place regardless of how hard you are exercising. The neckband also offers a universal fit - no adjustments are needed to accommodate different head sizes or head shapes.

One set of black foam ear pads is included to soften the feel of the plastic earpieces. The earpieces house drivers that fit inside your ears in the same way that earbuds fit. They do not fit directly into your ear canal, but rather sit inside your ear to allow some external environment noise. For anyone who exercises outdoors, this is a safety feature that helps to keep awareness of your surroundings.

In terms of durability, the PMX 680 is built to last with Kevlar reinforced cabling and sweat-proof / water resistant construction materials. The materials are also lightweight – the total weight of the headphones (not including the cord) is only .63 ounces.

A short 1.64 ft. cable is supplemented with a 2.3 ft. extension, which is a convenient addition to provide the choice of using a short cable only, or adding the extension cord to increase the length and to utilize the built-in volume control.

Specifications

• Frequency response: 18-20,000
• Cable length: 1.64 feet with 2.3 feet extension
• Sound pressure level (SPL): 120 dB
• Ear coupling: Verticle Earbud
• Impedance: 16 ohms
• Connector: 1/8 inch (3.5mm) iPhone compatible
• Total harmonic distortion (THD): <0.5%
• Weight w/o cable: 0.63 ounces

In the Box

The test unit came in black and green (the only color combination available) and included the following:

• PMX680 headphones
• 1 pair of foam earpads
• 1 extension cable with volume control
• 1 storage pouch
• 1 cable clip
• 1 instruction manual

Sound Quality Listening Impressions

The sound quality performance evaluation of the PMX 680 headphones was performed exclusively by listening to MP3s and FLAC music stored on my Sansa Fuze MP3 player. I listened to a number MP3s with bit rates of 128kbps and 320kbps, as well as lossless audio tracks in FLAC format. A wide selection of rock, alternative and hip-hop music was used in the evaluation.

Initial listening sessions with the PMX 680 revealed that they are not as precise as other headphones, but provide a well-rounded listening experience. I would not describe them as exceptional in any category, but mostly pleasant to listen to for all frequencies. They provide a hefty amount of bass, but a bit toward the bloated side; the mids are transparent and clean sounding but come through as slightly over-pronounced; the highs are fairly smooth but roll off toward the upper range.

More detailed listening showed that this set of headphones is slightly warm-sounding, with bass and low-end frequencies that sound strong but again not overly tight and punchy. While the clarity was high-quality, the level of detail is not quite as rich as other Sennheiser headphone models. High frequencies and vocals were smooth sounding, but a roll-off at higher frequencies is apparent in all types of music.

After a period of burn-in and usage of over 25 hours, the end result is that the PMX 680s offer generally pleasing sound quality that will satisfy most listeners. They won't overly impress discerning music listeners who demand the highest audio quality from their headphones, but are rather well suited for general music listeners who won’t be put off by a few shortcomings in the sound reproduction.

Comfort

The comfort and ergonomic-friendly design is an absolute strong point of these headphones. Without any need for fitting adjustment or fiddling around with various sized ear tips, the PMX 680s are simply a delight to wear while working out. They are light enough, and comfortable enough, to nearly forget that you are wearing them.

My exercise regimen consists of running, occasional weight lifting and some floor exercises. Throughout all of my indoor and outdoor workouts, the PMX 680s stayed right where I initially placed them at the start of the workout. I cannot emphasize enough how firmly planted these headphones stayed in my ears – no matter how much I sweated or jostled around. And all without the painful clamping feeling that I have experienced with other headphones. A truly impressive design – along with light weight materials - keeps the earpieces exactly where they should be whether you are running, weightlifting or jumping around in an aerobics class

Portability

The lightweight design makes these headphones easy to carry around with you, and the sturdy exterior materials make them nearly impossible to scratch. Carrying them to and from workouts in my gym bag, even without putting them in the travel pouch, was trouble free. The cord tends to get tangled if you do not use the travel pouch, however, so I would recommend utilizing the portable pouch.

Cable / Cord Noise

The short 1.6 ft. cable is quite handy if you keep your MP3 player strapped to your arm, as it can be tucked underneath your shirt. This technique completely removes cord noise from the equation – a welcome discovery I made in my first run with these headphones.

Using the 2.3 ft. extension cable allows you to take advantage of the inline volume control and also gives you more flexibility of where you store your MP3 player. The extension cord is a thoughtful inclusion to the accessory package, and keeping the cable tucked into your shirt also keeps cord noise from intruding into your workouts. The cable clip can also be used to minimize cord noise if you prefer to keep the cable on the outside of your clothing.

Sennheiser PMX-680 Neckband Headphones

The Sennheiser PMX 680s make a compelling choice as a reasonably nice sounding set of headphones for anyone who has been frustrated by earbuds or earphones falling out. Other headphones can make the same claim, but often are uncomfortable to wear over long periods of time. The combination of comfort and a sure-footed fitting is where the PMX 680s truly shine.

While I cannot comment on whether this latest generation Sennheiser model offers improved sound quality over the earlier PMX models, I can say that this model offers an overall pleasing sound signature. It keeps up with fast-paced music and doesn’t have any glaring sound quality weaknesses, which will keep all but the most discriminating music listeners energized throughout their workouts.

Pros: Comfortable fit and firmly stay in your ears while exercising, overall pleasant sound quality, sturdy design materials.

Cons: Few bass/mid/high frequency issues keep it from excelling with any particular type of music.

Rating: 4.0 out of 5

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