Sennheiser PX 100-II

A few months ago, Sennheiser released updated versions of two of its flagship pairs of headphones, the PX 100 and PX 200, which have had '-II' added to their name for the occasion. The suffix isn't all that's new though, as some technical changes have also been made.

Design: ultra-light

One of the best things about the PX 100-II has got to be their incredibly lightweight design. In fact, at just 74 g you'll soon forget you're even wearing them!

The PX 100-II still have the same folding headband as the original model, which makes these headphones particularly practical for storage or transportation. In the PX 100-II, however, the design has been reinforced, which does make the headband a little bulkier, but it's still pretty slim when all's said and done. The reinforced headband should help boost the product's lifespan, as the original PX 100 didn't always feel particularly robust. Plus, it should be even more practical for those of you with an unruly barnet.

Accessories are a bit thin on the ground, as the PX 100-II headphones only come with a soft case. At the same time though, what really makes the PX 100-II attractive are their good audio quality and low price. Sometimes you just can't have it all ...

Audio Quality: slight improvement

Sennheiser promised that version 'II' of its star headphones would bring a few slight changes in sound quality. Our tests confirmed that the PX 100 and PX 100-II share the same speaker, which is almost certainly also found in the Koss Porta Pro.
We did notice a few slight changes in the audio output, but we can't say for sure whether these are due to work on the transducer or a change in the way the parts are attached to the casing.

Bass is controlled better in the new model and is a touch more powerful too. It's not quite as warm sounding but the output is more realistic. Similarly, high mediums are much more neutral, making the output more neutral as a whole. At the top end of the spectrum things are a little less impressive, as there's a sharp drop in volume. In fact, anyone who's used to using the PX 100 may suddenly feel like there's some kind of veil between the headphone speakers and their ears. That said, the overall result really isn't bad at all.

The sound output is clear, accurate and sharp. Only trained ears will notice a few very small niggling details, such as ever-so-slightly dulled cymbals, for example.

The PX 100-II is a nice update that doesn't sully its predecessor's reputation. Although moving further away from the Porta Pro, it's still an excellent pair of headphones with an excellent-quality audio output. The only real drawback is the new soft case, which doesn't protect the headphones as well as the original hard case.