Sennheiser CX 80U review

It appears that sightings of people with cables hanging out of their ears are on the up, which must mean wired headphones are back in fashion, right?

Whether or not there’s any longevity in this latest trend remains to be seen, but it does feel like more headphone manufacturers are adding wired options to their model ranges, as an alternative to wireless earbuds.

However, because the 3.5mm headphone socket has become rarer on modern smartphones, you’re more likely to come across a pair with a USB-C connection than a 3.5mm jack, just like the Sennheiser CX 80U.

Now, with this category of headphone, you do need to bear in mind that some of the manufacturer's costs needs to be assigned to the built-in DAC (digital-to-analogue converter), which takes the digital signal from your source’s USB-C output and converts it into analogue for your ears, as well as a pair of amplifiers.

So when you look at the price of the Sennheisers, you’d be forgiven for wondering if this leaves any room to make an in-ear headphone that’s up to scratch sonically? Let’s find out.

Price

At just £35 / $40 / AU$59, the CX 80U sit firmly at the budget end of the wired earbuds market. The closest comparable pair that we have tested and rate highly is the USB-C-equipped SoundMagic E80D, which will set you back £39 / $44 / AU$66.

Design & comfort

Cheap and cheerful is the name of the game here, and that’s reflected in the build quality and plastics used in both the headphone cable and earbuds.

They’re a lightweight design, and the buds themselves are tiny, which means that although they can be a bit finicky to get to grips with, they do fit snugly and don’t protrude out of your ears.

Add the soft silicone eartips into the equation, which come in small, medium and large sizes, and everything adds up to a comfortable, discreet fit with good passive noise isolation.

There is some cable noise, which isn’t exactly unexpected given the design – what could be useful here is a rubber clasp that can keep the left and right earbud cables connected so there’s less rustling about when you’re on the move. This is something you do get with the SoundMagic E80D.

Features

Given their asking price, you won’t be unboxing the Sennheiser CX 80U expecting a long list of features.

There’s obviously the USB-C connection for your smartphone, tablet or laptop, inside of which sits the DAC, which converts all the digital files you feed into them.

Speaking of which, the DAC can support hi-res files up to 24-bit/96kHz natively and will downsample anything higher. We think this level of compatibility is going to be more than enough for most users.

The inline remote control is housed on the cable for the right earbud. You can answer calls, play, pause and skip tracks through different combinations of tapping and holding the button.

There aren't any volume controls on the remote, though – you’ll need to use your source device should you need to turn it up or down. And, being particularly picky, we’d like a simple travel pouch to keep them protected.

Sound

We plug the USB-C connector into an iPhone 15 Plus and are immediately taken aback by the surprising level of maturity and sophistication that greets us.

For the money, you might be expecting a slight imbalance at one end of the sound spectrum, either scratchy, wince-inducing highs or fat, blobby bass, but the CX 80U produce nothing of the sort.

In fact, what greets us is brilliantly judged sound that’s both rich, detailed and surprisingly sophisticated for the money.

15 Step by Radiohead is a tricky test of timing, and the Sennheisers pass with flying colours. Not only do they hold on to and organise all the different musical threads that intertwine throughout the track, but they also extract an impressive amount of information from them.

There’s a fine sense of space around the different elements too, and a sense of expression and natural tone from the vocal that poorer-performing in-ear headphones at this price just wouldn’t be able to provide.

And as we’ve mentioned, there’s no obvious bias in their tonal balance: highs sound crisp but never harsh. Bass notes have a wholesome flavour but don’t arrive at your ears overpowered and lacking definition.

We switch to Arctic Monkeys’ I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor and the Sennheisers display musicality in spades.

You’re encouraged to tap along to the brisk, pointed drum play. The CX 80U showcase speed and agility, and that goes for the accompanying electric guitar play too. The track is off to a frenzied start, but these earbuds don’t find themselves flapping. It’s a very mature sound for the money, and an even more rewarding listen than the SoundMagic E80D.

Each thwack from the drum kit sounds solid, the bassline is precisely cut and easy to follow, and the vocal is natural and expressive – the headphones do a great job of capturing Alex Turner’s northern swagger and keeping your attention all the way to the end of the track.

Verdict

If you’re tired of charging or losing your wireless earbuds, or just want to relive a time when wired earbuds were all the rage, we seriously recommend the Sennheiser CX 80U.

You might not be expecting much given the price, but we think you’ll be shocked – in the best way possible.

Review published: 9th October 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Comfort 5

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Also consider the SoundMagic E80D

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