Tired of losing your wireless earbuds? Constantly charging them? Or just want to see what all the fuss is about?
We are big fans of wired headphones here at What Hi-Fi?, and we have reviewed plenty of them in our 50-year history.
So if you want a cheap wired pair that also sound sonically sophisticated, our expert audio testers recommend the Sennheiser CX 80U, now only £30 at Amazon.
It’s safe to say our reviewers were amazed at how good these buds sounded at this price. So good, in fact, that we have just given them a What Hi-Fi? Award.
True enough, the Sennheiser CX 80U are indeed wired, with a small, lightweight design that’s ideal for travel. Their modest size means they fit snugly without protruding out of your ears, and they also provide good passive noise isolation.
Given the price, you may not be surprised to hear that features are limited, but that may well be part of the appeal of the wired headphone resurgence. The Sennheiser CX 80U do sport a USB-C connection, which is far more common on smartphones these days than the 3.5mm connection of old.
The built-in DAC can also support hi-res files up to 24-bit/96kHz natively, and there is also an inline remote control on the right cable to answer calls, play, pause and skip tracks.
And the all-important sound? Big, dynamic and sophisticated.
“What greets us is brilliantly judged sound that’s both rich, detailed and surprisingly sophisticated for the money,” our Sennheiser CX 80U review reads.
“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 space around the different elements too, and no obvious bias in their tonal balance.
This deal may be only £5 off, but that's a 14 per cent discount on an Award-winning pair of buds that were already at an excellent price. The CX 80U are our top choice, especially for £30 at Amazon; but if you’re considering your options, we also recommend these five-star buds:
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Also consider our SoundMagic E80D review
Best wired earbuds: top in-ear models tried and tested by our experts
