Audiophile

Until the SoundMagic E10s came along, the Sennheiser CX300s and CX500s were an easy-to-recommend upgrade for those on a tight budget. They were little, rounded buds that looked fairly cheap, but did the crucial job of upgrading your sound. So what's new in this upgrade? Build and comfort This new line looks more robust. Little silver stems and more substantial earpieces mean these no longer look like cheap in-ears. In fact, Sennheiser has offered earphones that look a little like the CX 5.00i for over £100. Those previous Sennheisers, like so many affordable models, were known for failing around the union between earpiece and cable. But the Sennheiser CX 5.00i’s design is aimed at eliminating that weakness, with a much more substantial frame. They are among the more expensive-looking models at the price, without resorting to the usual trick of using an aluminium shell. The design is similar to that of the Sennheiser Momentum in-ears, but with more co...

Not every pair of headphones has to be a status symbol. The Sennheiser HD 2.30s, for example, are about as plain as they come – the kind of headphone Sennheiser might have released before Beats turned 90 per cent of street pairs into a multi-colour fashion show. At £80, they’re a solid buy if you want to opt out of the style trend.   Build   The Sennheiser HD 2.30s are slimline on-ear headphones. Their pads are around the same size as the average adult ear and the headband a slim band of soft-touch plastic. Looking at the Sennheiser back-catalogue, their closest relatives are perhaps the PX200 or HD218. The Sennheiser HD 2.30s are even simpler-looking, the visible parts of the cups just smooth grey ovals. With so many headphones trying hard to stand out, the stripped-back look is assured and refreshing. This pair makes its mark by seeming not to try at all. Comfort    All the portable headphone basics are here too, though. The HD 2.30s are lig...

If you are a careful spender, considering upgrading to wireless headphones can be a slightly depressing experience. Affordable headphones suddenly become a lot less affordable as soon as you stick a Bluetooth chip in them. But as full-size Bluetooth headphones costing under £100, the JBL E55BT buck this trend somewhat. Build and Comfort   A diamond-shaped embossed pattern on the cups does a decent job of adding a little visual pizzaz, helping the JBLs avoid being the equivalent of a Tesco Basics wireless headphone.   But get your hands involved and there’s an obvious lack of the luxury feel. Like most affordable headphones, the JBL E55BTs are mostly plastic. The cups and inside of the headband are plastic, and the leather-effect pads are too. Only the structure of the headband is metal, although a fabric covering across the entire headband reduces how much plastic you actually see. The fit is much like the build: functional, but not luxurious. Large oval-...