Ears-on with the Sennheiser CX 300-II headphones

Ah, the Sennheiser CX 300s. Spherical denizens of the ear canal, and one of the most popular pairs of earphones in the world. After almost three years of being on sale, it's only fitting they get revised. Enter the CX 300-II.

We first wrote about the CX 300 'Mark IIs' back in December of yesteryear, but we've just been sent a couple of pairs to play with. There are two points to make: firstly, they are indeed better-sounding than the original CX 300s. But secondly, they're not as good as our trusty CX 500s.

Everything we loved about the CX 300s are still intact -- smashing bass, decent clarity and a suitability to all types of music. And, more interesting still, they're not going to cost you any more than the original models did.

At £39, these are certainly one of the best pairs of earphones to upgrade to from the half-baked afterbirth rubbish headphones that come free with the iPods. They will make your MP3 player sound twice as good as it sounds with the bundled 'phones you got free.

They're on sale now from the Apple Store and from Advanced MP3 Players, and many hands-on photos await you in the gallery above.