Ears-on with the Sennheiser CX 95 earphones

The last time we looked at Sennheiser's new CX-series offerings, it was the CX 400s. Today though, we're looking at a snazzier, sportier model -- the CX 95s. They're sound-isolating 'phones, meaning the ambient noise around you is passively quietened, letting you keep the volume of your music a little lower. Sennheiser has used the typical silicon tips to achieve a decent level of isolation, though we'd love to have had a foam option to choose from as well.

But the CX 95s don't just block out ambiance -- they're also extremely comfortable. The ergonomically designed and lightweight metal enclosures sat in our ears extremely snugly. Choosing the correctly sized silicon tips for your ears is important, and there are three sizes to choose from. When sitting correctly, we got above-average isolation and a bonus portion of bass response.

Which brings us to the critical issue: sound quality. Most people would argue that sound quality is the most important factor to earphones, and we're inclined to agree. Fortunately, the CX 95s delivered excellent performance in our initial listenings. They're capable of reproducing smooth, deep -- though not overpowering -- bass. Mids were thick and punchy, too. And although the high end was clear, we felt it was the only aspect that could be tweaked -- although good, it just wasn't as perfectly crisp as we'd like.

This should all be kept in context, and the context here is that the CX 95s cost little over £50, meaning they're extremely high performers for their position in the earphone market. Their excellent cabling, gold-plated connections and detachable 1m extension cable just adds even more value into the package.

Our full review will be online very soon. Be sure to check back to get the full-pelt lowdown on these lovely new earphones.

Update: A full review of the CX 95s is now available on the site. -Nate Lanxon