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Comfort (5.00)
These headphones were comfortable enough for in-ears. One advantage of soft sleeves is they don't really put a lot of pressure on the inside of your ears. The biggest problem for us was the buds didn't want to stay in when we were moving around. Since this is a major component of wearing in-ear headphones, it definitely lost the CX 95s some points here. We tried alll three sets of ear buds, but none of them would keep them comfortably in our ears for more than a few soft tugs. These are definitely a bad choice for joggers.
Extended Use (5.00)
For extended use we had the same issues as with our short term comfort test. They didn't get any more uncomfortable to wear throughout our time wearing them, but if we needed to move around they would find something to pull against and, at the least, tug the ear bud out enough so we had to push them back in.
Cable Connectivity (5.23)
With the extension cord plugged in, the CX 95s measure out to 5.46 feet (1.66m) in length. This is longer than average for a pair of in-ears. If you have an arm band for your media player or a lapel pocket, you can leave the extension cord at home for optimal portability (which we'll get to in a second).
The CX 95s don't come with any fancy adapters, which is the norm for in-ear headphones. Most manufacturers figure you won't be hooking up to a 1/4-inch jack on the go.
Portability (10.00)
The CX 95s are very portable. First of all, they have the in-ear headphone bonus of being really, really tiny. Secondly their cord is absurdly short and will only reach far enough to hook up to a media player in your pocket or arm band (although if you're using the extension cord you might get a bit of slack). Thirdly, the case they come with is really useful. It's a clamshell case that snaps shut, and inside is a spool for you to wind the headphones around, thus keeping your cord from tangling up on itself.
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The closed case.
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The open case. The headphones go in the center and the cord wraps around the exterior (click for larger image). |
The case with both the headphones and the extension cord.
It does all fit in there, but only barely (click for larger image).
Customizability (4.00)
There are just a few customizability options for the CX 95. First of all, the headphones come with three different sets of soft plastic sleeves: small, medium, and large. You can also customize your headphones further by adding or removing the extension cord. This split in the middle opens up a few options, such as inserting a microphone, control pendant, or other in-line accessory. None of these come in the box, however.
Small, medium, and large sleeves are the
standard set of options for a set of in-ears.
Maintenance (2.00)
There's really only one way to help maintain your headphones: removing the sleeves to clean them separately. That way if you wish to use rubbing alcohol or good old-fashioned soap and water, you won't run the risk of getting your fancy Neodymium super transducer audio card chips wet. You can't take them apart at all, which is normal for in-ear headphones. Some in-ear headphones also come with a cleaning tool or two, but the CX 95s expects you to provide your own sanitary hardware.
Other Features (5.00)
Battery Dependency
The CX 95s don't require a battery in order to work. Since there are quite a few headphones out there that can't say the same, we think the CX 95 deserves a few points.
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