Sennheiser CX 980

Design

We thought the CX 300-IIs were a bit plain looking. If you want slightly more aesthetic value than a splash of color, the CX 980s are the better choice. We felt the CX 980s also had a slightly more durable construction.

Sennheiser CX 980	Sennheiser CX 300-II

Frequency Response

The two headphones had nearly identical frequency response. The minor differences here would be barely audible.

Sennheiser CX 980	Sennheiser CX 300-II

Distortion

No distortion in either set of headphones.

Sennheiser CX 980	Sennheiser CX 300-II

Tracking

The CX 980s had a slightly more even tracking than the CX 300-IIs

Sennheiser CX 980	Sennheiser CX 300-II

Isolation

The CX 300-IIs were able to block out slightly more noise, but not by any great stretch.

Sennheiser CX 980	Sennheiser CX 300-II

Comfort

We thought both sets of headphones offered about the same level of comfort. Since they’re both Sennheiser in-ears, their designs are very similar. We didn’t think the little bend in the CX 980s did much for comfort.

Wear
Sennheiser CX 980	Sennheiser CX 300-II

Verdict

The two headphones are actually quite similar. The CX 980s look like they feature better construction and they had a slight edge in the audio tests, but not by enough to merit the price difference. We’d probably recommend sticking with the CX 300-IIs and saving the money, providing the CX 980s’ sound doesn’t totally blow you away.