Sennheiser CXC 700

Design

By design, both of these headphones are somewhat similar, though they are geared towards two different consumers in mind. The Sennheiser CXC 700s are geared towards the frequent flyer, and the mc5s are geared towards the flat-frequency response lover who is on a tighter budget. Both are not very durable, but the mc5s do not have that huge remote posing a similarly large breakage concern.

Sennheiser CXC 700	Etymotic Research mc5

Frequency Response

At a certain point, frequency response can become a question of preference, and bass lovers typically recoil in horror at the flat frequency response of the mc5s, while audiophiles will probably freak out at the overemphasized frequencies of the Sennheiser CXC 700. This one’s up to you, but keep in mind a flat frequency response allows you to equalize your music more accurately, so there’s that.

Sennheiser CXC 700	Etymotic Research mc5

Distortion

Neither set of headphones have a problem with distortion, but the active noise cancellation unit will give you more noise than no circuit at all.

Sennheiser CXC 700	Etymotic Research mc5

Tracking

Neither set of headphones have too many issues with tracking, but the mc5s are near perfect in this regard.

Sennheiser CXC 700	Etymotic Research mc5

Isolation

Here’s the important comparison. Though the Sennheiser CXC 700s use an active noise cancellation circuit to cancel out noise, there are a few drawbacks inherent to their design. The mc5s, on the other hand, just physically block the sound from entering the inner ear. Both do well at isolating noise, but the mc5s do a better job overall without extra resources used, or giving headaches to younger users who can hear frequencies above the 15kHz mark. By the numbers, though, the mc5s trounce the Sennheiser CXC 700s, so users looking for the best attenuation should look no further than the mc5s.

Sennheiser CXC 700	Etymotic Research mc5

Comfort

Though both in-ears are not very comfortable, users will have to decide for themselves which fits better, as ear canals come in all different shapes and sizes. As an added wrinkle, though, the Sennheiser CXC 700s do have that huge remote on the cable to tug at the earbuds, so that is a mild discomfort to pain concern.

Wear
Sennheiser CXC 700	Etymotic Research mc5

Verdict

If you’re looking for the best attenuation on a budget, the mc5s can’t be beat. However, if you’re not a fan of the neutral-sounding headphones on the market, the Sennheiser CXC 700s will probably sound a lot more appealing to you, especially if you like bass. In the end, it’s up to you, but with a pricetag up 50% lower than the Sennheiser CXC 700s, the mc5s offer great value at the cost of not having a remote.