Sennheiser CX 680i

Isolation (5.66)

The Sennheiser CX 680is aren’t the greatest isolators, but they aren’t terrible either. Some people like hearing a bit of ambient noise when they have their headphones in, so they can hear any trains sneaking up on them. If you fall into this category, the CX 680is are a great pick! If you really want to block out external noise, however, there are better options out there.

Comparisons

See how the Sennheiser CX 680i compares:

Bose MIE2 Compare

Etymotic Research hf3 Compare

Shure SE535 Compare

Sennheiser CX 980 Compare

Click here for more information on our isolation test.

Leakage (6.98)

The Sennheiser CX 680i headphones don’t leak much, but they aren’t dead silent either. You shouldn’t run into problems during normal use, but if you listen to loud music in a relatively quiet place, those around you will definitely be able to hear your playback.

Click here for more information on our leakage test.

Maximum Usable Volume (9.00)

The Sennheiser CX 680i headphones can output up to 115.80dB without reaching a noticeable distortion level (3%). We award maximum points for 120dB, since anything louder than that is just harmful to your ears. The CX 680is just about reach this threshold, so you shouldn’t have any issues with your playback not being loud enough.

This doesn’t mean the CX 680i’s decibel output is capped at 115.8dB, just that anything louder will have a noticeable amount of distortion. While this might not be an issue for music that already heavily employs distortion filters on their instruments, it will be more noticeable in, say, a live opera recording.