Sennheiser PMX100 Supra-Aural Mini-Neckband Stereo Headphones

A good set of headphones 2010-06-07

Reviewer: J. Excell

These are a good set of headphones. The sound quality is good. For the size of them, the sound has fairly good depth and nice lows. It has nice highs and it excels in the mids; it's mids are quite good. When compared to Sennheiser HD 202 Headphones, it doesn't have the same quality depth that the HD 202's have; HD 202's are great headphones for the price.
Now, I've used these headphones for running, and personally for me, they work quite well. That's my purpose for buying them, because while HD 202's are nice to have, they are not nice to carry because they are bulky as they come. So I bought these headphones with the purpose of carrying them around pretty much with me everywhere (my original purpose, now they are my running pair). And they excel in the portability depart for me.
What holds these headphones from being the best of it's kind, is that...they broke. What I believed happened is that the output for the headphones just wore out. Because when I fiddle-farted around with them and moved the output a bit, they started to work. So, it wasn't the speakers that broke. It was the output, which SUCKS! They lasted almost two years, which isn't terrible I suppose. Maybe I'm asking for too much, but I don't think so.
Overall, these headphones are good. I would recommend them for portable use only. If you are just at the computer at home and are not traveling or exercising, then you don't need these headphones.

Best sound for an around the neck headphone 2010-04-30

Reviewer: S. Sheppard

I have tried a number of around the neck (not in ear) headphones including other Sennheisers. This pair by far has the best audio quality I have found, no comparison. The only headphones i have had with better audio quality were huge DJ headphones for $200.

The only reason i rated durability a 3 is because sometimes if they are in a backpack or a cargo pocket rattling around a whole lot the foam pads can come off. You can put them back on easily but once i lost one. I bought the PMX200 to try to get around the small foam pad issue and even at a higher price the audio is not as good. So now I am buying my third pair of PMX100's (I keep losing them).

Tight fit, mediocre sound 2010-04-08

Reviewer: James Murphy

I bought the neckband headphones because my clip-over-ear headphones always get tangled in my bag. They look and feel really nice. But sound quality was disappointing and barely comparable to the stock ipod headphones. Frankly the fit is tight, even for my small head. The system to hook to your ears requires a sort of a clumsy fumbling to make them work. If you plan on using them on a treadmill or while jogging, be aware that the bouncing motion pulls them down on your ears, which can be uncomfortable during vigorous exercise.

'feh! 2010-04-01

Reviewer: circa55

Sound is pretty good.
Putting them on is a bit more work than all other behind-the-head phones I've owned...you have to manipulate the ear loop into place.
Durability is really going to be an issue (I surmise). Connection to each earpiece is a very small gauge wire, exposed. I don't hold much hope for the lifespan of these.

A trail/night time jogger's review 2010-03-27

Reviewer: J. Clayton

I bought these headphones primarily for running. My previous headphones were the Philips SHS5200. I had to throw the first pair away after about 2 years because I hooked the wire on random things one two many times and the sound started cutting in and out. The second pair I had for about a year and a half before my dog just suddenly decided they looked edible. I decided to try the PMX 100s when the recent reviews of the philps said they were having duribilty issues because of a design change. I'll be comparing the two because they are both behind the neck headphones.

I was looking for 3 things - comfort, quality sound, and safety (the ability to hear whats going on around me while I'm running). I do most of my running after dark and I have no desire to be hit by a car or suprised by a dog/stranger.

Sound Quality - This is the best sounding pair of non-studio headphones I have owned. But then, they're also the most expensive. The sound seperation is great and the sound is clean and natural. They do not provide as much bass as the philips, but it is clean smooth bass. I listened to my Philips with my MP3 players bass boost turned off. I turn it on with the PMX100s. With the boost on, it's just the right amount of bass. I enjoy my bass, but I don't want it completely overpowering the rest of the song. If you want a ton of bass, you may prefer the philips. The overall sound quality of the Philips is pretty good, but the PMX100s are definitely better.

Safety - I don't like wearing earbuds when I'm running because, even if I could find a pair that would stay in my ears, they block too much sound. I set the volume on my PMX100s at a low to moderate sound level and I can still hear cars approaching, people talking, and the rythm of my feet. The same was true for my Philips. The downside is that anyone running next to you can probably also hear what you are listening to. If you run in the gymn, this might be a problem. If you run trails or roads, who cares. I like the fact that the band on the Philips is reflective. The band on the PMX100s has some silver on it, but does not have any reflective tape.

Comfort - behind the neck headphones are the only headphones that I have found that are comfortable for running. Nothing else stays in place for me - not traditional headphones or the half dozen earbuds I've tried. The philips headphones were more comfortable than the PMX100s. I could easily run an hour and a half without the Philips bothering me. I can wear the PMX100s for about an hour before they really start to bother the tops of my ears. I would have actually given them a 3 1/2 but that's not a rating option. If you have a ponytail, wear it low so that you can wear the "halo" up where it needs to be. When the "halo" rotates down closer to your neck, the hooks on the earpieces wear on the tops of your ears. If your not running, you can slide the headphones up so the hooks don't rest on your ears and they are really comfortable. This also allows you to rotate the "halo" down closer to your neck. As a side note, I think the cord on the PMX 100s is a little shorter than on the Philips. This is an advantage for short people, but may be a problem for taller people.

As far as looks go, I like the looks of the Philips better. I think the halo effect is a little weird looking but it doesn't bother me. I didn't pick them for fashion. Overall, I really like these headphones and would happily by another pair. I can't testify to the durability because I have only had them about a month.

Additional notes: I like that the individual earpieces pivot so that you can fold the headphones fairly flat for storage. When I first got the headphones, the body of the headphones would sometimes make clicking noises while I was running. I think it was from where the earpieces connect to the frame. That pretty much went away after the first few runs.