If you love your music, then you should know that it is almost criminal to listen to music on those trashy li'l earbuds that come along with your MP3 player. For instance, the legendary Apple iPod comes with terrible earbuds. If you just substitute those white pieces of crap with a good pair of headphones like Sennheiser or Grado, you will be amazed at the difference and will never want to go back to those crappy li'l earbuds ever again.
Coming to the PX100 - Sennheiser's legendary headphones have been billed as one of the best portable headphones in the world and not without reason. The first thing that strikes you is the excellent foldable design, which is neatly stored inside a carry case that will ensure the cord does not get tangled. Very nice touch, that.
Sound-wise, the PX100 is the best I've ever tried, and has been critically acclaimed to be the best headphones for below 5000 bucks, along with the Grado SR60. I use it with my Creative Neeon MP3 player, and I listen to mainly rock and metal, and this little baby kicks butt when it comes to performance!
The bass is excellent, the mids are in place, the treble could be slightly better, but overall, the sound is excellent. My practice tracks are Teargas by Swedish metal band Katatonia (for its rising bass 20s into the song), Chekele by Mallu band Avial (for its wide instrumental range), Hotel California by the Eagles (the original version, for its killer bassline, guitar solo and vocals), Sandstorm by Darude (to get the Trance angle).
If you're a percussionist, you'll love these headphones - the bass kicks seem so punchy and real, like they're fresh out of Fruity Loops and you're listening to them on your computer while creating them. Neil Peart's drum solos sound brilliant. In any song with a drum roll, you would just want to rewind and listen to the drumroll again and again because the PX100s make them sound better!
The 3D effect of the headphones is excellent, too. Many a time, you will actually be looking over your shoulder to see if anyone is there. While playing strategy games, you'll wonder whether the sound is coming from people outside or people in the game! Trust me, this will happen!
Of course, the PX100s are not without their faults. They are not noise-proof, so using them in Indian trains and autos will be difficult unless you don't mind pumping the volume up (and that can be dangerous). The open-air design means that some sound leaks and people next to you can listen to what you're hearing (it's not as bad as the Grado, but it happens, and in a silent environment like a library, that might be an issue). Plus, as Indians, we can spend 15000 on buying an MP3 player, but the idea of buying a 3800 rupee headphone is antithesis to many of us. My suggestion would of course, be to buy a decent MP3 player and a good pair of headphones such as these - the sound will come alive then!
Well, that's my review of the PX100 - it's an excellent, excellent headphone, worth each paisa of the 3800 you'll end up paying for it!
