Worth it!! I've been waiting for this item to come out on the market. I've gone through about 5-6 pairs of different headsets. Earbuds would ALWAYS fall out after the first 2 steps of running. I think I may have a small ear canal? I then tried ones that wrap around your ear. That was okay but then after long runs they would start to get uncomfortable and hurt also the cord would snag if I turned my head.
This headset was a Very well thought out design. It uses 1 cord not 2 like alot of headphones out there. The cord is short maybe 18 inches long. This is nice because you don't have to worry about a cable flopping around when you run. It also comes with an extension cable that connects to make it longer if you want and has a volume adjuster attached if you need to change the volume on the fly. It fits very well and is very comfortable. I don't feel it when I run. The sound quality is a huge bonus. I'm happy with this purchase and I know there are alot of runners out there that have the same problem I had. I hope this review helps. Sennheiser Adidas PMX 680i Sports Headset
I had originally tried a pair of the Senheiser PMX80 headphones and they fit so terrible I had to return them. They were way too tight and gave me a headache. Other people said the same thing. These PMX 680's are a vast improvement in every way. They fit better, sound better, and look better. To clarify, these are not Adidas headphones, but are Senheiser with an Adidas branding.
The sound quality is great with strong base and crisp highs. They sound far better than your average headphone and light years better than crummy ipod buds. The fit is perfect and they are very lightweight. They are comfortable for long listening yet firm enough to stay put for vigorous runs. I wore them for over an hour the other day and they never moved and I hardly knew they were there. This is finally the perfect set of quality sounding headphones for exercising.
They come with a short cord for armband iPod players, and an extension cord with volume control if you want to pocket your player. The cord is strong and stays flexible even in cold weather. A couple things I should mention. While these are perfectly suited for aerobic type exercising, they don't work well for other types. Because of the neckband they will get pushed out of your ears if you lay back on anything, like a bench or exercise machine. Also, they will not fit with a snug beanie cap for running outside in cool weather, nor can I wear them under my snowboard helmet.
All in all these are fantastic headphones for what they are intended for, and are a vast improvement over previous Senheiser neckband headphones.
The first thing I want to comment on is the build quality. I have to assume people getting these headphones are probably running or working out with them. I have never had a pair of headphones that fit comfortably while running. Ear buds fall out (I swear my right ear is misshapen and pushes earbuds out), around the head headphones are uncomfortable and the earpads get hot and sweaty, and even a cheap set of earbuds I bought that are like the PMX680 and wrap around the ear didn't fit right and had a tendancy to fall out frequently.
The PMX680 is about as good as I can imagine for wearing while running. The headphones fit in the ear and do not budge, even if you give the cord a decent tug. The headphones themselves are made of flexible and light plastic that can probably take a pretty good beating but is fairly unobtrusive. The earbuds sit just outside of the ear canal and are made of a sticky (through friction) silicone like substance, but come with optional foam pads which I choose to use. The earbuds can cause some discomfort, they are a little tight in the ear canal and put a fair amount of pressure on it. I don't mind much because it isn't noticeable once I start running and even when I'm at work using the headphones at my desk it isn't much of an issue. The cord seems like its very sturdy at the connection sites to the headphones and the plug. I can't imagine it wearing out like other pairs of headphones have. The extension cord itself is also sturdy but the volume adjuster isn't terribly useful and feels a little cheap, however I wouldn't consider it a very important feature. The headphones come with a clip to pin the cord to your shirt and prevent it from pulling when you move, the extension cable also has a clip on the volume adjuster as well. Both of these can be handy.
The reason I give these headphones a 3 is the price and sound quality prevent it from earning a higher score. For $60 I expected better sound from them. The stock "premium" headphones that came from my zune sound better than these. The bass is nice and surprisingly punchy for earbuds, however the mids and high end sound weak and a little muffled. The sound quality is comparable, maybe a little better than an average pair of $20-$30 over ear headphones off the shelf at a Target or Best Buy (which are overpriced headphones to begin with).
In spite of the disappointing sound quality I'm happy with the purchase. The PMX680 should last me forever and sound quality isn't my number 1 concern when I'm running anyway. I just don't think they should be priced at $60. I expect more from Sennheiser based on the brand's reputation and other headphones I've had from them.
I've had problems in the past with other headphones falling out or being too tight and giving me a headache. Not so with these. I can barely feel them, and I don't have to worry about them at all. To try them out, I wore them in the office during several hours of online training. After a couple of hours, I did notice them there, but it was nothing compared to either of my other headphones (I have the standard iPhone set as well as a Motorola HT820 set). As one coworker stated the color of these is bright enough that I'd never misplace them.
I live in the desert and it isn't summer yet, but can still work up a pretty mean sweat while exercising outdoors. So far, I have had no problems with that being a problem for these headphones.
I love the short cord/long cord option since I hike and run with my iPhone on my upper arm. Other cords get in the way, even if I route them through my clothes or clips. The short one is just long enough to reach from my iPhone to the headphones with a little slack so I can still turn my head. If I had a complaint it would be that I had to move my phone to my left arm since the headphone cord comes out of the left side. Which reminds me of another bonus -- a single cord coming out of the headphones.
I'd hardly consider myself an audiophile, but they sound great to me, but I am still able to hear what is going on around me with the music at a reasonable volume.
For those interested, I went with these over Bluetooth-enabled headphones in order to conserve battery and not interfere with the iPhone's GPS. - Headphones - Earphones - Exercise - Sport Headphones'
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