CX True Wireless (Black)
As previously reported, it will be released on July 8th, and pre-orders have already started. The estimated price is around 17,380 yen, which is quite affordable considering that the selling price of the conventional model "CX 400BT True Wireless" (hereafter, CX 400BT) released in 2020 was in the mid-20,000 yen range when it was first released. became. Two colors are available: black and white.
Let's take a quick look back at what kind of completely wireless earphones the CX 400BT were. Equipped with a noise canceling (NC) function, the sound of the high-end model "MOMENTUM True Wireless 2" (actual sales about 35,750 yen) with the catch phrase "no compromise on sound quality", and outside sounds that fit in the ear The CX 400BT was a low-priced model that inherited the sound-insulating design of the , but omitted the NC, external sound capturing function, waterproof performance, etc.
When I listened carefully, I was personally strongly attracted to the CX 400BT, which entertains me with a clear sound that is comparable to the MOMENTUM True Wireless 2, and I have a wired earphone "IE 40 PRO". Compared to the CX 400BT, I honestly felt that the sound was so good that I forgot that it was wireless. However, in the completely wireless earphone market, where new models are being introduced one after another and prices are becoming lower and more functions are becoming available, the price in the mid-20,000 yen range can be said to be a “high peak”. Since the beginning of 2021, the CX 400BT has been on sale frequently, and there are probably many people who reached out at that timing.
The CX, which appears as the successor to the CX 400BT, is positioned as the ``successor to the CX'' and plays a central role in the ``CX series,'' which has expanded the base of Sennheiser fans. Equipped with the same 7mm diameter transducer (driver) as the MOMENTUM True Wireless 2, it achieves an affordable price of about 17,000 yen while sticking to sound quality. In addition, the CX 400BT has been brushed up by incorporating user feedback received for the CX 400BT, such as supporting IPX4 waterproofing, which was not supported by the CX 400BT.
The CX pursues Sennheiser's natural midrange and delicate, clear treble, but it seems that there were many requests from the younger generation, "I want the bass (of the CX 400BT) to be a little richer." The "Bass Boost" function that boosts the bass for the iOS/Android app "Smart Control" has been added. When this function is turned on, you can enjoy bass with presence. The CX 400BT can also adjust the equalizer and various settings with the same app, but it seems that the Bass Boost function cannot be used at the moment.
Listen to the sound
Connect the iPhone 12 mini with the conventional CX 400BT or the new model of CX using the AAC codec, and play Maaya Sakamoto's "Odesumedori" and Daft Punk's "Get Lucky ” and other CD-quality (44.1kHz/16bit) songs and compared their sounds.
Both models are quite different in terms of the size of the sound field and the way the sound spreads. I feel like they will gather in front of me and ring me. I like the sound of the CX 400BT because I want to enjoy gentle jazz and classical music, but if I want to listen to pop, rock, anime songs, etc., the CX is definitely the winner.
You can tune the sound to your liking with the app's equalizer, so you can enjoy tweaking the sound to your liking. The swells of the waves come forward and change dynamically. Up-tempo songs, especially hip-hop, house, electronica, and EDM, seem to work very well. It was an impression that the bass rhythm and the relaxed singing voice matched well.
By using Bass Boost, it seems to be a good companion for running outdoors. The fit to the ears and passive sound insulation performance are excellent, and even if you shake your head a lot, they will not fall out of your ears (there are individual differences).
By the way, when using major video distribution services such as YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and ABEMA, the sound lag is almost unnoticeable, but when playing games, although I haven't measured it in detail, the perceived delay is large. There is also a slightly severe aspect in such applications.
Check the appearance of the new "CX"
The sound of the CX is quite different from the previous CX 400BT, but there are actually minor differences in appearance. First, the size of the charging case looks just slightly smaller on the CX. The LED indicating the charging status was on the back of the CX 400BT, but it was moved to the front of the CX, and the confirmation button for checking the charging capacity by the way the LED shines is omitted on the CX. Both the CX and CX 400BT do not support wireless charging, but it is a convenient function that saves the trouble of connecting cables when charging, so I would like the next model to support it.
In the touch sensor part of the earphone body, the CX 400BT's smooth inset panel has been omitted from the CX, and the design has changed to a rough pear-skin finish with a design that looks like an integral molding. Differences can also be seen in the number of contacts for charging and the method of molding on the side that hits the ear. In addition, the CX has enhanced call performance, with two microphones in each ear, four microphones on the left and right, and beamforming technology. Conventional models could only be used on the right ear, but the CX can be used on either the left or right ear.
At first glance, it is difficult to tell which is the new model, but if you look closely, you can see that there are various differences like this, and there are clues to distinguish. By the way, although you can't see it from the outside, the LDS antenna that was provided to improve connectivity with the CX 400BT and MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 is not installed in the CX. However, it pursues stable connection performance with devices such as smartphones, and says, "(Connectivity) is higher than CX 400BT." Even when I put my smartphone in my trousers' hip pocket in front of a busy station, the sound didn't cut out.
Finally, the CX is not a bass-oriented sound earphone, nor is it a sports type, but considering the price range and sound trends of the CX, Sony's EXTRA is a direct rival or a subject for comparison. It seems that it will be BASS complete wireless "WF-XB700" (actual sales about 14,300 yen).
The design trends are quite different, such as the mature and smart CX and the wild and naughty WF-XB700, but as a complete wireless earphone in the 10,000 yen range, both have a hard finish. has become It would be a good idea to consider one as an accompaniment to online music festivals this summer.
