Forget Apple EarPods — the Sennheiser CX 80U are the only wired earbuds I'll be buying in 2026

Wired earbuds are well and truly back, and Sennheiser has updated its popular buds with a USB-C connector for modern devices. The Sennheiser CX 80U are an excellent choice for anyone who wants a detailed, nuanced listening experience without breaking the bank. These earbuds pack a built-in DAC for lossless and 24-bit/96KHz high resolution playback, and deliver balanced, powerful sound quality. And their plug-and-play design makes them a breeze to use.

While the bass is generally punchy, sub-bass frequencies lack a bit of oomph, slightly letting down the otherwise stellar sound quality. But really, that’s the only thing wrong with these earbuds as for the most part, they offer a lot of bang for your buck.

Are these the best wired headphones for you? Read my full Sennheiser CX 80U review to find out.

Sennheiser CX 80U review: Specs

Sennheiser CX 80U review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A pair of wired earbuds that costs less than dinner for two
• Who is it for? Anyone embracing wired earbuds this year, and looking for detailed listening
• How much does it cost? $39 / £34
• What do we like? The comfortable design, noise-sealing eartips, balanced and powerful sound quality, and USB-C plug-and-play design
• What don’t we like? The slightly lacking sub-bass

Sennheiser CX 80U review: Price & availability

If you’re on the hunt for a pair of wired earbuds that sound good but don’t break the bank, the Sennheiser CX 80U should be your next port of call. They’re a modern refresh of Sennheiser’s popular CX 80S earbuds, and they now feature a USB-C connector, increasing their versatility. They retail for $39 / £34 at Amazon, making them some of the cheapest wired buds today.

The CX 80U cost nearly the same as the Skullcandy Set ($33) and the SoundMagic E80D ($45), but are pricier than the likes of the Apple EarPods USB-C ($19) and the JBL Tune 305C ($21). I’d recommend spending more money on the CX 80U as they feature better, more refined sound quality, and in my opinion, are more comfortable than the EarPods and the Tune 305C.

They also deliver lossless, low-latency audio playback with support for 24-bit/96KHz, making them great for baby audiophiles or those taking their first steps into the world of hi-res streaming.

Sennheiser CX 80U review: Design & comfort

• Very comfortable for long periods
• Three eartip sizes
• Inconspicuous and lowkey design

If you don’t want to draw attention to yourself while out in public but want detailed audio, the Sennheiser CX 80U are made for you. Their design reminds me of the wired buds I had when I was growing up, when I would sneak the earbuds into school and listen to music during our lunch break — even though it wasn’t allowed. I never really drew any attention to myself, and the CX 80U feel just like that.

That’s thanks to their all-black design, which makes them look inconspicuous. But because of how lowkey they look, the CX 80U won’t be winning any design awards. If you want flashy earbuds, I’d recommend the SoundMagic E80D instead. It’s also important to note that the CX 80U’s wires don’t feature a flat anti-tangle design, so they tend to get bunched up in your pocket, which can be annoying (and time-consuming to untangle them).

The CX 80U win full points in the comfort department from me. They come with three eartip sizes, and one of the pairs features a longer design, which means it burrows into your ears and stays put there. These are the eartips I used for most of my testing period, as they ensured the earbuds didn’t fall out of my ears, regardless of whether I was stationary at my desk or walking outside (even though they’re very light, with each bud weighing just 0.5oz!).

Thanks to these eartips, the sound is also concentrated in the ear canal so you can appreciate the CX 80U’s wide soundstage. In lieu of active noise cancellation (ANC), these eartips also provide a good degree of passive noise isolation, so you can enjoy your favorite tunes without being too disturbed by external sounds.

Sennheiser CX 80U review: Connectivity

• USB-C plug-and-play
• Built-in DAC

There isn’t a lot to say about the Sennheiser CX 80U’s connectivity. These earbuds sport a USB-C connector, so all you need to do is plug them into your (compatible) device and start listening to music — it really doesn’t get simpler than a plug-and-play interface.

They work with a plethora of devices. I tried them with my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL (with the case on), my work-sanctioned MacBook Air M2, my personal MacBook Pro M1, and my iPad 10th Gen. Every single time, the CX 80U worked seamlessly.

One of the CX 80U’s biggest selling points is the built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC), housed within the USB-C connector. If you listen to tunes on the best music streaming services, such as Tidal, Qobuz or Spotify Premium (with Lossless enabled), you’ll be able to take full advantage of hi-res audio at 24-bit/96KHz. It’s almost like they’re made for Spotify’s new hi-res mode, which features the same audio quality.

Sennheiser CX 80U review: Controls & app

• In-line physical controls
• Easy to use
• No companion app

It couldn’t be simpler to use and control the Sennheiser CX 80U. An in-line controller located on the wire emerging from the right earbud lets you play and pause playback, and answer or hang up on calls. The cheaper JBL Tune 305C go a bit further by letting you swap between three EQ settings via the in-line controls, but it’s quite rare for wired earbuds to have customizable EQ, as we’ve seen on the SoundMagic E80D and the Apple EarPods.

I found the buttons easy to press too, unlike on the SoundMagic E80D. They were quick to register my taps and presses, and I found that they gave decent tactile feedback when pressed too.

Like most other wired earbuds, there’s no companion app to customize the CX 80U’s sound profile or other settings. Again, this is a feature we usually see on wireless earbuds and not wired buds, so it isn’t a major drawback. And for the most part, I didn’t feel like I needed to tailor the sound profile anyway, which I’ll get into next.

Sennheiser CX 80U review: Sound quality

• Excellent vocals and treble
• Mid-bass is incredible
• But sub-bass is a little lacking

As I mentioned earlier, the Sennheiser CX 80U are a fantastic choice for new audiophiles, for two reasons: one, they’re very cheap, and two, they sound beautiful. They’re equipped with dynamic closed drivers (9.7mm transducers) and cover a frequency response range of 17Hz-20KHz, giving you plenty of room to appreciate nearly every aspect of a song.

To test the earbuds, I plugged them into my Google Pixel 10 Pro XL’s USB-C port and listened to my favorite testing tracks on Qobuz, the best music streaming service for hi-res audio.

I started off by listening to ‘White Feather Hawk Tail Deer Hunter’ by Lana Del Rey, which I’d had on repeat for a week before testing. There aren’t many heavy instruments involved in this track and instead, Lana’s vocals are given center stage, and the CX 80U excelled at ensuring you hear every word clearly. The dryness of the acoustic strings at the beginning of the track was reproduced perfectly, and I could hear the thump of the hollow guitar. The earbuds also ensured that Lana’s words didn’t bleed into one another, with her lower register refrains in the chorus working in harmony with her high notes.

Then, I turned to ‘You First (Re: Remi Wolf)’ by Paramore, which features intricate treble work and foregoes the bassiness of the OG version. Through the CX 80U, the hi-hats and snare snaps in the percussion never sounded shrill or harsh, but loud enough to give the track plenty of character. Speaking of, Remi’s vocals sounded bright with her yips, growls and sudden shifts in register being reproduced accurately, and again, not bleeding into each other. I also appreciated the micro details in the track that I’d missed before, such as Remi ad-libbing every now and then.

‘Drag Path’ by Twenty One Pilots was up next, and I listened to the Digital Remains version which I have saved as a local file. The build-up, which sees Tyler Joseph singing, “Please, please hurry,” and features a steady increase in the drum intensity, and the CX 80U ensured that I felt the urgency. The transition from bridge to chorus can feel loud and abrupt, but the CX80 U instead blended everything beautifully.

To test the CX 80U’s bass capabilities, I listened to ‘41 Mosquitoes Flying in Formation’ by Tame Impala. Overall, the bass was punchy and powerful, and the individual string plucks sounded tight and snappy. I was surprised by the mid-bass too, which was surprisingly strong and gave the track that driving feeling needed for me to move my head along to it. But I immediately noticed that the sub-bass was lacking. The bridge of this particular track usually feels massive, but through the CX 80U, it sounded hollow and thin, with no vibrating rumble either.

Aside from the lower frequencies not being as finetuned as the rest of the sound profile, the CX 80U are excellent earbuds, and don’t give you much else to complain about.

Listen along to my review with the Sennheiser CX 80U testing playlist:

Sennheiser CX 80U review: Verdict

As I said at the outset, the Sennheiser CX 80U are nothing short of incredible. For less than $40, you’re getting a pair of USB-C wired earbuds with a built-in DAC. Sound quality is (mostly) superb, with punchy bass and vibrant treble. Vocals and micro details are plenty clear, while hi-hats are never shrill or harsh.

The CX 80U are extremely easy to set up and use too, thanks to a plug-and-play interface and straightforward in-line controls for controlling volume and playback. The earbuds are mighty comfortable too, thanks to the noise-sealing eartips, making them perfect for long listening sessions.

There isn’t a lot wrong with the CX 80U, and the only real flaw I found was the sub-bass and very low frequencies being a little underwhelming. If you can make peace with that, then you’ll love the CX 80U as much as I do.