Adidas PMX 680 Sports Earbud Headphones with Volume control and Neckband Holding System

Comment: It took a long time for the dealer to get it shipped. I received the headphones and was very pleased with the sound and fit at first. But it never fails, the same thing that happened to my other Sennheiser headphones happened here. the USB male port adapter lost connection to the full sound. I maybe used it 5 times. I just cut my loss of having to deal with the particular dealer. My suggestion is to go and purchase a 15 dollar pair from your local retail store.They will surely last longer. They have the fit and look down but not the durability.

Comment: I do not understand all the bad reviews about the PMX 680. I have one question for all that didnt find the product to be exceptional: "Did you buy from an aurthorized dealer"? Let me explain. In China, there are underground shops that produce about 100 of these countefeit headphones an hour. Unless, you buy from an authorized dealer who can only buy from the main source (Sennheiser), then you are taking a risk of buying a fake. These people who make these fake headphones are very good at duplicating the cosmetics of the product. You will not be able to tell which is real and which is fake. I know, because I have bought a fake. The sound quality was horrible, but I know Sennheiser products and I know that Sennheiser would never release something this bad into the market. So, I bought the same pair from an authorized dealer (yes, I paid more). When I got the real ones in, I compared the two, the fake and the real one. The only difference besides sound quality was a slight discoloration in the wires. When I say slight, I mean I had to put a lamp on both products side by side to see that these two were not the same. Also, the packaging from the fake was flawless, it looked just like the real one. There was no way one can tell which is real and which is fake by looking at the packaging. Yes, the counterfeiters are that good! But the one thing they cant duplicate or imitate is the engineering of the sound quality. A real PMX 680 has crisp highs, and a solid bass. It is also capable of high volume output, meaning it can be very loud.
The PMX 680's sound quality is awesome! I am an audiophile. If my music doesnt sound right, I cant workout or exercise properly, I get annoyed and it ruins my overall workouts. I have owned several high end headphones and would say that the PMX 680 is the best SPORTS headphone on the market today in terms of overall quality, sound and design. Of course they are not better than headphones that are $300+, but then again, if you think about it, the $300+ headphones wouldnt last very long with sweat on them constantly, daily wear and tear, and other exercise movements and motions. If you want good headphones for sports and recreation, this is as good as it gets. It stays in your ears, it delivers good sound, it has a sleek design, and can withstand daily usage and abuse. What more do you want from a SPORTS headphone?
Remember, buy from an authorized dealer!!!!! You can go the Sennheiser's website and see who is an authorized dealer and who is not.

Comment: I used to run with a pair of cheapo ear buds I got from Woot but they would always fall out of my ears as soon as I would begin to sweat. I also got tired of wrapping the cord around the back of my neck to keep it out of the way. After doing a fair amount of research looking for a good pair of running headphones, I picked these based on the numerous positive reviews.

These headphones are great! They have a nice fit and I don't have to worry about them falling out of my ears. In fact, they are so comfortable that once I get running, I don't even notice them in my ears. The fact that they are water resistant is a big plus for me because I tend to sweat a lot while running and don't have to worry about the moisture damaging the headphones. Furthermore, I am able to give them a quick rinse after I'm done to keep them nice and clean. I also really like the fact that the cord only runs down the left side of the headphones--it makes a big difference in keeping the cord out of your way.

The only complaint I have, which is a very minor one is that the extension cord is a bit too long. I run with a Sansa Clip on the back of my shorts and have to clip the volume control on my collar with the extra cord wrapped underneath it to prevent the cord from bouncing all over the place. Those who use an armband mounted music player won't have an issue with that as you won't need to use the extension cord.

Comment: The Sennheiser PMX680 are a great pair of athletic headphones. I have also used the Sennheiser PMX80 headphones for running, and had problems with the solder joint breaking inside the angled mini-jack. This seems to be how all headphones used for running fail, but the PMX80 lasted longer than most other headphones I have used while running. I generally run anywhere from 6 - 20 miles per day and this constant abuse seems to absolutely destroys headphones. The behind the ear design seems to be the best design for long runs. There's no distractions or fussing around with adjusting earbuds, or fixing ear clips. The PMX680 has a similar fit to the PMX80, and they both seem to be very resistant to sweat, rain, and snow. The PMX680 has a short cord, and comes with a plug in extension with a volume adjustment. I don't use the extension or volume adjustment as it is large and bulky, and I don't need the wire length with an armband. The wire length without the jack is just long enough to plug into an armband MP3 player. If you're going to carry, or wear the MP3 player anywhere other than near your neck or near your shoulder while running, I would look at the PMX80 or another standard headphone. The wire without extension could have been a couple of inches longer, but it works excellent if you're using an armband holder. The extension is practically useless for running purposes, but is fine if you're looking to use the headphones casually and want an extra volume adjustment. So far the headphones have held up pretty well, and I believe they'll last longer as there's not a long wire swinging around all over the place. The sound quality is great, and they stay on well even for short distance sprints.

Comment: The PMX 680 is by no means a perfect product. More on that later. But it's far and away the best of the bunch that I've tried.

First and foremost, big sound comes out of these little buds. On my favorite jazz test track, I can feel the pluck of a string bass and hear the tone from the instrument grow, resonate and recede. Of course, that's in the quiet of my bedroom. The music isn't nearly as pristine when I'm clomping away on the treadmill. But the sound is still full and balanced, from lows to highs.

In terms of sound quality, the PMX680 compares favorably with in-ear headphones in the same price range. But instead of wrestling with tips that get stuck in my ears, or canalbuds that hurt my ears, I can put on or take off the PMX680 in no more than a second or two. The drivers sit perpendicular to your skull, not parallel to it, and the rear headband exerts just the right amount of pressure to keep the drivers comfortably pressed up against the small fleshy pad in the front of your outer ear. It's a really natural feel. And once the 'phones are on, they stay on.

The best use of this product, IMO, is with an MP3 player in an armband holder. As others have noted, the primary cable is a few inches too short to reach an MP3 player clipped to your waistband...unless you want to run in a hunched-over position. (I'm 5' 8".) Sure, Sennheiser could have made the primary cable longer - but then you'd have more cable flopping around when you use the armband. The extension cable, with volume control, solves this problem and lets you position your MP3 player where you want it. The two clips (one on the back of the volume control, the other freestanding) help minimize cable slap.

What would I really like to see in this product? Instead of the wheel-style volume control that comes with it, I'd much prefer the three-button remote and microphone that Apple builds into its earbuds and other manufacturers have emulated. Unfortunately, none of the units that I have owned (two Apples and one Scosche) have stood up to sweat. The Apple remote modules and the Scosche "TapLine II" all failed relatively soon after acquisition. In terms of what's available now, in my experience the PMX680 stands at the top of the heap.