Experienced runners will inform you that most regular headphones or earphones are not suitable for running. Sweat is a problem that regular headphones and earphones are not designed to deal with.
When I went running with a regular pair of Panasonic, in-canal earphones, I realized how difficult it is to run with a regular set of earphones. Though my earphones stay in place with everyday use, the vibrations and impact caused by running cause them to move about frequently during a run. The increased amount of sweat exacerbated the situation.
Therefore I decided to purchase a pair of headphones designed specifically for jogging. My choice? The Sennheiser PMX 70 sport headphones.
These $80 set of headphones come packaged with the headphones and an alligator clip that will allow you to clip the excess cable to your shirt. The 1.2m cable was neatly coiled and held in place by a white twist-tie. Coincidentally, the length was perfect for me and I did not have to reduce or increase the slack of the cable.
These set of earphones feature a single side cable. I was attracted by this feature because I am a very irritable long-distance runner and I detest the feeling of excess, sweaty, rubber cord dangling around my body. It makes me feel irksome.
Fortunately, the PMX 70 deals with the cable ably. The cables were unobtrusive and with the alligator cable attached, I forgot about the cables very quickly.
The PMX 70 features an ‘all-encompassing’ over the ear canal design. It is somewhat similar to a earbud, but due to its size, absolutely no part of the device is able to sit in the canal; unlike a earbud.
Instead, it forms a dome outside your ear canal. This prevents sweat from entering your ear canal, a problem I previously faced with my Panasonic in-canal earphones. Unfortunately, it does a poor job of filtering out ambient sound and may not be suitable for runners who jog along a noisy path.
I run in a quiet park so this wasn’t a problem for me. I also prefer to be able hear my surrounding environment during the short distance between my home and the park, so this problem didn’t hinder me much.
The sound is clear with decent dynamic range. The basses lacked the punch of in-canal earphones but there is great clarity among the entire dynamic range of music I listen to. It should be noted that I listen to Rock when I run. I listen to AC/DC, U2 and the soundtrack to the Rocky movies when I run. I’m a sucker for clichés.
The output of the PMX 70 also seems to be low, a problem that is exacerbated by the lack of noise-cancelling technology. But once again, this isn’t a problem in quiet environments.
The PMX 70 features a neon green plastic body with loops that hang off your ears. The body of the PMX 70 has a rather small-looking circumference. The body is designed to stretch and is held in place by force of the earbuds contracting together.
It may sound painful, but it isn’t. Though I initially felt the earbuds pressing into my ears, at no point did it become uncomfortable. I also ceased to notice the pressing action after I started jogging.
The contraction of the body kept the headphones in place throughout all my runs. I have clocked in about 10km worth of running with the PMX 70. At no point during my runs did I have to adjust the headphones. The contracting action kept the headphones firmly in place, even when I broke into a full on sprint.
Do note that I am a decent sprinter. For what it’s worth, I was a 100m sprinting champion when I was in secondary school, and I’ve only gotten faster since.
The ‘all-encompassing’ size of the earbuds, coupled with the contracting action also kept the sweat out of my ear canals.
Do be warned that the back-of-the-head design makes this set of headphones a poor choice of the gym. You cannot wear it while lying down on a bench and it maybe uncomfortable when you hang it on your neck; I found the contraction on my neck to be uncomfortable.
The PMX 70 is a great option for those looking comfortable set of headphones for a run in a quiet place. The output is disappointing for a Sennheiser model, and the lack of noise-cancelling technology may turn some people off, but the PMX 70 still retains excellent sound quality for an ‘out-canal’ earbud. However, at $80, and coloured in an awful neon green, the PMX 70 is definitely not suitable for everyone.
If you require a comfortable, fuss-free headphone player and do not require noise-cancelling technology, do not mind the neon green colour, and are willing to shell out $80, there is no set of headphones I would recommend over the PMX 70. 7.0/10
thanks for the thorough review. i was contemplating on getting this and after what you said, i think i will.
i did try jogging with the in-canal noise-cancelling earphones but didnt like hearing the sound that it creates from my breathing.
Hi Kengster,
Should you choose to purchase these earphones, I hope they serve you as well as they did me.
However, as mentioned in the review, please do carefully consider your exercise environment before you purchase this set. It’s definitely NOT for everyone. Good luck!