Before we start, let’s review our test parameters. Although we enjoy earth-shattering electronic music, we used the CS-HP500 and C750E to listen to an eclectic selection that ranged from good old Dean Martin, a DJ set by Neo Filigrante, symphonic film scores by John Williams to Justin Timberlake black-tinged pop. All this music and some more songs playing nonstop while we switched both phones during our walkabouts.

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Figure 3: C750E detail.

As expected from being inserted into the ear canals, the C750E completely shut out all exterior noise. The music went from the iPod right into our brain. That said, we had to lower the volume level we used to listen with the regular iPod white ear buds (that malfunctioned a few weeks after we bought it, by the way). Bass was strong and heavy considering the small size of the earphone. Voice register was perfect and the highs were satisfactory. Apple’s ear buds didn’t stand a chance. The sound immersion left us a little dizzy the first time we used it, but after some continuous usage we never experienced that effect again. We didn’t use the shirt clip as we tucked the cable inside our T-shirt but it’s a good feature for those who keep their listening devices inside a backpack, for instance.

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Figure 4: The folded HP500.

The CS-HP500 is really on the edge of portability. Neither too big to be used outdoors nor small enough so the user can switch it for an earphone like the C750E. Perhaps the ear muffs could be a little bigger so they could cover the ears completely, but we didn’t have any particular problem with that or some amount of discomfort. The headphone shut out most of the exterior noise but didn’t deliver the same immersive experience as its earphone buddy. Sound fidelity was good but not exceptional. It could a bigger bass response and overall the sound lacked some dynamism. Still, not being too much of an audiophile, the CS-HP500 gave an overall good impression.