Skip to main content

Sennheiser’s most affordable true wireless earbuds cost just $130

Sennheiser has taken the wraps off its $130 CX True Wireless (CX TW), the company’s most affordably priced true wireless earbuds to date. The new earbuds come in white and black and will be available starting on July 8 at various retailers and Sennheiser.com.

Though they look similar to the more expensive CX 400BT and Momentum True Wireless 2 models, the new earbuds keep things simple. There’s no active noise cancellation (ANC) or wireless charging, but Sennheiser says the CX True Wireless get nine hours of battery life per charge and up to 27 hours of playing time when you include their charging case — considerably more juice than the CX 400BT’s seven-hour/20-hour capability.

Sennheiser CX True Wireless earbuds in white.
Sennheiser

While the CX 400BT and Momentum True Wireless use the same drivers, the CX True Wireless incorporate Sennheiser’s TrueResponse transducer, which the company says was developed for its premium earphones and delivers “deep basses, natural mids, and clear, detailed treble.”

Recommended Videos

It’s hard to say if the CX True Wireless will sound noticeably different from Sennheiser’s other models, but you’ll be able to tweak their EQ and — with a firmware update — the touch control settings using the free Sennheiser Smart Control app. You can use each earbud independently and the Smart Control app allows you to fine-tune the earbuds’ sidetone feature that lets you hear your own voice clearly while on a call. Strangely, Sennheiser has chosen not to equip the CX TW with a transparency mode, which is effectively the same thing as sidetone, but available at any time.

An IPX4 rating should mean that they can withstand lots of sweat and even the occasional splash of water, and Sennheiser includes four sizes of silicone eartips to help people get the best possible fit.

Sennheiser CX True Wireless earbuds worn by a male model.
Sennheiser

When we reviewed the Sennheiser CX 400BT in 2020, we noted that the company had achieved its $200 price at the expense of too many missing features. The new CX TW doesn’t do much to fix this, but at their much lower starting price of $130, they’re not dramatically outclassed by other products at this price.

If Sennheiser can deliver its legendary audio quality in the CX TW, they might just be the most affordable audiophile-grade earbuds you can buy.

Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen is a contributing editor to Digital Trends' Audio/Video section, where he obsesses over the latest wireless…
Jabra will no longer make its Elite wireless earbuds or headphones
Jabra Elite 10 earbuds in front of case.

On the same day that Jabra announced its latest generation of wireless earbuds, the company has unexpectedly called it quits for the entire consumer audio category. In a press release that cites the rising costs of competition, GN (Jabra's parent company) announced its intent to "gradually wind-down its Elite and Talk product lines to further increase focus and resources on more attractive parts of GN’s business."

The new Gen 2 products -- the Elite 8 Active and Elite 10 Generation 2 -- will be the last two product introductions in this product line, but they will remain available through 2024 and beyond. A Jabra spokesperson told Digital Trends that "customers will be able to buy them in the usual online and retail channels, as well as Jabra.com, and products will still be supported throughout their lifetime, as normal."

Read more
Jabra’s next-gen Elite earbuds can go wired or wireless
Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 connected to an airplane seatback entertainment system.

It's only been one year since they were released, but Jabra has already updated its Elite 10 and Elite 8 Active wireless earbuds with a new charging case that can double as a wireless transmitter. Simply plug the case into an analog audio source, like an aircraft's entertainment system or a workout machine, using the included cable, and the case will send that audio to the earbuds using the latest Bluetooth LE Audio standard.

Jabra says it has also made meaningful improvements to spatial audio quality, call quality, and noise canceling. Unfortunately, these new features come with higher prices. Both the Elite 10 Gen 2 and Elite 8 Active Gen 2 sell for $30 more than their predecessors: $279 and $229 respectively, versus $249 and $199 for the Gen 1 products. They'll be available for purchase by mid-June, with navy, black, coral, and olive color options on the Elite 8 Active Gen 2, and titanium black, gloss black, cocoa, denim, and soft white colors for the Elite 10 Gen 2.

Read more
LG’s Tone Free T80 wireless earbuds come with head tracking — and a free portable speaker
LG Tone Free T80 wireless earbuds

LG has added to its growing Tone Free wireless earbuds line with the new T80 earbuds, which boast an upgraded design and Dolby Atmos support with Dolby Head Tracking. Plus, LG is throwing in a free portable Bluetooth speaker for a limited time.

The LG Tone Free 180 true wireless earbuds, available for $199, offer “vibrant bass and enhanced mid- and high-range frequencies,” according to the company. Crafted with a reinforced graphene speaker driver that LG says helps reduce vibrations to improve sound, they are compatible with Dolby Atmos content played through a wirelessly connected device. They also feature Dolby Head Tracking so the audio, like a music playlist, podcast, movie, or video game, follows you as you move your head, always remaining front and center. Just make sure to turn Dolby Head Tracking and the audio virtualizer on in the companion LG Tone Free app.

Read more