Sennheiser CX 3.00 vs Questyle NHB12

Short answer: the Sennheiser CX 3.00, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #409 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.7/5, at $79.99; the Questyle NHB12 ranks #414, rated 2.6/5, and costs $89, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 450 in-ear headphones; for better sound, the Intuaura Reference 2019 ranks #5 at $34.99.

Why pick the Sennheiser CX 3.00: Bass is boosted about 4 dB at 60 to 200 Hz and 2.5 dB below that in oratory1990’s measurement, so kick drums and bass lines hit with extra weight. Watch for: A sharp 8.6 dB peak near 7.6 kHz can make hi-hats and sibilants harsh, and presence between 3 and 6 kHz is down about 4.3 dB, with a 5.7 dB dip near 3.5 kHz that pushes vocals back.

The case for the Questyle NHB12: For bass lovers it delivers about 5 dB extra sub-bass and 6.4 dB extra bass over target, with 3.9 dB more than target at 30 Hz, so low notes have weight and rumble. The tradeoff: A 7.5 dB peak near 11.8 kHz on top of the heavy bass gives a V-shaped sound that HypetheSonics’ measurement scores at only 57 on preference.

Buy the Sennheiser CX 3.00. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Questyle NHB12 and costs less, which makes it the one to get unless you need something the other one does better.

Want more options? Browse the full Headphones rankings.

Specifications Side By Side

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• Sennheiser CX 3.00 vs KZ ZAS
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The Two Headphones In Full

Sennheiser CX 3.00: $79.99 Amazon eBay

Pros: Bass is boosted about 4 dB at 60 to 200 Hz and 2.5 dB below that in oratory1990’s measurement, so kick drums and bass lines hit with extra weight. Treble from 6 to 10 kHz is lifted about 6 dB, which adds a bright edge to cymbals and gives it a V-shaped character some listeners enjoy. The 18 ohm impedance and 118 dB SPL/V sensitivity let a phone drive it easily.

Cons: A sharp 8.6 dB peak near 7.6 kHz can make hi-hats and sibilants harsh, and presence between 3 and 6 kHz is down about 4.3 dB, with a 5.7 dB dip near 3.5 kHz that pushes vocals back. A preference score of 58 and a 3.19 dB deviation mean the balance is far from the target. The Shure SE215 and FiiO FH3 are rated higher.

Full Sennheiser CX 3.00 review and specifications →

Released	2015 (11 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	3.19 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	17Hz - 21kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	58 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	18 ohms
Sensitivity	118 dB SPL/V
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.4 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-0.74 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -5.3 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	-2.1 dB	0.70
Peak	3,874 Hz	+7.0 dB	0.66
Peak	7,101 Hz	-10.4 dB	0.77
Peak	167 Hz	-3.4 dB	1.15
Peak	4,954 Hz	+4.9 dB	1.44
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+0.3 dB	0.70
Peak	736 Hz	+1.5 dB	1.33
Peak	1,412 Hz	-1.1 dB	2.20
Peak	55 Hz	+0.4 dB	1.63
Peak	314 Hz	-1.0 dB	3.41

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Sennheiser CX 3.00 (oratory1990 measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Sennheiser CX 3.00 vs 1MORE Triple Driver
  • Sennheiser CX 3.00 vs KZ ZAS
  • Sennheiser CX 3.00 vs KZ AS10

Questyle NHB12: $89.00 Amazon eBay

Pros: For bass lovers it delivers about 5 dB extra sub-bass and 6.4 dB extra bass over target, with 3.9 dB more than target at 30 Hz, so low notes have weight and rumble. The midrange stays close to target from 1 to 6 kHz, keeping vocals present despite the boosted lows. Its 38 ohm single dynamic driver weighs 13 g per earpiece.

Cons: A 7.5 dB peak near 11.8 kHz on top of the heavy bass gives a V-shaped sound that HypetheSonics’ measurement scores at only 57 on preference. The Tin HiFi T2 Evo and 1MORE Triple Driver share its rating at lower prices, and the Sennheiser CX 3.00 is rated higher for less.

Full Questyle NHB12 review and specifications →

Released	2023 (3 years ago)
Back	Closed
Connection	Wired
Deviation From Target	2.98 dB standard deviation
Driver Type	Dynamic
Drivers	1 x dynamic
Form Factor	In-ear
Frequency Response	20Hz - 20kHz (Manufacturer specified)
Harman Preference Score	57 (measured by HypetheSonics, via AutoEQ)
Impedance	38 ohms
Sub-bass Extension	Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+3.9 dB at 30 Hz)
Tonal Tilt	-1.21 (negative is warmer, positive brighter)
Weight	0 lbs (13 g) per earpiece

EQ preset to match the Harman target

Set a preamp of -3.9 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.

Filter	Frequency	Gain	Q
Low shelf	105 Hz	-3.9 dB	0.70
Peak	171 Hz	-4.5 dB	0.69
Peak	791 Hz	+3.5 dB	0.80
Peak	3,278 Hz	+3.6 dB	2.66
Peak	65 Hz	+1.2 dB	1.29
High shelf	10,000 Hz	+0.3 dB	0.70
Peak	8,076 Hz	-1.7 dB	2.57
Peak	5,123 Hz	-2.6 dB	5.79
Peak	6,409 Hz	+2.3 dB	5.97
Peak	3,999 Hz	+1.0 dB	5.06

• Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
  • AutoEQ results for the Questyle NHB12 (HypetheSonics measurement)
• Head-to-Head Comparisons
  • Questyle NHB12 vs 1MORE Triple Driver
  • Questyle NHB12 vs Sennheiser IE 4