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Products in this category are scored under Frontum Headphones Methodology v1.0: technical specifications plus authentic consumer ratings, with 0% commercial bias.
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Sennheiser Pmx 685I Review | 93 Data compared

Avg. price:~£45Form factor:in-earConnectivity:wiredBattery life:N/A hoursActive noise cancellation (ANC):no

Sennheiser Pmx 685I Review: Compare 93 technical specifications and user reviews to see how this product ranks in the Headphones category and whether it is worth buying.

Sennheiser Pmx 685I
5.3/10

Overall score

Score
5.3/ 10
✕
What it is
An overall evaluation of the headphones' quality, based on technical analyses and user reviews.
When it matters
When you need a quick reference to identify the best headphones on the market.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 92% of models
Score components

80%

4.7

Technical score

20%

7.6

User score

â–¼Worse than 92% of headphones
6.7

Value for money

Value for money
6.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 87% of models
Score components

70%

5.3

Overall score

30%

10

Price

â–¼Worse than 87%
4.7

Technical score

Technical score
4.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 98% of models
Score components

52%

4.5

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

7.2

Design

8%

4.6

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

6.5

Calls & Controls

â–¼Worse than 98%
7.6

User score

User score
7.6/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 70% of models
Score components

70%

7.6

User ratings

30%

7.7

Number of reviews

â–¼Worse than 70%
  • sennheiser-pmx-685i
sennheiser-pmx-685i
Where to buy
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Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
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Technical Specifications of pair of headphones Sennheiser Pmx 685I

Technical score
Technical score
4.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An assessment of technical performance for products in the Headphones category across these key areas: Sound, Calls & Controls, Connectivity, Features, Battery, Design.
When it matters
When you want to compare headphones based on technical performance and available features.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 98% of models
Score components:

52%

4.5

Sound

20%

4.0

Features

10%

7.2

Design

8%

4.6

Connectivity

6%

4.0

Battery

4%

6.5

Calls & Controls

4.7
User score
User score
7.6/ 10
✕
What it is
A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 70% of models
Score components

70%

7.6

User ratings

30%

7.7

Number of reviews

7.6
Popularity
Popularity
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator based on the number of reviews received by the headphones.
When it matters
When you prefer headphones that have already been chosen and reviewed by many other users.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–² Better than 73% of models
Popularity:
Sennheiser Pmx 685I has a popularity score of 7.7 points, which is higher than that of 72.9% of products in this category.
7.7
Value for money
Value for money
6.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the headphones' overall rating with their cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for headphones that offer a strong balance of performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 87% of models
Score components:

70%

5.3

Overall score

30%

10

Price

6.7
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
no
This pair of headphones does not support active noise cancellation. 27.5% of headphones support active noise cancellation.
Driver type
dynamic
Driver size
14 mm
Market range: <10 mm – >50 mm
This pair of headphones uses a driver size of 14 mm, smaller driver size than 84.5% of headphones and equal to 0.2% of headphones.
Number of drivers
1
Market range: <1 – >4
This pair of headphones uses 1 drivers, fewer drivers than 4% of headphones and equal to 96% of headphones.
Lowest frequency
18 Hz
Market range: <5 Hz – >20 Hz
This pair of headphones reaches a lowest frequency of 18 Hz, lower lowest frequency than 49.6% of headphones and equal to 3.6% of headphones.
Show more
Noise-canceling microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not support a noise-canceling microphone. 39% of headphones support noise-canceling microphones.
Can be used as a headset
yes
This pair of headphones is headset-ready, 84.8% is not. 15.2% of headphones can be used as headsets.
Number of microphones
1
Market range: <0 – >4
This pair of headphones has 1 microphones, more microphones than 26.9% of headphones and equal to 50.9% of headphones.
Boom microphone
no
This pair of headphones does not include a boom microphone. 13.5% of headphones have a boom microphone.
Microphone SNR
?
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Connectivity
wired
This pair of headphones supports wired connectivity, less flexible connectivity than 49.2% of headphones and equal to 50.8% of headphones.
Bluetooth version
N/A
Maximum Bluetooth range
N/A
Audio latency
N/A
Multipoint support
no
This pair of headphones does not support multipoint. 30.6% of headphones support multipoint.
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Ambient sound mode
no
This pair of headphones does not offer ambient sound mode. 24.9% of headphones support ambient sound mode.
EQ support
no
This pair of headphones does not support EQ customization. 23.2% of headphones support EQ.
Companion app
no
This pair of headphones does not work with a companion app. 21.6% of headphones support companion apps.
Adjustable ANC levels
N/A
Voice assistant support
no
This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants. 60.9% of headphones support voice assistants.
Show more
Battery life
N/A
Battery life with ANC
N/A
Charging time
N/A
Quick charge
no
This pair of headphones does not support quick charging. 33.1% of headphones support quick charge.
Battery capacity
N/A
Show more
Brand name
Sennheiser
Form factor
in-ear
Weight
24 g
Market range: <14 g – >340 g
This pair of headphones weighs 24 g, lighter than 83.8% of headphones and equal to 0.1% of headphones.
Acoustic design
open-back
Clamp force
N/A
Show more

Sennheiser Pmx 685I vs the average pair of headphones

246810TotalDesignSoundBatteryConnectivityCalls & ControlsFeatures
  • 89% lower weight
    This pair of headphones is lighter than the average pair of headphones (24 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    24 g vs 218 g
  • 18 dB/mW higher sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a higher sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (120 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    120 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • Direct 3.5 mm plug
    This pair of headphones includes a direct 3.5 mm plug, the average pair of headphones does not. 39.8% of headphones have a 3.5 mm male connector.
  • In-line controls
    This pair of headphones includes in-line controls, the average pair of headphones does not. 36.6% of headphones support in-line controls.
  • Wind noise reduction
    This pair of headphones reduces wind noise, the average pair of headphones does not. 34.3% of headphones support wind noise reduction.
  • 17 dB SPL higher sound pressure level
    This pair of headphones has a higher sound pressure level than the average pair of headphones (120 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL). The average headphones reach a sound pressure level of 103 dB SPL.
    120 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL
  • 89% lower weight
    This pair of headphones is lighter than the average pair of headphones (24 g vs 218 g). The average pair of headphones weighs 218 g.
    24 g vs 218 g
  • 18 dB/mW higher sensitivity
    This pair of headphones has a higher sensitivity than the average pair of headphones (120 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW). The average headphones have sensitivity of 102 dB/mW.
    120 dB/mW vs 102 dB/mW
  • 17 dB SPL higher sound pressure level
    This pair of headphones has a higher sound pressure level than the average pair of headphones (120 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL). The average headphones reach a sound pressure level of 103 dB SPL.
    120 dB SPL vs 103 dB SPL
  • Direct 3.5 mm plug
    This pair of headphones includes a direct 3.5 mm plug, the average pair of headphones does not. 39.8% of headphones have a 3.5 mm male connector.
  • In-line controls
    This pair of headphones includes in-line controls, the average pair of headphones does not. 36.6% of headphones support in-line controls.
  • Wind noise reduction
    This pair of headphones reduces wind noise, the average pair of headphones does not. 34.3% of headphones support wind noise reduction.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 26 mm smaller driver size
    This pair of headphones has smaller driver size than the average pair of headphones (14 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    14 mm vs 40 mm
  • Non-replaceable earpads
    This pair of headphones has non-replaceable earpads, while the average pair of headphones has replaceable ones. 75.6% of headphones have replaceable earpads.
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.
  • Fixed cable
    This pair of headphones has a fixed cable, while the average pair of headphones has a detachable one. 62% of headphones have a detachable cable.
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • 0.2 % higher distortion
    This pair of headphones has a higher total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.5 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.5 % vs 0.3 %
  • 8.4% worse value for money
    Sennheiser Pmx 685I has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (6.71 vs 7.3).
    6.71 vs 7.27
  • 8.4% worse value for money
    Sennheiser Pmx 685I has worse value for money than the average pair of headphones (6.71 vs 7.3).
    6.71 vs 7.27
  • 4.7% lower user score
    User score
    7.6/ 10
    ✕
    What it is
    A rating that combines user reviews and the total number of reviews received by the headphones.
    When it matters
    When you want to understand how headphones perform in real listening and how reliable they are in terms of comfort, audio quality, battery life, and long-term use.
    Score distribution
    ▼▼
    <55-66-77-88-99-10
    Sennheiser Pmx 685I
    the average pair of headphones
    Sennheiser Pmx 685I has a lower user score than the average pair of headphones (7.64 vs 8).
    7.64 vs 8
  • Non-replaceable earpads
    This pair of headphones has non-replaceable earpads, while the average pair of headphones has replaceable ones. 75.6% of headphones have replaceable earpads.
  • Fixed cable
    This pair of headphones has a fixed cable, while the average pair of headphones has a detachable one. 62% of headphones have a detachable cable.
  • No passive noise reduction
    This pair of headphones does not offer passive noise reduction, while the average pair of headphones does. 82.6% of headphones have passive noise reduction.
  • 26 mm smaller driver size
    This pair of headphones has smaller driver size than the average pair of headphones (14 mm vs 40 mm). The average headphones use a driver size of 40 mm.
    14 mm vs 40 mm
  • 0.2 % higher distortion
    This pair of headphones has a higher total harmonic distortion than the average pair of headphones (0.5 % vs 0.3 %). The average headphones have total harmonic distortion of 0.3 %.
    0.5 % vs 0.3 %
  • No battery indicator
    This pair of headphones does not show battery level clearly, while the average pair of headphones does. 56.3% of headphones have a battery level indicator.
  • No voice assistant support
    This pair of headphones does not support voice assistants, the average pair of headphones does. 60.8% of headphones support voice assistants.

Video reviews

Hands-on testing, unboxing, and real-world video evaluations

Not graded

Expert reviews

In-depth analysis and verdict from leading tech publications

gizmodo.com
17/10/2012
Hands-on review · Running headphones
Verdict
The Sennheiser PMX 685i is a slight upgrade with excellent sound and a secure fit, but the neckband can leave ears sore after about 30 minutes.
whathifi.com
24/02/2015
Hands-on review · Fitness earphones
Verdict
The Sennheiser PMX 685i has rich, punchy sound and a secure fit for workouts, but its neckband gets in the way during floor exercises.
reviewed.com
20/02/2014
Lab test · Running earbuds
Verdict
The Sennheiser PMX 685i is affordable and safe for road runners, but almost no bass and little noise blocking make it a poor gym pair.
H
high-tech-out.net
06/03/2014
Summary of the review
Sennheiser Adidas PX 685i Review: A slim and lightweight sports headset
(Translated)Show original
runlovers.it
31/03/2014
Hands-on review · Running earphones
Verdict
The Sennheiser/Adidas PMX 685i is a strong, bass-rich pair that stays put while running, though its buttons must be found by feel alone.
androidiani.com
21/06/2013
Hands-on test · Gym and running
Verdict
The Sennheiser/Adidas PMX 685i is a comfortable, waterproof pair with great sound, but its remote and microphone work only with Apple devices.

Third-party reviews

What customers like about Sennheiser Pmx 685I

  • Excellent, high-quality audio with balanced highs, mids, and a rich, weighty bass profile for its category
  • Secure neckband design that stays firmly in place during high-impact activities like running or cycling
  • Sweat-proof and water-resistant materials allow for rinsing under running water to clean after workouts
  • Extremely lightweight and flexible frame provides a comfortable fit for most users and works well with glasses or helmets
  • Situational awareness is maintained as the earbuds do not fully seal the ear canal, letting in necessary ambient traffic noise

What customers don't like about Sennheiser Pmx 685I

  • Prolonged use (over 30-60 minutes) can lead to ear soreness or discomfort due to the lack of adjustable rotating buds
  • Illogical layout of the 3-button in-line remote makes buttons difficult to differentiate by touch alone while moving
  • The behind-the-neck band design is not suitable for floor exercises or lying down, as it can push the buds out of the ears
  • Full volume and playback controls are often only compatible with iOS devices, with limited functionality on Android
  • Some users find the minimal rubber coating and plastic frame feel plain or less premium than the original price suggest

Verdict

The Sennheiser PMX 685i is a sports-oriented neckband headphone featuring a frequency response of 18 Hz to 20,000 Hz, 16 Ohms impedance, and a high sound pressure level of 120 dB/mW. Designed in collaboration with Adidas, these wired headphones are sweat and water-resistant, utilizing a secure behind-the-neck design to ensure they stay in place during intense activity. Main pros include a rich, punchy sound with deep bass, a lightweight and flexible frame, and an integrated in-line remote and microphone optimized for iOS devices. However, common cons include potential discomfort during prolonged use due to the hard earbud coating and an illogical mic layout that can be awkward to reach.

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