Fake Sennheiser CX500's? And what to get next.

[Aleatoire]

Hi there, I recently purchased a pair of Sennheiser CX500 in-ears (arrived last Monday actually) and already, with just normal use, the cord has broken where it reaches the volume control, exposing the wires. I've had good experiences with Sennheiser in the past and currently have a pair of HD448's for home use, however the CX500's were a bit of a disappointment. Not only have they broken within a week of getting them, but the sound was far from good in the first place.
Maybe I'm just used to a lot of treble (my last pair of in-ears lost their mesh bit and the treble was horrendously overpowering) but not only is the bass of my CX500's ridiculously prominent (much more so than I had been expecting) but the entire sound seems dull and muddy and the soundstage extremely close. I'd read reviews of the CX500's before I bought them and heard that they are supposed to be a bit nicer than the CX300's (which I used to own and thought were all right), but while there was a lot of mention of their prominent bass, I never heard anywhere that the sound was dull, muddy and boomy (almost as though the sub 200Hz range had been boosted a tonne and all the highs dropped completely. I don't just mean that the low end is strong and the highs are weak, I mean that the whole spectrum lacks any real clarity.)
Although I hadn't expected anything spectacular for a cheapish pair of in-ears, I had certainly been expecting a better sound than I got and much better build quality. This leads me to believe that I may have ended up with a fake pair. Hearing about how many fakes are around I immediately checked them when they came out of the box against some examples online but they seemed legit enough. I bought them from here (seems fine also):
http/www.parallelimported.co.nz/sennheiser-cx500-headphones.html

I have asked for a refund for the damaged headphones but I'm considering getting a different pair as a replacement. Are there any suggestions for in-ears around the same price range that have a clearer, more neutral response? And do you think that the pair I got were fakes, duds, or just not a good model to begin with?

Thanks for taking the time to read all the way through that, any help is appreciated

 

[Pyree]

Heavy bass is expected from CX500:

Just look at the freq response on lower range is higher.

I think Senheniser have 2 year warranty. Return them and get an exchange is the best idea.

I wouldn't recommend CX500 if you need treble. Actually, most Sennheiser budget headphones have darker sound. Don't be surprise if you need to use the equaliser to bring the treble up and suppress the bass if you are going to buy the budget Sennheiser range (I think they are awesome for the bass they provide and their price thou. I am a bass head).

How about Grado SR60i?

I know they are full size but they have excellent treble and I recommend full size headphone over anything else:

http/www.stereophile.com/headphones/grado_sr60i_headphones/index.html

http/www.headphone.com/headphones/grado-sr-60i.php <check the frequency response graph and you see why I recommend this if you want good treble (actually, this pair is good across all range).

I recommend buying full size headphone if you are serious about sound quality. This is because everyone have different perception to sound. A headphone can have amazing result from the machine which tested it and sound amazing to a person, but not you. You really have to listen to them and find one that fits your listening ability, comfort and price.

 

[ssddx]

i've heard the in-ear headphones from klipsch were pretty decent from a few people on here. i've never owned a set though.

i prefer using $9 gummy brand in-ears since i can throw them out and replace every few months. a whole lot of yuck always builds up since i use them during exercise.

 

[stillerfan15]

How about some on ear Sennheiser HD 201s or 202s listed on Amazon for under $30? The reviews of the 201s seem to imply they have plenty of treble. I have a set of 202s and they sound pretty good for the price.
Dave

 

[Aleatoire]

Forgot about this post, sorry for just leaving it =P

I don't really need an over ear pair because I already have some HD448's. I'm more looking for in-ears for school and travel when it's inconvenient to have bulky headphones. Thanks for the suggestions and help though.
I do like ssddx's suggestion though. I suppose I could use cheap ones for school and save my money for a new pair of over ears for when I really wanted to focus on my music.