Exercise-focused earbuds that make a few too many compromises

I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.

The Sennheiser Sport True Wireless in-ears deliver solid audio, but suffer from a disappointing water-resistance rating and an uninspiring swappable eartip design.

Sennheiser’s Sport True Wireless earphones ($129.95) are a bit of a head-scratcher. They deliver a quality, bass-forward audio experience, but nothing about them lives up to the “Sport” part of their name. For instance, the earpieces feature only a meager water-resistance rating and rely on a wholly inconvenient ambient audio implementation that involves swapping eartips. Furthermore, the in-app EQ isn’t very customizable or effective. The Editors’ Choice-winning Tribit Flybuds 3 ($35.99) are superior option for the gym, not to mention much more affordable. We’re also fans of Jbara's Elite 7 Active earphones ($179.99), which offer active noise cancellation (ANC), a better app, and a superior IP rating,

Available in black, the Sport True Wireless earpieces are somewhat chunky, but that helps them fit better. The outside panel features a tinted, rose gold Sennheiser logo.

In addition to silicone bands that fit around the earpieces and pair with small, large, or no earfins, the package includes a wide array of eartips. Sennheiser says the eartips with a blue interior ring are for the Aware listening mode and that the all-black eartips are for Focus mode (you select these modes via the app). The eartips essentially attempt to passively (and physically) alter the amount of outside noise you hear. One set aims for ambient noise transparency and the other opts for a design that blocks out more outside noise.

This pair isn't the first to try this approach, but few among those that have tried see success—the recent Sony LinkBuds are one example with an open design and subpar audio. Here, the open design is less consequential—it doesn’t ruin the audio experience, though the earbuds also let in far less outside sound than that Sony pair.

We're just not sure why Sennheiser didn't opt for a mic-based transparent listening mode that you can turn on or off. That approach is far more convenient than regularly requiring users to swap out eartips. For the price, we expect a better implementation, especially because you don't even get a carrying pouch to hold these eartips. This omission makes us feel like Sennheiser doesn't really expect you to change tips often, which further causes us to question this system's practicality.

Internally, dynamic drivers deliver a frequency response of 5Hz to 21kHz. The earphones are compatible with Bluetooth 5.2 and support the AAC, AptX, and SBC codecs—a solid range of coverage for the price.

The outer panel of each earpiece features a capacitive touch control area. Tap either bud once to control playback and answer calls. Tap twice to end calls or control track navigation (left for backward and right for forward). Tap three times to summon your device’s voice assistant. Finally, hold down to adjust volume (left to lower it and right to raise it). This control layout works quite well and gives you easy access to all the most useful controls. But if you don't like the layout, you can always adjust the control scheme via the app.

The IP54 water-resistance rating here is underwhelming given the focus on exercise. The "5" in the rating means the earpieces are highly dust resistant, but the "4" is probably the lowest water resistance rating a manufacturer would bother to mention (we haven’t seen many IPX3 ratings). In terms of real-world use, the earbuds can handle light splashes from any direction. They should stand up fine to sweaty workouts and light rain, but don't try to rinse them under a faucet or submerge them.

We regularly see an IPX4 rating (which is the same as IP54 in terms of water resistance) for models with ANC, but the Sport True Wireless in-ears don't offer any special features that excuse this low rating. Even a few pairs with noise cancellation, such as the Jabra Elite 7 Active, feature a superior rating (IP57). And some far more affordable options, such as the Tribit FlyBuds 3 (IPX7) do better here. Both of these models are among the best earbuds for runners.

The black charging case features a built-in lanyard loop and a covered port for the included USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable. Both the lanyard and cable are of reasonable length. A tiny status LED sits on the front panel and the case's flip-top lid reveals the internal charging docks.

Sennheiser estimates that the earbuds can last roughly nine hours on a charge and that the case holds an additional 18 hours of power. This estimate is on the high side, but your results will vary based on your typical listening volume. Charging time is about 1.5 hours.

The Sennheiser Smart Control app (available for Android and iOS) is a requirement because you need to tune the earphones via the EQ depending on which eartips you choose; the Focus EQ mode is for the closed eartips and Aware EQ mode is for the open ones.

The app also lets you adjust the on-ear control layout, tweak the in-ear sidetone (how much you can hear your own voice on calls), and access a three-band EQ. Aside from its reliance on three bands instead of the usual five, the EQ delivers weak results. Boosting the bass fader to its maximum level, for example, only subtly increases the low-end and causes the digital signal processing (DSP) to step in. Here, the DSP compresses the signal and affects the maximum volume output. It's a little baffling that an audio powerhouse like Sennheiser has among the worst in-app EQs we’ve tested.

With the Aware eartips and the matching EQ mode turned on in the app, the sonic experience is solid—the open design leads to a boosted bass response, and outside noise is audible (though not to the extent as with a more sophisticated mode that relies on ambient mics to amplify the signal).

We tested the earphones in Focus mode, however, with the proper Focus eartips and the corresponding mode enabled in the app. On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” they deliver a thumping low-frequency response that matches well with higher-frequency content. At top listening levels, the bass doesn’t distort, and at more moderate volume levels, the lows still sound robust. 

Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, better indicates the pair's sound signature. The drums on this track can approach unnatural levels with bass-forward earphones; here, the drums sound full and don't threaten to overwhelm the mix. Callahan’s baritone vocals receive a pleasant balance of low-mid richness and high-mid definition, while the acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits have a bright, detailed presence.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “No Church in the Wild,” the kick drum loop receives enough high-mid presence for its attack to retain its punch. The vinyl crackle and hiss that usually stick to the background step forward a bit—this indicates plenty of sculpting in the high-mids and highs. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat come across with laudable depth—you get a sense of the subwoofer-like power this pair can deliver, but the lows (at least with the EQ off) aren’t intensely boosted. The result is a full-sounding bass presence that doesn’t dominate the highs and allows the vocals sufficient space in the mix

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound excellent. The higher-register brass, strings, and vocals present clearly with plenty of detail, while the lower-register instrumentation sounds full and serves as a natural anchor.

The four-mic-array works well. We didn't have any issues understanding every word of a test recording from our iPhone, but we did notice a few Bluetooth artifacts in the signal.

Sennheiser makes some top-notch audio products, but the Sport True Wireless earphones don’t meet that distinction, despite their quality audio performance. Ultimately, they fail to live up to the ambitions of their exercise-focused name. We’re not fans of the swappable eartip design, the lackluster water-resistance rating, or the ineffective EQ. Accordingly, we recommend looking elsewhere, such as to the Tribit Flybuds 3, which offer a stronger IP rating for far less money. The Jabra Elite 7 Active earphones also boasts a stronger water-resistance rating, a superior app, and a more convenient ambient mode. Moreover, we don’t see much of an advantage of this pair over Sennheiser’s other non-exercise-focused models, including the CX True Wireless ($129.95). To succeed in this competitive space, Sennheiser needs to better address the needs of gym-goers than it does here.

The Sennheiser Sport True Wireless in-ears deliver solid audio, but suffer from a disappointing water-resistance rating and an uninspiring swappable eartip design.

Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.

Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!

I've been a contributing editor for PCMag since 2011. Before that, I was PCMag's lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I'm a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.

PCMag.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering lab-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services. Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

© 1996-2022 Ziff Davis. PCMag Digital Group

PCMag, PCMag.com and PC Magazine are among the federally registered trademarks of Ziff Davis and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. The display of third-party trademarks and trade names on this site does not necessarily indicate any affiliation or the endorsement of PCMag. If you click an affiliate link and buy a product or service, we may be paid a fee by that merchant.