Ifi Go Blu Air vs Sennheiser Cx 80U Wired Earbuds Review: Performance, Price, and Verdict

Category: Audio

Introduction

I've been using the iFi Go Blu Air and the Sennheiser CX 80U wired earbuds for several months now, swapping them in and out of daily commutes, gym sessions, work calls, and quiet evening listening. I bought both with the intention of pairing the Go Blu Air as a portable Bluetooth DAC/amp with multiple wired earphones — including the CX 80U — to see whether a small dongle-style DAC/amp could materially improve the listening experience of budget wired earbuds. What I found was a mix of pleasantly surprising improvements and a few real-world annoyances that matter if you plan to carry these as your daily audio setup.

How I tested

My testing routine was simple and practical: I used both products across different sources (laptop, iPhone, Android phone), listened to a variety of genres (acoustic, indie, electronic, hip-hop, classical), made and received phone calls, and used them in situations that matter to me — commuting on a train, walking around the neighborhood, and sitting at my desk. I listened for clarity, bass quality, imaging, and comfort over long sessions (1–3 hours). I also paid attention to pairing stability, battery life, and build quality.

iFi Go Blu Air — My hands-on review

What it is and how I used it

The iFi Go Blu Air is a compact Bluetooth receiver and headphone amplifier that sits between your phone and wired earphones. I used it mostly clipped to my jacket or kept in a pocket while plugging my CX 80U into the unit's headphone jack. Because I value portability, I liked that it’s small enough to carry daily but with more features and power than a phone's headphone jack—or the phone alone—can deliver.

Design and build

In my experience, the Go Blu Air feels solid for its size. The chassis has a slightly rubberized texture that helped when I fumbled with it on the move. The buttons are tactile enough to find by feel, though the device is small so I occasionally missed a press when in a chilly hurry. The clip on the back is sturdy and useful for attaching it to pockets or straps. One thing I noticed was that the headphone output jack has a snug fit with standard 3.5mm plugs; it didn't wiggle loose during my commute, which was reassuring.

Connectivity and battery life

Pairing was straightforward: I paired it with my phone and laptop without drama. I used it for continuous streaming and calls. In my real-world usage, I typically got around 6–7 hours of active playback before the battery needed a recharge. That matched my needs for a day out, but if you’re on long travel days, you'll want a power bank or a different solution that offers more endurance. I did notice occasional Bluetooth audio dropouts in crowded subway tunnels — not unique to this unit but worth noting for city commuters.

Sound quality

Feeding the Go Blu Air with high-quality streaming (lossless where available) made a surprisingly noticeable difference when driving the CX 80U. The overall sound became cleaner, with a more defined low end and slightly better separation in the midrange. I heard better instrument definition and a more natural vocal presence compared with plugging the CX 80U directly into my phone. With bass-heavy tracks, the lows felt tighter and less muddy.

That said, the Go Blu Air didn't completely transform the CX 80U into a high-end IEM — it improved clarity and control without granting an enormous leap in resolution. With higher-end earbuds or IEMs the unit delivered clearer refinements; with budget cans like the CX 80U, the improvements were meaningful but bounded by the earbuds' inherent limitations.

Controls and user experience

The physical controls are simple: power, pairing, volume, and a mode/eq toggle. I appreciated the convenience of switching profiles without touching my phone. However, I sometimes had to press buttons a few times to change modes, and the tiny status LED can be hard to interpret in bright daylight. For casual users who want plug-and-play simplicity, it's mostly fine; audiophiles who love fiddling with settings will appreciate the extra flexibility.

Pros & Cons of the iFi Go Blu Air

• Pros: Noticeable clarity and control improvement for wired earbuds, compact and portable, useful physical controls, reliable clip.
• Cons: Battery life is decent but not exceptional, occasional Bluetooth dropouts in dense areas, small size makes precise button presses fiddly.

Sennheiser CX 80U Wired Earbuds — My hands-on review

What they are and how I used them

The Sennheiser CX 80U are straightforward wired earbuds aimed at the budget-conscious listener. They’re lightweight, come with a few ear tip choices, and have an in-line mic/remote on the cable. I used them as my daily commuter pair and as the reference "budget earbud" to test what a portable DAC/amp like the Go Blu Air could do for a lower-cost set.

Design and comfort

Comfort is where the CX 80U shines for me. The earbuds are light, and with the right silicone tip they stayed comfortable during long listening sessions. I appreciated that Sennheiser’s nozzle shape lets you find a stable fit without needing foam tips. The cable, however, is thin and prone to tangling. In cold weather the cable gets a little stiffer, and that bothered me while storing them in a jacket pocket.

Sound quality

Out of the box, the CX 80U deliver an agreeable sound for the price: mid-forward, reasonably detailed vocals, and enough bass to satisfy casual listeners. They don’t dig super deep in the sub-bass, and complex mixes can get a touch congested at higher volumes. I found that acoustic instruments and voices sounded natural, which made them good for podcasts and singer-songwriter tracks.

When I plugged the CX 80U through the iFi Go Blu Air, I noticed better transient response and tighter bass. Vocals sounded a bit more centered and less smeared, and the overall presentation gained a small but welcome sense of openness. The CX 80U still have limits — the treble can be slightly recessed on very detailed recordings and there's a mild lack of sparkle — but pairing them with the Go Blu Air made them feel closer to a midrange setup than a strict budget earbud.

Call quality and microphone

The inline mic works well for basic calls. In quiet rooms voice clarity is acceptable. Out in the street or in transit, the mic picked up ambient noise — not surprising for a budget inline mic — but callers told me I still came through clearly enough to hold a conversation.

Pros & Cons of the Sennheiser CX 80U

• Pros: Comfortable fit for long sessions, clear midrange and vocals, lightweight and discreet, very affordable for casual users.
• Cons: Cable tangles easily and feels thin, limited bass depth and high-frequency extension, inline mic struggles in loud environments.

Comparison: Side-by-side

Below is a compact comparison table to help see where each product stands in my day-to-day usage.

Buying guide — What to consider before you buy

1. What do you want to improve?

If you're hoping to dramatically upgrade sonic detail, remember that a small Bluetooth DAC/amp like the iFi Go Blu Air can improve clarity, control, and bass tightness — but it won't create new detail beyond what your earphones can resolve. If your earbuds are very low-end or physically limited (thin drivers, poor seal), improvements will be noticeable but limited. If you already own higher-quality IEMs, the Go Blu Air will offer clearer benefits.

2. Portability vs. battery life

For me, portability mattered. The iFi Go Blu Air is pocketable and light, but you trade some battery life for that convenience. If you need all-day playback without charging, either choose a different solution with longer battery life or plan to carry a charger or power bank.

3. Comfort and fit

Don’t underestimate ear tip fit. The CX 80U are comfortable for long sessions with the right tips. If you’re buying earbuds, try different tips to get a proper seal — this alone can dramatically improve perceived bass and clarity.

4. Use case: travel, workout, or desk?

For workouts, the CX 80U work fine if you don’t sweat heavily and if the cable doesn’t bother you; for active runs, I preferred earbuds with better cable routing or truly wireless buds. For travel, the Go Blu Air plus wired earbuds was a nice combo because it freed my phone from being directly wired and improved audio quality on flights and trains.

5. Microphone and call quality

If you take a lot of calls in noisy places, neither a budget inline mic nor a tiny dongle mic will be perfect. The CX 80U's inline mic is usable in quiet environments; paired with the Go Blu Air, voice calls were fine but not outstanding in noisy settings.

Practical tips from my experience

• Use foam or larger silicone tips with the CX 80U if you want deeper bass — the seal matters more than any EQ setting.
• Keep the Go Blu Air charged before long trips. I learned the hard way on a six-hour day trip when it died halfway through a return journey.
• Avoid storing the CX 80U tangled in pockets; invest in a small cable pouch to preserve the thin cable and keep the inline mic from catching on clothing.
• If you expect to use the Go Blu Air with multiple earphones, label your favorite pairing settings and get accustomed to the physical buttons — they’re small but reliable once you know them.

Conclusion — My verdict

After several months of real-world use, here's how I would summarize my honest take: the Sennheiser CX 80U are a solid, comfortable pair of budget earbuds with a pleasing vocal-forward presentation that makes them great for podcasts, commuting, and casual listening. They feel light and unobtrusive, and they deliver more than enough for the price point — but their thin cable and limited extreme frequency extension are real limitations.

The iFi Go Blu Air, on the other hand, is a clever little tool that meaningfully upgrades the listening experience of wired earbuds like the CX 80U. In my use, it tightened the bass, cleaned up muddiness, and improved instrument separation. It won't make budget earbuds sound like flagship IEMs, but it will make them better in ways you can hear in everyday listening. For someone who already owns decent wired earphones or who wants to rescue a pair of beloved buds from the limitations of a phone's output, the Go Blu Air is worth considering.

If I had to pick one path based on my needs: for pure simplicity and low cost, the CX 80U are a dependable choice. If you're looking for a noticeable step-up in sound quality while keeping your existing wired earphones, pairing them with a portable DAC/amp like the iFi Go Blu Air delivered the most practical and satisfying outcome for my daily routine.