Argh, Sennheisers?

[Jonny69]

Help me, I'm so confused! I'm up for replacing my old Sony ear buds. T'other half has got Sennheiser CX200's which I am very impressed with. Lovely sound, lovely deep bass, and clear mid and top, but I'm left confused because... everyone recommends CX300 ii's which are cheaper. Anyone know what the difference is and why the CX200's are more expensive?

Then there's the CX400's and CX500's and all four models seem to be specced up pretty much identically and all different prices...

And then there's the CX271's which are a whopping 120dB sensitivity, 10dB higher than the other models. I like the bass sound on the CX200's but I'm wary about a small speaker that's that much more sensitive than the other models in case it kills me with overly loud midrange and harsh treble.

Where do I start and how should I be wary about fakes, because I've seen it mentioned here before?

[divine]

The CX300 IIs seem cheaper because the market is beyond flooded with fake copies that even Amazon and Play seem to be dishing out (via marketplace sellers, neither sell the CX300s direct any more) these days.

I had a mare of a time finding some certified genuine ones just a few weeks back and eventually gave up and bought them on the high street where I could see them even if they did end up costing £30 rather than £15.

http://www.boat-drinks.co.uk/showthread.php?t=13617 << You've probably read it already but if not, worth a quick skim.