Sennheiser PXC250 Headphones

Convinced Sennheiser produce the highest quality headphones on the market, I counted the days till those little babies came in the post.

When they finally arrived, I was ecstatic. They fit superbly and even though they didn't cover my ears completely (like the much more expensive HD-580s), I found the earpieces very comfortable. They fit snuggly as to nearly block out all sound. I really like the fold up design too. I found it easy to fold up and place in the smart compact carrying case it came with (Way cool).

The noise-cancellation unit seems to boost the bass and treble when activated and music sounds WAY better with it on. I compared them very closely to the HD-580s, switching them back and forth to see which sounded better. My girlfriend agreed that without the PXC250s noise cancellation turned on, the HDs sounded much better. However, once the noise cancellation was turned on, PXC out performed the HD-580 without a doubt. Sennheiser even included plug adapters that can be used on most airplanes (two pronged, etc.) where this technology will be most welcome.

While being its strong point, the noise-cancellation technology does have some drawbacks. First, it is not really that good at blocking out background noise. You can definitely hear noises around you with the noise cancellation on. It does dampen the 'white noise' you hear, but it seems to replace it with it's own 'white noise'. I've been on helicopter rides with real noise cancellation headphones and when they are on, you hear NOTHING but what comes in on the speaker. Don't expect anything near that level of quality from the PXC or you will be sorely disappointed.

The noise cancellation also requires 2 AAA batteries (not included, of course) and they are housed in a bulky unit situated halfway along the headphone cord (Why??). I've grown to hate this thing. If you ever use the full length of the cable, you have a heavy weight dangling in the middle of the cable either pulling the phones off your head or the pulling the plug out of the stereo. Okay, it never pulled the plug from the stereo, but it's pretty annoying. Even if you lay down on the couch to listen to some tunes, you have to figure out where this thing is going to lie otherwise it's hanging off of your head pulling the headphones. My HD 580s have a very long cable and I can walk around freely with no problem. Couldn't this have been placed somewhere else?

Also, once the batteries die, you don't get that nice sound I described before. You essentially have the cheaper version of the headphones you can get for over 50% off which don't require batteries.

One night, the noise-cancellation got accidentally switched on when I placed the phones in their case. When I used them the next day, the batteries were dead. Really bugged me.

Because of these drawbacks, I find myself using the HD 580s more often. It's just a little bit easier to deal with them. I ask myself, "If I'm not using the PX-C250s, are they worth the 75 pounds? Am I getting the value from the product?" Probably not.

Summary, Great sound, great speakers, great headset. But with the batteries, and bulky noise cancellation unit you may not get all the enjoyment you deserve for your hard earned dosh.