Sennheiser PXC 250 Active Noise Canceling Headphones
by Sennheiser
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Our Price: $214.46 Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days Buy Used: from $45.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Sennheiser PXC 250 Active Noise Canceling Headphones
Customer Review: Great sound, reasonable price, small annoyance
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought these headphones to use with my new portable when I'm walking around the city and on airplanes. I also thought I'd try them on the NYC subway system, which is about the most demanding test I can think of, but I didn't have much hope for them working too well on the trains. In fact, they are pretty good in the subway, which is saying a lot given the racket down there, and for walking around town they are exceptional.I sat in a park near one of the city highways and listened to a selection of various music styles, all of which sounded very good, even the soft classical pieces. The Sennheisers were very effective at eliminating the hum of highway traffic, and also cut about 70% of the noise from helicopters and boat traffic on the nearby river. If these work this well in the city, I can only imagine how much better my next airplane ride is going to be.
Now for the small annoyance: There are a lot of cords to deal with, as there are two different lines running out of each side of the headset and also a third line that runs out of the powerpack. Plus, the powerpack is somewhat bulky, which was a hassle when I tried to wear the headphones while exercising. But the excellent performance and the reasonable price make the cord issue one that's worth dealing with.
Speaking of price, these headphones are definitely a great value. I paid $103. for them on sale on Amazon -- a significant savings from what they go for in retail stores and far less than the cost of the Bose headset that I originally wanted. While I can believe that the Bose are a bit more effective at filtering out some sounds, the Sennheisers are more than adequate for my purposes -- and for only a third the price of the Bose.
Customer Review: The perfect travel headphones for me!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the Sennheiser PXC 250 noise canceling headphones in December 2007 for my husband. We were going to be traveling a great deal and wanted headphones to use on airplanes. On Christmas morning I gave them to him and he gave me a Bose QuietComfort 2 acoustic noise cancelling pair! We both did research before selecting what each thought was the best noise canceling headphone factoring in many variables, portability, sound quality, comfort, noise canceling, etc. We ended up trading and here is why.
For me, the Sennheiser fits my head better and more comfortably. I can fall asleep, lying on them. My husband has a bigger head and the Bose are better for him. I like that I can turn my nose canceling on or off when needed so it is off in a quiet environment. The Bose noise cancelling is on all of the time. The buzz on the noise cancelling is louder on his than mine. I do not mind the battery unit on the cord. My husband has a more sensitive ear and claims that his Bose has a better sound. I like the smaller size and the fact mine fold; his comes in a larger, hard case that for me is too big for easy packing. I understand that the Sennheiser PXC 300 noise canceling headphones come in a case more like the Bose, and for this reason I am ordering another 250 to leave beside my bed while my first pair stays in my travel case. I use them in times of insomnia to listen to something or just on my head unplugged with the noise cancelling turned on to dampen my husband's loud snoring.
So you see, the best noise cancelling headphone depends on your own needs and your anatomy. If you can, try them on to see which feels best and sounds best to you. I highly recommend my Sennheiser PXC 250 pair.
Customer Review: ALMOST too good to be true
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought these b/c I work in a lab with machines under vacuum, and the pumps are loud and annoying. Yes, there is a HUGE reduction in this kind of noise. We use heat guns (loud hairdryer) to dry samples, and you would not even know that it was on with these headphones. The guy next to me likes to watch TV on the internet, and it does not really filter out that kind of noise. They sound amazing, but only when the noise cancelling is on. I do not really know how I feel about batteries being needed just to make them sound good, but I use them quite a bit (several hours a day six days a week), and the batteries have lasted over two weeks. At home I use Grado Prestige rs-125 with Project Headset headphone amp for my vinyl. I use these for my mp3 player. Two totally different worlds, and the Grados are open, and the Senns closed ( I would be very skeptical of open noise cancelling headphones ). I got these at an incredible deal on Amazon.com, and the purchase is a no-brainer, I should have bought at least two sets. At avg. retail, they seem to be a lot less expesive than comparable models, and I do not see the noise cancelling feature getting much better, perhaps the sound. My Grados were the same price as avg. retail, and hands down that money buys you a set of prestigious sounding headphones, The senns give you a very satisfying level of noise cancellation, but the sound quality of headphones you could buy for probrably a little less than half of the retail price (but like I said, with no active noise cancelling. Cost aside, these are the perfect headphones for on the go and mp3 listening. And these are probrably the most comfortable set of headphones I have ever worn.Customer Review: Kinda Suck!
Summary: 2 Stars
If you have an MP3 player DO NOT Buy THESE!!! The high impedance limits the volume output to barely sufficient in quiet surroundings. In noisy spots, they are simply too subdued to be enjoyable. The design is also pretty bad. Why on earth would I want to carry around the NC module on my belt along with my pager, phone, etc. It is way too big and clunky for me. As stated before, the NC module wire is too short and usually winds up in a tangled mess after use. Not cool.
The sound quality is OK on the mids and highs, but the bass is sorely lacking. If you press and hold them to your ears, you can hear what they probably should sound like, but I don't think that it is a reasonable tradeoff. That's not what I am paying $100-$150 for. Again, the low output level does not help matters whatsoever. I wound up having to adjust the headband to the back of my head to get the earcups somewhat tighter to try and get some bass out of them. On the airplane, that kinda sucked because I couldn't rest my head with the headband in this position.
Anybody that said that the sound was even marginal without noise cancelling circuitry on is really full of it. I would rather listen to crying babies in the row behind me than to listen to the PXC-250's in passive mode. Tinny and hallow is my best stab at trying to quantify it.
I was really surprised after reading all of the reviews that these were rated so highly. Sennheiser does makes some excellent headphones, but these are not one of them. I have to believe that at least a few of these reviews were by Sennheiser employees. If you gave these 5 stars, all I can say is "Aim Low".
Customer Review: For me they are the best! Great buy!
Summary: 5 Stars
After a month of researching reviews online I settled for the Sennheiser PXC 250 noise cancelling headphones. They just arrived tonight! I based my purchase on reviews that spoke of noise cancelling, light weight, comfort and sound quality. My hearing like most adults that enjoyed the 60's and 70's are not perfect. The low end rumbles of dishwashers, washing machines, and the forced air system though I can hear perfectly - But not with the PXC 250 on! Even at moderate volume levels with my IPOD, the low frequency noises are just not there.
I just wore them for a few hours while doing some research, my ears are not sweaty, they do not fell like they have been compressed and my head does not feel like I having been wearing headphones! And I didn't hear the 'house' noises that usually disturb my thoughts.
I actually own a pair of $12 noise cancelling headphones that except for the weight and HISS work great. They are what prompted me to seek a better solution.
I have worn the Bose's, I do not think with my hearing they are worth the price compared to the Sennheisers. With my worthless hearing I could not tell a difference in sound quality.
If your hearing is not perfect, you need the low rumble noises gone from your life, and you want comfort, these are the headphones for you.
(One of the negative things always mentioned about these headphones is the outboard battery pack, for traveling and researching the battery pack is not in the way. These are not GYM or sports rated phones! I found the battery pack not to be in the way or a bother.)
Have a great day!