Sennheiser PXC 550

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Sennheiser PXC 550 Review Facts

Finding a decent pair of headphones is a challenge in and of itself because there are so many available. And, people have lots of different demands when it comes to what they want in headphones; some simply want ones that will last for a long time, whereas others look for specifics in sound quality, activities and more in-depth features such as isolation and latency.

A high-quality and sturdy pair of headphones that could be a great option for you are the Sennheiser PXC 550. While they are a bit on the pricey side, there are many unique features that they offer, added to the fact that they are wireless, which means that you won’t have to worry about accidentally yanking the cord out of your device, potentially causing damage to the headphones. Plus, they have a decent wireless range, meaning you don’t even have to be in the same room as the sound source. And the long battery life is an added bonus to these excellent quality headphones. Sure, there are other headphones on the market that have better noise-canceling abilities and sound quality, but that does not mean that these are any less worthy.

Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
  • The headphones are very versatile and can be used in many different situations
  • They have a great design that many people were pleased with
  • The headphones are lightweight, and many people even said that they were able to wear the headphones to the gym
  • You can easily customize the sound in the headphones
  • They are made with sturdy and high-quality materials
Cons
  • There are many other headphones on the market claiming to do the exact same things as these and are available at more affordable prices
  • Some people were not pleased with these headphones’ noise-canceling abilities

 

Activities

While the Sennheiser headphones are actually not recommended for use while watching television or while gaming, due to the fact that they have problems with latency (the headphones do have an audio cable, which is meant to solve this issue, but that might not be a viable solution for some people), they can be used in many different cases. The headphones do not claim to be particularly good in one environment or another. People generally agree that one of the best activities these headphones can be used for is critical listening since the headphones offer several different ways for the user to be able to customize the sound to fit their needs. The headphones do have good isolation, so they can also be used for your regular commute. And while they might not be good if you are someone who participates in very intense exercises and sports, people have said that they wore the headphones to the gym or while jogging and did not experience any issues whatsoever. They also can be used in the office, because other people will not be able to hear what you are listening to and you won’t be distracted by all the hustle and bustle that might be in your office space.

Basic Features

The PXC 550 headphones have a wireless version, which means that you don’t even need to be in the same room as the source of the audio that you are listening to is.

The headphones also have a microphone, which tends to be better in noisy environments than in quiet ones. If you are in a particularly loud place, however, your voice won’t be heard too well. But if you are in a moderately noisy situation, they do have the ability to distinguish your voice from the hubbub around you. The microphone isn’t the best on the market, but it works.

Advanced Features

One of the best features of these headphones is that they have a great battery life, which is essential for people who want to be using wireless headphones, as wireless headphones don’t often have good battery life. And there are plenty of ways for you to save battery while using them, and in the event that they do need to be charged up, it won’t take long at all.

The headphones do have a compatible app- Sennheiser Cap Tune, which is available for both iOS and Android devices. This app has plenty of features installed on it, which include being able to customize the sound of your music as you wish. Some of the features the app includes are smart pause, noise-cancelling features, and an equalizer. This means that you can fix the way you want your music to sound- or even a particular song- that will be exactly the way you want it. The app has so many features on it for the headphones that some people were overwhelmed by how much they could do. This makes the Sennheiser headphones a great option for versatility.

Accessories

The headphones come with a manual, a USB charging cable, an audio cable, an airline adapter, their carrying case, and a ⅛’ to ¼’ adapter. These accessories are also available online in the event that they stop working or get lost.

Sound Quality

The Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones, overall, have a decent sound quality, which particularly depends on what you intend to use them for.

They have good noise-canceling mechanisms, although some people claimed that there are other ones on the market that are better with this. However, if you will be using public transportation, people have said that the noise does not affect your ability to be able to listen to your audio. And, you also won’t have to worry about leak (other people having the ability to hear what you are listening to) when listening to audio at regular volumes, or even at higher volumes, but if you are in a quiet location, you might want to lower the volume a bit, because people will be able to hear it.

As far as the actual sound goes, people were generally pleased. You do have the ability to customize the sound- which is best for critical listening. Some people have said that their immersive sound quality isn’t the greatest, however, and they aren’t the best for if you intend to find headphones for use with the television or gaming. According to many, the deep bass, mid-range, and treble are very well-balanced and sound excellent. They do not have a soundstage similar to speakers, but this seems to be a normal quality of closed headphones.

Connectivity

Since the headphones are wireless, they can be paired with several different devices and do have a wireless range. There is a cable that comes inside the box which can be used on many different consoles and PCs, which means that people who use almost any type of device can also use these headphones. The Bluetooth version of the headphones is able to accommodate two devices, but some people said that the headphones are not as good at connecting to Bluetooth as some of its competitors are. The headphones have Near Field Communication technology, but the Bluetooth version is not compatible with a PS4 or Xbox.

The wired headphones can be used with devices such as a PS4, Xbox, and PC. They come with an audio cable that has a microphone for this, and if you are going to be connected to a PC or to a tablet, the headphones have a USB cable for that.

Something that people appreciated about the PXC 500 was that they do have a wide range of approximately 50 feet for audio. If the source of your sound is in another room, you can comfortably move about within 50 feet and not have to worry about your connection being disabled.

Comfort

One of the things that many people were pleased with when it came to the Sennheiser headphones was that they were incredibly comfortable to wear. There is thick cushioning all around the headphones, including on the headband area. People were pleased with the fact that these headphones provided all the extra cushioning, and the ear cups can fit around most people’s ears. However, some people said that the headband will not extend to be able to fit all head sizes, so if this might be a problem for you, that is something to take into consideration. Other than that, people said that the headphones were even comfortable enough to wear to the gym, and they did not suffer from headaches or anything else after wearing the headphones for long periods of time.

Another important thing to mention is that these headphones are rather breathable, despite the back that they are closed-back (meaning, they completely cover your ears). This design might mean that these headphones shouldn’t be used for more intense activities due to the lack of air, but people have said that their ears felt cooler while using these in comparison to some other ones out there.

Style

The design of these headphones is very sleek, and many people said that the headphones look like something high-end. They are stable enough for you not to worry about whether or not they will fall off your head. And while they aren’t the best headphones to wear if you will be participating in more intense activities, they will stay put on your head. And something else that many people said was that this product did not stick out too much on their head while wearing them; some people find that they look a bit silly while wearing these types of headphones, but that didn’t seem to be the case with the Sennheisers. And, the headphones are also wireless, meaning that you won’t have to worry about the cord or any damage that might happen to the cord (or it getting pulled out of your ears due to movement) if you choose to wear the headphones while exercising. The headphones come in black, as is typical with many headphones of its sort. If you were looking for something more colorful, these might not be the best option for you, since they don’t have a color scheme.

Durability

Something interesting that quite a few people have noted about the Sennheiser headphones was that they were very lightweight, which is not typical of such headphones. But, people were pleased with the fact that the headphones seemed to be made of very high-quality and sturdy materials, and they were made to last for a very long time. The metal on the headband was made of a strong material, and so was the cushioning material on the rest of the headphones. They were made to be able to withstand being dropped (within reasonable distances) without suffering any damage. Almost no one has had issues with the quality and durability of these headphones.

Power Source

These headphones claim to have a 30-hour battery life, and after that, they need to be charged in their USB charging port. If you will be listening to audio wirelessly, you might notice that the headphones need to be charged a bit more frequently than you might have expected.

Price

The price of the PXC 550 headphones tends to differ according to the website. On the official Sennheiser website, they are listed at $350, and on Amazon, they are listed at $224. Some people might believe that this is a steep price point, while for others, this might be a good range. This seems to be a decent price for headphones that claim to do as much as the PXC 550 does.

Key Features

-There is an app that is compatible with the Sennheiser headphones, available on both Androids and iOS devices, which allows you to customize your music and do a lot with your headphones.
-The headphones, despite having closed backs on the ears, are very comfortable.
-The headphones have a sleek design that isn’t too clunky or overwhelming.
-The headphones are made with high-quality materials that make them completely worth the price.

Bottom Line

If you are someone who needs headphones that won’t leak at all, that have perfect noise-canceling abilities, and that can be used for TV or gaming, then these might not be the best option for you. Otherwise, the PXC 550 are great even for if you want to do some moderate jogging with them. The headphones are comfortable, have an attractive design, and have the ability for you to customize the sound. An added bonus is that they are wireless and have a great battery life. There are many options to choose from when it comes to headphones, but the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless are definitely a great one.