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Technical Details
- Outstanding sound thanks to adaptive baffle damping and patented Duofol diaphragm
- Best possible protection from outside noise (up to 90%) with NoiseGard technology
- Talk through function allows you to talk undisturbed while wearing headphones
- Includes a soft case, 2 audio adapters (in-flight entertainment and 6.3mm), and batteries
- Audio always works, even in passive mode and without batteries
- Full accessories: soft case, 2 audio adapters (in-flight entertainment and 6.3mm/1/4"), batteries
Product Details
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
The Sennheiser PXC 450 is a premium around-the-ear travel headphone set featuring Sennheiser's exclusive NoiseGard 2.0 active noise compensation system, which effectively reduces up to 90% of ambient noise. Adaptive baffle damping and patented Duofol diaphragm technology deliver pristine audio production. The extremely comfortable headphones offer audiophile-grade sound combined with a foldable construction for maximum enjoyment and convenient storage.
Premium travel headphone set with exclusive NoiseGard 2.0
NoiseGard 2.0 and TalkThrough Technology
The switchable NoiseGard 2.0 technology reduces ambient noise up to 90%, with active/bypass mode for use as a noise cancelling or closed-back audiophile headphone. The innovative new TalkThrough function allows the user to communicate with neighbors without taking off the headphones. Unwanted background noise, such as the roar of the airplane engines, is filtered out so that only the neighbor’s voice is passed on through the headphones at top quality.
Comfortable headphones offer audiophile-grade sound combined with a foldable construction
Just one AAA battery is all it takes for up to 16 hours of serene enjoyment with NoiseGard 2.0 and TalkThrough technology. The PXC 450 also functions as a passive headset when used without batteries, so audio always works. A simple-to-use volume control is integrated into the headphone.
User-Replaceable Parts
The Sennheiser HD 280 PRO features rugged construction with user-replaceable parts, including the cable and the earpads. The single-sided, coiled cable has a 3.5mm mini jack and comes with a locking 1/4" adapter for home or studio stereo equipment, as well as an In-Flight Entertainment adapter for airplanes.
What's in the Box?
Sennheiser PXC 450 Headphones, transport case, 2 audio adapters (In-flight-Entertainment and 6.3mm), 2 AAA batteries, warranty.
Technical Specifications
- Attenuation (passive): Up to 32 dB
- Power: One AAA battery
- Cable length: 4.6 ft. (1.4 m)
- Connector: 3.5mm
- Frequency response (headphones): 8 - 28,000 Hz
- Impedance: 150/750 Ohms
- Sound pressure level (SPL): 108 dB SPL
- Total harmonic distortion (THD): < 0.1%
- Transducer type: Dynamic
- Weight: 8.5 oz. (240 g)
Product Description
The Sennheiser PXC 450 is a premium around-the-ear travel headphone set featuring Sennheiser’s exclusive NoiseGard 2.0 active noise compensation system, which effectively reduces up to 90% of ambient noise. Adaptive baffle damping and patented Duofol diaphragm technology deliver pristine audio production. The extremely comfortable headphones offer audiophile-grade sound combined with a foldable construction for maximum enjoyment and convenient storage.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
656 of 662 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I compared these headphones side-by-side with five other noise cancelling headphones: Bose QC2 & 3, JVC NC250, Audio Technica ANC7, and Sennheiser PXC-250. I was in the market for a noise cancelling headphone because I travel a lot and I wanted to be able to watch movies or listen to music in relative isolation. With the ipod earbuds, you have to blast your ears in order to compete with the airplane's engines and I want to preserve my hearing. My main criteria were sound qualifty, noise cancelling, and comfort. All three were very important and I didn't really want to compromise on any of those categories. The only headphone that excelled at all three was the PXC-450. I disqualified all but the PXC-450 on the basis of out of the box testing.
The JVC was disqualified right away on the basis of its cheap build quality. It does not fit snugly on your head, it is very loose. The slightest movement of my head and the earphones would slide around on my ears. Because of that these headphones offered zero passive noise cancelling. Sound quality was okay but nothing special. These headphones never really merited serious consideration.
The Audio Techicas are one of the most popular headphones on Amazon. I read the reviews of this headphone extensively, and most people rave about these headphones. The only criticism of them I saw was sound leakage. People complained that when you listen to these headphones, people around you can hear what you're listening to. They were right. It really is a shame because other than that flaw, these are very good headphones. The sound and noise cancelling is amazing considering the price. However, as I was buying this for use in very close quarters (airplane travel), I didn't want to have to worry about bothering people around me.
The PXC-250 sounded amazing. I couldn't believe such small headphones could sound so good. However, the battery wand I felt got in the way a bit and I just didn't think the noise cancelling on these on ear headphones was as good as the other more expensive headphones. The 250s had another odd problem in that very slight movements would cause the earpads to rub slightly on your ear. This rubbing created a noise that would reverberate inside your ear that was very noticable if you were watching a movie or listening to softer music.
When I was testing the Bose and the PXC-450, comparing them to the other headphones I tested, it made me realize that noise cancelling technology must just be expensive which is why if you want a quality noise cancelling headphone, you have to be willing to shell out some cash. The Audio Technicas are by far the best of the cheaper NC headphones, but the Bose (particularly the QC3) and the 450 really stand out from the pack.
The Bose are very good headphones, but they have some issues that I just couldn't get over. First, I don't like the way Bose headphones sound. They push the bass into your face and the mids and highs sound muddy. Most of the reviews of these headphones mention these issues. The QC2 got very warm and I could feel the heat radiating inside on my ears and it was not comfortable.
The QC3s are really amazing. They are on ear headphones, yet they had the best noise cancelling of any of the other headphones I tried. The earpads are made of a material that just kill sound. Without even turning the earphones on, you are immediately immersed in silence. However, in addition to the sound quality issue, there is something about their noise cancelling function that creates a pressure on your eardrum. This pressure bothered me enough that it was hard to ignore. If the PXC-450 did not exist, I would have gone with the QC3 and just sucked it up, but I was glad that I didn't have to.
Finally, the PXC-450. For me, these were the perfect headphone and I just fell in love with them and didn't have to think very hard about which ones to keep.
Bass. I read a lot of reviews and a lot of people complained about a lack of bass on these headphones. When I first put these headphones on, I admit that I was a little let down because it seemed to me like they were very weak. Then I realized that I needed to adjust the volume control on the headphones. I basically turned the volume on the headphones all the way up and just adjust the volume on my ipod. With the volume issue fixed, my concerns about the bass went away. These headphones do not have as much bass as Bose. However, that's because Bose changes the sound from the way it was intended to push the bass forward. If you like a lot of bass, these headphones might not be for you. However, the bass is definitely there. Just listen to Pon de Replay (Rihanna) or Pass that Dutch (Missy Elliot) for a demonstration of how good the bass is on these headphones.
Sound Quality. Moving past the bass to sound quality as a whole, these headphones are in a different league. I mean, I am hearing details in songs I have heard dozens or even hundreds of times and never noticed. Background singers that before were lost with all of the other sounds can be heard clearly on these headphones.
Noise Cancelling. These headphones have a tight fit, which gives them a lot of passive noise cancelling. They are not so tight, however, to become uncomfortable. Combined with the active noise cancelling, and these headphones are *almost* as good as the QC3s. I feel like the QC3s were a little better at cancelling the higher frequencies, but I think that is why they have the pressure on the eardrum problem. I didn't feel any pressure with the 450. The slight advantage the QC3s have on noice cancelling is more than outweighed by the 450s superiority in sound quality and comfort.
Comfort. Despite being snug, the 450s are very comfortable. The material that the earpads are made of is very soft and I quickly forgot I was wearing them on my flight. The headphones are very big--much larger than the on ear QC3s. However, because they are snug they don't slide around and they really do melt into your head after a while. Also, they don't get hot like the QC2s did.
Portability. Because they are bigger, they are slightly more difficult to manage than the Bose. However, they fold up quite nicely and their case, though larger than both of the Bose cases, is still rather small (and light!).
In the end, once I tried the 450s, there was really no way I could settle for any of the other headphones I tried. All of the other headphones had too many flaws and the 450s were near perfect. Oh, I should mention that I listened for the "ticking sound" that other reviewers complained about in the right earpiece and there was absolutely nothing. Either those reviewers had defective units or Sennheiser has fixed the problem.
Update 3/31/11:
I can't believe it's been three years since I bought these headphones. They still work great and I have no plans to replace them. I only use them when I travel, so they're not getting wear and tear every day, but I was travelling A LOT when I first got these. I have not tried the Bose QC15s, so I can't compare the 450 to those.
Someone in the comments suggested that I work for Sennheiser -- I do not.
I didn't mention the Talkthrough feature in my review. After a lot of use, I have found this feature to be very handy. It's nice when the flight attendant comes by to be able to just press the button and talk to them without having to take the headphones off.
The JVC was disqualified right away on the basis of its cheap build quality. It does not fit snugly on your head, it is very loose. The slightest movement of my head and the earphones would slide around on my ears. Because of that these headphones offered zero passive noise cancelling. Sound quality was okay but nothing special. These headphones never really merited serious consideration.
The Audio Techicas are one of the most popular headphones on Amazon. I read the reviews of this headphone extensively, and most people rave about these headphones. The only criticism of them I saw was sound leakage. People complained that when you listen to these headphones, people around you can hear what you're listening to. They were right. It really is a shame because other than that flaw, these are very good headphones. The sound and noise cancelling is amazing considering the price. However, as I was buying this for use in very close quarters (airplane travel), I didn't want to have to worry about bothering people around me.
The PXC-250 sounded amazing. I couldn't believe such small headphones could sound so good. However, the battery wand I felt got in the way a bit and I just didn't think the noise cancelling on these on ear headphones was as good as the other more expensive headphones. The 250s had another odd problem in that very slight movements would cause the earpads to rub slightly on your ear. This rubbing created a noise that would reverberate inside your ear that was very noticable if you were watching a movie or listening to softer music.
When I was testing the Bose and the PXC-450, comparing them to the other headphones I tested, it made me realize that noise cancelling technology must just be expensive which is why if you want a quality noise cancelling headphone, you have to be willing to shell out some cash. The Audio Technicas are by far the best of the cheaper NC headphones, but the Bose (particularly the QC3) and the 450 really stand out from the pack.
The Bose are very good headphones, but they have some issues that I just couldn't get over. First, I don't like the way Bose headphones sound. They push the bass into your face and the mids and highs sound muddy. Most of the reviews of these headphones mention these issues. The QC2 got very warm and I could feel the heat radiating inside on my ears and it was not comfortable.
The QC3s are really amazing. They are on ear headphones, yet they had the best noise cancelling of any of the other headphones I tried. The earpads are made of a material that just kill sound. Without even turning the earphones on, you are immediately immersed in silence. However, in addition to the sound quality issue, there is something about their noise cancelling function that creates a pressure on your eardrum. This pressure bothered me enough that it was hard to ignore. If the PXC-450 did not exist, I would have gone with the QC3 and just sucked it up, but I was glad that I didn't have to.
Finally, the PXC-450. For me, these were the perfect headphone and I just fell in love with them and didn't have to think very hard about which ones to keep.
Bass. I read a lot of reviews and a lot of people complained about a lack of bass on these headphones. When I first put these headphones on, I admit that I was a little let down because it seemed to me like they were very weak. Then I realized that I needed to adjust the volume control on the headphones. I basically turned the volume on the headphones all the way up and just adjust the volume on my ipod. With the volume issue fixed, my concerns about the bass went away. These headphones do not have as much bass as Bose. However, that's because Bose changes the sound from the way it was intended to push the bass forward. If you like a lot of bass, these headphones might not be for you. However, the bass is definitely there. Just listen to Pon de Replay (Rihanna) or Pass that Dutch (Missy Elliot) for a demonstration of how good the bass is on these headphones.
Sound Quality. Moving past the bass to sound quality as a whole, these headphones are in a different league. I mean, I am hearing details in songs I have heard dozens or even hundreds of times and never noticed. Background singers that before were lost with all of the other sounds can be heard clearly on these headphones.
Noise Cancelling. These headphones have a tight fit, which gives them a lot of passive noise cancelling. They are not so tight, however, to become uncomfortable. Combined with the active noise cancelling, and these headphones are *almost* as good as the QC3s. I feel like the QC3s were a little better at cancelling the higher frequencies, but I think that is why they have the pressure on the eardrum problem. I didn't feel any pressure with the 450. The slight advantage the QC3s have on noice cancelling is more than outweighed by the 450s superiority in sound quality and comfort.
Comfort. Despite being snug, the 450s are very comfortable. The material that the earpads are made of is very soft and I quickly forgot I was wearing them on my flight. The headphones are very big--much larger than the on ear QC3s. However, because they are snug they don't slide around and they really do melt into your head after a while. Also, they don't get hot like the QC2s did.
Portability. Because they are bigger, they are slightly more difficult to manage than the Bose. However, they fold up quite nicely and their case, though larger than both of the Bose cases, is still rather small (and light!).
In the end, once I tried the 450s, there was really no way I could settle for any of the other headphones I tried. All of the other headphones had too many flaws and the 450s were near perfect. Oh, I should mention that I listened for the "ticking sound" that other reviewers complained about in the right earpiece and there was absolutely nothing. Either those reviewers had defective units or Sennheiser has fixed the problem.
Update 3/31/11:
I can't believe it's been three years since I bought these headphones. They still work great and I have no plans to replace them. I only use them when I travel, so they're not getting wear and tear every day, but I was travelling A LOT when I first got these. I have not tried the Bose QC15s, so I can't compare the 450 to those.
Someone in the comments suggested that I work for Sennheiser -- I do not.
I didn't mention the Talkthrough feature in my review. After a lot of use, I have found this feature to be very handy. It's nice when the flight attendant comes by to be able to just press the button and talk to them without having to take the headphones off.
270 of 271 people found the following review helpful
I bought both the Bose QC-15's QuietComfort® 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones and Sennheiser PXC-450's Sennheiser PXC 450 NoiseGard Active Noise-Canceling Headphones to compare them side by side before plunking down ~$300 for headsets.
The Sennheiser PXC-450 headset is built much better than the QC15's for durability AND comfort. The quality difference can be seen in the wire gauage, battery compartment hardware, adaptor finish quality, and ear cup cushion. Sound quality was also richer and seemed more encompassing/fuller. I'm no audiophile by any means, but that is my best subjective judgement.
The QC15's however had far superior noise cancellation. This my main determining factor between choosing which headset to keep. The noise cancellation isn't nearly as good as the demonstration unit found at retailers would lead you to believe. (those are likely configured to generate test noise at the precise frequencies of the noise cancellation circuitry of the headphones). My test was simple, I used a couple of air purifiers (not fans) running on high that reasonably simulate the white-noise like droning sound of being on airplane. Again the QC15's were much better than the Sennheiser PXC450's with respect to this non scientific test.
Bottom line, if noise cancellation is your top priority and your willing to sacrifice a little on build and sound quality, then buy the QC15's. Otherwise, if you can live a little bit more ambient noise intrusion and want greater sound and build quality, buy the Sennheiser PXC-450.
Hope I can help anyone out there.
The Sennheiser PXC-450 headset is built much better than the QC15's for durability AND comfort. The quality difference can be seen in the wire gauage, battery compartment hardware, adaptor finish quality, and ear cup cushion. Sound quality was also richer and seemed more encompassing/fuller. I'm no audiophile by any means, but that is my best subjective judgement.
The QC15's however had far superior noise cancellation. This my main determining factor between choosing which headset to keep. The noise cancellation isn't nearly as good as the demonstration unit found at retailers would lead you to believe. (those are likely configured to generate test noise at the precise frequencies of the noise cancellation circuitry of the headphones). My test was simple, I used a couple of air purifiers (not fans) running on high that reasonably simulate the white-noise like droning sound of being on airplane. Again the QC15's were much better than the Sennheiser PXC450's with respect to this non scientific test.
Bottom line, if noise cancellation is your top priority and your willing to sacrifice a little on build and sound quality, then buy the QC15's. Otherwise, if you can live a little bit more ambient noise intrusion and want greater sound and build quality, buy the Sennheiser PXC-450.
Hope I can help anyone out there.
217 of 218 people found the following review helpful
Disclosure: I have tried all these on an airplane. I am not an audiophile. Noise Cancelation is the most important attribute to me.
The Carrying Case: All three are quite durable and stiff.
1.) Bose- the smallest, a low profile, room for an Ipod, accessories too.
2.) Sennheiser- Square shape, low profile, however not a lot of room for anything else in case.
3.) Audio Technica- Nice big case if you want to carry extra stuff (Nintendo DS, ipod, etc).
Build Quality:
1.) Sennheiser- you can tell this is built VERY well. Strong plastics, good components, thick cord. Top notch. You feel like you are getting something really high quality.
2.) Audio Technica- Nice solid construction, appears durable.
3.) Bose- If this had a Sanyo logo on the side, I would not have flinched. How can something $300 be so incredibly cheaply made.
Size:
1.) Bose- as far as over the ears go, these are pretty small.
2.) Audio-Technica- mid-sized.
3.) Sennheiser- These are big. No question, but they store flat.
Comfort:
1.) Sennheiser- Very comfortable, will fit almost any size ears. Keep on for hours.
2.) Bose- Also comfortable. I did not experience "highs" discomfort.
3.) Audio-Technica- Perfectly satisfactory. Larger opening than previous AT model.
Sound:
1.) Sennheiser- I actually wore these at home too, simply to hear parts of songs I had never heard before. Astounding. My 10yr old music collection sounded totally NEW.
2.) Audio-Technica- Well balanced, good sound.
3.) Bose- Great sound, but very heavy on the bass. I listen to a lot of rap and pop, so it was mildly annoying. I ultimately had to turn my treble settings up on my ipod to balance the sound.
Features:
1.) Sennheiser- nice cord, push to talk button (temporarily mutes NC and sound which is great for interruptions on airplanes).
2.) Bose/Audio Technica- just the basics. Bose simply an on/off switch.
Price:
1.) Audio Technica- $150 to $225 depending on how you shop.
2.) Sennheiser- $200 to $275
3.) Bose- Hard to find below $300+.
Noise Cancelation:
1.) Bose- No question here, far surpassed the other two. Best Noise Cancelation.
2.) Audio-Technica- Good Noise Cancelation.
3.) Sennheiser- Not sure what happened here. Incredible sound, satisfactory noise cancelation.
Summary:
I ultimately kept the Bose because I was only using these for flying and the Sennheiser's (as much as I loved them) let me down in the Noise Cancelation department. The Sennheiser's had by far the most superior sound, but the Bose Noise Cancelation was night and day. The Bose are made very poorly for a $300+ product, it was disappointing.
Final assessment:
Audio-Technica- best balance of value for money
Sennheiser- Best sound and comfort
Bose- Best Noise Cancelation
The Carrying Case: All three are quite durable and stiff.
1.) Bose- the smallest, a low profile, room for an Ipod, accessories too.
2.) Sennheiser- Square shape, low profile, however not a lot of room for anything else in case.
3.) Audio Technica- Nice big case if you want to carry extra stuff (Nintendo DS, ipod, etc).
Build Quality:
1.) Sennheiser- you can tell this is built VERY well. Strong plastics, good components, thick cord. Top notch. You feel like you are getting something really high quality.
2.) Audio Technica- Nice solid construction, appears durable.
3.) Bose- If this had a Sanyo logo on the side, I would not have flinched. How can something $300 be so incredibly cheaply made.
Size:
1.) Bose- as far as over the ears go, these are pretty small.
2.) Audio-Technica- mid-sized.
3.) Sennheiser- These are big. No question, but they store flat.
Comfort:
1.) Sennheiser- Very comfortable, will fit almost any size ears. Keep on for hours.
2.) Bose- Also comfortable. I did not experience "highs" discomfort.
3.) Audio-Technica- Perfectly satisfactory. Larger opening than previous AT model.
Sound:
1.) Sennheiser- I actually wore these at home too, simply to hear parts of songs I had never heard before. Astounding. My 10yr old music collection sounded totally NEW.
2.) Audio-Technica- Well balanced, good sound.
3.) Bose- Great sound, but very heavy on the bass. I listen to a lot of rap and pop, so it was mildly annoying. I ultimately had to turn my treble settings up on my ipod to balance the sound.
Features:
1.) Sennheiser- nice cord, push to talk button (temporarily mutes NC and sound which is great for interruptions on airplanes).
2.) Bose/Audio Technica- just the basics. Bose simply an on/off switch.
Price:
1.) Audio Technica- $150 to $225 depending on how you shop.
2.) Sennheiser- $200 to $275
3.) Bose- Hard to find below $300+.
Noise Cancelation:
1.) Bose- No question here, far surpassed the other two. Best Noise Cancelation.
2.) Audio-Technica- Good Noise Cancelation.
3.) Sennheiser- Not sure what happened here. Incredible sound, satisfactory noise cancelation.
Summary:
I ultimately kept the Bose because I was only using these for flying and the Sennheiser's (as much as I loved them) let me down in the Noise Cancelation department. The Sennheiser's had by far the most superior sound, but the Bose Noise Cancelation was night and day. The Bose are made very poorly for a $300+ product, it was disappointing.
Final assessment:
Audio-Technica- best balance of value for money
Sennheiser- Best sound and comfort
Bose- Best Noise Cancelation
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Good Sound & Highly Comfortable...But Died after 4 months
I am a heavy Noise Canceling headphone user since I like audio and music and am in a job that can include more days of travel in a week than actual work days. Read more
Published 1 day ago by sjp3003
omg, these things are amazing
i just flew business class to japan and AA gave me a pair of NC bose to use. they were good, and it got me looking at the market for these sort of NC headphones. Read more
Published 1 day ago by Curtis C. Matthews
Side by side with Audio Technica ATH-ANC9
New product as of (5-15-12), both these Sennheisers and the Audio Technica ATH ANC9 were released at almost the same time (and the A Technicas are 300, 50 bucks cheaper than the... Read more
Published 8 days ago by doppelganger
Very nice!
Usage:
I am a programmer and use my headsets mainly for work. I sit pretty close to the server room and have loud noise from time to time from other people walking around and... Read more
I am a programmer and use my headsets mainly for work. I sit pretty close to the server room and have loud noise from time to time from other people walking around and... Read more
Published 15 days ago by cthakk
good at times, bad at others
I compose music on my laptop.
I ride trains and airplanes... (united/lufthansa, and metra/caltrain)
I was hoping these headphones would make it possible to compose... Read more
I ride trains and airplanes... (united/lufthansa, and metra/caltrain)
I was hoping these headphones would make it possible to compose... Read more
Published 1 month ago by wintermute
good but hurts my ears...
i have tried four:
[a] audio-technica 7B:
love the noise-cancelling, but liked the audio-technica's better. Read more
[a] audio-technica 7B:
love the noise-cancelling, but liked the audio-technica's better. Read more
Published 1 month ago by spendalot
Used these for over a year - still going strong
I bought these well over a year ago for use in the office. They still look new and thats after using them hours on end several days a week. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mad Cow
Nice right out of the box
Nice headsets. Fully covering my ears, when I turn on, everything disappears and the sound is awesome. I'm not a super audiophile, but these are very nice.
Published 1 month ago by Bam&Sam
Don't waste your time or money
Sennheiser is supposed to be a good brand. My last Sennheiser headphones were in 2001 and I loved them. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Brian Miller
Kick Ass Headphone!!!!!
Amazing sound quality. Good noise cancelling. high range of frequencies.. Just heard something that I've never heard before in a song, which made me write this review. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Alex
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