1,020 of 1,026 people found the following review helpful:
An Oasis of Tranquility Amid the Noise of the City
I am looking forward with dread to four months of apartment renovations starting soon and I was looking for ways to keep my sanity during all the racket and mayhem. The idea of Noise Canceling headphones seemed just the ticket to help me keep from losing my mind.
I tried the Bose, the Sony, and the Sennheiser in a comparative listening bout. Overall, I liked the Bose a...
269 of 275 people found the following review helpful:
Middle of the line
I bought these Sennheiser's after reading a recent CNET review that rated them "best" in this price range at both noise cancelation and overall sound quality. I have now tried them both in my office area and also on a very long flight to Europe. Overall, I have been pleased with the sound quality - but only when the "noise cancel" mode is ON. If it is not ON then the...
I am looking forward with dread to four months of apartment renovations starting soon and I was looking for ways to keep my sanity during all the racket and mayhem. The idea of Noise Canceling headphones seemed just the ticket to help me keep from losing my mind.
I tried the Bose, the Sony, and the Sennheiser in a comparative listening bout. Overall, I liked the Bose a little better than the Sennheiser, but not enough to justify the increased price. Both blew away the Sony, which just doesn't sound that good and conducts too much movement noise up into the headphones. The Sennheiser are closed ear headphones, very lightweight and comfortable to wear unless you are exercising, where they tend to get a bit too hot. The snug fit of the earphones helps block out sound, even without the noise-canceling feature. But with the feature the amount of noise that is reduced or effectively canceled is remarkable. Most of the daily rumble of Manhattan is removed from your listening experience, though louder and sharper sounds still can be heard. The actual sound in the headphones is excellent, very clear, with a focused treble and a distortion free bass response. I tested the phones using a variety of music, orchestral, jazz, rock, and organ music. For my money, organ is the most difficult of instruments for headphones, as the rich bass frequencies almost always lead to distortion. Happily, the Sennsheimer phones were able to reproduce the massive sounds of Messiaen without mishap!
As a final test I took my headphones on a street run last night. I picked out the quietest CD that I have, Morton Feldman's Rothko Chapel, which never really gets above a whisper. Walking through Lincoln Center, which was crowded with concertgoers, I barely heard a thing. Walking down the street, there was an eerie sense of calm. I could hear car horns, and some other ambient noise, which I was glad of, since it could be dangerous otherwise, but the quiet and clarity of the Feldman was remarkable. The final test was a Subway ride. While I can't say that the Subway ride was noise free, the headphones did a wonderful job of blocking all but the loudest noises. I didn't even miss notes when the express train rumbled through my station.
The design is a bit of a negative. As has been said, the battery pack is a bit bulky, though not so much as to really bother me. And the headphones do fold up nicely, making them a good compact option for travel. But the wires tangle easily, unlike the Bose. Hopefully, in future models, Sennheiser will find a way to improve this feature.
Overall, I am extremely pleased with the performance of this product, and at the price point, it can't be beat.
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After many hours of online researching and trips to Ultimate Electronics, Circuit City, and a few other electronic stores I decided on this pair. Online customer reviews aside, I highly recommend a visit to the music store, electronics store, wherever. If you are going to spend a hundred dollars on anything try it out first. There is a huge diversity out there in ear cup size, sound, and build quality. I personally was looking for a good set of headphones that I could use on a plane. These more than exceeded my expectations for that purpose. If you are looking for a set to use in the office at your desk, these are not for you. You can get a better set at half the price. I'd recommend something with closed cups and passive noise reduction if your office is noisy. Most active cancellers don't help with this problem. The same holds true for most other noisy environments. These actually work best with low frequency noise, i.e. the plane. I also tried them in our computer room which has blowers and stacks of servers humming along. They actually seem to reduce the noise there by approx 50-65%. I had a few coworkers try them out here to see what they felt and they agreed that they were excellent noise reducers. On the plane and with my personal dvd player I normally played the volume between 5 and 6. I watched several movies and the sound effects and speech were heard easily and clear. Before I had a 10$ set that you inserted into your ear. I had to play the same player at 10 and had a difficult time hearing some parts of the dialogue. With the Sennheisers I am able to comfortably wear them for hours at a time on the plane. The noise attenuation works so well you grow accustomed to it. After wearing these a few hours I took them off and couldn't believe the difference. Pros Great low frequency noise reduction Very comfortable, light on the ears and top of the head. They don't pinch like a lot of others, or get hot Sound quality above average Cool carrying case
Cons Noise circuit wand can be an irritant, depends what you are doing. On the plane I didn't have any issues. 100$ or more, they are kind of expensive and lack hard bass. For a hundred bucks I'd like it to do everything, which I guess is unrealistic.
5 Stars, buy if you intend to use for travel
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I bought these Sennheiser's after reading a recent CNET review that rated them "best" in this price range at both noise cancelation and overall sound quality. I have now tried them both in my office area and also on a very long flight to Europe. Overall, I have been pleased with the sound quality - but only when the "noise cancel" mode is ON. If it is not ON then the bass is very much lacking. I also had a chance to do a direct compare of these Sennheisers to the original Bose version while on my flight. The Bose win hands down. No contest. Even with the Bose's noise cancel feature OFF the Bose cut out more noise than the Sennheiser's do while ON. I also compared them to a friend's set of Aiwa noise cancel headphones - the Awia's were also better at noise canceling than these Sennheisers but not as comfortable to wear on my head. On a positive note, I will say that I could sleep with the Sennheiser's on my head where it was a bit difficult to do this the Bose version on my head due to the bulky nature of the Bose. The Sennheiser's also fold up nicely and fit into the carrying bag quite easily with minimal over all space in my carry on bag. To summarize: If you want the best of breed noise canceling headphones keep looking and comparing with the Bose. If you want some decent headphones that cut maybe 1/4 - 1/3 noise, take up little space in your bag, and are reasonable comfortable then these Sennheiser's will do.
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I bought these headphones for a flight from Washington, D.C. nonstop to Tokyo. That's 13.5 hours. I wore them almost the entire way and felt no discomfort from having worn them for hours on end. I even wore them when I didn't have them attached to anything, just to reduce the noise from the sound of the engines. Sound is very good, especially with the noise reduction on. You never heard movies or music sound so good on a plane. I assume this would be true for trains and buses, as well. No, they don't sound as good as my high-end Sennheiser headphones since a) the PXC250 is not closed, and b) they are smaller than the higher end headphones so that they travel well. I bought these for a purpose other than listening to music in my home (although I do occasionally since they are so convenient to use and the sound is very decent).
I tried the Bose and they were not for me. Twice the price, larger, and less comfortable.
At this price, especially, I'm very satisfied. They work well at both reducing ambient noise, are very comfortable, and produce an enjoyable sound. Highly recommended.
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Went to Tweeter, looking for the Bose QC2. Turns out, Bose only sells their premium items directly - QC2, Wave, etc. Tweeter had the PXC250. The sales guy did not want to open them for me to try, so I bought with 30-day return. Not content with them, I went to a Bose Kiosk in a mall and bought the QC2's, also on a 30-day return. The Kiosk was under an escalator, and the mall was busy - the headphones cut down that background substantially - a test similar to an airplane, I believe.
Over the next week, I did a few tests, mostly with a TV at moderate volume in the next room (my major interest other than travel). Both the Sennheiser and the Bose have their advantages, but both the sound quality and noise dampening are clearly better with the Bose. I took the Sennheiser back, and am keeping the Bose.
A year ago or so, I tried a $50 Aiwa pair - hiss and not much cancellation - took them back also. I suspect that anything less than the Sennheiser PXC250 is not worth considering. If small size and price are important, and TV noise is not, the Sennheiser may be a better value than the Bose. For me, the Bose is one star better than the Sennheiser, but not perfect.
Because you won't find the Bose QC2 on Amazon, I give a point-by-point comparison:
Bose QC2: $300
folds flat into semi-hard case about twice the size
around the ear - better sound, but can get warm
no external wand, wire detaches
1 AAA in headphone, claimed 35-hr
excellent sound
no sound (music) when switched off
TV reduced without music, hardly heard with music
Sennheiser PXC250: $150 (less at Amazon)
folds flat into soft case about half the size
on the ear - inferior sound, but cooler
2 AAA in external wand (wire is captive?)
sound OK, but weak/no bass
diminished sound (music) when switched off
TV not reduced much without music, still intruded a little over music
When I was shopping for a noise cancelling headphones, the first one I considered immediately was the Bose Comfort 2. I had used them before on plane trips & absolutely loved them. The only 2 problems I had with the Bose was that when the battery died, so did the silence/music/movie & that they were a lot more than I was willing/able to pay. So I did some research & found that Sennheiser was also good brand name & much cheaper than Bose. All the reviews (Consumer Reports, C-Net, other Amazon reviews to name a few) I read gave these Sennheiser headphones a thumbs up; & the price was more than within my price range of what I wanted to spend. So thanks to Amazon, I bought them.
I have now had them for over a month, & I am thrilled with my decision on buying these headphones. I have used them several times, & they work perfectly with my 5.5 generation Ipod, while on my computer playing Oblivion & other video games, & on the plane. It definitely helped in tuning out the crying babies, loud speaking people near me, as well as some overhead announcements by the Captain & Stewarts. Although I will admit that turning up the volume on my Ipod also contributed in tuning out all the noises on the plane.
The sound quality is crisp, clear, & sharp. I felt there was some depth to the sound effects while watching "Batman Begins" on my Ipod. With the noise cancelling feature turned on, my favorite songs & movies sounded even better. The bass & treble were at the perfect levels for my needs. There is no built-in volume on the headphones or 'battery wand,' but I don't really need one since I use my Ipod's or computer volume controls.
The ear pads are comfortable & the headset is quite light. Although, I will say that they sit right on your ear (not around your ear, like the Bose Comfort 2) to which could be a little uncomfortable for those who don't like any pressure placed directly on their ears. I'm one of those types of people, but these headsets didn't bother me at all. I liked the sleek compact look of the carrying case, & love the fact that the headphones fold neatly away when not in use. The inclusion of the plane & stereo/computer plug adapters was a very nice extra as well.
I was concerned that the 'battery wand' would get in my way, but to my surprise it wasn't really a problem. There is a built in 'belt clip' on the wand which works perfectly whether I was on the plane. Plus the cord between the headphone & 'battery wand' is more than long enough to able to move around without it ('battery wand') getting in the way. The headphones works superbly with my ipod & didn't shift or fall off while I was on the treadmill. The carrying case that came with the headphones has a belt loop on the back & a small zippered pocket on the front. That came in really handy since I used it to keep my Ipod & 'battery wand' protected while walking & jogging. And, yes, the Ipod fits in the bag along with the folded headphones, 'battery wand', & cord with no problems whatsoever.
The other feature I really love about these headphones is that they still work as headphones even when the 2 AAA batteries die. The battery life can go pretty quickly if you use the noise cancelling feature for a long period of time. However, now that Energizer AAA lithium batteries are now on the shelves, I haven't found any problems with prolonged use. I just have to remember to turn the noise cancelling switch off when I finally done using the headphones for the evening.
All in all, I'm very satisfied with this purchase & very happy with the headphones. I hope that this review helps others in their decision making process on whether to buy these headphones or not.
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I've been puzzled by some of the reviews I've seen here. I've decided most of the negative reviews come from overly-high expectations of what is meant by 'noise-cancelling'. This doesn't mean absolute silence. It means a significant reduction in low-to-mid frequency ambient noise. The 250's deliver this quite well. I use them all the time on intercontinental flights, typically for hours at a time. The noise suppression is wonderful. I even use them without music, just to reduce the noise. They have excellent audio response, too. So, what can you expect? A significant reduction in noise from about 50Hz to 2KHz or so. Below 50, too much bass couples in via other pathways, above 2K, the electronics can't handle it (as with all NC headphones). The small earcups mean that you don't get a lot of passive HF attenuation. It still works great on planes, or even in the office to reduce ventilation noise. So, is it worth it? In my opinion, absolutely! I've tried the Bose NC's, which are much bigger, MUCH more expensive, and don't perform significantly better. By the way, the electronics module weighs 66 grams, or a little over 2 oz, with batteries. A little inconvenient, but it's not even close to 'half-a-pound'.
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The reason why I bought these is because on a recent flight the person in the seat next to me let me try his Bose headphones.
I was hooked. They really made the plane a quiter place.
So, I set out to buy a pair until I found out they are $300.00.
Also, I was not keen on how bulky they were.
So after some research I bought the Sennheiser.
A couple of days ago I tried the Sennheiser on flight.
What I found is the following
1) They work pretty well. That wind tunnel type noise that drones constantly on an ariplane is gone 100%. However the low hum of the engine is still there. Therefore I would say it reduces the overall noise level by 50%.
2) They aren't as quiet as the bose. I think this is mainly due to the Bose being over the ear. I say this because if I press the Sennheiser to my ears things get quiter.
3) They are small and built well. This is something that was important to me. I didn't want to lug around a large set of headphones
4) They dont work well at all w/ the NC turned off. Even though the manufacturer says they work even with no batteries, you wouldn't want to use them this way. The sound is really bad. Tinny and terrible. I put my iPod earbuds in the case and take them with me just in case. The buds are far supperior to the headphones when the headphones are powered off.
5) There is a bit of hiss, but this is not distracting and not noticable while listening to music.
6) I would rather use the iPod earbuds then these headphones when not on an airplane. The buds are smaller and produce comparable sound.
Conclusion:
They work, Im glad I bougth them. The Bose is a bit better NC wise, but not worth the extra $200.00.
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I tried everything. My last attempt at a decent headphone for use in a noisy gym was the Shure E3C "in-ear" headphones. You can see my review for those in the Sure E3C section. Before trying those out I had been using the Sony MDR-NC20's for the last 6 months. They did cancel the noise out pretty well but the sound was terribly muffled (no highs) the mids seemed squashed to me almost like they were compressed and while the lows were there, they were very mushy. For a while I just figured that this was the price one pays for using noise canceling technology. Then I went on a hunt again and read some good reviews for the Sennheiser PXC250's so I went and purchased a pair. I first just put the batteries in and tried them at home. They sounded great! Rich low-end, brilliant but not harsh highs. Overall a very pleasant EQ curve. But the real test would be at the gym.
The ambient noise in this gym is the constant roar of treadmills, stair machines, stationary bikes, etc. Overall these cover a fairly broad frequency spectrum. I put the headphones on and started the music. Oooops! I forgot to turn the noise canceling on. After doing so I couldn't believe my ears. With the music on (and not even too loud) I felt isolated in the room. The sound was absolutely top-notch and turning on the noise cancellation circuitry actually improved the sound quality! While I have tried the Bose noise canceling headphones it was around 6 months ago so I don't feel qualified to do a direct comparison. However, I do not remember them blowing me away like these Sennheisers did.
I think it's also important to know what kind of music I used to judge these phones as someone into classical music might looking for a different sound than someone into rock. I have been either a professional musician or otherwise involved in the music industry for the last 40 years. My music types of choice and the genres I used to judge these phones were progressive rock, rock, and fusion jazz. My reference headphones are the Sony MDR-7506's which, to me, are some of the best sounding headphones one can purchase without completely breaking the bank. They are also some of the most used headphones in the studios I worked in and visited. These Sony phones can produce a very low yet articulate bass and smooth mids and highs that are never over bearing. While the PXC250's are not as rich sounding as the Sony MDR-7506's, to me they are just as pleasant sounding. There are no frequencies I miss when listening to these.
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If you will be spending any time on airplanes this year, I highly recommend you buy yourself a pair of these Sennheisers. I used mine for the first time on a long international flight and was amazed at the results. They did a great job at eliminating roughly 80% of the ambient noise both while listening to music on my MP3 player and watching in-flight movies. It's remarkable how much less fatiguing air travel is if you block out the overwhelming ambient noise.
Pros: - highly effective active noise reduction - very reasonably priced - collapsible with small carry case and adapter plug for dual prong aircraft jacks - very light weight and comfortable (noise reduction circuit and batteries are located in a belt clip module, not the headset itself) - much less bulky than the Bose noise reduction headphones
Cons: - not quite as effective as expensive fully enclosed noise reduction headphones (ie. Bose)
If you are a true road warrior (ie travel every week), you might choose the $300 Bose noise canceling headphones. They are slightly more effective, but not enough to justify being 3 times as expensive as these Sennheisers.
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