Sennheiser PXC 250

I forget when I bought these - probably about 4 years ago, and I've given them a lot of use. The noise cancellation on the Sennheiser PXC 250's really does work a treat and I wouldn't fly without them. The sound quality is also very good.I do find that after a while I notice them pressing on my ears a bit, which isn't ideal.The batteries seem to last for ever, and the noise cancellation'pod' thing never bothered me.

These are intended for use by communters, but how many of those other commuters around you will be texting on a mobile phone? Every text message sent will crackle through your ears like it does your tv set. In conclusion, yes they're very good quality and if you don't use crowded trains they'll be fine for you.

Considering the competition, I recommend these over any other brand. They are as good as the Bose versions and cost a lot less.

Being the owner of various headphones, namely - Bose Triport over ears, Triport IE, B&O A8, Sennheiser 580, Grado SR60 and a pair of Sony wire free headphones, plus the PXC 250. I can honestly say that the PXC 250 are outstanding for the price. They sound excellent with or without the noise cancelling being switched on and they don't look out of place when wearing them outside connected to your mp3. I never thought that these phones could produce such a fantastic sound for the price, was I wrong. Connected to your mp3 player or your hi-fi system you will not be disappointed. They have got to be one of the best headphones available for under £100, IMHO better than both my Bose headphones. So treat yourself to a pair of these and enjoy the music.

I have never been so disappointed with a Sennheiser product - let me explain.

These Sennheiser PXC 250 headphones are advertised for travel use. For this purpose they have been made absolutely tiny and very light. Unfortunately, this also means they're seriously compromised for travel use, since they seem very flimsy. What is worse, this lightweight construction includes the wires which are stupidly thin and easily tangled. I'd imagine one simple accident by your clumsy neighbour on the aeroplane, and these wires would be broken.

Strangely, considering Sennheiser's pedigree in making headphones, they are also pretty uncomfortable. Contrary to how it may appear in photographs on websites, these headphones *do not* fit around your outer ear (pinna). The tiny ear pieces are only about 45mm in diameter, so they sit *on* your ear. Sadly, the cheap metal headband causes the drive units to exert too much force on your ears, which soon start to feel hot and pressured. If they had been full size around-the-ear headphones the pressure would probably have been OK - but they're not!

The bulky noise reduction unit requires two AAA batteries, which Sennheiser don't bother supplying. Before I bought these phones I emailed Sennheiser technical support to ask if NiMH rechargeables could be used. They replied to say that the voltage would be too low, and recommended alkalines - so remember to add batteries to the running costs for these phones. Anyway, it hardly matters. Turning on the noise reduction feature (there's no level control provided) improved the headphone's weak bass, but also introduced a large amount if hiss. I tried to convince myself this didn't matter, but it became intrusive especially when listening at low volumes. The ridiculous fact that the headphones *don't* surround your ear means that more ambient noise reaches your ears in the first place! A proper closed back 'around-the-ear' design could have at least provided some physical noise isolation.

Summary:

Sennheiser have pushed the cost-down approach past breaking point. If they'd been sold for £25 you might have forgiven Sennheiser for releasing this product, but at the inflated price you have to pay you just get so little for your money. You'll feel cheated the moment you take them out of the box. As ordinary headphones they are flimsy and uncomfortable, and the noise cancelling feature is flawed. Just buy yourself a nice ordinary pair of full size headphones with proper wires and no noise cancelling gimmicks - it will be a much more satisfying experience.