Sennheiser PXC 550 - II Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones - Black

My ears don't match so, while I prefer buds, they don't prefer me (sucks boo to you apple with your one size falls out my right ear!). And due to an outrageous discount while I was in day 2 of looking at headphones I purchased these beauties. The sound is incredible (hard rock through to classical for me), it's the add on features that are the awesome bonus. Twist the ear pieces out as you take them off your head - instant power off; twist them back as you put them on - and they're on too, immediately connecting to your devices. The right outer headpiece serves as your controls - drag a finger up increases vol; a tap pauses; you can fwd or reverse through tracks; etc. - you get the picture. So why 5 stars? I'm not really able to follow the directions (yup, I did ... MoreMy ears don't match so, while I prefer buds, they don't prefer me (sucks boo to you apple with your one size falls out my right ear!). And due to an outrageous discount while I was in day 2 of looking at headphones I purchased these beauties. The sound is incredible (hard rock through to classical for me), it's the add on features that are the awesome bonus. Twist the ear pieces out as you take them off your head - instant power off; twist them back as you put them on - and they're on too, immediately connecting to your devices. The right outer headpiece serves as your controls - drag a finger up increases vol; a tap pauses; you can fwd or reverse through tracks; etc. - you get the picture. So why 5 stars? I'm not really able to follow the directions (yup, I did have a read, ikr!) on the accompanying instructions easily. But I'm more than happy to stumble slightly attempting things, so that surprise to find out how to use them as an engraving tool is a plus*.Oh, did I mention that it was same day delivery (Auk - Wgtn) which added to my giddy mood? Further, a friend posted on FB or Metro or Meta or P.E.T.A. or whatever (I don't know, he's still creepy af), looking for recommends and I happily obliged. Needless to say I'm on her 'Nice' list this xmas as she is just as happy.*some headphones may not really engrave

(Editing as I have used them more) Sound quality is pretty good as well as the call controls all on the cans. My main issue is, I bought these for some wireless headphones for my job in which Im on calls nearly all day but the headphones have poor call sensors in which in the middle of a call itll say "call ended" and the sound will cut out. Happens a few times a day. Pretty annoying otherwise the battery life, range and everything else is pretty niceEDIT:The call ended happens all the time now. Its awful, if you use the senheiser built in mute function and it ends the call for no reason the mic will not activate until you leave the call. Theyre comfy but really reallt terrible for web calls. DO NOT RECOMMENDAnother Edit after 6 months of use:These headphones ... More(Editing as I have used them more) Sound quality is pretty good as well as the call controls all on the cans. My main issue is, I bought these for some wireless headphones for my job in which Im on calls nearly all day but the headphones have poor call sensors in which in the middle of a call itll say "call ended" and the sound will cut out. Happens a few times a day. Pretty annoying otherwise the battery life, range and everything else is pretty niceEDIT:The call ended happens all the time now. Its awful, if you use the senheiser built in mute function and it ends the call for no reason the mic will not activate until you leave the call. Theyre comfy but really reallt terrible for web calls. DO NOT RECOMMENDAnother Edit after 6 months of use:These headphones make me never want to buy sennheiser again. They are truly terrible with terrible support. Why would I want specific headphones for web calls then only have the app available on phones? What about this brand new thing where everyone went to work from home and needed headphones for calls? Absolutely ridiculous

TL;DR: This headset is good, but they are expensive for what they are. Very neutral Sound, sound isolation is great to excellent in perfect conditions. They are light weight, which I quite like and the build quality seems good, although I have not dropped them yet. Usability and user experience is REALLY BAD. There are NO buttons, except for one useless one and the only useful button is a switch, but it's TINY.The charging port for some stupid reason is not USB-C, instead it's micro-USB, which is beyond dumb. I expected more in this price bracket.The touch controls are intermittent and when you do get your finger to register, sometimes it does the wrong thing. You have to be VERY deliberate about what you want to do and hit the correct spot, or nothing happens. ... MoreTL;DR: This headset is good, but they are expensive for what they are. Very neutral Sound, sound isolation is great to excellent in perfect conditions. They are light weight, which I quite like and the build quality seems good, although I have not dropped them yet. Usability and user experience is REALLY BAD. There are NO buttons, except for one useless one and the only useful button is a switch, but it's TINY.The charging port for some stupid reason is not USB-C, instead it's micro-USB, which is beyond dumb. I expected more in this price bracket.The touch controls are intermittent and when you do get your finger to register, sometimes it does the wrong thing. You have to be VERY deliberate about what you want to do and hit the correct spot, or nothing happens. Double tapping the damn ear cup trying to turn on talkthrough makes you look dumb while someone is trying to talk to you. This means I'm often just lifting the ear cup of my ear anyway. I've only ever managed to turn talkthrough once while my podcast was playing and I'm pretty sure that's because I glitched it out.The touch pad also registers on EVERYTHING. Lord forbid you lean your head on to your right shoulder, because it will pause your music, max out your volume and deafen you when you unpause it.Sound isolation is as good as any. Unless you are wearing a hat, have a funny shaped head or a lot of hair. ANC is about 30-50% less effective when trying to use this headset with headgear on. The cups have a limited tilt before they bottom out and the seal breaks around the bottom or top of your ear. The headband demands direct access to the circumference of your skull.The British voice over lady telling me what I'm connected to tells me every device I have is "Phone one", even when it's a TV or a PC. She also takes forever to tell me anything, interrupting what I am listening to for longer than is needed.The ON/OFF switch is not a button. Nope, for some reason Sennheiser was anti-buttons (except for a totally and utterly useless voice assistant button) and you have to twist the right ear cup to turn them off. So I can't sit them nicely on a table ready for me to pick up and put on. I have to first unbuckle my headset being careful not to twist them the wrong way and only then can I put them on.So far I have not been able to get the advertised 20 hours of battery life, even when ANC is off (I almost never use ANC).Speaking of ANC, the switch to enable it is a physical switch. They dedicated 90% of the left ear cup to a touch bad for gestures, so instead of making a gesture, you have to use the switch. I actually prefer this. The only problem is, the switch is 1/5th the size of my pinky finger nail. I had to come up with a strategy to find it while the headset was on my head to avoid using the touch pad trying to find it.This headset sounds just good enough to stop me from listing them for sale because the money I'd lose outweighs the general dissapointment I foster in the headsets usability. It would have been perfect if the ANC switch had an ANC + Talkthrough setting to make it always on regardless of what my phone was doing. It would have been even more perfect if they replaced the dumb touch pad for three regular buttons. One for play pause and pair and two for volume up/down, forward/backward and skip.Buyers beware.

Sound quality is fine, but two features make this product frustrating and WORSE than the cheaper options:1) 'Touch' buttons outside each ear can't be turned off. This means you CAN'T WEAR A HOOD while using the headphones. Otherwise it will randomly start and stop your audio, adjust the volume and even start re-dialing people.2) The battery life is TERRIBLE because the headset never stops scanning for Bluetooth connections (even when turned off). My last set of headphones (which were half the price) lasted almost a week without recharge, whereas this set only lasts a day.I'm normally a big fan of Sennheiser but definitely wouldn't recommend this set.

My first online order which was delivered (wgtn-ak) same day!The phones were ridiculously cheap thanks to Black Friday, and as my ears are normal they won't take buds (boo sucks to you apple). I'm not big on headphones, the whole ear-squishy thing but these are soft, gentle, and cushioned as if you've just shaved your body and gone for your first swim (which I have done (for a play (do NOT have a beer before the de-hairing session as alcohol heightens your reception of pain))).The sound is glorious from AC/DC to Satie, from Headless Chickens to Shihad, from naughtywhispersinyourear.com to gottenmyclochenisloud.com. And the add ons! just drag a finger right up the outside right ear phone and your volume goes up; tap to pause and then again to start; immediate ... MoreMy first online order which was delivered (wgtn-ak) same day!The phones were ridiculously cheap thanks to Black Friday, and as my ears are normal they won't take buds (boo sucks to you apple). I'm not big on headphones, the whole ear-squishy thing but these are soft, gentle, and cushioned as if you've just shaved your body and gone for your first swim (which I have done (for a play (do NOT have a beer before the de-hairing session as alcohol heightens your reception of pain))).The sound is glorious from AC/DC to Satie, from Headless Chickens to Shihad, from naughtywhispersinyourear.com to gottenmyclochenisloud.com. And the add ons! just drag a finger right up the outside right ear phone and your volume goes up; tap to pause and then again to start; immediate Bluetooth connection making it the bluest of teeth-type connections. Turn the earpieces forward and it powers down, click them back into place it powers up. Troglydites come down from that cave roof and find a new god.God these (and by association @PBTech #PBTech) are aweseomness-ness.PS two days later a friend was asking for recommendations for headphones, needless to say she now has a pair from PBTECH!!

I got this for my wife and she loved them. They are really good for watching movies and series. I did a little bit of gaming with this and it is amazing when there are explosions going on, not good for competitive fps but good for immersion .The ANC functionality was also good, it does block noise enough for you to enjoy your music at low volume but not enough when nothing is playing on them. I've tried a few ANC headphones like Sony XM4's, Bose QC 35II, Bose 700 and AirPods Max and AirPods Pro. I use HD598 and BLON BL-03 daily for comparison, and I found the PXC 550 II really good for vocals and acoustic instruments. The low end is not as punchy but it helps keep the clarity of the music. You will never feel like the music is drowning because of the bass. ... MoreI got this for my wife and she loved them. They are really good for watching movies and series. I did a little bit of gaming with this and it is amazing when there are explosions going on, not good for competitive fps but good for immersion .The ANC functionality was also good, it does block noise enough for you to enjoy your music at low volume but not enough when nothing is playing on them. I've tried a few ANC headphones like Sony XM4's, Bose QC 35II, Bose 700 and AirPods Max and AirPods Pro. I use HD598 and BLON BL-03 daily for comparison, and I found the PXC 550 II really good for vocals and acoustic instruments. The low end is not as punchy but it helps keep the clarity of the music. You will never feel like the music is drowning because of the bass. Soundstage is not wide at all.You can use the 2.5mm to 3.5 mm cable but I would suggest you use the DAC from the headphones. I tried it using it with my portable desktop amp but they didn't sound as good as when I was using them on Bluetooth or the USB cable it comes with. Bluetooth has been working just fine for me by the way.The construction is really good in my opinion, At $200 compared to other ANC headphones I think it feels solid and sleek. I recommend them at this price, I do like the Bose 700 and AirPods Max better as ANC headphones but those are not $200.

I've had this pair of earphones for years now. It has great active noise cancellation and is extremely comfortable and stylish. Its battery life isn't bad at all, either. However, I've had immense issues with bluetooth and software. The headphones has two outputs: the Headphones output where the built-in microphone doesn't work, and the Headset output that allows the built-in microphone to function. The Headset option has considerably worse audio quality than the Headphones method, and there's nothing you can do about it. Occasionally, when you need to connect the headphones via Bluetooth, it fails to recognize the microphone on the headphones, and only allows you to use the Headphones audio output. It's rather annoying as you need to restart your computer to fix ... MoreI've had this pair of earphones for years now. It has great active noise cancellation and is extremely comfortable and stylish. Its battery life isn't bad at all, either. However, I've had immense issues with bluetooth and software. The headphones has two outputs: the Headphones output where the built-in microphone doesn't work, and the Headset output that allows the built-in microphone to function. The Headset option has considerably worse audio quality than the Headphones method, and there's nothing you can do about it. Occasionally, when you need to connect the headphones via Bluetooth, it fails to recognize the microphone on the headphones, and only allows you to use the Headphones audio output. It's rather annoying as you need to restart your computer to fix this. I've also had a long standing issue with audio automatically stopping every 5 seconds. This seems to be a rare issue, and even after contacting Sennheiser, the problem prevails. All in all, there are better options that have excellent audio quality even when paired with the microphone, and the buggy software isn't really worth the hassle.

Constant problems - stay away from these headphones

I have had nothing but regrets after getting this product.First the positive - the sound quality on these headphones is great, and it puts any other headphones I have had a chance to use to shame. (comparing with AirPods, Airpods pro, Beats Studio 3).Now the negatives - When connected to multiple devices at once, I will be listening to something on the first device, get a text message and have the alert tone for that, and then the audio never switches back. It takes disconnecting the bluetooth connection and reconnecting it to get it to work again.The audio connection to a PC via bluetooth is incredibly patchy unless you go into the settings on the PC and disable the microphone functionality.If you move your head too quickly, the audio you are listening to stops. If ... MoreI have had nothing but regrets after getting this product.First the positive - the sound quality on these headphones is great, and it puts any other headphones I have had a chance to use to shame. (comparing with AirPods, Airpods pro, Beats Studio 3).Now the negatives - When connected to multiple devices at once, I will be listening to something on the first device, get a text message and have the alert tone for that, and then the audio never switches back. It takes disconnecting the bluetooth connection and reconnecting it to get it to work again.The audio connection to a PC via bluetooth is incredibly patchy unless you go into the settings on the PC and disable the microphone functionality.If you move your head too quickly, the audio you are listening to stops. If you touch the headphones at all when listening to something, it will either hang up the call or stop your music.The headphones frequently have a hum when noise cancelling is turned on which is annoying.Have spent an inordinate amount of time troubleshooting with Sennheiser and have been advised that the headphones are working as expected.

Great sound, comfort & ANC!

Sennheiser is well known for having the best sounding headphones / earbuds on the market. Honestly these are no different!These headphones are super comfortable; making them great to commute or simply have long use sessions at home. I have to say that unlike any other pair of headphones, these do not cause my ears to sweat as much as other overears do.After 1 month with them, I can say that these have better sound than any of my other headphones.While they lack when it comes to their apps equalizer, they can be tweaked a decent amount. Albeit I find myself enjoying them best when set to their stock EQ or their "club" preset where the bass hits harder!Finally, ANC.I have to say that these headphones block out a ton of noise! They are especially great to cut ... MoreSennheiser is well known for having the best sounding headphones / earbuds on the market. Honestly these are no different!These headphones are super comfortable; making them great to commute or simply have long use sessions at home. I have to say that unlike any other pair of headphones, these do not cause my ears to sweat as much as other overears do.After 1 month with them, I can say that these have better sound than any of my other headphones.While they lack when it comes to their apps equalizer, they can be tweaked a decent amount. Albeit I find myself enjoying them best when set to their stock EQ or their "club" preset where the bass hits harder!Finally, ANC.I have to say that these headphones block out a ton of noise! They are especially great to cut down people's voices! I find these do the best job at cutting off ambient chatter. And while I would like to abstain from saying they struggle (not by much though) to cut down low rumbling sounds, they can at times. I have a pretty loud A/C unit in my room and can discern it more so than ambient chatter when in public.Overall, if I have to point out a negative it would be the lack of USB-C and proper hardshell case, other than that; if you want great sound from a comfortable pair of ANC headphones, look no further since Sennheiser have you covered with these bad boys!

Great sound, solid ANC

These are super comfortable - I can wear them for hours without any discomfort at all.I can't fault the quality of the sound - perhaps a tiny harsh in the highs if you're really sensitive to treble, but only if I was being really nit-picky - bass is well rounded and accurate, with solid neutral sounding mids, and good treble extension for plenty of air. If you're used to having boosted bass, or v shaped EQ, these aren't going to wow you (though of course that can be adjusted with EQ), but if you're after something with a flatter more honest response, then these are fantastic.The touch pad can take a bit to get used to, but is very functional and easy to use once you learn it.The ANC works really well, and cuts out a lot of noise. It's far more effective on ... MoreThese are super comfortable - I can wear them for hours without any discomfort at all.I can't fault the quality of the sound - perhaps a tiny harsh in the highs if you're really sensitive to treble, but only if I was being really nit-picky - bass is well rounded and accurate, with solid neutral sounding mids, and good treble extension for plenty of air. If you're used to having boosted bass, or v shaped EQ, these aren't going to wow you (though of course that can be adjusted with EQ), but if you're after something with a flatter more honest response, then these are fantastic.The touch pad can take a bit to get used to, but is very functional and easy to use once you learn it.The ANC works really well, and cuts out a lot of noise. It's far more effective on lower frequencies, which suggest that Sennheiser are trying to focus on the travel market with these, as they are very effective for cancelling out engine noises, which they cut out almost completely. They're less effective at things like noisy cafe, but they work well enough that once you're playing music too, you can't really hear much of anything beyond the music.My only issue with them is related to the dual device connection functionality. If I'm listening to music coming from a computer, and my phone rings, regardless of whether I answer the call or not, it often doesn't switch back, resulting in me needing to disconnect and reconnect to my computer to be able to keep listening to music. I understand this is an issue that a lot of others have too though, so while its irritating, it's definitely not a deal breaker.Overall, a fantastic product, and I strongly recommend them.