Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless, review of these noise canceling headphones

Sennheiser headphones have a huge following in the market and many of their models are recommended time and again by audio specialists. Now the German company has wanted to go a step further and has launched the new Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless , wireless headphones with a noise cancellation system . These headphones offer all the company's audio technology, touch controls , customizable sound modes , premium build quality, and also offer an added bonus thanks to noise cancellation . However, will the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wirelessto dethrone Bose's noise cancellation technology ? Let's check it out and go through all the features of the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless headphones .

If you are looking for headphones that have a noise cancellation system, surely you have already realized that there are not too many options on the market. But if we want them wireless, these options are considerably reduced. Until now, the Bose QuietComfort 35 could be said to have reigned in this field, but a new competitor has emerged. And it comes from one of the most recognized companies in the manufacture of headphones, both wired and wireless. The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless arrive ready to give a lot of war with their noise cancellation technology, a comfortable design and high-end materials and good sound, common in the company's headphones.

Comfortable design to wear for hours

The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless offer a sober and elegant design, with a black finish and metallic touches that are quite discreet, but oozing quality . The pads are quite soft black leather and the company has focused on making them really comfortable. We are facing circumaural headphones , but the capsules have been designed in such a way that they do not completely cover the ear , but rather rest on it. Along the outer panels of the headphones we can see small perforated grilles for the ambient microphones. On the right earbud we find the Bluetooth pairing button and the noise cancellation circuit, which offers three modes . In addition, on this same panel we find a button that will allow us to choose between various audio modes, such as Club, Cinema, Voice or, simply, off . In this area we also find a LED that shows the status of the battery a microUSB port and connection 3.5 mm to connect headphones cable. By the way, if we use them with cable, the Bluetooth connection will not work, but the noise cancellation system can be used , unlike the Bose QuietComfort 35 .

You may be wondering, where are the buttons to control playback? Has not . The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless incorporate a touch panel, also located on the right ear cup, which acts as a control panel . To pause and play the music we will touch once on this panel, to move between songs we will use sliding with the finger from side to side and to raise and lower the volume we will use vertical finger movements. We can also answer calls by touching this panel . Although it is true that it sounds very futuristic and very "cool", requires a learning curve for the user. It is possible that at first we hang up the odd call, but after a few days we should handle it without problems. On the other hand, the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless also do not incorporate a power button , since they include a function that turns the headphones on when we open them and turns them off when we fold or close them .

The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless come with a charging cable, an audio cable, an adapter to connect them to aircraft sound systems and a practical carrying case in which we will place the headphones folded down.

Sennheiser adds to noise cancellation

As we mentioned at the beginning, Bose has long had a considerable advantage in the field of active noise cancellation. However, Sennheiser hits hard with its NoiseGard Hybrid cancellation system , a system that manages to eliminate ambient noise without creating the typical audible hiss characteristic of noise cancellation circuitry . It is not that this hiss is annoying, because it is not, but when it is not it is noticeable. The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless uses a four-microphone system to pick up outside noise and cancel it out. With the switch that we have mentioned before, we can regulate the intensity or even completely turn off the noise cancellation system.

In terms of sound quality, the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless uses a digital signal processor (DSP) that smooths the sound and prevents distortion , something that most audiophile users will surely not like. However, most users will perceive almost perfect sound, with clear and rich low-mid sounds and powerful sub-bass, without any distortion even at the highest volume levels . In short, a totally balanced sound with clear definition. As for the audio modes, the Club mode offers a deeper bass , recommended only for some specific tracks.

And speaking of sound modes, the company has launched an application that will allow us to customize the sound according to our preferences . The app is called CapTune and is available for iOS and Android . Among other things, it allows you to modify the equalization through audio tests, as well as adjust the adaptive noise cancellation function , audio alerts or smart activation and pauses. However, the equalization will only work if we listen to music stored in the terminal or through Tidal, it does not work, at the moment, with services like Spotify .

Connectivity and autonomy

To connect the headphones with our favorite player we can use its Bluetooth 4.2 connection or the NFC system . Furthermore, as we have already mentioned, it is also possible to connect the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless to other devices with the included 3.5 mm jack cable. If we opt for the Bluetooth connection, we will be able to answer calls thanks to the microphone system that the headphones incorporate .

As for the battery, the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless , according to company data, offers a range of up to 30 hours of continuous use after a single charge .

The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless headphones are already available on the market with a price of 400 euros and, as we have mentioned, they are sold with a carrying bag, cable with integrated remote control, USB and adapters for aircraft entertainment systems.