For a little while now I have been looking at getting a new pair of over-ear headphones. The main reason why I would like a new pair of over-ear headphones is because my current Beats Solo on-ear headphones begun to fall apart. 2017 had not been a great year for me with respect to headphones. Early 2017 saw my microphone detach from my Turtle Beach X12 headset I use for my PC (luckily I could just force it back together and the wires were not broken), then sometime in the middle of 2017 my in-ear headphones broke and had to get a new pair (I bought some Sennheiser headphones), and then finally at the end of 2017 my on-ear Beats Solo headphones started to break down.
Before I purchase a product I do my research; so for a couple of months I was watching various YouTube videos that reviewed a number of over-ear headphones, both wireless and wired and read a number of different reviews covering the same over-ear headphones. Finally I settled on the Sennheiser PXC 550 wireless over-ear headphones. It was between those wireless over-ear headphones and the Bose Quiet Comfort 35 wireless over-ear headphones. My original plan was to buy a significantly cheaper pair of over-ear headphones but the price I saw these PXC 550 headphones was too good to pass up. The reasons why I picked up the Sennheiser PXC 550 wireless over-ear headphones were:
- Comfort:
- The pair of headphones fit around my ears and the top of my head perfectly. The cans are shaped like human ears 🙂
- The cans and band on top of my head did not press down or create a large amount of pressure on my head. Wearing these for an extended period would be easy and comfortable.
- Quality:
- Unlike my Beats Solo headphones these headphones felt extremely well built, everything clicks, fits and moves with precision. Nothing felt misplaced or miss-aligned.
- The materials used all feel like they are premium and nothing on the headphones feel cheap.
- Audio produced from the headphones is great. I am not too fussed or picky as I am not really an audiophile but I can definitely tell when some headphones sound tinny, are too heavy or too weak in one area. These were perfect for me.
- Features:
- NFC for quick and easy pairing.
- Android application that gives you a number of handy details about the headphones status.
- Touch controls. There are only really two buttons on the headphones. Nearly everything is controlled using touch controls on the right eat cup which is super handy so there is no clumsy guesses which button or control you are touching or fiddling with when you are wearing them.
- Headphones turn on and off using an extremely intuitive and innovative technique. When you want to turn your headphones on, just put them in position to put them on your head and they turn on. Want to turn them off, position them so that they are ready to be packed up.
Unboxing my headphones revealed a zip-lock fabric case. The case is not hard, so it won’t protect the headphones from extreme pressure; but it also is not too soft such that it can be easily squashed. The case also has a small pouch section inside that can house your cables or other adapters. You get a micro USB charging cable (would have loved a USB C), a 3.5mm headphone cable, an aeroplane headphone connector and a larger connector for various mixer or audio devices. So right off the bat you are welcomed with a number of useful accessories, something that other products don’t provide, kudos Sennheiser. Pairing the device is super simple. I used NFC with my Android phone, but you can also pair using the standard Bluetooth method. Using the headphones is also super easy. The instructional booklet that is supplied details all the gestures that you will need to use and remember. To start and stop your audio, just tap the right ear cup. To turn the volume up just tap and move your finger up the right ear cup. To turn the volume down just tap and move your finger down the right ear cup. You get the picture. All the controls are tied to the right ear cup.
The microphone on the headphones is also pretty good (I have not tested the inline microphone on the 3.5mm detachable cable). After testing out the headphones with one of my favourite Spotify playlists I asked my brother to give me a call so I can test the quality of the call and if he can hear me clearly. It all checked out and he could hear me loud and clear with no issue and I could hear him just as clear. Now as these headphones are wireless the battery life is very important. Unfortunately the battery is non-removable, but these headphones are supposed to last at most 30 hours on a full charge and they take a full 3 hours to completely charge. From what I could tell, the Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones have the longest battery life for the price point. As with any new electronic device I get, I always recharge the device completely before using it and these headphones were no different. After several days wearing the headphones to/from work (I walk to/from the bus stop and catch the bus to/from work) and at work I have barely drained the battery life on these headphones. There is nothing more satisfying that putting on some noise cancelling headphones, picking up a couple of Jira issues and programming for an extended period. I plan on recharging them only when the battery reaches less than 10% so that I don’t have to worry about plugging them in every night or afternoon when I come back from work.
As of right now I cannot really fault these headphones. They were expensive but thanks to a 20% eBay discount I managed to snag them for ~$370 AUD. The headphones feel, sound and perform great. You get a number of accessories that you don’t get with other high end and similarly priced wireless headphones. A really worthwhile video to watch the shows off how good these headphones are and what features they have is The Best Wireless Headphones You Can Buy Right Now by Unbox Therapy, it was one of the videos that helped me decide that these were the ones to buy. If anyone has any questions about the headphones just leave a comment and I will try to answer it as best as I can.
Christopher Tom Kochovski 