It’s rare to find a fantastic-sounding pair of noise-canceling headphones that blend in with formal attire, but Sennheiser hit the nail on the head with the PXC 550. It’s a known fact that a great blend of form and function doesn’t come cheap, though, so don’t pass on this chance to pick the wireless cans up for $234 — that’s $150 cheaper than usual.
Aimed at businessmen, the PXC 550 have a tri-microphone setup that delivers vocal clarity that’s on par with some of Sennheiser’s standalone microphones, softening background noise so the person on the other end of the line hears every last syllable. You know, so if you ask your assistant for a Sprite, you won’t get a kite instead.
But we digress.
The cans themselves deliver “top-notch sound and whisper-soft noise canceling,” according to our A/V and Entertainment Editor Ryan Waniata, serving up piping hot dishes of rich yet balanced bass, detailed mids with a measured drop of warmth, and a clean and clear upper register, each and every time you throw them over your ears.
They also offer the best noise cancellation of any Sennheiser model to hit the market to date, including the Momentum 2.0, which is also on sale. The PXC 550 is the star of the show, though, dishing out superior sound and deeper noise-canceling, while looking cooler and more collected in the process, for around $60 less.
To be clear, you don’t have to be the next Christopher Columbus to get the most out of the PXC 550. If you don’t spend the bulk of your time on a plane — or in Columbus’ case, a 15th-century ship — they’ll still come in handy, blocking out (most) of the background noise on a bus or a train, on the street, and even in the gym.
For that reason, we gave the PXC 550 a stellar rating in our full review, concluding:
With impressive sound performance, a sleek and comfy design, and Sennheiser’s best noise cancellation yet, the new PXC 550 are primed to be your next set of travel cans.
If you’re looking for something a little different, check out our list of the best noise-canceling headphones on the market (spoiler: the PXC 550 took home the award for comfort and warm sound). But at $234, there’s no real reason to pass on Sennheiser’s latest and greatest: They’re comfortable, sound terrific, and look great.
