Sennheiser PXC 450 review

These teutonic ear-coccoons will provide you with the long-haul comfort you so crave from a set of headphones. But can Sennheiser supply the audio excellence to complement the aural massage that the PXC 450s give you?

Pros
These noise-cancellers from German can-meisters Sennheiser quell background sound, from jumbo jets to buses, more effectively the any other headphones. The design is endlessly comfortable, even if it does make you look dorkish in the extreme, and it runs on a single AAA, so you don’t need to worry about recharging. Sonic performance is generally very good with reasonably well extended bottom end and very good mids and highs, without ever sounding harsh.

Cons
Reviewing audio gear is a very subjective thing, but there is perhaps something a bit I too I pristine about the PXC 450’s sound. It’s a little like being serenaded by the Pod people from Invasion of the Bodysnatchers – uncannily accurate but lacking in warmth. Although we’re not trying to imply the Sennheisers want to consume you and turn you into one of them, let us stress. The would-be futuristic design doesn’t help, being very comfortable but also massively bulky and hideously ugly.

In summary then…
More for the business class traveller than for jiving down the street listening to La Roux, these whoppers sound impressive, kill noise stone dead and can be worn from London to Bangkok and back without discomfort. Like the Bose QC3, they can be used with noise cancelling but no music, and they do a great job as this kind of “helmet of silence”.

Style

Sound

Value

Overall

Like the sound of these headphones? Get chatting about the Sennheiser PXC 450s on the PriceRunner forums.

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