Sennheiser PXC-300
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CNET Editors' Review
The good: Very comfortable on-ear headphones; highly effective noise-canceling circuitry; lightweight design; folds for compact storage; sturdy travel pouch; two-year warranty.
The bad: Maximum volume is somewhat limited compared with other headphones.
The bottom line: Sennheiser's featherweight noise-canceling headphones are supercomfy and produce sound quality approaching that of some full-size models.
At first glance, the Sennheiser PXC 300s looks like upscale Walkman-style headphones; closer examination reveals them to have an impressively durable design. The earpieces are approximately 1.75 inches in diameter, so they can't completely cover your ears, but the PXC ... Expand full review
At first glance, the Sennheiser PXC 300s looks like upscale Walkman-style headphones; closer examination reveals them to have an impressively durable design. The earpieces are approximately 1.75 inches in diameter, so they can't completely cover your ears, but the PXC 300s' extraplush leatherette ear cushions blocked out a significant level of noise on their own. They exerted a fair amount of pressure on our ears, but we found the headphone extremely comfortable, even in hot weather. The headphones employ Sennheiser's proprietary, spiral-embossed Duofol diaphragms and bass-tube technology for improved sound quality. The PXC 300s are backed up with a two-year warranty.
Sennheiser claims its latest NoiseGard Advance system eliminates the electronics' inherent background noise, but we heard very low-level hiss in quiet locations; in the noisy world, the hiss was inaudible. Sennheiser also claims the PXC 300s reduce susceptibility to interference from cell phones and other radio-frequency sources, and we experienced no disturbances. The PXC 300s' noise-canceling circuitry and two AAA batteries are housed in a separate 5.25-inch-long, black plastic tube fitted with a metal belt clip. Sennheiser states the batteries should provide up to 80 hours of service, though you can still enjoy music over the PXC 300s even if you don't have a spare set of AAAs on hand; you just won't get the noise-canceling capability if you have no batteries. The cable running from the headphone and the battery case is 4.5 feet long; it's fitted with a 3.5mm stereo plug compatible with virtually all portables, and you get a 6.3mm adapter for home use.
Sennheiser also offers a less expensive alternative, the PXC 150s ($130), which forgo some of the PXC 300s' design features. They won't play as loud and produce more limited bass response, but the noise-canceling abilities are identical.
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Ex-movie theater projectionist Steve Guttenberg has also worked as a high-end audio salesman, and as a record producer. Steve currently reviews audio products for CNET and works as a freelance writer for Home Theater, Inner Fidelity, Tone Audio, and Stereophile. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET.
User Reviews
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stars 16 of 16 users found this review helpful
"Best for Travel, light, great sound, blocks airplane noise" By Michiganbta
Pros Very easy to travel with, great noise canceling, fantasitic sound quality
Cons No real cons here... they don't block out screaming kids
Summary I have owned this headset for 6 months now, and 30,000 airline miles! These are by far the best sounding headset I have ever had, and the noise cancelling is fantastic!!! I love puting this on a friend, then asking how they sound... they are really impressed, then I ... Expand full review
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