The world of high-quality headphones can be tough to wade through. There are a lot of options on the market today, and nearly identical language is used for them all. Just like the headphones, we’ll be cutting through all of the noise and getting to the music… well, the review, and seeing if the Sennheiser PXC 550 Noise Cancelling Headphones are all they are cracked up to be. Let’s take a deep dive and get started.
Sennheiser PXC 550: Best Deals Today
- Exceptional sound, compact design
- Ergonomically designed
- Fully compatible with CapTune
- Triple microphone array system ensures speech clarity
Sennheiser PXC 550 Review
The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless headphones are designed for frequent travelers and aim to deliver exceptional sound with a compact design. The headphones feature a triple microphone system, proprietary adaptive noise cancellation that adjusts to ambient noise levels, and a few other features that are advertised as top-of-the-line, although they aren’t necessarily new to the consumer headphone game by any means.
As consumer-facing noise-canceling headphones, the pricepoint and overall quality of the PXC 550s place them among the top range of contenders, but they aren’t nearly good enough to be among the elite five or so that jockey for position each year. Still, despite not cracking the top, they are solid headphones, especially for someone loyal to the audio brand that helped put audiophiles on the map. Additionally, they are currently discontinued, with a new model, the PXC 550ii, being the successor.
Release Date
With the release of the 550-II, finding the exact release date of the originals was a bit tricky. Currently, it looks like they were released in 2016 for a price of around $399. At the time, that price was a little higher than some of its competitors, although looking at it from a price perspective today isn’t super accurate with hold long ago they released.
Overall, they are comparably priced in the upper end of quality consumer ANC (ambient noise canceling) headphones.
Models
There are currently two models of the PXC 550, the original and the 550-II. There are some important differences between the original and the new model.
The main differences between the Sennheiser PXC 550 and the PXC 550-II are in their Bluetooth capabilities and codec support. The PXC 550-II has been updated to Bluetooth 5, which is faster and smoother than the original PXC 550’s Bluetooth 4.2. The PXC 550-II also supports several additional codecs, including AptX Low-Latency for lag-free movie watching and AAC for higher quality with Apple devices. Additionally, the PXC 550-II includes Voice Assistant compatibility with Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant via the Voice Control Button.
While that is a decent amount of improvement, most people won’t hear a difference in their audio quality from codec to codec, but it does provide a lot more listening options for people looking to use apps like TIDAL that offer higher quality. Also, the use of hands-free assistant capabilities could be a deal-breaker, especially for people traveling or working with these.
Features
Here is a list of features for the original Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless headphones:
- Bluetooth 4.2
- Supports AptX codec
- Micro USB charging port
- 2.5mm jack for wired use
- Triple microphone array system for speech clarity
- NoiseGard™ adaptive noise cancellation
- Control and sound personalization through Sennheiser’s CapTune™ app
Here is a list of features for the Sennheiser PXC 550-II Wireless headphones (the second generation):
- Bluetooth 5
- Supports AptX, AptX Low-Latency, and AAC codecs
- Voice Assistant compatibility with Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant via the Voice Control Button
- Multiple microphones for phone calls, voice control, and active noise-cancelation
- Control and sound personalization through Sennheiser’s Smart Control App
There are some clear upgrades between the two, probably the most important being the updated codec support (ideal for Apple users) and the upgrade to Bluetooth 5.
Pros and Cons
Let’s review the headphones’ pros and cons before we get into the verdict.
Pros:
- Discontinued, so they are going for decent prices when available
- Foldable and ideal for travelers
- Good sound quality, but struggles against higher-end competitors
- Solid noise cancelation technology
- Few physical differences from the next generation version
- Comfortable for most people
Cons
- Discontinued usually means a lack of support
- Total lack of codec support resulting in poorer quality on Apple devices
- Not the best-looking headphones
- No Bluetooth 5, but this is supported on the newer model
Final Verdict:
The Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless headphones are designed for frequent travelers and deliver exceptional sound with a compact design. They feature a triple microphone system, proprietary adaptive noise cancellation that adjusts to ambient noise levels, and other top-of-the-line features. However, their age is starting to show, and there are probably some better options available.
If you are stuck to the brand, the newer model is worth it, especially for Apple users. The PXC 550-ii has updated Bluetooth capabilities and codec support, most notably, AAC for higher quality with Apple devices and Bluetooth 5 support. It also includes Voice Assistant compatibility with Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant.
Ultimately, they are old enough now that there are some better options with more support and higher-quality features. If you find some type of incredible steal-of-a-deal, however, they could potentially be worth it.
- Exceptional sound, compact design
- Ergonomically designed
- Fully compatible with CapTune
- Triple microphone array system ensures speech clarity
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Stas Knop/Shutterstock.com.
