The 250s' ability to provide a hushed quiet over a broad spectrum of frequencies -- bass to midrange -- was equalled by only that of the twice-as-expensive Bose QuietComfort 2. Its noise-quashing powers are evident on planes, trains, and noisy city streets. We did note that turning on the noise-cancelling function added a small amount of hiss, but it was inaudible in the busier environments where the feature would likely be activated.
The noise-cancelling circuitry and a pair of AAA batteries are housed in a separate tube, which, at 139.7mm, is a bit cumbersome to deal with (the only real downside here), but at least it sports a sturdy belt clip. To save space while traveling, the headphone folds up into a tiny bundle. A two-pronged adapter for in-flight movies is included.
Admittedly, the sound wasn't as rich as it was with the Bose, but we preferred the 250s' more present midrange and treble frequencies, although this is very much an issue of personal taste. Hooked up to an 15GB iPod, the 250s produced higher-resolution sound on jazz, rock, and classical music. A session with the new Led Zeppelin DVD also left us impressed -- and not just by Jimmy Page's killer fretwork; the 250s treated the high-quality audio signal with respect.
One caveat: The PXC250, like many other noise-cancelling headphones, produces a slight sense of pressure on the eardrums. Listeners sensitive to this effect may find it mildly uncomfortable.
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andrewr
25/02/2007, 11:26 PM
rating
9/10
Great quality, glad I bought them
Pros: Great sound.
Cons: Comfort - my big head vs tight headphones means any longer than 1 hour starts to get uncomfortable.
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mgaspence
03/12/2006, 03:44 PM
rating
9/10
I have had three pair because I loose everything, left on plane or hotel room, so price is better than bose and I feel these are more compact and work as well.
Pros: lightweigt, very stowable, great flat sound, I think they are comfortable without being bulky. best price performance all around.
Cons: The battery module can be cumbersome but the clip make it easy to place out of the way.
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Mike1
07/11/2006, 09:02 AM
rating
8/10
The sound is great but the comfort is very bad but that depends on how long you wear it, i bought it for my game's and wearing it for long hour's is a pain in the ear but you will only notice this after u take it off because of excellent sound, but thats just my perpective, the first time you put it on u wont know what im talking about but in the end you will see if you wear it for hours at a time.....
Pros: sound
Cons: comfort
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jvr
26/10/2006, 05:42 PM
rating
7/10
A bit dissapointing
Bought these but I should have tried the Bose QC 2 first. The Sennheiser sounds just ok, not great, no rich basses, but clear; the Bose sounds richer though, also when you compare the 250 with the on ear version, the QC 3. Try before you buy if you can! If money does matter, and you need decent NC, then definitely a good choice, because the Bose is at least twice as expensive, and one can argue the justification for that price-difference..
Pros: Noice Cancelling is effective, impressive. Nice compact design, nicely foldable. Sound is ok, but not better then the iPod original buds.
Cons: Effective Noise Cancelling, but a hiss will be heard where there was a drone. But impressive it still is. Music can be heard without NC on, but it is lousy sound, sound gets decent when NC is on, as if amplfied only then. The bulky tube is a pain, as is the fact that you can't pull the cords out of the phones- without the cords the bulky thing would not be connected and there would be no NC. Bose can de that. On ear system to me not so nice, but that is matter of taste.
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matt
04/08/2006, 06:08 PM
rating
7/10
good sound, good noise reduction...but they broke
I bought mine on a transit stop in Singpaore airport. The noise cancellation really makes a big difference on long haul flights, I love it. Instead of having the volume all the way up, i could get away with well less than 30% volume. But even better, the detail is so much better. When watching films, you can hear background sounds, instead of just the dialogue, and the music sounds good too. I think this is a combination of the noise cancellation and that the headphones are much better quality compared to the el-cheapos they hand out in flight (sure not as good as a set of audiophile Grado's at home, but much a giant leap from the freebies) . I also found them good on the train.
The big down side is the external tube is a pain and that after only a couple of flights the wiring into the external tube had a problem...crackling and cancellation dropping in and out unless you hold it "just right". Overall, they're really good, but the exernal tube is a downer and there seems to be a lack of robustness in my case. It would be good if the cord was replaceable like on the Bose.
Pros: Good sound, good noise cancellation.
Cons: The external battery pack is a real nuisance!. The wires on my unit had a problem.
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31/10/2005, 03:25 AM
Audiophile quality
I am an entry-level audiophile. I haven't spent $10,000 on my home system, but I don't buy from Best Buy either...
That being said, I have auditioned alot of quality audio.
These Sennheisers are the only pair of portable headphones that due my system any justice.
The Bose noise cancelling models were too expensive and simply not good enough.
For the price, you can't beat these.
The drawback listed here is a minor annoyance (the module), but it isn't close to being a deal-breaker.
If you are on the fence I say buy them. You won't be disappointed.
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nessjez
13/09/2005, 07:11 PM
Good noise-reduction, average sound quality
These headphones are comfortable, give good battery life and offer effective noise reduction. The sound quality however is only acceptable - about the same as the earpuds that Apple ship with their iPods. But for the price you can't complain
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21/06/2005, 01:04 PM
your own world
travelling a lot - people on cells - wanting everyone around them to hear their life's story, grumpy stewardesses, crying, screaming, kids in the seat behind you - let it fly! I've got my 250's on and I could care less...
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Paul
13/04/2005, 10:41 AM
Compact, comfortable & effective.
Use them regularly on airline flights. Worth having on long flights just to kill some of the drone even if you don't want to plug them in. Very happy with their performance.
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