Photo gallery: Sennheiser PXC-300
Design
The PXC-300 uses essentially the same body as the current PX series. Besides being constructed of black plastic, the headphones are accentuated with aluminum trim on the headband and the earphone cups, giving it a cosmetic upgrade from its predecessor, the PXC-250. As with Sennnheiser's previous offering, we like the feel of the leather padding on the ear cups which is meant to create a better seal around the ears.
However, we found the headphone cavity on the PXC-300 has the tendency to amplify ambient noise. With the headphones on and without any music being piped in, we noticed a disconcerting acoustic pressure which has the same effect as pressing a sea shell against the ear. For a quick remedy, turning on the noise-cancelling function will eliminate it, though the tradeoff will be a slight audible hiss.
Features
Besides a fabric hard case, a 3.5mm double mono jack (airplane use) and a 6.3mm stereo jack, the PXC-300 is a comfortable headphone despite its flimsy outlook. At 100g, the weight is evenly distributed along the headphone structure and still grips firmly onto the ears without too much pressure, making it suitable for daily commute and even for a little light exercise like stationary cycling, though for extended plane trips, we would recommend the Bose QuietComfort 2 for its exceedingly comfortable ear cushions if budget is not an issue.
It has an on/off option for noise cancellation, so the PXC-300 is perfectly usable as an ordinary pair of headphones without the need to enable the NoiseGard Advance feature. This will no doubt save up on the batteries; however, the ambient noise amplification we mentioned earlier may potentially degrade the sound for those with more sensitive ears.
Performance
For most people, combating ambient noise on a train or a bus normally involves turning up the volume. Very bad for the ears, we say. In our field test with the PXC-300, the NoiseGard Advance (Sennheiser's term for its anti-noise technology) immediately reduced the rumbling of the train to a mere whisper, though conversations and higher pitch tones were still very much in evidence. With the music on, the headphones managed to, in conjunction with the NoiseGard Advance, significantly reduce the detectable clamor around us though not as much as our test unit of the Etymotic earphones. Yet, on a comfort level, Sennheiser's were definitely cozier.
Compared with the Bose QuietComfort 2, the PXC-300's noise-cancelling prowess is almost akin to it, though we noticed the Bose manages to block out a little more mid range than the PXC-300. Comfort-wise, the QuietComfort 2 definitely scores higher as the entire ear can sit within the ear cup.
We also ranked the PXC-300 with the PXC-250 and our experience with both tells us that while there are no detectable performance differentials in terms of noise cancellation, the PXC-300 has admittedly brighter treble and mids than its predecessor.
Sonic-wise, stacked against the lower-end Sennheiser PX100 and the Sony MDR-G74SL, we felt that the bass was lacking on the PXC-300 though the treble was bright enough together with the mids delivering a detailed sound space. It will definitely work for jazz and vocal tracks though fans of bass-heavy bands like Massive Attack should try for something like the Sony MDR-G74SL.
Our main gripe with the PXC-300 is that the battery pack at 134mm is unnecessarily long and cumbersome which, unlike the QuietComfort 2, is nestled within the ear cup itself. Other than dumping the battery pack into our messenger bag, we felt daft with a cylindrical black plastic tube adorning our shirt front or hanging off our belt.
4%
1%
