Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones review: crisp, clear and soft, too

The Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones fit snugly on a case. Courtesy Sennheiser

Available in the UAE this month, the Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones retail at Dh1,499. Courtesy Sennheiser

The Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones also has blueotooth connection. Courtesy Sennheiser

One of the Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones' main features is active noise cancellation. Courtesy Sennheiser

Take your Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones on the plane and you’ll feel as though you’ve “upgraded to first class”.

During an economy class flight to the UK, I put Sennheiser’s marketing slogan to the test as these “high-performance” headphones are designed with the business traveller in mind.

Shortly after take off from Dubai International Airport, I pulled the case out of my bag and started to unfurl the headphones – the device is collapsible, hence the unfurling, but it also means they fold into a neat shape to slot into your carry-on luggage.

Even before putting them on, you can’t ignore the softness of the leather around the head strap and the padding for the ears. These have a premium feel. So far, so good.

To turn the headphones on or off, you simply click the pads to the side – very nifty. I then adjusted them to fit and plugged them into the connector in front using the in-flight adaptor provided by Sennheiser.

As Money Monster started, there was no denying the quality of the sound. For me, movie watching on a plane using the airline offering means only understanding about two thirds of the film. And that's on a good day. But with the PXC 550, the sound was clear and crisp and the words easily decipherable.

To enhance the experience, I clicked on the active noise cancellation control on the side of the headphones; this later left me wondering why the air hostess was lip syncing at me during the meal service.

My only criticism is that the padding is so snug that a few hours into the flight my ears did feel a little on the hot and sweaty side.

Perhaps the most startling revelation came on my return journey. I decided to start watching a film before take off. After what I assumed was 20 minutes of taxiing down the runway at London Heathrow, I peered over to the window to see where in the airport we were. Lo and behold, we were in the air. I hadn’t even noticed the take off. Now that is first class.

q&a liberating, wireless or wired

Alice Haine reveals more about Sennheiser’s PXC 550 headphones:

Aren’t these headphones wireless?

Yes they are. However, I didn’t connect wirelessly on the plane and Sennheiser confirmed to me that most planes in-flight entertainment systems can only be connected through the two-pin headphone jacks. However, if an airline (maybe in first or business class) does have the option to connect through Bluetooth, then the PXC 550 will comply.

What are the buttons on the side of the headphones for?

There is the Bluetooth switch. I tried it on the ground and it took a few goes to pair the headphones to my iPhone. Once I did though, it was liberating to be wire-free. The other buttons are the noise cancellation control and an effect button that allows you to adjust your listening to a film, music or speech for listening to a podcast or book.

Any other features?

The headphones have a 30-hour battery life and claims to span the globe on a single charge. As my flight was only seven hours I can’t confirm if that is true. To get full charge, it takes three hours. There is also an earcup mounted touch control panel to pause music or take calls without taking the headphones off. And there is a voice prompt that lets you know what setting you are clicking on or whether you need to recharge. Plus, the Sennheiser CapTune app has more settings to tune sound.

How much?

Available in the UAE this month, they retail at Dh1,499.​

Follow The National's Business section on Twitter