OK, I know...it's not a fair comparison. But for those of you that have been wondering how one of the best noise cancelling cans out there (Senn PXC-450) compares with what many consider to be the top of the line cans of any category (Senn HD650), read on. First, a disclaimer...this is not a formal "review" by any stretch...I've owned the PXC-450's for less than 24 hours. But I've had the HD650's for a long time, and I'm quite familiar with them.
First, let me cut to the chase. From a pure sound quality perspective, the HD650 wins...hands down...no contest...end of story...period. For those of you hoping that the PXC-450 might give you 90% of the overall sound quality of the top of the line full size cans, all in a portable, go-anywhere package, for considerably less money than what a pair of HD650's will cost, well...dream on. I've been A/B'ing these all night, and the PXC-450 is no contest for the HD650's.
As for sources/amps, I've used the (1) Lavry DA-10/SP Extreme Platinum, (2) HR Micro DAC (2006 w/ DM)/RSA Hornet, and (3) Ipod 5.5G w/ no amp. And I've listened to many genres of music...rock, blues, jazz, hip hop, classical, vocals. Let me repeat...from an "audiophile's" perspective, the HD650's are superior to their noise-cancelling brethren in just about every respect. Tighter bass, crisper highs, and more pleasing mids. The best way I can describe it is to imagine yourself listening to the 650's through a piece of cloth or some other sound-absorbing medium of some sort. The highs are rolled off, the lows are not as tight, and mids are more "distant" and less intimate.
But that's to be expected. After all, the PXC-450's weren't made to compete with the HD650's. I chose to compare them simply because I happen to own both, and I wanted to see how the PXC-450's "stacked up," using the HD650's as a reference. And the result was not surprising.
HOWEVER...IMO the PXC-450's are a fine pair of cans in their own right. OK, so they don't compare favorably with Senn's top-of-the line model, but who cares. You buy the PXC-450's because you want to enjoy good (actually, very good) sound quality while on the road, with all the distractions (and noise) that comes with travel--jet engines, airport crowds, crying infants, your seat neighbor--in a reasonably portable, comfortable package. And the PXC-450's excel in this regard. In fact, when I first pulled them out of the box and put them on, I must admit that I was quite pleased with what I heard. Having spent quite a bit of time at my local Apple store demo'ing the Bose QC2 and QC3's, I can confidently say that the Senn's are the superior cans. And I enjoyed a couple hours straight of listening to the PXC-450's right out of the box. For what they are, I found them to be quite pleasing to my ears...reasonably well controlled (and not over-the-top) bass, decent (but not luscious) mids, and realistic highs. In fact, for someone that has never heard a truly high-end pair of cans, the PXC-450's might very well be nirvana. It wasn't until I decided to swap over to the HD650's for a quick comparison that I came back down to earth. The HD650's were basically a reality check for the 450's.
But try listening to the HD650's on a crowded jet airplane at 35,000 feet...not gonna happen. Yet the PXC-450's are equally at home in that environment as they are in your quiet living room. It's here that the PXC-450's earn their pay. I also have a pair of Sensa 2X-S custom IEM's. Although I'm not ready to say which one wins in the noise-cancelling department (although I suspect the nod goes to the custom IEM's), the PXC-450's hold their own from a SQ perspective against the Sensa's. I'd probably give the slight nod to the Sensa's, but remember they are 2-3 times the price. And they are nowhere near as comfortable as the PXC-450's. I feel like I could listen to the 450's for several hours at a time, but the Sensa's start bothering my ear canals after about an hour.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the PXC-450's. I definitely see them having a place in my travel bag, and I look forward to hitting the road with them. But when I'm at home in the comfort of my own living room, it's the HD650's that you will find strapped around my head.
Happy holidays, everyone.
First, let me cut to the chase. From a pure sound quality perspective, the HD650 wins...hands down...no contest...end of story...period. For those of you hoping that the PXC-450 might give you 90% of the overall sound quality of the top of the line full size cans, all in a portable, go-anywhere package, for considerably less money than what a pair of HD650's will cost, well...dream on. I've been A/B'ing these all night, and the PXC-450 is no contest for the HD650's.
As for sources/amps, I've used the (1) Lavry DA-10/SP Extreme Platinum, (2) HR Micro DAC (2006 w/ DM)/RSA Hornet, and (3) Ipod 5.5G w/ no amp. And I've listened to many genres of music...rock, blues, jazz, hip hop, classical, vocals. Let me repeat...from an "audiophile's" perspective, the HD650's are superior to their noise-cancelling brethren in just about every respect. Tighter bass, crisper highs, and more pleasing mids. The best way I can describe it is to imagine yourself listening to the 650's through a piece of cloth or some other sound-absorbing medium of some sort. The highs are rolled off, the lows are not as tight, and mids are more "distant" and less intimate.
But that's to be expected. After all, the PXC-450's weren't made to compete with the HD650's. I chose to compare them simply because I happen to own both, and I wanted to see how the PXC-450's "stacked up," using the HD650's as a reference. And the result was not surprising.
HOWEVER...IMO the PXC-450's are a fine pair of cans in their own right. OK, so they don't compare favorably with Senn's top-of-the line model, but who cares. You buy the PXC-450's because you want to enjoy good (actually, very good) sound quality while on the road, with all the distractions (and noise) that comes with travel--jet engines, airport crowds, crying infants, your seat neighbor--in a reasonably portable, comfortable package. And the PXC-450's excel in this regard. In fact, when I first pulled them out of the box and put them on, I must admit that I was quite pleased with what I heard. Having spent quite a bit of time at my local Apple store demo'ing the Bose QC2 and QC3's, I can confidently say that the Senn's are the superior cans. And I enjoyed a couple hours straight of listening to the PXC-450's right out of the box. For what they are, I found them to be quite pleasing to my ears...reasonably well controlled (and not over-the-top) bass, decent (but not luscious) mids, and realistic highs. In fact, for someone that has never heard a truly high-end pair of cans, the PXC-450's might very well be nirvana. It wasn't until I decided to swap over to the HD650's for a quick comparison that I came back down to earth. The HD650's were basically a reality check for the 450's.
But try listening to the HD650's on a crowded jet airplane at 35,000 feet...not gonna happen. Yet the PXC-450's are equally at home in that environment as they are in your quiet living room. It's here that the PXC-450's earn their pay. I also have a pair of Sensa 2X-S custom IEM's. Although I'm not ready to say which one wins in the noise-cancelling department (although I suspect the nod goes to the custom IEM's), the PXC-450's hold their own from a SQ perspective against the Sensa's. I'd probably give the slight nod to the Sensa's, but remember they are 2-3 times the price. And they are nowhere near as comfortable as the PXC-450's. I feel like I could listen to the 450's for several hours at a time, but the Sensa's start bothering my ear canals after about an hour.
All in all, I'm very pleased with the PXC-450's. I definitely see them having a place in my travel bag, and I look forward to hitting the road with them. But when I'm at home in the comfort of my own living room, it's the HD650's that you will find strapped around my head.
Happy holidays, everyone.
