RockinOut
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2005
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I tried PXC 300 and PXC 250 together. Difference is $50.
I'm keeping PXC 300: A bit better bass, a bit better sound cancelling, better overall sound than PXC 250. Better case and softer and smoother material on ear pads. Overall as an audio headphone, decent though a bit "thin" overall.
I'm not reviewing PXC 250 or IEM vs. noise cancelling issues here. There are many other accurate reviews here on Head-Fi regarding these. Jude had a really good review and comparing and contrasting PXC 250 and Shure E4c. I just read that he just got PXC 300 and will be posting his experiences soon.
PXC vs Shure E5c: Really completely apples and oranges. They each have their place. Obviously as reviewed by others, IEM much better at complete isolation and at sound quality. E5c extremely efficient earphones.
Why did I get PXC?
Physical comfort and fatigue and stress due to "noise." By noise, I mean any type of stress related to sound. This is completely subjective and will be different for every person.
I'm 33 and retired now, but in my travels and city-living, I'm very sensitive to "noise." When I'm in the countryside and rural areas, I don't have much noise problems, but I like the cosmopolitan aspects of city life and as such I've had to find some coping solutions.
E5c are wonderful but after several hours it causes fatigue to my ears physically. Also, I need sound "insulation" and dampening without music for much of the day.
With PXC, I just put them on and turn noise cancel on without music. I wear it many hours this way a day, and for me the "white noise" it makes and the noise cancellation function really takes the stress out of traveling: airplane drone, airport lobby "sea shell to ear" effect.
I mainly stay in small apartments and hotels in London, Paris, and California. PXC helps me with "city living" noises/stress: water running noise in walls, air conditioning/heater noises, airplane noise, low frequency "street" noise, refridgerators, etc.
With PXC, the earpad is small and goes on top of ear not around the ear like Bose. I like this better, not so hot and clammy, more comfortable for longer periods of time. Very small, collapsible and travel friendly.
When I really want to tune out, I wear NRR 33 foam earplugs, and use PXC over my ears with noise cancel turned on for even more noise deadening. Also I tend to wear foam earplugs a lot during the day, but I want to listen to quick internet blog video and streams occasionally here and there. Taking foam earplugs in and out constantly sometimes irritates my ear canals. I just leave foamies in and put PXC300 over my foamies and listen to a quick video or stream, and I don't have to remove my foam earplugs and irritate my ears.
It's extreme, and rather silly
, but it works really well for me. The world is getting more crowded and sound is very stressful to me. I just don't handle it well. However, E5c, PXC 300, and disposable ear plugs are working very well for me in my retirement travels and city living. I'm very much less stressed with noise stress now (yeah, I know, I'm a big sissy
).
This system can only go so far obviously. But for me it does work. When I can, I hang out in Hyde Park in London or Laguna Beach and Newport Beach in California or stay in the countryside (non-city) where there is natural beauty and solitude. When I can't this system works pretty well for me.
Head-Fi posters have helped me tremendously with my rig and headphone endeavors. Just posting here to help others with similar issues.
(P.S. Xin was right again. I went back to On Semi NE5534 opamp in my SM3 V3. Very non-fatiguing for listening for long periods of time. I used to love SA5534 for crystal clarity, but it's now harsh for me, especially with my crappy 128K internet streams. It's amazing how preferences can change. I'm grateful for opamp rolling in portable SM3. I only state this because it goes in line with noise "stress"/fatigue issue in this thread.)
I'm keeping PXC 300: A bit better bass, a bit better sound cancelling, better overall sound than PXC 250. Better case and softer and smoother material on ear pads. Overall as an audio headphone, decent though a bit "thin" overall.
I'm not reviewing PXC 250 or IEM vs. noise cancelling issues here. There are many other accurate reviews here on Head-Fi regarding these. Jude had a really good review and comparing and contrasting PXC 250 and Shure E4c. I just read that he just got PXC 300 and will be posting his experiences soon.
PXC vs Shure E5c: Really completely apples and oranges. They each have their place. Obviously as reviewed by others, IEM much better at complete isolation and at sound quality. E5c extremely efficient earphones.
Why did I get PXC?
Physical comfort and fatigue and stress due to "noise." By noise, I mean any type of stress related to sound. This is completely subjective and will be different for every person.
I'm 33 and retired now, but in my travels and city-living, I'm very sensitive to "noise." When I'm in the countryside and rural areas, I don't have much noise problems, but I like the cosmopolitan aspects of city life and as such I've had to find some coping solutions.
E5c are wonderful but after several hours it causes fatigue to my ears physically. Also, I need sound "insulation" and dampening without music for much of the day.
With PXC, I just put them on and turn noise cancel on without music. I wear it many hours this way a day, and for me the "white noise" it makes and the noise cancellation function really takes the stress out of traveling: airplane drone, airport lobby "sea shell to ear" effect.
I mainly stay in small apartments and hotels in London, Paris, and California. PXC helps me with "city living" noises/stress: water running noise in walls, air conditioning/heater noises, airplane noise, low frequency "street" noise, refridgerators, etc.
With PXC, the earpad is small and goes on top of ear not around the ear like Bose. I like this better, not so hot and clammy, more comfortable for longer periods of time. Very small, collapsible and travel friendly.
When I really want to tune out, I wear NRR 33 foam earplugs, and use PXC over my ears with noise cancel turned on for even more noise deadening. Also I tend to wear foam earplugs a lot during the day, but I want to listen to quick internet blog video and streams occasionally here and there. Taking foam earplugs in and out constantly sometimes irritates my ear canals. I just leave foamies in and put PXC300 over my foamies and listen to a quick video or stream, and I don't have to remove my foam earplugs and irritate my ears.
It's extreme, and rather silly
This system can only go so far obviously. But for me it does work. When I can, I hang out in Hyde Park in London or Laguna Beach and Newport Beach in California or stay in the countryside (non-city) where there is natural beauty and solitude. When I can't this system works pretty well for me.
Head-Fi posters have helped me tremendously with my rig and headphone endeavors. Just posting here to help others with similar issues.
(P.S. Xin was right again. I went back to On Semi NE5534 opamp in my SM3 V3. Very non-fatiguing for listening for long periods of time. I used to love SA5534 for crystal clarity, but it's now harsh for me, especially with my crappy 128K internet streams. It's amazing how preferences can change. I'm grateful for opamp rolling in portable SM3. I only state this because it goes in line with noise "stress"/fatigue issue in this thread.)
