I'm new to the forum, but have been reading reviews and articles as I test several Bluetooth noise canceling headphones. Out of VModa Crossfade 2 Wireless, JBL Everest Elite 700, Bose QC35, Sony MDR-1000x and the PXC 550, the Sony and the Sennheiser would be my top picks. Unfortunately both have serious faults that make them hard for me to be satisfied. The Sony is great, but I've seen too many posts and reviews of cracked headbands to even want to risk it. Too bad, because it's otherwise great.
As far as the PXC 550, there's a lot to like.
They're comfortable for those without big ears or particularly big heads. I've got a pretty large melon and these still fit comfortably, but just barely. The QC 35 was much more comfortable in every respect and the headband expands much more. Still, the Sennheiser are comfortable for frequent, extended use.
Sound quality is good. I've found this model brings out more detail in the music, particularly in things like cymbals, high hats, certain brass and woodwinds. In stock mode, the bass is a little weak, but setting Director mode with rumble boost fixes that well enough. Overall, I found it to be on par with the Sony. The Vmoda also sounds good, but is a bit too bass heavy for my taste. The JBL sounded surprisingly good, but was the least comfortable.
ANC is good, but not as effective as the Bose or the Sony. It works well enough though. One problem is wind noise. With ANC on full, wind noise is amplified to the point of almost overpowering the music. The adaptive mode is better, but when it's windy, I end up having to turn off ANC altogether.
In general the controls work reasonably. Twist on/works fine. It's nice to have the ANC switch and the effect button instead of relying on an app like others. For the touch controls, you have to be pretty accurate with your swipes, but it does work and makes for a nice UI for playing music and videos. I like that I can use the volume control when wired. It's particularly nice for using with a PS4 controller.
However, the touch controls are also the fatal flaw for this headphone. It's completely unsuited to making calls, especially business or work calls. The gesture for ending a call is a single tap, and even brushing the ear cup often results in dropped calls. Earlier today, I raised my arms to stretch while on a call and brushed the ear cup with my shoulder. Dropped call. It's happened to me a few times during conference calls for work. You have to be very careful and conscious of the touch controls while on a call, and that's a hassle I don't need. I have other Bluetooth headsets I can use for calls, but this is a major design oversight, especially given the large number of gestures the phone supports. Sony manages this issue by requiring a double tap to hang up. If it wasn't for this, I'd gladly keep the PXC 550, but as it stands, I'm not convinced.
The case is really kind of cheap when compared to the Bose and Sony included cases. If I keep the Sennheiser, I'll have to buy a third party case. Harder materials aren't that expensive. Don't be cheap Sennheiser.
The Captune app is another weak point. The JBL Headphones and Parrot Zik apps are examples of well done apps. The Sennheiser offering is disappointing. If you're on Tidal or use files on your phone, then it's worthwhile. For the rest of us, the only real utility is the ability to customize the Director sound effect mode and setting a few options.
I like the PXC 550 and I'm inclined to keep them, if not for the dropped call problem. Beyond that, they are excellent headphones for the price point. However, I'd probably opt for the MDR-1000x if the headband wasn't a concern.
