Stuff - UK (2020-02)

GROUP TEST ANC HEADPHONES

What’s the story?

These Sennheisers have it tough. They have

to replace the much-lauded PXC 550s – and

at this price, compete with Bose, Sony and

co. But they’re featherweight and foldable,

have Bluetooth 5.0 and support the latest

low-latency aptX codec. Touch controls and

30 hours of ANC playing time put them right

in the mix with the big boys too.

Are they any good?

You’ll get more audio excitement from the

Momentum Wireless, but these over-ears

do plenty of good work in an understated

manner and the soft-touch materials don’t

yell “Look at me!” so much. Meanwhile the

ANC reduces noise without totally banishing

it even on the maximum setting. Walking

a fine line between ‘dull’ and ‘sophisticated’,

these headphones fall just the right side of it.

Price £299 / stuff.tv/Senn550

What’s the story?
Apple’s engineers have given the Solo Pro
on-ears active noise-cancelling with a new
transparent mode, an improved frequency
response and a nifty folding design. They
support Bluetooth 5.0 and Audio Sharing so
two peeps with compatible cans can listen at
once. You get integrated on-ear controls and
22 hours’ listening time with ANC engaged.

Are they any good?
These are the best Beats yet. The trademark
bass remains, but all frequencies are more
finely balanced now. The ANC is impressive,
and anodised aluminium ensures build quality
scales new heights – the folding mechanism
is smart, although some might find the fit too
tight for comfort. A lack of ANC adjustability
and a bias towards Apple compatibility also
grate slightly, but not enough to put us off.

Price £269 / stuff.tv/SoloPro

What’s the story?

Pay £350 for premium cans, or £25 for some

that may turn out to be a fire hazard? The

PH805s take the middle ground, promising

Bluetooth 5.0 high performance that won’t

break the bank. Style-wise they have a whiff

of Sony and the battery is good for 25 hours

of ANC niceness – including an ambient mode

for letting some of the world back in.

Are they any good?

Touch controls, a mature design and a choice

of ANC modes make these cans look and feel

more expensive than they are. Sonically they

get way more right than wrong; but while

bass is deep and mids detailed, the highs tail

off too soon. The ANC never feels completely

isolating, but ambient mode works well. All in

all, decent cans – for a decisive step up from

this, you’ll have to double your outlay.

Price £160 / stuff.tv/PH805

Beats Solo Pro Sennheiser PXC 550-II Philips PH805

There’s life beyond Bose, Bowers & Wilkins and Sony when

you want headphones that block out (most of) the world

Noise-cancellers

Stuff says +++++

No drama – these smart Sennheisers

manage to look and sound totally discreet

Stuff says +++++
A fine pair of on-ear noise-cancellers
best suited to those with smaller noggins

Stuff says +++++

Step this way for all the looks and most of

the performance for about half the money

3 OF THE BEST

BEST

FOR

TRAVEL

BEST

FOR

iPHONES

BEST

FOR

BUDGET