Rating: 
Summary: The first and last Noise-Canceling HP for me
Review: I bought these headphones after reading a few online reviews for this product, but without trying them first.The sound quality was not impressive (considering the price), they sound very weak when the noise canceling was off, and when it is on you could hear a very load hiss.
This means that in a quiet environment you must suffer the hiss if you want to hear the bass load and clear. I had a personal problem with them which was a painful pressure on the drum-skin similar to scuba-diving( before equalizing ) after using them for a few hours.
I ask friends to try them and they experience only a mild pressure so it must be me( and I guess you will experience the some pressure with every noise-canceling headphones ) I also didn't like the noise canceling device in the middle of the headphone cable - very heavy and cumbersome, but again this is probably the case with every noise canceling HP. I'm sending them back
Rating: 
Summary: Good for the money
Review: With the PXC-250, I really enjoy listening to MP3's or in-flight audio while traveling in a noisy plane or train. The PXC-250 are very comfortable. But the PXC-250 do not compare at all to the quality of the HD-600 for quiet listening. The HD-600 are much more dynamic and refined. Also, I find that the PXC-250 introduce a bit of white noise in order to mask the background noise. That's OK for noisy environments like trains and planes, but it is silly for regular listening. On the other hand, the HD-600 are large and impractical for travel. So I am glad that I own both the Sennheiser PXC-250 for travel and the Sennheiser HD-600 for home.
Rating: 
Summary: Great alternative to the $300 Bose
Review: Bought these instead of the Bose QC2 (cuz I'm cheap). I was astounded at what a difference these made over regular headphones on my last airplane flight. Greatly reduced the background jet noise to play DVD's on my laptop or to listen to music using the planes headphone jack. I am VERY pleased with my purchase and will spend the $175 bucks I saved on other toys
Rating:
Summary: Does what I bought them for
Review: I bought these headphones for a flight from Washington, D.C. nonstop to Tokyo. That's 13.5 hours. I wore them almost the entire way and felt no discomfort from having worn them for hours on end. I even wore them when I didn't have them attached to anything, just to reduce the noise from the sound of the engines. Sound is very good, especially with the noise reduction on. You never heard movies or music sound so good on a plane. I assume this would be true for trains and buses, as well. No, they don't sound as good as my high-end Sennheiser headphones since a) the PXC250 is not closed, and b) they are smaller than the higher end headphones so that they travel well. I bought these for a purpose other than listening to music in my home (although I do occasionally since they are so convenient to use and the sound is very decent). I tried the Bose and they were not for me. Twice the price, larger, and less comfortable. At this price, especially, I'm very satisfied. They work well at both reducing ambient noise, are very comfortable, and produce an enjoyable sound. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe these are it.
Review: I've been through at least a dozen different types and styles of headphones and earbuds. I think these Sennheisers might finally be the ones I've settled on. I work in radio, and have been spoiled by high quality headphones. I can't stand ear buds, even though they tend to sound the best. After an hour I want to rip them out of my ears. I've tried over the head and behind the neck styles, and they just don't have the richness in frequency response I want unless you hold them tight to your head with your hands. The Sennheisers sound very, very good and are comfortable to wear. They're a little larger than I'd like for travel, but I really can't give up quality sound. One word of negativity; they only sound good when the noise cancelling circuit is turned on. Yes they still work without it, but they lose a great deal of sound quality. I don't have enough experience with them yet to know how long the batteries will last, but on longer trips to Europe I'll carry spares just in case. These come with a nice carry case and a couple of adapters to use with home systems and the Delta Airlines double plug. Pricey yes, but I've already spent more than double what these cost trying to find something good. I think these could be the ones. The battery compartment is a little bulky, but can clip onto your belt. The cord could be a little more substantial, but there is a two year warranty should it break. The headphones adjust to your head very nicely, and the ear pads are thick and comfy. These don't totally enclose the ear, rather they sit on the outside. Not the smallest or easiest to carry around, but if you want high quality sound without the discomfort of ear buds, these are the way to go. The noise cancellation is decent, but the sound quality with the noise reduction circuit engaged is the prize.
Rating:
Summary: Good for the Price
Review: I got what I paid for. They sound great, cut out outside noise effectively, are lightweight and can be folded up and kept in compact places.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the rest
Review: I've now tried out the various Sonys (NC5, NC10, NC11, & NC20), the Bose (QC2) and the Sennheiser PXC250 and the Sennheiser is ultimately the best for air travel. I started out with the Sony NC10 thinking an in-ear model would not only cancel noise but also just plain seal it out. I didn't realize how uncomfortable they would be on a long-haul flight. I switched to the over-the-ear closed NC20, but those were too bulky for true portability. I switched back to the in-ear NC11 thinking they would be more comfortable than the NC10's but the NC11 seemed to actually be much worse at noise cancellation. What happened, Sony? A friend then suggested the Bose QC2 and they were pretty good both at noise cancellation and suppression. But they were too big and bulky for frequent or light travel. I then tried out the Sony NC5 but found they were poor both in noise cancellation and in general sound quality. I finally ended up trying the Sennheiser PXC250 and found that they sounded and cancelled noise as well as, if not better than, the Bose and were much smaller to carry. They don't seal out sound like the in-the-ear or over-the-ear models, but they were much more comfortable after a long-haul flight than any others I had tried. And they're half the price of the Bose. Short of buying a pair of the Etymotic ear-canal headphones with custom-molded earpieces, the Sennheiser is probably the best way to reduce airplane sounds right now.
Rating: 
Summary: Worthwhile, but not Bose
Review: Went to Tweeter, looking for the Bose QC2. Turns out, Bose only sells their premium items directly - QC2, Wave, etc. Tweeter had the PXC250. The sales guy did not want to open them for me to try, so I bought with 30-day return. Not content with them, I went to a Bose Kiosk in a mall and bought the QC2's, also on a 30-day return. The Kiosk was under an escalator, and the mall was busy - the headphones cut down that background substantially - a test similar to an airplane, I believe. Over the next week, I did a few tests, mostly with a TV at moderate volume in the next room (my major interest other than travel). Both the Sennheiser and the Bose have their advantages, but both the sound quality and noise dampening are clearly better with the Bose. I took the Sennheiser back, and am keeping the Bose. A year ago or so, I tried a $50 Aiwa pair - hiss and not much cancellation - took them back also. I suspect that anything less than the Sennheiser PXC250 is not worth considering. If small size and price are important, and TV noise is not, the Sennheiser may be a better value than the Bose. For me, the Bose is one star better than the Sennheiser, but not perfect. Because you won't find the Bose QC2 on Amazon, I give a point-by-point comparison: Bose QC2: $300
folds flat into semi-hard case about twice the size
around the ear - better sound, but can get warm
no external wand, wire detaches
1 AAA in headphone, claimed 35-hr
excellent sound
no sound (music) when switched off
TV reduced without music, hardly heard with music Sennheiser PXC250: $150 (less at Amazon)
folds flat into soft case about half the size
on the ear - inferior sound, but cooler
2 AAA in external wand (wire is captive?)
sound OK, but weak/no bass
diminished sound (music) when switched off
TV not reduced much without music, still intruded a little over music
Rating:
Summary: Still one of the best. But far from perfect!
Review: I bought these Sennheiser PXC 250 noise-reducing headphones as a replacement for my trusty HDC 451's, which were excellent. For straight noise reduction, the PXC 250 is definitely better. But as a wear-it-everywhere set of headphones to improve one's overall quality of life, the PXC 250 still leaves something to be desired. (For this latter usage, the HDC 451 might still be a wiser choice.) Here's a rundown of the PXC 250's pros and cons. On the positive side, noise reduction for the PXC 250 is up 50% versus the HDC 451, going from 10 dB to 15 dB of noise suppression. Quietness is further enhanced by the 250's on-the-ear, cup-style listening units. The earphones also twist to lie flat, and the headband folds in two places to make the PXC 250 even smaller for stowing. The 250 even comes with its own black carrying case, which has a zippered pocket on the outside which is perfect for hiding the included ΒΌ" audio and two-pronged airline adapter plugs. On the downside, the battery carrying case (which also houses the electronics) has grown significantly - even though the battery size has been reduced from two (2) AA's to a pair of AAA's. The batteries are held in-line, rather than side-by-side. So the case for the PXC is about as long and thick as a short cigar, whereas the compartment for the HDC 451 is about the size of a box of Tic Tac mints. The most bothersome feature of the PXC 250, though, are the dual wires emerging from the earphones (one for each side), which are probably required since the headband now breaks in two places. The wires, besides being more numerous, are also fairly thin -- which causes them to get tangled much more often when storing and unstoring them (as compared to the HDC 451 which has a single, thicker wire). Lastly, the increased quietness of the PXC 250's enclosed ear cups, although superior for blocking noise, are no longer an "open air" style - which makes hearing ambient sounds and other people's voices more difficult. The PXC 250 is thus best suited to indoor (or stationary) music listening only, and are perhaps a little too insulating for using outdoors (or while moving or interacting with others). In short, if enjoying music indoors (or on a plane) is your objective, the PXC 250 is definitely the way to go. If, on the other hand, you'd like to bring sanity to a noisy world by wearing your headphones everywhere, then the older HDC 451 is probably a smarter choice. I'd like to suggest to the company (Sennheiser) that they also consider offering a behind-the-neck style so that outdoor users (like yours truly) can enjoy the benefits of superior noise reduction - while wearing a hat! And there's definitely something to be learned from the new Bose QuietComfort 2's (which are unfortunately bigger and much more expensive) which incorporate the electronics into the headphones themselves. This design allows the audio cord to be completely detached - which takes everyday noise suppression to a whole new level of convenience. To conclude, I've tried a variety of affordably priced noise-reducing headphones and earphones from Sony, Aiwa and others. From my own experiences, the Sennheiser PXC 250 and HDC 451 are definitely the best! And I certainly wouldn't want to live life without them!
Rating:
Summary: light weight, great for air travel
Review: I travel by air every two weeks and this headset's active noise-cancellation is every effective. I now can truly enjoy listening to my MP3 music without the intrusion of ambience noise even when I get to seat close to the jet engine. It also came with adapter which allows connection to the plane's audio system for watching movies or listening to music. The sound quality is excellent, deep bass and clear trebles. And size is very compact compare to other noise-canceling headphones. The price is also reasonable. The only thing that I didn't like about this headphone is the wand, which houses the battery compartment and the noise-cancellation circuitry, because sometimes it gets in the way.
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