Sennheiser is without a doubt one of the most renowned names in the headphone business. The manufacturer, based near Hanover, Germany, caters to the professional, audiophile and consumer sectors of the market.

While Bose remains the top name when it comes to noise-cancelling headphones, it's been seeing some awfully strong competition from the likes of AKG, Apple, Bower & Wilkins, Sony, and others. You can add Sennheiser and its $349.95 PXC-550-II headphones to the mix, which deliver an elegant design with built-in Amazon Alexa support, strong audio performance, and some of the best ANC (active noise cancellation) available. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are still an overall better pair, so Bose doesn't need to worry too much, but its once-dramatic lead over other competitors is narrowing, and there are reasons you might prefer the Sennheiser PXC 550-II. Design Available in black, the PXC 550-II headphones have a matte finish with leatherette accents on the headband and the circumaural (over-the-ear) earcups. There are touch-sensitive controls on the outer panels of the earcups, but you wouldn't know it from looking, as the panels are blank. The earcups themselves are ear-sh...

The Sennheiser PXC 550-II headphones deliver excellent noise cancellation and strong audio performance in a user-friendly design.

Strong audio performance with rich bass depth and sculpted highs; Good active noise cancellation; Amazon Alexa support; Easy-to-operate controls; Detachable audio cable included

Headphones can feel a little tight; Limited maximum volume

An already well-functioning model has been updated with variable noise reduction and voice control. The user interface, on the other hand, has become somewhat messy.

The sound is among the best on the market, and the noise reduction works smoothly. Comfortable fit, without taking up too much space in the luggage.

The new features seem a little ill-considered. The combination of microscopic buttons and a jumble of hand signals makes steering more difficult than necessary.

Let me get this out of the way; I'm not an audiophile. Granted, I really love good audio. I do have a pretty good ear and I really enjoy music. However, I don't believe that there are a lot of objective ways to test headphones.

Good quality construction; Good; balanced audio; Quality fit and finish; Lightweight and built for the road warrior; Super comfortable; Works well with Android devices; Multi-modes of noise cancellation (Adaptive; Wind; Max); Equalizer through app saves to headphones (not just through software),...

Super light-weight construction leaves me worried about longevity and durability

The Sennheiser PXC 550-II are decent, well-rounded headphones. These premium-looking over-ears are very similar to the previous version...

There’s definitely more audio excitement to be had from a pair of Sennheiser Momentum Wireless, but the PXC 550-II do plenty of good work in a more understated manner. And they don’t yell ‘look at me!’ quite so much when you’re wearing them, either. It’s a fine line between ‘dull’ and ‘sophisticated’ sometimes - and these latest Sennheisers fall just on the right side of it.

aptX Bluetooth (and low latency too); Decent battery life; Deft noise-cancelling; Balanced, enjoyable sound;

Intolerant of careless recordings; An absolute stack of competition;

I've had these Sennheiser PXC550's for a few months now and I find them faultless. Firstly I bought them for a few different reasons, mainly I needed noise cancelling because I am very sensitive to unwanted sounds, noisy neighbours slamming doors, kids shouting loudly in next doors garden.

Having just come from the Bose AE2w I'm really disappointed with both the sound quality and the volume. These headphones are also much less comfortable than the Bose. Since I mainly use headphones to listen to the radio overnight it is not a huge issue but if you are looking for really high audio...

Very comfortable headset with the expected Sennheiser sound quality. The active noise cancelling is effective and one of the few headsets that allows you disable it. Great battery life.

Tested these against the Bose QC 35 and Sony MDX's. Both good headphones but the Sennheiser's trump the Sony's for sound quailty and surprisingly, they offer better noise cancelling than the market leader in Bose. Battery life is exceptional and the CapTune app is phenomenal. Highly recommended!!!