Sony WH1000XM3 vs Sennheiser PXC 550

Sony WH1000XM3 review
vs
Sennheiser PXC 550 review

When there is a choice between wired and wireless headphones, most people choose the second option. But what if you are going to buy one of the wireless ones? I have compared Sony WH1000XM3 vs Sennheiser PXC 550. They both can be used with and without an audio cable. These devices are closed back and over-ear.

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Features

The thing that makes them different is impedance. Sony WH1000XM3 has 16 Ohm which is much less than PXC 550 has — 490 Ohm. The sensitivity is similar, the first appliance has 104 dB and the second one — 110 dB. Both devices support aptX, however, aptX HD is available only for Sennheiser PXC 550.

Now, let's find the difference between their frequency response. WH1000XM3 has a frequency range from 4 Hz to 40 kHz, while PXC 550 has 17 Hz - 23 kHz. The battery life of the Sony product is 38 hours which is almost twice longer than 20 hours which Sennheiser PXC 550 has. Charging time in both cases is 3 hours, no speed charge function is provided. The good news is that these headphones have a battery level indicator.

Sound

Instrument separation of Sony WH1000XM3 is top class, the bass is very strong, the high pitch is quite nice. Generally, the sound is rich and full.

Sennheiser PXC 550 vs Sony WH1000XM3 delivers a strong, distortion-free sense of deep lows. In Club mode, the bass depth gets far more intense.

Comfort and design

Sony WH1000XM3 feels pretty heavy because its weight is 380 g. In contrast, Sennheiser PXC 550 has only 227 g. You can take these headphones with you everywhere as they are foldable. A carry case that comes with them might be useful as well.

Both appliances have a touch control but Sennheiser PXC 550 has built-in buttons, too.

Sony WH1000XM3 pros and cons

Sony WH1000XM3 pros and cons

Pros

  • Natural and all-round quality of sound
  • Excellent noise cancellation
  • Controls and customization options are available for Android and iOS consumers

Cons

  • Not possible to connect to more than 1 device at a time
  • Treble is sometimes too sharp

Sennheiser PXC 550 pros and cons

Sennheiser PXC 550 pros and cons

Pros

  • The ear cups have a swiveling mechanism with firm hinges, so they will never fall off
  • Automatically turns on when you put the headphone on your ears
  • The padding material on both the headbands and ear cups makes it comfortable to wear

Cons

  • When you wear it for a long period of time, it feels a bit tight
  • Unresponsive touch control

Votes 3 3
Rating 4 4

Headphones comparison chart

Overall
Sony WH1000XM3
9.6
Sennheiser PXC 550
8.3
10
10
10
10
9
8
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Common

Product

Sony WH1000XM3
Sennheiser PXC 550

Model

WH1000XM3
PXC 550

Brand

Sony
Sennheiser

Reviews

15747
4841

General

Wearing style

over ear
over ear

Enclosure

closed back
closed back

Wireless

Wired

Specifications

Transducer

dynamic
dynamic

Driver size, mm/inches

Impedance, Ohm

16
490

Frequency response, Hz

4Hz-40KHz
17Hz-23KHz

Total harmonic distortion (THD), %

0.05

Sensitivity (SPL), dB

104
110

Magnet type

neodymium

Weight (headphones), g/oz

380/13.4
227/8

Comfort

Adjustable headband

Foldable

Noise cancelling

Active noise cancelling

Adjustable noise cancelling level

Microphone

Built-in microphone

In-line microphone

Detachable microphone

Cables

Detachable cable

Audio cable length, cm/ft

Jack connection (TRS)

3.5
3.5

Balanced connection

Control

Built-in control buttons

In-line control

Touch control

Voice control

Google Assistant, Siri
Google Assistant, Siri

App control

Control functions

volume, answer/end, play/pause, next/previous track, fast forward/rewind, noise cancelling, voice assistant
volume, answer/end, play/pause, next/previous track, fast forward/rewind, noise cancelling

Wireless connectivity

Bluetooth

Bluetooth version

4.2
4.2

aptX

aptX HD (Hi-Res Audio)

Bluetooth profiles

A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, DIP

NFC

Wi-Fi

Battery

Battery type

rechargable
rechargable

Battery life, hrs

38 (30 without noise cancelling)
20 (30 without noise cancelling)

Charging time, hrs

3
3

Charging port

USB-C
micro USB

Charging cable

USB-C to USB-A
micro USB to USB-A

Speed charge

Battery free listening mode

Battery level indicator

Additional features

Water resistance

Light indication

Additional audio features

In the box

Audio cable

Carry case

Charging cable

1/4 Adapter (6,35 mm)

Interchangeable ear pads

User manual

Manual

Sony WH1000XM3
Sennheiser PXC 550
Sony WH1000XM3
Sennheiser PXC 550

Headphones HeadphonesArena comparison rating

  • better
  • worse
  • 9.6
  • 8.3
  • 9.6Sony WH1000XM3
  • 8.3Sennheiser PXC 550

The Sony WH1000XM3 is better headphones in this comparison. Check Sony WH1000XM3 price