Compare Specs Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless vs Bose QuietComfort 35 II

Are you an audiophile and cannot live without music? Of course, you will need the best performing headphones for a compelling musical experience. In that case, background noise is one of the aspects you need to take care of. How about the best noise canceling headphones? If you are looking for the best noise canceling headphones that money can buy, we have two best options you can choose from – Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless vs Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Noise cancellation is the right option for an immersive experience in music. How do these two compare against each other? Let us check them out in this comparative list.

Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless vs Bose QuietComfort 35 II

Both the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless and Bose QuietComfort 35 II are the flagship devices for the respective manufacturers. We will make a neat comparison between the two equally capable headphones. We will find the differences between the two devices and the features that they offer.

The Design and Ergonomics

Both of them offer you replaceable ear pads. In essence, while choosing a headphone, the prime concern you should have is to find the ergonomics and comfort level that you will experience. The ear pads can be one of the significant elements that would define the comfort level in a better way.

From the portability point of view, we would rate Bose QuietComfort to be better placed for the comfort when compared to the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless. In terms of physical dimensions, both of them will share almost the similar features, but Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless would be a little bulky.

The plush ear cups is one of the features that go in favor of Bose offering, thereby improving the comfort levels for extended hours of wearing. It is also quite light, and that is something that adds up to the value. However, regarding weight – there is not much of a difference between the two. Bose has 240 grams weight while Sennheiser offers you a weight of 227 grams. It too comes with plush earbuds, but the inner lining is an issue that causes an uncomfortable feeling after prolonged usage.

The Spec Sheet

The Sennheiser PXC 550 comes with an excellent functionality regarding features and gesture support. Swiping around the ear cup on the right side helps you control the music playback. Double tapping will disable noise cancellation features. The gesture can also be used to pause your music as well. There is a Call Enhancement feature that would help you make your voice calls audible louder enough. Another smart feature we loved on the PXC 550 is the Smart Pause option that can be used to pause your headphones as soon as you take them off.

The QC35 II does not offer many of these smart features. It has the traditional buttons for doing their job. Of course, you have a smartphone app that aids you listening to another Bose headphone by syncing it and pairing together. It supports Google Assistant so that you can press a button and control your headphone with voice commands. You can also make it read out the notifications to you.

NFC connectivity is offered on either of them. Both the headphones support both wired and wireless operation as per your exact needs. However, both these wireless headphones come with a 2.5 mm audio jack which can be a little rugged to work with. The 2.5 mm Audio Jack has almost gone obsolete.

Additionally, Sennheiser PXC 550 comes with an adapter so that it can be used for in-flight entertainment as well.

Audio Performance

Noise Cancellation is what these headphones have been designed for, and they perform the task to the core. The feature works perfectly on either of them. Bose QC 35 lets you switch between multiple levels of noise cancellation on the go. The Sennheiser PXC 550 also enables you to opt for an Adaptive Mode for customizing the noise cancellation levels.

QC 35 II supports AAC codec alone but still offers you better highs and mids. The bass at its best and lower level performs better than the competitors. The PXC 550 would be an excellent option in every respect. It sounds more neutral and supports the aptX streaming codec. If you love bass, you may prefer the other options than opting for the Sennheiser PXC 550.

The Battery Life

Both the devices come with rechargeable batteries. Sennheiser PXC 550 comes with a battery backup of around 30 hours. Bose QC 35 II offers you a slightly lower battery backup of approximately 20 hours on a single charge. The time required for charging remains almost similar at 2.1 hours for both of them.

The Sennheiser PXC 550 headphones come with Power Saving feature, while you have an auto-off functionality on the Bose QC 35 II to save battery.

Comparison Chart:

The following chart should provide better inputs into comparing the two headphones in a more understanding manner –

The tabulated comparison should ideally provide you with an explicit comparison between the two competing headphones. The Bose QC 35 II comes with great features like an easy to use control system. It offers you comfortable over-ear functionality. The noise cancellation functionality provided by Bose QC 35 II is better than that available on the Sennheiser PXC 550.  In fact, the dedicated noise cancellation microphone can indeed be an added advantage regarding active noise cancellation. You are also assured of a better bass performance than the Sennheiser offering. The lower value of the lower frequency will ensure that you can be guaranteed of better bass performance. The Voice prompts feature can be helpful for an effective communicator to get better information from the headphones in the form of voice alerts.

The Sennheiser PXC 550 offers you more customization option than those available on Bose QC 35 II. Multiple microphones can be helpful in getting a better sound quality and an active noise cancellation.

The Concluding Thoughts

We will choose Bose QC 35 II as the winner of the competition between the two. Not that Sennheiser falls behind with any of its features, but the high-performance comfort level is what we would love more than anything else. The super plush ear pads and a generous bass is what would make it stand a clear winner. Another exciting feature that we loved the most is a Google Assistant Integration.

Sennheiser offers you a few salient features that Bose comes with. It is lighter than the Bose offering and should be lighter on your ears. However, the issues with the inner lining will be an issue. The smart gestures and ambient sound mode are what would make it an excellent option in its own right. But, bass can be a huge issue if you are a fan of bass.

The Bose QC 35 II is our ultimate choice for your needs. The excellent audio performance will ideally make it the best choice for the audiophiles.