Sennheiser PXC-350

The basics

Sennheiser PXC-350 are high-end headphones that cancel noise. Each earcup of the headphones is equipped with a dynamic transducer combined with a dual-layer Duofol diaphragm. It is leak-free despite high volumes, light weight, and has great build quality. The audio cable has gold plating, and can be detached from the headphones.

The good

These noise-cancelling headphones are so good you'd struggle to hear Brian Blessed doing a Pavarotti impression if he was standing right in front of you. Sennheiser claims up to 85 per cent of ambient noise is killed off by NoiseGard, and when we tested them on a recent long-haul flight we'd have to agree. The rumble of the engines was almost non-existent. And thanks to the soft leather-like pads on the earpieces, our ears felt like they were being caressed by angels wearing cotton wool gloves.

The bad

Unfortunately, the included in-flight adapter didn't fit the sockets on our particular plane (a British Airways Boeing 747), which was a disappointment. You also need a couple of AAA batteries to power the NoiseGard function. Listening to music without it tends to render the performance bloodless, flat and disappointing.

The bottom line

Nagging partners, crying babies, insufferable mothers-in-law: all can be blocked out by the Sennheiser PXC 350 noise-cancellors. Just make sure you've got the NoiseGard activated first!