What Hi Fi Sound and Vision 20 JUL 2005

Sennheiser PXC300(noise-cancelling)

£ 129 5

* * * * *

Superb if you want to listen to music, rather than your fellow commuters.

The PXC300s – available for far less than this list price, too – effectively cut out a wide spectrum of external irritations, while never feeling claustrophobic or heavy on your head.

Activating their noise-cancelling does affect music replay – there’s a slight hissing if you listen hard enough – but it’s counteracted by a detailed, punchy sound that entertains across musical genres.

The folding design is smart and sturdy – as is the carry case – though the clip-on battery stick is the trade-off to such compact cans.