Sennheiser PC 350 SE review

Barry Collins Read more March 27, 2013

£170

Price when reviewed

The Sennheiser PC 350 SE headphones are designed for those who like their gaming in perfect isolation. The closed-back design and snug fit of the soft leather earpads block out almost all ambient noise: you can’t even hear yourself typing on the laptop in front of you, with music playing at only moderate volume.

That sealed design and delicate acoustics mean you can hear every last bullet pinging around you in the heat of first-person shooters, and the PC 350s aren’t only adept with game soundtracks; they deliver a spotlessly clean and well-balanced sound for music playback, too.

They extracted extraordinary depth from a set of high-quality FLAC audio files, picking up the slightest tremors in the singer’s voice, while remaining entirely distortion-free when the heavy bass kicked in.

Sennheiser PC 350 SE

Build quality is exemplary, as it should be on a set of a headphones costing just shy of £170. The cans fold flat into a stylish, if slightly bulky, travel case, and they’re definitely built to last – the two-year warranty providing further reassurance.

They’re staggeringly comfortable, too: lightweight, well-padded around the ears and headband, and made from breathable leather that won’t leave them damp with sweat after an intense LAN party session.

There’s no in-line control on the 3m-braided fabric cord, but there’s a volume dial on the right ear cup. On the left, you’ll find the microphone stick, which can be raised out of the way when not in use. Sennheiser claims the microphone automatically mutes when the mic boom is raised, but that didn’t work in our Skype call tests.

That minor irritation aside, these are a delightful pair of high-quality headphones that excel at far more than a Counter-Strike session.