• expired

Sennheiser PXC 480 Wired Noise Cancelling Headphone $299, PXC 550 $399 @ Harvey Norman

70

Was looking at best price for the Bluetooth version of this (PXC 550). While I came across this.
Keep in mind that PXC 550 is $399 at harvey norman so if you have AMEX offer it will be the same price.
Not much reviews for the wired version but having listened to both in store I seem to prefer the wired version in terms of sound quality (although they are meant to be exactly the same driver etc…) but the noise cancelling was slightly better on the PXC 550 with 2 modes.


Sennheiser PXC 550

With AMEX offer it will be cheapest to date for AU stock.
Either ask for $400 at cashier (they will happily do it).
Or price match with some shop that has this for around $370-380 and add a $30-20 item and use AMEX offer (plenty of memory cards or other small things that can be purchased).


PXC 550 has bluetooth and 2 ANC modes + APP, 30 hours wired battery life 20 hours bluetooth + touch controls
PXC 480 has 50 hours battery life. better wired design (the plug locks in place and is kind of hidden away) and to me sounds slightly better also can potentially last longer since less electronics in it (no bluetooth circuitry…)

AmEx Statement Credits: Harvey Norman - Spend $400 Get $100

Related Stores

Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman

closed Comments

  • +1

    The PXC-550 is $328 with the code PXC550 at Addicted to Audio.

    • thanks

  • besides the DOA, Harvey Norman won't provide any assistance on the warranty,
    AU stock or not doesn't really matters.

    • under ACL they HAVE to provide assistance with warranty. You have the right to refuse direct contact with the manufacturer.

      Also under ACL if you as a customer takes the initiative and initiate warranty with the manufacturer you will be responsible for getting it fixed and postage.

      So if a store ever directs you to contact the manufacturer, just quote ACL and if they dont do anything then you can take them to small claims court for breaching it. Also be sure to report them to ACCC because if enough people do so they will investigate and fine the company. Like what they did to MSY when they breached ACL.

      • -5

        under ACL they HAVE to provide assistance with warranty. You have the right to refuse direct contact with the manufacturer.

        under ACL the Manufacturers HAVE to provide assistance with warranty, retailer only responsible for the DOA.

        Also under ACL if you as a customer takes the initiative and initiate warranty with the manufacturer you will be responsible for getting it fixed and postage.

        ya so ?

        So if a store ever directs you to contact the manufacturer, just quote ACL and if they dont do anything then you can take them to small claims court for breaching it. Also be sure to report them to ACCC because if enough people do so they will investigate and fine the company. Like what they did to MSY when they breached ACL.

        wow u sounded like u never made a claim be4! not gonna happen! not in the real world dude! some stores offered 2 weeks , some offered 3 months, after that u ar on ur own, they always ask u to contact the manufacturer, and i don't see any words on ACL saids they HAVE to assist u more then a phone number! plz point it out for me which part of the ACL said they have to do more ?!

    • +1

      I have actually had very good experience with HN warranty.
      Purchased LG Flex about 3 years ago, last year right after Telstra shutdown 2G I was not able to make any phone calls. Telstra store swapped SIM card with no fix they pointed me to LG. LG wanted me to post it to them at my own cost.
      Went to HN, they shipped it to LG, a week later the phone was back with a new mainboard however the issue still prevailed. HN was elective to offer the phone's value in store credit as they said LG will probably not be able to do anything.
      Given this was towards the end of the warranty, I have to say I was very impressed, although it took a while for the whole process but the outcome was fairly satisfactory. I didn't even have to spend the credit on the same day.

      Similar story with a laptop a few years ago (DELL XPS PoS was warranty fixed 4-5 times under warranty through Dell and JB) in the end JB hi-fi offered credit BUT they said I have to spend the whole credit on the spot needless to say this was 20-30 minutes before store closing, so had no choice but to neglectfully get an overpriced laptop :(

      EDIT:
      I also remembered a warranty claim issue with Asus Transformer tablet (this was a few years ago and was a price error which HN ended up honouring for whoever remembers). This was 1 or 2 months later when tablet started going nuts (it was a known issue), I could run games better on an older phone than that Tegra tablet and the screen would sh** it self after heating up. Asus didn't want to touch it and HN staff really tried their best (sending email calling them) in the end they just swapped it for a new one…

      • -4

        ya! thats my point, u have to contact the manufacturer first, HN only help u with the shipping (and btw LG offered me free shipping on my faulty PDA and that was 7 yrs ago, don't know why they want u to pay),
        and u got rip off with the "store credit" coz u could have a full refund with $ not credit.
        by law they have to refund u with money not "store credit", don't matter HN or JB hi-fi.

        im not saying JB hi-fi got better customer server then HN, im just point out the fact that u have to contact the manufacturer first, retailer will only assist u with a phone number thats all!
        in ur case if u go to HN be4 u contact LG, what they gonna do to help u ? A PHONE NUMBER ! thats all ! they helped u with the shipping all becoz of u contacted LG first and LG agreed to fix for u.
        AU stock or not doesn't really matter coz its the manufacturer who made the discretions not retailer.

        • +1

          First of all no, you do not need to contact manufacturer, the law is you bought from HN/JB/whomever not LG hence the store has to take care of the warranty. This idea of contacting manufacturer was planted by the likes of MSY and other smaller shops.
          The only reason I went to LG first was the same idea that HN has bad customer service regarding warranty.

          I think you missed the point there, HN legally did not have to offer me that store credit, they could have send it to LG again (you need to send it 3 times for the same issue before you can request a refund legally). They volunteered to offer me the credit to settle the claim and I accepted this given that potentially the reason the phone was crapping it self was incompatibility with Telstra 3G (before was working in 2G mode etc…) but that's not the point.

          And again in the case of JB, I could have pushed to get cash however the 4-5 issues were individual problems, again legally it needs to be the same issue 3 times before you can request a refund. So in that case I accepted the credit due to the fact that the laptop was 2 or 3 months out of warranty and I really wanted to be done with that crap. It was just very annoying needing to decide a $1000+ purchase on the spot in a tiny CBD store with limited choices…

          Point here is I am very happy with HN customer service as far as warranty goes, because although manufacturer refused to do anything they gave me an option.

        • -4

          @OpayuOnam:
          Once again, not a word in the ACL said the retailer need to take care of the warranty.
          dick smith told me to contact manufacturer first, bing lee told me to contact manufacturer first and yes HN told me to contact manufacturer first be4.

          i didn't missed the point, once again its the manufacturer's discretions to take back the phone and give u refund, yes HN could have send it to LG again but they also authoritied to give u refund, if the manufacturer didn't agree take back the phone then u wont get anything else but a repair service, and therefore the store credit is a rip off.

          same as JB-hifi, they ar authoritied to give u refund, depends on they choose to do that or not.
          and its not "legally it needs to be the same issue 3 times before you can request a refund", there is no law for that! its the manufacturer's policy, 3 times 4 times depends on how the manufacturer wrote their policy not the law. this policy existed becoz they think the shipping and repair cost ar too high, "heres ur money and go away".

          im not saying HN customer service ar not good, but just depends on the situations and who it compares to, they ar no match with officeworks's customer servic.
          and btw "manufacturer refused to do anything" thats against the law.

        • +1

          @samelight: I don't want to get into a long haul debate about this stuff, I would suggest you read up ACCC.
          From their website:

          What is a warranty?

          A warranty is a voluntary promise offered by the person or business who sold the product or service to you. Once you buy the product or service, the promise becomes a right that can be enforced under the ACL.

          And this one:

          Approaching the retailer or manufacturer

          The retailer who sold you the product or service cannot refuse to help you by sending you to the manufacturer or importer. You can approach the manufacturer or importer directly, however, you will only be entitled to recover costs from them, which include an amount for reduction in the product’s value and in some cases compensation for damages or loss. You cannot demand a repair, replacement or refund from the manufacturer.

          and regarding your OW comment, I have had officework straight out telling me they cannot do anything since manufacturer deemed it as no problem, this was for a Motorola product, the tech guy told me if it was a different brand like samsung they have the option of making the decision but with certain brands like motorola they don't really have a choice but to follow them. Again my right would have allowed me to follow this up but given the depth of the problem and cost of the product I decided to let it go.
          So I guess in the end YMMV…

        • -5

          @OpayuOnam:
          do u understand whats a "retailer" ?? LG sold u the product and warranty service, retailer just a platform. it wont offer u any warranty except DOA, u could got search on HN's website, there is no warranty at all !!!

          and for the ACCC, keep reading !!

          Warranty against defects
          Some businesses will also provide a warranty against defects, also called a manufacturer’s warranty.

          c that ! the warranty is between u and the manufacturer, not retail!

          Approaching the retailer or manufacturer
          The retailer who sold you the product or service cannot refuse to help you by sending you to the manufacturer or importer. You can approach the manufacturer or importer directly, however, you will only be entitled to recover costs from them, which include an amount for reduction in the product’s value and in some cases compensation for damages or loss. You cannot demand a repair, replacement or refund from the manufacturer.

          ya DOA! thats what im keep telling u !! retailer will help u with the DOA and only the DOA!!

          I have had officework straight out telling me they cannot do anything since manufacturer deemed it as no problem,

          they got a change of mind policy, i dont know whats ur situation there but it should never got the manufacturer to intervene.

        • @samelight: you're completely miss interpreting the law and seem to have your own definition of all the words like retailer (which is 100% not LG).
          Both me and [@lplau] have tried to inform you about your consumer rights and you seem to be coming off with a very aggressive tone.
          You seem to be very fun to deal with in person as a customer, I sure hope will never be in a position of a salesperson selling something to you.
          I consider this conversation done. There is enough context for everyone else to judge and get the gist of what's going on.

          Cheers

        • @samelight: to respond to your update this was regarding a fault in product after 2 failed attempts at repair by Motorola. OW stopped caring, and so did I.

          Also OW's change of mind policy is much worse than JB, HN, Bunnings etc… The only good thing about OW is their 5% price beat which they often find a way to dodge as well.

        • -5

          @OpayuOnam:
          omg, why u so … of coz im "aggressive" coz u don't know how it work and u try to "inform" ppl ?!

          let me say it this way, if u bought a LG phone from HN and it wont turn on, then u ar entitled to claim the "Consumer guarantees" from HN(read the ACCC from the begining dude!), and they have to help u, thats what DOA (Dead On Arrival) for
          https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees…

          Approaching the retailer or manufacturer
          The retailer who sold you the product or service cannot refuse to help you by sending you to the manufacturer or importer. You can approach the manufacturer or importer directly, however, you will only be entitled to recover costs from them, which include an amount for reduction in the product’s value and in some cases compensation for damages or loss. You cannot demand a repair, replacement or refund from the manufacturer.

          but after 2 weeks for some retailers 3months some others, then u ar no longer entitled to claim the "Consumer guarantees" from HN or any retailers, becoz is not DOA (Dead On Arrival) anymore! now u move on to the LG manufacturer warranty part,
          https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-rights-guarantees…

          Some businesses will also provide a warranty against defects, also called a manufacturer’s warranty.

          in this situation u can no longer enforce the retailer to help u with anything at all!

          to respond to your Motorola, once again u shouldn't ask for a "repair" in the first place, and if "manufacturer deemed it as no problem" then u can't blame on OW, im sure HN wont do a damn in this case too.

          Also OW's change of mind policy is much worse than JB, HN, Bunnings etc… The only good thing about OW is their 5% price beat which they often find a way to dodge as well.

          HN don't have any change of mind policy, and they won't accept any change of mind returns, i start to think u ar a troll coz u ar trying to tell me HN do accept change of mind returns? dude ar u kidding me ?! what make u think u could BS like that?

  • Any one have thoughts about the Bluetooth one of this vs the Sony?

    • Was considering the same thing. But I went for the PXC-550 after I saw this reply. At the end, I think it would be more on personal opinion, experience and preference. I just feel that I prefer the PXC-550 when I decided to buy it.

      • whats in that post make u choose PXC-550??

        • +1

          I read that post after I spent some time watching, reading some reviews of those 3. To be honest, most of those reviews gave me the idea that there won't be much different in term of sound quality, comfort… So I would say go for Sony if sound quality is the most important to you, Bose if you want the comfort, then Senn if you want the average with better price.
          So I chose the Senn because price is my priority.

        • @johnnyle:
          na, sound quality or sound signature i could say, it depends on personal preferences hard to say which one is better, Bose got the most comfort, but when u talk about price and don't mind if its not au stock, then Bose and sony got a much better price.

        • @samelight: Really? All the Bose deals I have seen are over $350. Same for the Sony. when the PXC-550 I can get it for $328. After TRS would be ~$300 for an Aus stock with 2 years warranty.

        • @johnnyle:
          over $350 thats the second generations, the 1st one less then $300 and u can extend the warranty cost about $10 a yr.

        • +1

          @samelight: Thanks for the advice. I just got the PXC-550 today, and wearing it when typing this comment. I actually prefer it rather than the Bose QC35 that I tried in store.

        • @johnnyle: I'm in the same boat, just pulled the trigger and went with the PXC-550 yesterday. Could not be happier!
          Wore it the whole day at office with no fatigue what so ever! compared to my last ANC (on ear)which I couldn't wear more than an hour without getting tired… :}

        • +1

          @OpayuOnam: I'm glad to have someone who has the same thought with me. I used it for a few hours last night and just love it.

        • @johnnyle: make sure you read the PDF manual, it is filled with hidden features.
          Have a look at my comments below for some of them.

          Notably: smart pause, you can lift headphone to pause music. It is not 100% (false detects, as I think it uses the internal mics in the headphone to match Josie inside and out) but it is a very handy feature.

          Right now the only gripe I have is not being able to turn it off and listen to it unless the battery is flat. Apart from this this is the perfect headphone for me!

        • @OpayuOnam: yea, I went thru some reviews and they all mentioned the app/ I downloaded it when I got the message said that my pair was on its way. I turned the smart-pause on immediately, and it works accurately so far. Really happy that I made the right choice (for me).

    • +3

      3 weeks ago I had a very long session comparing multiple NC headphones in a quite store (HVAC noise in background).
      I mainly tested them wired since this was my main usage.

      Short outcome:
      Bose QC35 II: Did not like the sound quality at all, to me felt like the sound is coming out of tin cans or sewage or something like that… so this was out of the picture.

      Sony mdr-1000xm2: The sound was very good on this unit although a bit too warm for my liking. The noise cancellation was actually better than QC35 which was a surprise… The main annoyance for me was that you could not turn off the voice guidance/assistance or whatever the hell that stupid feature is called ("headphone is on" I KNOW THIS, "noise cancelling on" "ambient mode" noise cancelling off" AGAIN I AM WELL AWARE OF THIS!!!) this turned out to be super annoying as every small action had some voice feedback and interruption to music. Another annoyance was the touch controls were super sensitive and I often found my self doing stuff while putting the headphone on my head. Also the volume up and down had to be done 1 at a time. I liked the hold hand on ear to hear outside feature.
      Also they still seem to have the handle cracking issue from first gen.

      PXC 550: Noise cancelling not as good as sony, but on par or better than QC35. Sound was much better compared to sony and bose, very nicely laid back and great sound stage PLUS the bass was clear. The touch was well done, you can gradually increase sound by swiping slower or faster. You can forward or backward the track by swiping and holding in left or right direction. And the best part was I could both change the language of the announcement as well as set it to only beep or completely turn it off (how I prefer it).

      Between this 3 for me the PXC was a clear winner. As far as comfort went I much preferred the way PXC sat on my head than the loose bose or sony, they flapped around too much.

      Now I tried AT-ANC9 and PSB M4U 2 and ATH-MSR7NC.
      In these ANC9 was acceptable for the price, but the plastic build had too much creaking for my liking. Sound was very good for its price tag, so definitely my pick for budget will be this.
      The PSB was FANTASTIC sound, the bass was very crisp, and every other detail of music came out, however the NC was very meh, and the palsticy built and the fact that it looks like a Beats knockoff (although it is not) put me off.
      And finally the ATH-MSR7NC, this was the ONLY headphone out of this entire session that put a smile on my face, in a complete different league than all of them, BUT the ANC was barely noticeable.
      Bottom line, for sound quality:
      if you need a little bit of ANC PSB is a good choice
      if you don't care about ANC just get the ATH-MSR7 MINUS the NC bit for much cheaper :D

      Bottom line, try them on see which suits you best, and which you like better.
      I am almost set on the PXC-550, but I am waiting to see how the new Aldi BT ANC will be coming out next week for $79.90.

      sorry for long post.

      • i can turn off the voice on my 550s? HOW?! off to google…

        • +1

          Yes you can, I was nicely surprised too.
          If you download the captune app and go to this page:
          Headphone Setup page

          Scroll down and there is a menu that looks like language selection for voice guide, they have 3 options, off, tone and language choice! it is fantastic!

          Also if you don't know there is option for smart pause (lift one or both sides and it will pause movie/music on device).
          Also if you look at manual you can assign a gesture for google assistant which is again a great hidden feature. I think it was around pages 50-60.

      • +1

        Nah don’t be sorry, really appreciate the advice!

Login or Join to leave a comment