Sennheiser PXC 450 'phones on sale next week

Sennheiser 's new PXC 450 Noisegard 2.0 noise-cancelling headphones finally hit the shops next week - a cause for celebration for noise/silence lovers everywhere.

The £300 cans promise maximum sound quality and the elimination of background noise while you're wearing them. And there's the added advantage that you won't upset your fellow travellers with the unholy racket spooling off your iPod . Hurrah.

The noise-cancelling feature can be powered for 20 hours of continuous listening using a single AAA battery, Sennheiser says. And the PXC 450 can continue to be used even if the battery dies - unlike some rival noise cancelling 'phones.

TalkThrough lets you hear people chat

Other goodies include a TalkThrough button which enables you to chat to your fellow passengers without having to take off the cans. The Sennheiser PXC 450 has a voice-optimised microphone that lets you hear people talking without being deafened by background noise too. This clearly differentiates the PXC 450 from the rival E500PTH earphones from Shure which have a similar Push To Hear feature.

A production delay at the Sennheiser factory has also enabled the company to add two new features to the 'phones from when we first reported on them in March.

The Sennheiser PXC 450 now includes a 'compact bundle folding mode' so they can fold up really small without the need for a case. And you can remove the headphone cable for servicing - which could be handy if its connectors get damaged, for example.

To find your nearest stockist, call Sennheiser on 01494 551551.