The Sennheiser SC 160 USB-C are on-ear headphones designed for business professionals. They have a flippable boom microphone that ensures your voice is heard clearly, even in noisy areas like a call center. They also have a slightly v-shaped sound profile but their mid and treble ranges are neutral enough to reproduce detailed voices too. Unfortunately, some may find the USB-C cable limiting, especially if you have an older device that doesn't have this input. Still, if you plan to use these with a computer, they're decently comfortable enough to wear for long periods.
Our Verdict
The Sennheiser SC 160 are poor for mixed use. As these headphones are designed for business use, they have a great-performing boom microphone which allows your voice to be heard clearly, even in noisy environments. However, they struggle to isolate ambient sound around you like a train engine or office chatter, but this is most likely by design so that you can hear yourself talk. They're not stable enough to wear while doing physical exercise and some may find them a little too boomy for neutral sound.
- Great performing boom microphone.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Almost no noise isolation.
- Leak a lot of sound.
- Unstable fit.
- Limited music controls.
The Sennheiser SC 160 are alright for neutral sound. These headphones have a boomy sound that lacks a thumpy low bass. However, their mid and treble ranges are fairly neutral, ensuring present, detail, and clear vocals as well as lead instruments. They also have good frequency response consistency, although their treble delivery can vary a bit due to their on-ear fit.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Disappointing passive soundstage.
The Sennheiser SC 160 are bad for commute and travel. They're decently comfortable, so you can wear them for long trips without too much fatigue. However, they're less than ideal for traveling as they don't cut down almost any background noise such as bus engines or passenger chatter. They're also somewhat bulky since they can't fold up to a smaller size.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Almost no noise isolation.
- Leak a lot of sound.
The Sennheiser SC 160 are disappointing for sports and fitness. While they're decently comfortable, these somewhat bulky headphones aren't meant to be worn during physical activity and can move around or fall off of your head with the slightest amount of movement. Their USB-C cable can also limit which devices you use them with, especially if your phone doesn't support this connection.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Unstable fit.
- Limited music controls.
The Sennheiser SC 160 are poor for office use. These headphones are comfortable enough to wear throughout your shift. However, they don't isolate against almost any background noise such as office chatter. On the upside, their USB-C connection can be used on compatible PCs with full audio and mic support.
- Great performing boom microphone.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Almost no noise isolation.
- Leak a lot of sound.
The Sennheiser SC 160 is wired-only and can't be used wirelessly.
The Sennheiser SC 160 are decent for wired gaming. As they use a USB-C cable, they can only be directly used on compatible PCs or by using an adapter. That said, as they have full audio and mic support on PC, you can use them while playing your favorite games. They have a decently comfortable fit with a boomy sound to help bring out some sound effects. Their boom microphone also does a great job of capturing your voice clearly, even in noisy environments.
- Great performing boom microphone.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Disappointing passive soundstage.
The Sennheiser SC 160 are alright for phone calls. These business-oriented headphones have a great performing boom mic and your voice sounds clear and natural to those on the other line, even in noisy environments. However, these headphones struggle to cut down ambient noise like office chatter, which can make it more difficult to hear your conversation.
- Great performing boom microphone.
- Decently comfortable fit.
- Almost no noise isolation.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sennheiser SC 160 are advertised as coming with 2-in-1 earpads, so that you can use either the included foam or leatherette padding, depending on your preferences. However, we couldn't find any variants that come with the leatherette or the 2-in-1 padding as they all only come with foam. Our test unit also has foam padding, and you can see its label here. As a result, we expect our results to be valid for these variants.
If someone comes across an SC 160 that's different from ours, let us know in the discussions and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sennheiser SC 160 are on-ear headphones designed for business use. They have a great flippable boom microphone that ensures your voice is heard clearly by those on the other line, even in noisy environments. Unlike other office-geared headphones like the BlueParrott B450-XT Bluetooth Headset, they use a USB-C cable, which is compatible with some newer smartphones that don't have an AUX port. If you're looking for more options, check out our recommendations for the best office headphones or the best wired headphones. If you're looking for a wireless option, check out the best Bluetooth headsets for phone calls.
The Sennheiser SC 160 USB-C Headset is better for making phone calls than the TaoTronics TT-BH041 Bluetooth Headset. The Sennheiser has a more neutral sound profile and its boom microphone offers a significantly better overall performance than that of the TaoTronics. However, the TaoTronics is a well-built, wireless headset with a mono on-ear design. It has a good battery performance, so it should last you throughout your workday.
The Logitech Zone Wired are better on-ear headphones for making phone calls than the Sennheiser SC 160 USB-C Headset. The Logitech have better build quality and are more comfortable. They have a balanced sound profile, leak less sound, and can do a better job of reducing ambient noise around you. Their companion app is more comprehensive as it offers a graphic EQ and presets in addition to an adjustable mic level. However, the Sennheiser have a better performing boom microphone.
The Jabra Evolve2 65 Wireless are better office headphones and are more versatile than the Sennheiser SC 160 USB-C Headset. While both have similarly great boom microphones, the Jabra have a well-built wireless design and a great battery performance. They're more comfortable and come with a soft case. They also leak less sound and they have a more robust companion app. They can also be used with their USB-C cable if you prefer a wired connection too, although some users have experienced a drop in audio quality when using the mi via this connection.
The BlueParrott B450-XT Bluetooth Headset and the Sennheiser SC 160 USB-C Headset are similarly performing headsets for phone calls but you may prefer one over the other. The BlueParrott is a mono on-ear headset with Bluetooth wireless and great battery performance. It feels significantly more stable on the head and it leaks less sound. Its companion app also offers more features when used with Microsoft Teams, which some users may like. However, the Sennheiser is wired-only, which means you don't have to worry about battery life, and it also has a more neutral, less dark sound profile.
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