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Sennheiser MM 450-X Wireless Headphones Review

Tested using Methodology v0.9
Reviewed Mar 23, 2016 at 12:00 am
Sennheiser MM 450-X Wireless Picture
7.0
Mixed Usage
6.5
Critical Listening
6.9
Commute/Travel
7.2
Sports/Fitness
7.2
Office
6.5
Home Theater

The Sennheiser MM 450-X Wireless are compact on-ear headphones that sound surprisingly great. They reproduce vocals and instruments well and provide enough isolation for moderately loud environments. Unfortunately, the very small on-ear cups are uncomfortable and the headband doesn't feel sturdy or durable.

Our Verdict

7.0 Mixed Usage

The MM 450-X are compact noise cancelling headphones ideally for traveling and commuting. Sadly, lacking a strong isolation performance, they're best used as everyday casual headphones.

Pros
  • Lightweight, compact design.
  • Great audio reproduction.
Cons
  • Uncomfortably small ear cups.
  • Weak, flimsy build.
6.5 Critical Listening

Average-at-best for critical listening. They have a decent sound but a poor soundstage. They won't reproduce high-res audio with the clarity and detail of an open back design.

6.9 Commute/Travel

Mediocre for commuting. They're compact and easy to carry around but don't block much noise.

7.2 Sports/Fitness

Not ideal for sports, They're lightweight compact and wireless. However, they're a little unstable for high-intensity exercises.

7.2 Office

Decent for office use. They'll only reduce a little bit of office chatter but on the upside, they don't leak much.

6.5 Home Theater

Average for home theater use. They have a better sound than the MM 550-X, and a relatively low latency performance with aptX enabled. however, they'll still have a noticeable delay, and they're not the most comfortable headphones to wear for long movies.

  • 7.0 Mixed Usage
  • 6.5 Critical Listening
  • 6.9 Commute/Travel
  • 7.2 Sports/Fitness
  • 7.2 Office
  • 6.5 Home Theater
  1. Updated Mar 23, 2016: Review published.
  2. Updated Mar 21, 2016: Our testers have started testing this product.

Test Results

Design
Design
Style
Type On-ear
Enclosure Closed-Back
Wireless Yes
Transducer Dynamic
Mic Yes

The MM 450-X are small, flimsy-looking headphones. They are fragile, and their understated design is a little unexciting compared to other on-ear models. The black color scheme is given a bit more flare with silver highlights from the metal frame, the headband, and the Sennheiser branding. They do stick out a lot laterally when on the head, which conflicts with their compact, understated aesthetic.

6.0
Design
Comfort
Weight 0.24 lbs
Clamping Force
0.72 lbs

The on-ear design of the MM 450-X isn't comfortable for everyone. They're lightweight, flexible, and the ear cups swivel, providing a little more comfort. However, the lack of padding on the headband and the ear cups feels a little uncomfortable and fatiguing after long listening sessions. The headband exerts a noticeable amount of tension on the head in an attempt to keep the headphones stable but also causes discomfort over time.

8.3
Design
Controls
Ease of use Average
Feedback Above-average
Call/Music Control Yes
Volume Control Yes
Noise Canceling Control Yes
Talk-Through Yes
Additional Buttons No

Button layout and functionality is decent but cramped. The controls can be found on the right ear cup and include noise cancelling, Bluetooth, volume, call/music and track skipping. The cramped layout, however, is disappointing, as it becomes bothersome to use if you have larger fingers. The tactile feedback could also be improved.

7.0
Design
Stability

The MM 450-X are decently stable headphones. They stay in place during casual listening sessions. They're compact and lightweight, which prevents them from swaying too much during moderate physical activity. However, they're not designed for sports and will slip off your ears while running or doing high-intensity activities.

7.2
Design
Portability
L 3.74"
W 6.3"
H 1.18"
Volume 27.9 in³
Stand required N/A

The MM-450-X are more compact than typical on ear headphones. They are very portable and fold up into a smaller format to transport easily. They will comfortably fit in jacket pockets, purses and backpacks without taking too much space. They maybe a little too wide for regular pant pockets but they won't be too cumbersome to carry on your person.

6.5
Design
Case
Type Soft case
L 4.53"
W 6.89"
H 1.18"
Volume 93.62 in³

Comes with a soft case that will protect the headphones from scratches and minor falls. However, the soft fabric and won't shield the headphones from heavy physical stress or water damage. The case also adds quite a bit of bulk to the headphones which is slightly disappointing.

6.0
Design
Build Quality

Build quality is sub-par. The compact, small design does not feel sturdy or durable, and the many joints are susceptible weak points. On the upside, the metal frame through the headband is relatively flexible and can handle a fair amount of stress.

8.2
Design
Breathability
Avg.Temp.Difference 1.9 °C

Design
Cable
Detachable Yes
Length 4.86 ft
Connection 1/8" TRS

Comes with a 1/8" TRS with no in-line controls.

Design
Front

Design
Angled

Design
Side

Design
Rear

Design
Top

Design
In The Box

  • Sennheiser MM 450-X Headphones
  • Audio cable
  • Carrying case
  • USB cable
  • (EU) power adapter
  • (UK) power adapter
  • (AU) power adapter
  • (US) power adapter
  • Airline Adapter
  • 1/8" to 1/4" Adapter
  • Manual

Sound
7.3
Sound
Bass
Std. Err.
3.88 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
28.49 Hz
Low-Bass
-2.79 dB
Bass
2.72 dB
High-Bass
4.07 dB

7.6
Sound
Mid
Std. Err.
3.15 dB
Low-Mid
2.41 dB
Mid
0.89 dB
High-Mid
4.68 dB

5.3
Sound
Treble
Std. Err.
5.7 dB
Low-Treble
-0.65 dB
Treble
-2.84 dB
High-Treble
-7.36 dB

4.5
Sound
Soundstage
Openness
5.1
Acoustic Space Excitation
1.9

9.1
Sound
Total Harmonic Distortion
Weighted THD @ 90
0.032
Weighted THD @ 100
0.599

Isolation
6.7
Isolation
Noise Isolation
Overall Attenuation
-15.97 dB
Noise-Cancelling Yes
Bass
-8.29 dB
Mid
-10.55 dB
Treble
-31.01 dB
Self-Noise
13.95 dB

Decent overall results. The passive isolation is quite impressive, considering these are on-ear headphones. The active cancellation is decent too, achieving average results in the bass and mid regions.

8.1
Isolation
Leakage
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
33.13 dB

Very good performance. These headphones leak little sound, as is expected from on-ear headphones.

Active Features
7.4
Active Features
Wireless
Type
Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
Obstructed Range
41 ft
Line of Sight Range
96 ft
NFC
No

The Sennheiser MM 450-X have a decent line-sight range but deliver a surprisingly stable connection up to 40ft when the Bluetooth source was placed in another room. This makes them good wireless headphones to walk around your house or a moderately sized office without necessarily carrying your Bluetooth source on you. They won't be the farthest reaching outdoors in direct line of sight but this is not a significant issue for most listeners. Unfortunately, their hold to pair procedure and lack of NFC makes them a little tedious to switch between devices.

6.0
Active Features
Latency
Base Latency
121 ms
aptX Latency
97 ms
aptX(LL) Latency
N/A

7.0
Active Features
Battery
Battery Type
Rechargable
Battery Life
7 hrs
Charge Time
2.2 hrs
Auto-off
Yes
Audio while charging
Yes
Passive Playback
No

The MM 450-X have better battery life than the MM 550-X but take a bit longer to charge. They won't be the best headphones to take on long road trips or lengthy flights, but you get about 7 hours of use when all the features are enabled and at regular volumes. Unfortunately, their auto-off feature is a bit slow at 60 minutes so don't forget to turn them off to save power.

0
Active Features
App Support

No compatible app.