The Sennheiser HD 450BT are alright wireless over-ear headphones. While they have a similarly sleek and decently built design as the Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC, they offer over 24 hours of continuous battery life which is outstandingly long. However, most other aspects of these headphones are okay and don't really stand out too much from their competitors. Their active noise cancelling feature has a fair performance but it struggles to reduce bass-range noise like bus or train engines. They also have a tight fit, helping them stay stable on your head during a light run. On the downside, their headband doesn't have a lot of padding and their ear cups may not fit larger ears well, which can make them uncomfortable to wear for several hours at a time.
Our Verdict
The Sennheiser HD 450BT are satisfactory for neutral sound. They have a slight overemphasis across the bass range, and their treble is a bit dark. These headphones also have inconsistent mid and treble delivery, and their small ear cup holes can affect their seal on your head. Luckily, you can tweak their sound to be more neutral via the graphic EQ and presets on their companion app.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Over 24 hours of continuous battery life.
- Some users may find these headphones uncomfortable.
- Inconsistent mid-treble delivery.
The Sennheiser HD 450BT are satisfactory for commute and travel. These bulky headphones have an okay ANC cancelling feature that can help cut a small bit of bass-range noise like bus or train engines, but it likely won't be enough for an ambient noise-free experience. Their headband isn't well-padded either and some users may find their tight fit uncomfortable. Their ear cups may not have enough space to fit larger ears without breaking their seal on your head either. On the upside, they have a good battery life that should last a long travel day.
- Over 24 hours of continuous battery life.
- Okay ANC feature.
- Some users may find these headphones uncomfortable.
The Sennheiser HD 450BT are satisfactory for sports and fitness. While they're a little bulky, they're stable enough to wear for a light run or jog. Thanks to their wireless design, there's no audio cable to snag on something and yank them off your head. However, some users may find their fit to be a little tight or that the headband feels uncomfortable. More rigorous physical activity can also knock them off your head.
- Over 24 hours of continuous battery life.
- Some users may find these headphones uncomfortable.
The Sennheiser HD 450BT are decent for office use. They have a tight fit and some users may find the headband or the ear cups uncomfortable, especially for long listening sessions. That said, they have an okay ANC feature which can help cut down office chatter, and they don't leak a lot of sound either. They also have a very long battery life so you don't need to worry about your headphones dying before the end of your work day.
- Over 24 hours of continuous battery life.
- Okay ANC feature.
- Some users may find these headphones uncomfortable.
The Sennheiser HD 450BT aren't recommended for wireless gaming. They're Bluetooth-only, so they aren't compatible with Xbox or PlayStation consoles. However you can connect them to Bluetooth-enabled PCs with aptX-LL (Low Latency) codec to ensure the lowest latency performance possible.
The Sennheiser HD 450BT are satisfactory for wired gaming. If you only want to hear your game audio, you can plug the headphones into a PC or a PlayStation or Xbox controller, but you won't be able to use their mic. They have a balanced but dark sound, and you can use their companion app to further customize its sound via its graphic EQ and presets.
- Graphic EQ and presets.
- Over 24 hours of continuous battery life.
- Some users may find these headphones uncomfortable.
- Disappointing integrated microphone.
The Sennheiser HD 450BT are mediocre for phone calls. They use an integrated microphone but while it can capture the depth of your voice, it sounds noticeably muffled and lacking in detail. It also has a lot of trouble separating speech from even moderately noisy environments. On the upside, the headphones have an okay noise isolation performance and their ANC feature can further help to reduce noise around you.
- Over 24 hours of continuous battery life.
- Okay ANC feature.
- Some users may find these headphones uncomfortable.
- Disappointing integrated microphone.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 29, 2023: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless in Build Quality.
- Updated Nov 02, 2023: The following test groups have been updated following TB 1.6: Wired Connection, and Bluetooth Connection. There have also been text changes made throughout the review, including to the usages and product comparisons to match these results.
- Updated Nov 02, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.6 , which updates how we measure latency. We've updated and renamed the following test groups: Wired Connection, Bluetooth Connection, and Wireless Connection (Dongle). We've also added new codec latency measurements and provided an audio sample of recorded latency.
- Updated Jul 07, 2021: Converted to Test Bench 1.5.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Sennheiser HD 450BT come in two color variants: Black and White. Although we tested the black variant, results should be valid for both colors.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Sennheiser HD 450BT are fair wireless headphones. They have an ANC feature that doesn't really stand out too much amongst other ANC headphones, especially as it struggles a bit more to cut down bass noise. It also has a very tight fit, and similar to the Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC, its headband is only lightly padded, which can be uncomfortable for some users, especially during long listening sessions.
If you're looking for more headphones, check out our recommendations for the best wireless Bluetooth headphones, the best noise cancelling headphones, and the best headphones for music.
The Sony WH-CH720N Wireless came out after the Sennheiser HD 450BT Wireless and have better battery performance, more app features, and more refined controls. The Sony also have virtual surround sound and a comprehensive app with EQ. Their ANC is a bit more effective. The Sennheiser have small ear cups that limit some people's ability to get a good seal, and that also impacts their sound. Nevertheless, the Sennheiser can yield higher-quality aptX audio and low-latency audio with aptX-LL. Their app includes EQ, but it's simpler in design.
Depending on your listening habits, you may prefer either the Sennheiser HD 450BT Wireless or the JBL Tune 760NC. The JBL have a more neutral sound profile out of the box and a longer continuous battery life. Also, they're a better choice for phone calls, thanks to their superior microphone performance. However, the Sennheiser are more stable and leak less audio. Also, their companion app has a graphic EQ and presets, so you have more ability to customize their sound.
The Sony WH-H910N/h.ear on 3 Wireless are better for most use cases than the Sennheiser HD 450BT Wireless. The Sony are more comfortable to wear, have a more intuitive control scheme, feel better-built, offer superior mic recording quality, and last much longer on a single charge. They also block out more ambient noise, thanks to their ANC system. Meanwhile, the Sennheiser offer multi-device pairing, have a more stable fit, and leak less audio.
The Jabra Elite 85h Wireless are better overall performing over-ear headphones than the Sennheiser HD 450BT Wireless. The Jabra are more comfortable, have a significantly better control system, and their sound profile is more balanced and neutral. They also have a much better sounding microphone, their battery lasts longer, and they have a more comprehensive app. However, the Sennheiser are more stable, leak less noise, and their ANC performs a bit better in the bass range.
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You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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