- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Design
- Sound
- Isolation
- Microphone
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- In the box
- Compared
- Conclusion
- Discussions
SENSO ActivBuds S-250
HEADPHONES REVIEW
Test Benches: test
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2017
- 0.9: Winter 2016
- 25% Critical Listening
- 25% Office
- 25% Commute/Travel
- 10% Sports/Fitness
- 9% Gaming
- 6% Home Theater
- 80% Sound
- 10% Build Quality
- 7% Comfort
- 3% Breathability
- 24% Noise Isolation
- 14% Sound
- 11% Portability
- 10% Comfort
- 9% Build Quality
- 9% Battery
- 6% Wireless Range
- 4% Controls
- 4% Breathability
- 4% Leakage
- 3% Microphone
- 1% Multi-Device Pairing
- 1% NFC
- 24% Stability
- 23% Portability
- 11% Sound
- 10% Breathability
- 8% Comfort
- 6% Wireless Range
- 5% Controls
- 5% Battery
- 4% Noise Isolation
- 4% Leakage
- 24% Comfort
- 21% Sound
- 16% Noise Isolation
- 8% Leakage
- 7% Battery
- 7% Wireless Range
- 5% Breathability
- 4% Build Quality
- 4% Microphone
- 2% Controls
- <1% Multi-Device Pairing
- <1% USB
- <1% PC Compatible
- <1% Latency
- <1% Analog
- <1% Line In
- <1% USB Input
- <1% PC Compatible
- <1% Power Supply
- <1% Dock Charging
- 22% Sound
- 17% Comfort
- 15% Default Latency
- 10% Wireless Range
- 5% Build Quality
- 5% Breathability
- 4% Optical Input
- 3% Battery
- 3% Analog
- 3% Leakage
- 2% Noise Isolation
- 2% RCA Input
- 2% Multi-Device Pairing
- 2% Line In
- 2% Line Out
- 2% Power Supply
- 1% Dock Charging
- 20% Sound
- 20% Default Latency
- 15% Comfort
- 12% Microphone
- 5% Breathability
- 5% Battery
- 5% Base/Dock
- 3% Build Quality
- 3% Wireless Range
- 3% Microphone Control
- 2% Channel Mixing
- 2% Wired
- 2% Volume Control
- 2% App Support
- 1% Bluetooth
The Senso Bluetooth headphones ActivBuds S-250 are good sports headphones but subpar for most other use cases due to their poor sound quality. They're stable and portable so you can have them on you at all times. They also have decent build quality for their price and come with a lot of accessories. Unfortunately, their poor sound will be a deal breaker for most even if you just need a cheap headset for working out.
| Design | 7.6 |
| Sound | 3.9 |
| Isolation | 6.0 |
| Microphone | 5.9 |
| Active Features | 5.6 |
| Connectivity | 3.3 |
- Stable for sports.
- Easy-to-use controls.
- Decent build quality.
- Deal breaker sound quality.
- Poor noise isolation.
Check Price
Design
- 28% Comfort
- 5% Controls
- 10% Breathability
- 12% Portability
- 4% Case
- 29% Build Quality
- 12% Stability
The Senso ActivBuds S-250 have a sports-oriented design similar to the Soundpeats Q9A. They have decently well-made earbuds with hooks that prevent them from falling when exercising and they're portable enough so that you can have them on you at all times. They have a simple control scheme that provides good tactile feedback, and they come with a pair of memory foam tips for a more comfortable fit. Unfortunately, their build quality, though decent, doesn't feel as high-end as the similarly priced Anker SoundBuds Curve and they do not come with as many tip options so they won't be as comfortable.
The Senso Bluetooth Headphones have a decent looking sporty aesthetic. They have thick and flexible ear-hooks similar to to the SoundPeats Q9A. The earbuds have a matte finish that doesn't quite look as premium as the Anker SoundBuds Curve, but the red highlights of the branding logo and multipurpose buttons make them a bit more recognizable at a distance. They also have flat audio cables which look than that of the Ankers. Unfortunately, they do not come in as many color schemes as some of the other sports-oriented headsets like the Jaybird X3, however, their understated look will work for most.
The Senso Bluetooth Headphones are decently comfortable wireless in-ears with an ear-hook design. The tips do not enter as deeply into the ear canal, which makes them a bit more comfortable than typical in-ears during long listening sessions. They also come with 4 silicone tips and a pair of memory foam tips to help you find the right fit. However, since they do not have as many tip options as the Anker SoundBuds Curve, they may not be as comfortable for everyone. Also if you're not a big fan of in-ear designs, then you may have some of the issues with these headphones.
- 21% Ease of use
- 21% Feedback
- 14% Call/Music Control
- 14% Volume Control
- 10% Microphone Control
- 5% Channel Mixing
- 10% Noise Canceling Control
- 5% Talk-Through
The Senso ActivBuds S-250 have a fairly simple control scheme with good feedback. They have a multi-purpose button on the right earbud to play and pause your audio as well as answer and end calls. It also doubles as the Bluetooth pairing button when switching on the headphones. On the top side of the right earbud, they provide a volume rocker that also skips and rewind tracks, when you press and hold either the volume up or down buttons respectively.
- 100% Avg.Temp.Difference
These headphones, like most in-ears, are very breathable and won't make you sweat more than average even during more intense workout routines. They do not cover the outer ear, which remains relatively cool when running or exercising. Their ear-hook design does cover a bit more surface area than typical in-ears but it's a very negligible difference that won't raise the overall temperature of your ear by much.
- 20% Volume
- 80% Stand required
These headphones have a decent build quality but feel a bit cheaply made when compared to the Anker Soundbuds curve. The earbuds and ear-hooks are fairly dense and relatively sturdy, and they have flat cables that are less tangle-prone than the Ankers. However, the build quality of the earbuds feels a bit cheaper and closer to the Soundpeats Q9A than to the Curve.
The Senso Bluetooth Headphones have a stable ear-hook design that's suitable for sports. They won't easily fall off your ears thanks to the hooks. However, the tips do tend to slide out a little when running or doing more intense workouts so you may have to push them back in occasionally. On the upside, they come with a pair of memory foam tips that fit better within the ear canal, which may reduce that issue.
Sound
- 21% Bass
- 20% Mid
- 19% Treble
- 5% Frequency Response Consistency
- 9% Imaging
- 20% Soundstage
- 6% Total Harmonic Distortion
The Senso ActivBuds S-250 are a poor sounding pair of closed-back in-ear headphones. Their bass is deep and powerful, but overly heavy and boomy. Their mid-range is excessively muddy and cluttered, especially on vocals, and their treble lacks quite a bit of brightness and detail. Additionally, their imaging and distortion performance is about average, and like most other in-ears, they don't have a large and speaker-like soundstage.
- 90% Std. Err.
- 10% Low-Frequency Extension
The Senso Bluetooth headphone has a sub-par bass. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 17Hz, which is very well-extended. Also, low-bass, responsible for thump and rumble, is within 2dB of our neutral target, which is great. However, mid-bass and high-bass are overemphasized by 6dB and 13dB respectively, which is quite poor. This makes the overall sound excessively bass-heavy and boomy.
- 100% Std. Err.
The mid-range is poor sounding. The overall response is even and consistent, but with a 15dB tilt favoring low-mid. This makes vocals quite thick and unclear, and the overall mix muddy and cluttered sounding.
- 100% Std. Err.
The treble of the Senso Bluetooth headphones is terrible. The response throughout the range is relatively even and flat, but consistently under out neutral target by about 10dB. This makes the treble of the ActiveBuds S-250 quite dark and lacking in detail and presence, especially when considering their heavy bass and mid ranges.
- 100% Avg. Std. Deviation
The Senso Bluetooth Headphones have excellent frequency response consistency. If the user is able to achieve a proper fit and an air-tight seal using the assortment of tips that come with the headphones, they should be able to get consistent bass and treble delivery every time they use the headphones. But, if the user fails to achieved a proper and air-tight seal, they could experience a drop in bass.
The imaging performance is average. The weighted group delay is at 0.21, which is quite good. The GD graph also shows that the group delay response never crosses the audibility threshold, suggesting a tight bass and a transparent treble reproduction. Additionally, the L/R drivers of our test unit were well-matched in amplitude and frequency response. However, we measured a big mismatch in the phase response, which could skew the stereo image and create holes in it.
- 15% PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
- 15% PRTF Size (Avg.)
- 30% PRTF Distance
- 20% Openness
- 10% Acoustic Space Excitation
- 10% Correlated Crosstalk
Like most other in-ears, the soundstage of the Senso Bluetooth Headphones is poor. This is because in-ears bypass the pinna (outer ear) and don't interact with it, while activating the resonances of the pinna is one of the key factors in creating a speaker-like and out-of-head soundstage.
- 50% Weighted THD @ 90
- 50% Weighted THD @ 100
The harmonic distortion of the ActivBuds S-250 is about average. The overall amount of THD is elevated, especially in the mid and treble ranges. This could make the sound of those frequencies a bit of harsh and brittle which will mostly affect vocals and cymbals.
Isolation
The Senso ActivBuds S-250 are not active noise-canceling headphones and only block noise passively with the quality of the seal they create with their in-ear fit. Unfortunately, unlike some of the other in-ears we've tested, they do not create the best seal within your ear so they won't be ideal for the loud environments involved in commuting. On the upside, since they barely leak, you can mask some of the ambient noise in your surroundings by playing your music at higher volumes without distracting those around you.
- 29% Bass
- 29% Mid
- 28% Treble
- 14% Self-Noise
The isolation performance of the Senso Bluetooth Headphones is sub-par. In the bass range, where the rumble of airplane and bus engines sit, they don't achieve any isolation. In the mid-range, important for blocking out speech, they isolate by about 8dB, which is about average. In the treble range, occupied by sharp sounds like S and Ts, they isolate by about 21dB of reduction.
The leakage performance is excellent. The significant portion of their leakage is spread over a very narrow range in the treble range, around 2KHz and 6KHz. This makes their leakage very thin and sharp sounding. The overall level of their leakage is also very low. With the music at 100dB SPL, the leakage averages around 28dB SPL, and peaks at around 40db SPL, which is way below the noise floor of the average office.
Microphone
- 50% Recording Quality
- 50% Noise Handling
The integrated microphone of Senso Bluetooth Headphones is sub-par. In quiet environments, speech recorded or transmitted with this mic will sound a bit thin, but it'll also be prone to pops and rumbling noises. It will also sound quite muffled and lacking in detail, which could make it a bit difficult to understand. In noisy situations, they will struggle to separate speech from background noise even in moderately loud places, like a busy street.
- 20% LFE
- 25% FR Std. Dev.
- 30% HFE
- 20% Weighted THD
- 5% Gain
The microphone of the Senso Bluetooth Headphones has a sub-par recording quality. LFE (low-frequency extension) is at 20Hz, which is good, but the bump in mid-bass can make this mic prone to pops and rumbling noises. The dip around 200Hz makes speech recorded/transmitted with this mic a tad thin sounding. The HFE (high-frequency extension) of 1.6KHz is sub-par, making speech noticeably muffled and lacking in detail. This will negatively affect the intelligibility of speech.
- 100% SpNR
The microphone is mediocre at noise handling. In our SpNR test, this mic achieved a speech-to-noise ratio of 12dB, indicating it is best suited for quiet environments, and they will struggle to separate speech from ambient noise in moderate or loud situations.
Active Features
- 90% Battery
- 10% App Support
The Senso ActivBuds S-250 have a decently long battery life of 8.3 hours but poor power saving features and no app support for customization. They last you throughout the day at of moderate-to-heavy use, but the lack of an auto-off features means the battery will continue to drain even when you're not listening to anything. On the upside, they don't take too long to charge at1.5 hours, but the lack of an app makes them less customizable than some of the other wireless in-ears we've tested like the Jaybird Freedom.
- 60% Battery Life
- 25% Charge Time
- 10% Power Saving Feature
- 5% Audio while charging
The Senso Bluetooth headphones have above-average battery life for a wireless in-ear and do not take too long to charge. This makes them a decent option for casual and heavy users, but the lack of power saving features means they will stay paired to your device until the battery runs out or they are out of range. If you forget to switch them off, the battery will continue to drain which is not ideal.
These headphones do not come with a compatible app for added customization options.
Connectivity
- 10% Bluetooth
- 33% Wired
- 10% Base/Dock
- 22% Wireless Range
- 25% Latency
The Senso ActivBuds S-250 are simple Bluetooth-only headphones with no audio cable or base/dock. They do not support simultaneous multi-device pairing or NFC. On the upside, they have a good wireless range, but like most Bluetooth headsets they have a bit too much latency to be suitable for watching movies or playing video games.
- 80% Multi-Device Pairing
- 20% NFC
- <1% PS4 Compatible
- <1% Xbox One Compatible
The Senso Bluetooth headphones do not have multi-device pairing or NFC support. On the upside, their hold-to-pair procedure is not difficult to use and they automatically pair to the last synced device. Unfortunately, this auto pairing procedure can be a bit too aggressive which prevents the headphones from entering the pairing state so that you can connect them to another Bluetooth device.
- 13% Analog
- 9% USB
- 26% PS4 Compatible
- 26% Xbox One Compatible
- 26% PC Compatible
The Senso ActivBuds S-250 have no wired option. If you want a decent sounding, wired design with a universal in-line remote, then check out the 1More Triple Driver In-Ear.
- 5% Optical Input
- 22% Line In
- 5% Line Out
- 22% USB Input
- 4% RCA Input
- 9% PS4 Compatible
- 9% Xbox One Compatible
- 9% PC Compatible
- 2% Power Supply
- 13% Dock Charging
These in-ear buds do not have a dock. If you want a headphone that's versatile and has a dock, try the SteelSeries Arctis 7. However, they won't be as compact and easy-to-carry around on your person.
- 77% Obstructed Range
- 23% Line of Sight Range
The ActivBuds S-250 have a surprisingly good wireless range wireless range. They reached up to 35ft when the Bluetooth source was obstructed and up to 118ft in direct line of sight. They should have enough range for most use cases, especially if you keep your phone on you.
- 34% Default Latency
- 33% aptX Latency
- 33% aptX(LL) Latency
The Senso Bluetooth Headphones have a decent latency performance for a Bluetooth headset, but unfortunately, it's still a bit too high to be suitable for watching movies and gaming.
In the box
- Senso ActivBuds S-250 Headphones
- Earbud tips (x4)
- USB charging cable
- Carrying case
- Cable Management Clip
- Dual Port USB Car Charger
- Manual
Compared to other Headphones
The Senso Bluetooth Headphones ActivBuds S-250 are straightforward wireless in-ears with an ear-hook design. They're decently well-built and comfortable, and they're stable enough for the gym and sufficiently portable to carry on your person at all times. They're a good option for sports, but unfortunately, their poor sound quality makes them unsuitable for most use cases even if you do not care much about sound.
The Anker SoundBuds Curve are much better sports headphones than the Sony WI-SP500. They offer a much better value for your money, thanks to their better sound quality more comfortable and stable fit and their longer battery life. On the other hand, the Sonys have NFC pairing and they have a slightly better wireless range but overall the Ankers are the better choice for sports and most use cases, especially in the budget range,
The Anker SoundBuds Sport are average in-ear headphones that deliver a stable wireless fit that's great for sports. They're about as stable as the Senso ActivBuds S-250 despite not having an ear-hook design, but the in-ear buds go a bit deeper into the ear canal so they won't be as comfortable. On the upside, their in-ear fit blocks a lot more ambient noise, so they're more suitable to use in loud environments or while commuting. For purely sports go with the Senso Bluetooth Headphones, but if you need a bit more isolation for your commutes, then the SoundBuds Sports are a good option. Unfortunately, both have an overly bass-heavy sound so they may not be the ideal choice if sound quality is important for you.
The Soundpeats Q9A are affordable sports headphones with a stable ear-hook design like the Senso ActivBuds S-250. They sound a lot better than the Senso although they won't be the best headphones for more critical listeners. They also struggle to isolate in noisy conditions, but overall, they are decent headphones for most use cases. The SoundPeats are a slightly better headset overall when compared to the ActivBuds S-250. However, they're not as sweatproof and do not come with as many accessories for around the same price.
The Jaybird Freedom are great sports headphones with a customizable sound and a good wireless range. They sound a lot better than the Senso ActivBuds S-250 and you can customize their sound to your liking thanks to the Jaybird MySound App. They're also better-built, more durable and feel more high-end than the Senso but they're a bit more expensive. The Jaybird Freedom are a much better headphone than the Senso so if you have the budget, they're the better choice. However, the battery life and budget price of the Senso Bluetooth Headphones makes them a somewhat okay alternative.
The SoundBuds Curve are decently well-rounded in-ears for sports. They have a stable and sweatproof ear-hook design like Senso ActivBuds S-250 but come with additional stability fin and tips. They're more comfortable and better built, but the audio cable linking the two earbuds is not as good. On the upside, their sound quality is a lot more balanced than the Senso. The Curve have a similar design to the Senso but sound a lot better and outperform ActivBuds S-250 for the same price.
