The SENSO 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.
Our Verdict
Below-average for mixed usage. These headphones are stable enough for sports and sufficiently compact so that you can have them on you at all times. This makes them a good choice for sports and a somewhat decent option for commuting. However, their poor isolation will let a lot of ambient noise seep into your audio, and their muddy, cluttered sound quality will be a deal-breaker for most listeners.
- Stable for sports.
- Easy-to-use controls.
- Decent build quality.
- Deal breaker sound quality.
- Poor noise isolation.
Sub-par for neutral listening. These headphones have a poorly balanced sound with an excessive amount of high bass and low mid that makes them sound muddy and cluttered. They also lack a lot of trebles which further emphasizes their dark sound profile. Their small closed earbuds also cannot create a spacious soundstage which, combined with their poor audio reproduction, makes them a poor choice for neutral listening and most likely a deal breaker even for casual listeners.
Average for commuting. They're easy-to-carry around and the low leakage can compensate for the poor noise isolation by playing your audio at higher volumes. However, they have a sub par sound quality and since they don't block much noise they shouldn't be your first choice for loud, noisy commutes.
Good for sports. The stable ear-hook design and compact, portable size makes them suitable to use while running or exercising. They're also wireless and a bit more comfortable than some other in-ear headphones. Unfortunately, their audio reproduction may be a deal breaker even if you sound quality is not that important for you.
Average at best for office use. These headphones will let a bit of the office chatter seep into your audio due to their poor isolation. However, since they don't leak much and won't be audible to anyone around you and you can mask some of the noise by turning your volume up. Unfortunately, their sound quality will be a deal-breaker for most, especially if you like to listen to music while you work.
Below-average for gaming. They have a mediocre-at-best microphone and a bit too much latency to be suitable for gaming. They also have no companion app so they won't be as customizable as most gaming headsets and their Bluetooth connection is not compatible with consoles.
Changelog
- Updated Dec 16, 2022: We've renamed these headphones from SENSO ActivBuds S-250 Bluetooth Headphones to SENSO ActivBuds S-250 across the site.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated May 03, 2018: Review published.
Check Price
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The SENSO 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 don't care much about sound. See our recommendations for the best earbuds for bass, the best earbuds under $50, and the best cheap earbuds.
The Anker SoundBuds Sport are much better headphones than the SENSO ActivBuds S-250. The SENSO have a more stable ear-hook design and much longer battery life than the Anker. The SENSO are also a bit more comfortable than the Ankers, but not by much. On the other hand, the Ankers have a better sound quality, even if they sound dark and poorly balanced. The Anker also isolate much better in noisy conditions, which makes them a bit more suitable for commute and travel, and are a bit more portable, although they come with a pouch instead of a case like the SENSO.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
for pictures & test results
