Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC vs Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless

Which Headphones Are Better?

Products

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC
Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated May 30, 2025 01:51 PM

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Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.3.1

Updated Feb 25, 2022 03:54 PM

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Amazon.com

Our Verdict

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC

Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless

The Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC are better headphones than the Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless. The Sonys have a very dark sound profile and their ANC feature is quite disappointing. On the upside, they have slightly longer battery life, but they take twice as much time to charge as the HD 4.50. The HD 4.50 can also connect to two devices simultaneously.

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Variants

  • HD 4.50
  • MDR-XB950N1 (Black)
  • MDR-XB950N1 (Green)

Check Price

Standard
HD 4.50
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
MDR-XB950N1
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Standard
HD 4.50
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Green
MDR-XB950N1
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Standard
HD 4.50
B&H
 
Standard
HD 4.50
BestBuy.com
 
Standard
HD 4.50
Sennheiser
 
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Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 
 

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Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Design Picture 2 Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Design Picture 2 Sample

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Type  

Locked
Locked

Enclosure  

Locked
Locked

Wireless  

Locked
Locked

Transducer  

Locked
Locked
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Comfort 
 

N/A
N/A

Comfort Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Comfort Picture Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Comfort Picture Sample

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Weight  

Lock lbs
Lock lbs

Clamping Force 
 

Lock lbs
Lock lbs
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Controls 
 

N/A
N/A

Controls Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Controls Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Controls Picture Sample

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OS Compatibility 
 

Locked
Locked

Ease Of Use  

Locked
Locked

Feedback  

Locked
Locked

Call/Music Control  

Locked
Locked

Volume Control  

Locked
Locked

Microphone Control  

Locked
Locked

Channel Mixing 
 

Locked
N/A

Noise Cancelling Control  

Locked
Locked

Talk-Through 
 

Locked
Locked

Additional Controls  

Locked
N/A
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Breathability 
 

N/A
N/A

Breathability After Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Breathability After Picture Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Breathability After Picture Sample

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Avg.Temp.Difference  

Lock °C
Lock °C
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Portability 
 

N/A
N/A

Portability Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Portability Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Portability Picture Sample

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Lock"
Lock"

 

Lock"
Lock"

 

Lock"
Lock"

Volume  

Lock in³
Lock in³

Transmitter Required  

Locked
N/A
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Case 
 

N/A
N/A

Case Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Case Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Case Picture Sample

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Type  

Locked
Locked

 

Lock"
N/A

 

Lock"
N/A

 

Lock"
N/A

Volume  

Lock in³
N/A
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Build Quality 
 

N/A
N/A

Build Quality Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Build Quality Picture Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Build Quality Picture Sample

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Stability 
 

N/A
N/A

Stability Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Stability Picture Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Stability Picture Sample

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Show Text 

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Angled Picture Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Angled Picture Sample

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Side Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Side Picture Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Side Picture Sample

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Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Front Picture Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Front Picture Sample

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Rear Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Rear Picture Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Rear Picture Sample

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Top  

Top Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Top Picture Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Top Picture Sample

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In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC In The Box Picture Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless In The Box Picture Sample

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Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Frequency Response Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Frequency Response Sample

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Frequency Response  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Frequency Response Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Frequency Response Sample

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Bass Amount 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Treble Amount 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
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Frequency Response Consistency 
 

N/A
N/A

Consistency L  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Consistency L Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Consistency L Sample

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Consistency R  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Consistency R Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Consistency R Sample

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Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Raw FR L Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Raw FR L Sample

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Raw FR L  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Raw FR L Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Raw FR L Sample

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Raw FR R  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Raw FR R Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Raw FR R Sample

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Raw FR R  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Raw FR R Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Raw FR R Sample

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Bass Accuracy 
 

N/A
N/A

Bass  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Bass Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Bass Sample

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Bass  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Bass Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Bass Sample

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Std. Err. 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

Lock Hz
Lock Hz

Low-Bass 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Mid-Bass 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

High-Bass 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
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Mid Accuracy 
 

N/A
N/A

Mid  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Mid Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Mid Sample

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Mid  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Mid Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Mid Sample

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Std. Err. 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Low-Mid 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Mid-Mid 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

High-Mid 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Treble Accuracy 
 

N/A
N/A

Treble  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Treble Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Treble Sample

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Treble  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Treble Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Treble Sample

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Std. Err. 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Low-Treble 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Mid-Treble 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

High-Treble 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Peaks/Dips 
 

N/A
N/A

Peaks/Dips Graph  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Peaks/Dips Graph Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Peaks/Dips Graph Sample

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Peaks/Dips Graph  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Peaks/Dips Graph Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Peaks/Dips Graph Sample

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Peaks 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Dips 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
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Imaging 
 

N/A
N/A

Group Delay  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Group Delay Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Group Delay Sample

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Phase Response  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Phase Response Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Phase Response Sample

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Weighted Group Delay 
 

Lock
Lock

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

Lock
Lock

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

Lock
Lock

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

Lock
Lock
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Passive Soundstage 
 

N/A
N/A

PRTF  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC PRTF Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless PRTF Sample

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PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

PRTF Distance 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Openness 
 

0.0
0.0

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

0.0
0.0
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Virtual Soundstage 
 

N/A
N/A

Virtual Soundstage  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Virtual Soundstage Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Virtual Soundstage Sample

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Head Modeling 
 

Locked

Speaker Modeling 
 

Locked

Room Ambience 
 

Locked

Head Tracking 
 

Locked

Virtual Surround 
 

Locked
Show Text 

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

N/A
N/A

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Weighted Harmonic Distortion Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Weighted Harmonic Distortion Sample

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WHD @ 90 
 

Lock
Lock

WHD @ 100 
 

Lock
Lock
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Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Locked

Power 
 

Locked

Connection 
 

Locked

Codec 
 

Locked

EQ 
 

Locked

ANC 
 

Locked

Tip/Pad 
 

Locked

Microphone 
 

Locked
Show Text 
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

N/A
N/A

Noise Isolation  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Noise Isolation Sample

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Noise Isolation Sample

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Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Noise Cancelling  

Locked
Locked

Bass 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Mid 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

Treble 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Leakage 
 

N/A
N/A

Leakage  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Leakage Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Leakage Sample

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Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Locked
Locked

In-Line 
 

Locked
Locked

Boom 
 

Locked
Locked

Detachable Boom 
 

Locked
N/A

Mic  

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Recording Quality 
 

N/A
N/A

Microphone Frequency Response  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Microphone Frequency Response Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Microphone Frequency Response Sample

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Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

Lock Hz
Lock Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB

HFE 
 

Lock Hz
Lock Hz

Weighted THD 
 

Lock
Lock

Gain 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 

Noise Handling 
 

N/A
N/A

SpNR  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC SpNR Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless SpNR Sample

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Speech + Pink Noise  

Speech + Subway Noise  

SpNR 
 

Lock dB
Lock dB
Show Text 
Active Features

Battery 
 

N/A
N/A

Battery Type 
 

Locked
Locked

Continuous Battery Life 
 

Lock hrs
Lock hrs

Additional Charges 
 

Lock
Lock

Total Battery Life 
 

Lock hrs
Lock hrs

Charge Time 
 

Lock hrs
Lock hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

Locked
Locked

Audio While Charging 
 

Locked
Locked

Passive Playback 
 

Locked
Locked

Charging Port  

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

App Support 
 

N/A
N/A

App Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC App Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless App Picture Sample

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App Name  

Locked
Locked

iOS  

Locked
Locked

Android  

Locked
Locked

macOS  

Locked
N/A

Windows  

Locked
N/A

Equalizer 
 

Locked
Locked

ANC Control 
 

Locked
Locked

Mic Control  

Locked
Locked

Room Effects 
 

Locked
Locked

Playback Control 
 

Locked
Locked

Button Mapping  

Locked
N/A

Surround Sound  

N/A

Surround Support 
 

Locked
Show Text 
Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

N/A
N/A

Bluetooth Version 
 

Locked
Locked

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

Locked
Locked

NFC Pairing 
 

Locked
Locked

Line Of Sight Range 
 

Lock ft
Lock ft

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

Lock ms
Lock ms

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

Lock ms
Lock ms

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

Lock ms

Android Latency 
 

Lock ms
Show Text 

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Latency 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Wired 
 

N/A
N/A

Cable Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Cable Picture Sample

SAMPLE

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Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless Cable Picture Sample

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Analog Audio 
 

Locked
Locked

USB Audio 
 

Locked
Locked

Detachable  

Locked
Locked

Length  

Lock ft
Lock ft

Connection  

Locked
Locked

Wired Latency 
 

Lock ms

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

Lock ms
Show Text 

PC / PS4 Compatibility 
 

PC/PS4 Analog 
 

Locked
Locked

PC/PS4 Wired USB 
 

Locked
Locked

PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Xbox One Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Locked
Locked

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

Locked
Locked

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

Locked
Locked
Show Text 

Base/Dock 
 

N/A
N/A

Type 
 

Locked
N/A

USB Input 
 

Locked
N/A

Line In 
 

Locked
N/A

Line Out 
 

Locked
N/A

Optical Input 
 

Locked
N/A

RCA Input 
 

Locked
N/A

Dock Charging 
 

Locked
N/A

Power Supply 
 

Locked
N/A
Show Text 

Check Price

Standard
HD 4.50
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Black
MDR-XB950N1
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Standard
HD 4.50
SEE PRICE
Walmart.com
Green
MDR-XB950N1
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Standard
HD 4.50
B&H
 
Standard
HD 4.50
BestBuy.com
 
Standard
HD 4.50
Sennheiser
 

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC

Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC vs Sony MDR-XB950N1 Wireless: Main Discussion

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