Are you in search of a durable headset? Then today might be just your lucky day. We are going to check out two awesome models from the same manufacturer. That is right. The name Sennheiser is familiar with headset model users all over the world.
They have been around for several decades producing sublime headsets. Most of their units are sold instantly they are released into the market. They are comfortable, durable, and, more importantly, very reliable.
Though they are priced slightly on the higher side, we have chosen two models from their stable that are priced under $200. On that note, let us delve into the post. In this review, we will be talking about the Sennheiser HD 458BT vs 450BT headsets.
Users today are particular about the models that they choose for themselves. The headsets come with incredible features in them. Since we have already mentioned to you that the models are budget units, you may not want to expect too much from them.
The Sennheiser HD 458BT headset comes with stunning features infused in them. However, users seem to get put off by the poor color tones used in it. Like most of their models, the black & red may not be beautiful, but specifications and build quality are unquestionable.
The audio performance of the 458BT is undeniably the best in the market, for now, thanks because of the ANC. It just simply works on it like a charm. Some music features like ANC do not seem to work anything on some models, barring Sony & Bose.
But it provides you with eloquent music quality. The beats and the bass are of high quality. Users can hear the sublime audio that it is able to provide to you. On the other hand, you have the Sennheiser 450BT headset that comes with exceptional sound quality.
The noise-canceling too works splendidly on this unit as well. Maybe it can be the deciding factor in the end because the features on both units are almost similar to each other. These headsets infuse the active noise canceling in them and provide you with amazing sound.
If you watch out on the retailers, this model can be found for as low as $150. Isn’t that a bargain? The battery life of the headphone is something that you will want to know about too. The wireless on-the-head unit is sleek and opulent in design.
When compared to the rivals you cannot expect a lot from it under $300 models. But this one is under $200. We like the fit on the headset, and the comfort is outstanding. Sadly, their padding and the earcups might not work well for large ears and heads, which can cause discomfort.
Read on to find out which of the Sennheiser model outdoes the other, as we have mentioned the winner at the end.
 |  |
|---|---|
| Sennheiser HD 458BT | Sennheiser HD 450BT |
| PROS | PROS |
| The headset has an extraordinary design quality. The unit is extremely comfortable to wear. The noise-canceling works are fabulous. It comes with sublime audio quality. It has amazing battery life. | The headset comes with a portable design. The sound quality is smashing. It comes with a wide array of connectivity options. It has USB-C for a quick charge. The product has graphic EQ and presets. |
| CONS | CONS |
| The ANC in the headset is not robust. | The microphone quality could have been improved. |
| SPECIFICATIONS | Sennheiser HD 458BT | Sennheiser HD 450BT |
|---|---|---|
| Name | HD 458BT Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones | HD 450BT Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones |
| Brand | Sennheiser | Sennheiser |
| Noise Cancelling Active | Yes | Yes |
| Sound Mode | Stereo | Stereo |
| Connection Type | Wireless, Wired | Wireless |
| Wireless Connectivity | Bluetooth | Bluetooth |
| True Wireless | No | No |
| Maximum Wireless Range | 33 feet | |
| Built-In Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Carrying Case | Yes | Yes |
| Headphone Fit | Over-the-Ear | Over-the-Ear |
| Adjustable Headband | Yes | No |
| Battery Charge Time | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Warranty | 2 | 2 years |
DESIGN & COMFORT
The Sennheiser HD 458BT headset has a sublime design & comfort. It is packed appropriately. You can find the unit, storage case, AUX cable, and others when you open the box. There is also the manual if you want to use it.
As always, if you use wireless models, ensure that they are ultimately charged. Based on the testing, we found it takes 2 hours for charging. Then it works for more than 20 hours, which is quite decent.
Our tester used it for more than 10 hours, and it still has a charge. Its design is similar to that of the HD 450BT. Besides, those of you who have used or seen the earlier model of the HD 4.50BT might feel the same.
The earcups are quite large, and you feel quite comfortable wearing them for lengthy hours. The band that connects the earcups are nicely padded, and there is ample material used in there. This is something that you usually don’t get to see on most of the headsets in the market.
Unfortunately, the earcups have a minimalist design. You can fold them inwards if you want, and they can be held in one hand effortlessly. You can place the headset inside the carrying case that is produced from the canvas.
It is convenient but does not provide the kind of protection that you want. The black & red tones used in the HD 458BT unit make them different from the HD 450BT model. Apart from these differences, we did not notice any other distinct differences.
Likewise, the Sennheiser HD 450BT headset is a remote and plain-looking unit. They come in two colors of black & white. Probably, this is a drawback of the Sennheiser models; they don’t seem to have the looks at all, barring the Sennheiser PXC 550-II Wireless NoiseGard Adaptive.
You may notice that it does not come with the silver ring found on most earcups. That is entirely optional, though, and does not make any difference when you wear them. The fitting is top-notch and provides you with incredible comfort.
Most of their units are on the heavier side, but these two models are quite light. That is a good thing to notice. Our tester found that they come with a high clamping force. It depends on the size of your heads & ears.
If you have large ears, then it might cause some inconvenience after some time. But otherwise, there is no issue as such in the comfort or the design of the headset. The earcups are good and come infused with faux padding on them.
BUILD QUALITY
The Sennheiser build quality is something that you cannot ignore, period. Most of their models come with a breathtaking feel and power to the fit quality. The moment you look at the models, you can notice that they have the zeal in them to last you several years.
Probably, this is the reason that they last many years seamlessly. The Sennheiser HD 458BT unit has a headband that you can fit on your head effortlessly. Not to mention, they feel pretty snug when you do so.
Our tester was able to have them on for more than 2 hours before feeling slightly uncomfortable. Of course, it is good that you do not use headsets for long periods on a continuous-time.
They can cause damage to the ears. Having said that, the Sennheiser model has a fantastic build design to it. Users have claimed that it is a comfortable headset that you can wear for an extended period of time.
Its built quality is good, and so is the sound performance provided by it. That is because of the clamping force that generates a decent seal around your ears. They are also suitable for making & attending calls on the go.
Users have an issue with the placement of the buttons on both models. That was something that was quite surprising coming from a reputed brand. You can see that the controls can be found on the right side in buttons.
If you look at Skullcandy and ATH brands, they come with outstanding buttons. Unfortunately, Sennheiser has small buttons meaning it takes time to find the right button. You may not be able to get it instantly.
Though you may find them, the volume buttons and the slider tend to move together, making your adjustment very difficult. That also includes the button for Siri and Google and the power switch button for the ANC.
The Sennheiser HD 450BT headset is portable and comes with a sturdy build performance. You can fold them to have adequate space in your carry case. This feature is quite helpful for travel. You may not be able to carry the large headset in your hands.
Its case is not very hard and obviously doesn’t help the cause if it falls down. Though it is produced from plastic, they feel pretty robust. They are designed such that they can be folded into a compact size inside your carry case safely.
The unit has a rubber material that is found on the coat of the headband. Besides, the faux leather can be noted on the earcups, and they can come out without scratches if they fall. All in all, the design and the build quality of material used in Sennheiser models are something that we have admired in them.
You can be rest assured that they are durable and can last several years without any hitch.
AUDIO PERFORMANCE
The audio performance of the Sennheiser models has always been solid. There was no doubt that these two units would rock. Our tester was not surprised at all. The Sennheiser HD 458BT unit is all about audio quality and can provide you with a pristine sound.
You can hear slight stress on the bass, but the vocals and the drums sound as they should. These can be said as a combination of Sony & Bose. That is a good sign. You can listen to any kind of music that you want to.
They are very suitable for listening to bass and users who prefer hearing stringed instruments. It comes with a slight among of instrumentation and thump that ensures they are on top of their game.
You can also use the smart control app that allows you to connect on the different levels of the frequencies. The headset is also suitable for hearing classic musicals. When you want, you can make use of the companion app to set the graphic EQ and preset.
Likewise, the audio quality of the Sennheiser 450BT unit is average. The headset comes with a decent fit on them, and there are holes in the earcups. Its padding is quite good, but you can notice that it will not lay flat on your head, producing an imbalance of mid to treble audio.
We noticed that active noise control is not something that you might be fond of listening to. Supposing you use it in a noisy environment, you can hear the external sound drop inside. It comes with incredible bass accuracy and overemphasizes on the range.
Its mid-accuracy is good and comes nicely balanced. This ensures that the audio is nicely produced for the vocals and the lead instrumentation. The mid-range is not very astonishing. The treble accuracy was not up to the mark very underemphasized, resulting in low noise.
You can notice a slight enhancement from 20-100Hz, giving the bass note a decent push towards the mids. They do not come quite loud as you want them, and the vocals can be difficult to listen for emphasized range happening at 450Hz-3kHz for vital instrumentation.
MICROPHONE PERFORMANCE
The microphone performance of the Sennheiser HD 458BT headset is incredible. Our tester used the microphone for calling up and was satisfied with the results. It was able to pick up the noise efficiently.
The sound from the microphone was audible, and the individual on the other side could hear. However, the sound was low if you spoke in a noisy environment. All in all, it was alright and manageable for making calls and answering them.
Similarly, the Sennheiser HD 450BT headset comes with an integrated microphone. The recording capability is not really good; your sound is natural, you can notice the details quite lacking as they should.
We thought that the JBL Tune 760NC Wireless did a fantastic job when it came to microphone. Here, the microphone noise handling was not sturdy. The voice of the person can get lost on the horizon, and you might struggle in the noisy environment.
Also Check: JBL Free WFH vs JBL Quantum 100
COMPATIBILITY
We may want to mention that using the Sennheiser Smart Control app would be ideal for your cause. This enables you to update the firmware instantly. Besides, you can find a few specifications that are present on the firmware that can be put to upgrade quickly.
The headset has a v5.0 that can be updated to v5.4 with the app. It does not take very long. The sounds can be adjusted as you want to do on the Sennheiser HD 458BT headset. You can do it in two methods.
One is using the slider, and two with the traditional bands to pick your EQ setting. In the HD 458BG unit, the battery working life is quite something that lasts you close to 30 hours. This comes effortlessly when you want to listen to the music of your genre.
Consumers can use the USB Type-C port for charging the headset, and it takes 2 hours to full. The noise-canceling and the Bluetooth can be enabled seamlessly. It was able to run for close to 27 hours during testing, which was pretty exceptional.
Likewise, the Sennheiser HD 450BT headset offers you the excellent Smart Control app. Once you log in to the device, you can just about do anything that you want, including the EQ setting. It comes with Bluetooth connectivity.
The unit does not come with the NFC pairing, and you might need to connect them to 2 devices simultaneously. The high latency found on Windows and iOS devices occurs when streaming videos.
You can use the headsets with the help of Bluetooth, and it has a 1/8″ TRS audio cable. There is no in-line microphone in the model. It is only compatible with the sound, and when you plug the unit into the Xbox One controller, you cannot hear the microphone.
They do not come with the base or dock.
PRICE
The Sennheiser HD 458T headset is priced under $200. Our tester felt that the price of the headset was quite good. The audio performance of the model is something that is almost on par with most of the high-end headsets sold in the market like Sony & Bose.
The sound quality is intense and breathtaking. We noted that it does not come with sharpness gotten from other units. It has the ANC that works opulently, giving you optimum sound effects. Thanks to the tight fit from the earcups offers you excellent noise isolation too.
The Sennheiser HD 450BT headset is priced under $200. Our tester found the unit quite worthy of the money. It comes with fantastic features like noise-canceling and a comfortable fit. You can also make use of the microphone that offers you with stunning voice capabilities.
The unit comes with Bluetooth 5. 0 technology for fantastic connectivity, including AAC and AptX Low Latency codec support. The model also has a powerful battery life that comes with USB-C instant charging.
Sennheiser HD 458BT vs 450BT: Verdict
This is it we have come to the end of our review between Sennheiser HD 458BT vs 450BT headsets. They both are awesome models that come with fantastic features infused in them. The Sennheiser HD458BT headset is a good product that comes with decent specifications.
Though the Sennheiser PXC 550-II wireless unit might seem a better choice in this circumstance, the price point is way high. It is when the HD 458BT unit comes into play. The ANC is not as effective as it should have been and goes lower than it should.
It does not overwhelmingly favor the frequency of the models too. We felt that the bass accent could be felt when listening to them and blends in with ease. That was something notable here. It could be the perfect option for those of you who want audio performance.
Similarly, the Sennheiser HD 450BT headset is a tremendous unit that comes with the same price point. This is when it becomes challenging to choose a winner between the two. Besides the fact that they almost look similar, you really do not find too much of a difference.
The audio quality and the ANC work splendidly. Not to mention, they come with decent comfort. While the PXC 550-II unit is way better in terms of comfort and comes with an exceptional microphone, it provides you with an efficient ANC.
For the price point, you can consider gifting it to somebody you know. They are incredibly worthy of it. In this case, the maker has made an excellent case for itself with highly comfortable earcups and ANC working awesomely.
This is when you might want to consider the elder brother in the form of Sennheiser PXC 550-II. But the USB-C charging is not as good as 450BT. The battery life of the 450BT unit is not that good, but quick charging can be supported.
The Sennheiser HD 458BT headset may be the better unit because it comes with a sound pressure level, battery life, Bluetooth version, and a number of microphones. The unit also does not take too much time to charge.
The Sennheiser HD 450BT headset may be the better model as it has an active noise cancellation feature. It also has a detachable cable, a 3.5mm male connector, a travel bag is also there. The headset also comes with an L-shaped plug.
Our winner is the Sennheiser HD 450BT headset that offers you excellent features that come embedded. The model also comes with a powerful audio capability, noise cancellation, and a fantastic comfortable fit that is way above most of the units sold in the market.
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James Smith has always been intrigued by electronic products since his childhood. After his post graduation in electronics from a popular university, he decided to pursue a career in the electronics sector. But his calling for writing about these marvellous pieces of work got the better of him. That is how UBG was started. With a writing career spanning more than 12 years, James has worked on several hundred product reviews. During his free time, he like to spend time with his pet dog and relax in the swimming pool.