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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize comfort and use your headphones mainly for calls, meetings, and podcasts, the Sennheiser HD 400S with its higher comfort and microphone quality will suit you well at a budget price. However, if you seek premium-quality noise isolation for air travel and a more immersive listening experience without concern for cost, Apple Airpods Max are better despite their higher price. The Airpods Max are also wireless and have active noise cancelling, significant for frequent travelers or those in noisy environments, while the Sennheiser lacks these features. Keep in mind that the Sennheiser, being wired with low latency, offers a better experience for gaming and TV. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple Airpods Max
- Excellent for air travel
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD 400S
- Very good for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
Key differences
Gaming
5.5
8.6
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for gaming, while the Apple Airpods Max is poor.
Phone Calls
6.6
8.2
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for phone calls, while the Apple Airpods Max is only fair.
TV and Video
5.7
7.6
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for TV and video, while the Apple Airpods Max is poor.
Noise Reduction
10.0
5.3
The Apple Airpods Max is best in class for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is poor.
Battery
21.0 Hours
N/A
The Apple Airpods Max has 21 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD 400S does not have a battery.
Cost
$549
$61
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Apple Airpods Max has a price of $549 and the Sennheiser HD 400S costs $61.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Apple Airpods Max has excellent build quality, while the Sennheiser HD 400S has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
7.3
7.1
The Apple Airpods Max and Sennheiser HD 400S are both good for music.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.0
7.6
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple Airpods Max to be very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
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How the Apple Airpods Max and the Sennheiser HD 400S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Apple Airpods Max | Sennheiser HD 400S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$549 | $61 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Apple | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2020 | January 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 6.6/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.5/10 | 8.7/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.8/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.2/10 | 4.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 21 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 10/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | Yes | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | No | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 385.5 Grams | 213 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Apple Airpods Max
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Adam Molina | July 2023
"Objectively, the AirPods Max is a spectacular pair of headphones. I appreciate the smart features like auto-pause and the transparency mode are super practical. It also sounds great, is well-built, and has solid battery life."
Sennheiser HD 400S
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Headphone Dungeon
Jim | August 2022
"Sennheiser has done it again. The HD 400S performs well beyond its price range and is one of the better budget model headphones I’ve tried. It has very few bells and whistles and offers a simple means of listening that still delivers amazing clarity and quality. If you need a good first pair of headphones or need something that you can take out of the house, then the HD 400S is definitely for you."
Get a great deal on the Apple Airpods Max or the Sennheiser HD 400S
About Apple
Apple Inc. is an American technology company, founded in 1976, known for its wide range of premium products, including smartphones, computers, and audio solutions. Apple offers the very popular personal audio line AirPods, highly regarded for their wireless, smart capabilities and their seamless integration with the iPhone, iPad and Mac devices. They provide a high-quality sound, comfort and lifestyle features perfect for all users invested in their ecosystem.
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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