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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Beats Studiobuds are well suited for use during exercise thanks to their sweatproof design and wireless form factor, offering convenience and a more modern stemless shape. They feature active noise cancelling, making them a good choice for air travel or environments where you need to block out ambient noise. The Sennheiser HD 400S, being wired over-ear headphones, will provide a more comfortable fit and better soundstage suitable for gaming and activities requiring extended periods of wear. If you prefer convenience and portability for active use and can justify the higher price, go for the Beats. Conversely, if you prioritize comfort, soundstage, and a more budget-friendly option, the HD 400S would be a solid choice. 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 Beats Studiobuds
Good for exercise
Very good for air travel
Excellent 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
5.2/10
8.6/10
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for gaming, while the Beats Studiobuds is poor.
Phone Calls
7.0/10
8.2/10
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for phone calls, while the Beats Studiobuds is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
9.0/10
7.6/10
The Beats Studiobuds is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
TV and Video
5.6/10
7.6/10
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for TV and video, while the Beats Studiobuds is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.5/10
5.3/10
The Beats Studiobuds is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is poor.
Battery
6.0 Hours
N/A
The Beats Studiobuds has 6 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD 400S does not have a battery.
Cost
$80
$50
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The Beats Studiobuds has a price of $80 and the Sennheiser HD 400S costs $50.
"For less than the price of the AirPods, the Beats Studio Buds delivers a good fit, great sound, and active noise cancellation. This is also the first set of Apple-owned Beats earbuds to feature quick pairing with Android devices, albeit at the expense of some key features for Apple users."
"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 Beats Studiobuds or the Sennheiser HD 400S
About Beats
Beats is an American, consumer-focused, audio products manufacturer. Founded originally by American rapper and producer Dr Dre, the company is now a subsidiary of Apple. Beats sells a wide range of audio products, including several models of headphones, earbuds and speakers as well as full car audio systems.
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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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
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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.