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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
For a high-end listening experience, the Focal Elex is superior with its open-back design and overall sound quality, best suited for critical listening and enjoying music in a controlled environment. However, it's less portable, not suited for exercise, lacks a built-in microphone making it unsuitable for calls, and cannot be used wirelessly. In contrast, the Sennheiser HD 250BT offers good sound quality at a budget price and is versatile, with a closed-back design for better noise isolation, and wireless capability with a long battery life, making it suitable for calls, gaming, TV, and exercise. The Sennheiser also supports low latency codecs which could benefit gaming and video streaming. 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 Focal Elex
- Good for music
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD 250BT
- Good for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for air travel
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
7.7
6.5
The Focal Elex is good for music, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair.
Gaming
6.9
8.8
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for gaming, while the Focal Elex is only fair.
Phone Calls
4.3
7.2
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is good for phone calls, while the Focal Elex is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.1
8.1
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Focal Elex is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
6.0
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair for noise reduction, while the Focal Elex is poor.
Battery
N/A
25.0 Hours
The Focal Elex does not have a battery. The Sennheiser HD 250BT has 25 hours of battery life.
Cost
$749
$64
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Focal Elex has a price of $749 and the Sennheiser HD 250BT costs $64.
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Key similarities
TV and Video
8.3
8.4
The Sennheiser HD 250BT and Focal Elex are both very good for TV and video.
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Focal Elex and Sennheiser HD 250BT both have excellent build quality.
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How the Focal Elex and the Sennheiser HD 250BT compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Focal Elex | Sennheiser HD 250BT |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$749 | $64 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Focal | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | December 1, 2017 | May 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.8/10 | 6.6/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 4.4/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 6.9/10 | 8.9/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.4/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.3/10 | 6.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 25 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 450 Grams | 125 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Focal Elex
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Dig into reviews and images
Golden Sound
Golden Sound | October 2021
"The Focal Elex are an excellent pair of headphones for the money and a great all-rounder that will suit many tastes. They’re an easy recommendation for anyone looking for something comfortable, well built, that looks good, and will work with just about any genre."
Sennheiser HD 250BT
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphone Check
Pete Scholßnagel | 2020
"As a lightweight, robust audio provider with a long battery life, the Sennheiser HD 250BT offer a lot for their price: very good Bluetooth codecs, an app connection and an extremely understated design. These headphones may not be among the most comfortable, but they deliver adequate sound – without overdriving or distortion."
Get a great deal on the Focal Elex or the Sennheiser HD 250BT
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
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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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