The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize sound quality and have a quiet environment, the HifiMan Sundara with its open-back design will provide an exceptional listening experience for music. However, understand that these won't be suitable for noisy environments or on-the-go use due to limited noise isolation and portability. On the other hand, the Sennheiser HD 250BT is a more versatile option suited for various scenarios including calls, meetings, and exercise due to its closed-back design and wireless capabilities, offering better noise isolation and portability with a considerable battery life. The choice depends on whether you want the premium audio quality for home use (HifiMan Sundara) or a more flexible, everyday headphone (Sennheiser HD 250BT) at a more affordable price. 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 HifiMan Sundara
Excellent 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
9.3/10
6.5/10
The HifiMan Sundara is excellent for music, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair.
Gaming
7.2/10
8.8/10
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for gaming, while the HifiMan Sundara is good.
Phone Calls
4.9/10
7.2/10
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is good for phone calls, while the HifiMan Sundara is poor.
Noise Reduction
2.5/10
6.0/10
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair for noise reduction, while the HifiMan Sundara is poor.
Battery
N/A
25.0 Hours
The HifiMan Sundara does not have a battery. The Sennheiser HD 250BT has 25 hours of battery life.
Cost
$279
$64
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The HifiMan Sundara has a price of $279 and the Sennheiser HD 250BT costs $64.
Build Quality
8.2/10
9.0/10
The Sennheiser HD 250BT has excellent build quality, while the HifiMan Sundara has very good build quality.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser HD 250BT to be very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the HifiMan Sundara is good.
TV and Video
8.8/10
8.4/10
The HifiMan Sundara and Sennheiser HD 250BT are both very good for TV and video.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the HifiMan Sundara and the Sennheiser HD 250BT compare to other earbuds and headphones
"The HiFiMan Sundara is the set of headphones to get if you want high-end audio, but don't want to shell out a king's ransom for it. These planar magnetic headphones are comfortable, straightforward, and excellent performers."
"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 HifiMan Sundara or the Sennheiser HD 250BT
About HifiMan
HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Earbuds or Headphones guides you might be interested in
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.
By the numbers
108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
122,600
Recommendations made
18,390
Consumer hours saved
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.