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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The HifiMan Sundara are premium-priced headphones known for excellent sound quality, particularly with music, and have a superior soundstage, making them ideal for an immersive listening experience. However, they lack features like a built-in microphone, which could be a drawback for calls and online meetings. In contrast, the Sennheiser HD 400S are budget-friendly, with a good balance in sound quality and additional features like an integrated microphone, making them versatile for different activities such as calls, gaming, and watching TV. They also provide better noise isolation due to their closed-back design. Ultimately, if sound quality in music is your priority and you're okay with a higher price tag, Sundara might be the choice, but for a more all-around headphone with good functionality across various uses at a lower cost, consider the HD 400S. 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
- Very good for TV and video
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD 400S
- Very good for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Good for air travel
Key differences
Music
9.3
7.1
The HifiMan Sundara is excellent for music, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
Gaming
7.2
8.6
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for gaming, while the HifiMan Sundara is good.
Phone Calls
4.9
8.2
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for phone calls, while the HifiMan Sundara is poor.
TV and Video
8.8
7.6
The HifiMan Sundara is very good for TV and video, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
Noise Reduction
2.5
5.3
The Sennheiser HD 400S and HifiMan Sundara are both poor for noise reduction, though the Sennheiser HD 400S is somewhat better.
Cost
$279
$50
$0
$100
$200
$300
$400
The HifiMan Sundara has a price of $279 and the Sennheiser HD 400S costs $50.
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Key similarities
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.8
7.6
The HifiMan Sundara and Sennheiser HD 400S are both good for podcasts and audiobooks.
Build Quality
8.2
8.5
The Sennheiser HD 400S and HifiMan Sundara both have very good build quality.
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How the HifiMan Sundara and the Sennheiser HD 400S compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| HifiMan Sundara | Sennheiser HD 400S |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$279 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | HifiMan | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2020 | January 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 9.3/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 5/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 7.2/10 | 8.7/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.8/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.5/10 | 4.2/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | N/A | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.2/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 8.4/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 394.6 Grams | 213 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
HifiMan Sundara
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | July 2023
"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."
Sennheiser HD 400S
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Dig into reviews and images
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 HifiMan Sundara or the Sennheiser HD 400S
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.
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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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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