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Updated April 11, 2024·
If you prioritize a wireless experience and the ability to use earbuds during exercise or while traveling, the JBL Tune Buds would be a better choice, as they are both sweatproof and have good portability. They also support AAC codec, which is beneficial for Apple device users, and active noise cancelling for noisy environments, but may fall short for gaming and watching TV due to potentially lower sound quality in those areas.
On the other hand, the Sennheiser HD 400S, while wired, offer a very comfortable fit and are better suited for a static listening experience with potentially better sound quality and mic performance for calls and meetings. They excel in gaming and TV due to their good soundstage. If sweating and portability are not concerns and a budget-friendly option is preferred, these headphones might be more suitable for you. Keep in mind, though, that they do not offer active noise cancelling. 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 JBL Tune Buds
Good for exercise
Very good for air travel
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD 400S
Good for music
Very good for phone calls
Very good for gaming
Good for TV and video
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.2/10
7.1/10
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for music, while the JBL Tune Buds is only fair.
Gaming
5.4/10
8.6/10
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for gaming, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
Phone Calls
4.9/10
8.2/10
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for phone calls, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.8/10
7.6/10
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the JBL Tune Buds is poor.
TV and Video
6.1/10
7.6/10
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for TV and video, while the JBL Tune Buds is only fair.
Noise Reduction
6.7/10
5.3/10
The JBL Tune Buds is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is poor.
Battery
10.4 Hours
N/A
The JBL Tune Buds has 10.4 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD 400S does not have a battery.
Cost
$60
$50
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
The JBL Tune Buds has a price of $60 and the Sennheiser HD 400S costs $50.
"JBL’s Tune Buds stick with the company’s signature bass-heavy sound by default, but a quality in-app EQ lets you sculpt the audio to taste. These noise-cancelling true wireless earphones also mitigate environmental distractions fairly well for the price and offer good battery life. If you're specifically seeking bold, bass-tuned audio out of the box, the Tune Buds are worth a listen."
"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 JBL Tune Buds or the Sennheiser HD 400S
About JBL
JBL is an American audio equipment manufacturer. Owned by Harman International which is, itself, owned by Samsung Electronics. JBL markets a wide array of monitoring speakers, professional headphones and consumer market headphones and earbuds. It was founded in 1946 by James Bullough Lansing (whose initials give the company its name) and has become one of the most prolific audio companies ever. Their products were responsible for audio during the 1969 Woodstock Festival.
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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Joe Golden, Ph.D
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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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