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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The choice between Koss Porta Pro with a mic and Sennheiser 450BT largely depends on your priorities. The Porta Pro is more affordable and offers a retro design with a lightweight open-back form, allowing for some ambient sound to come in, which can be good for situational awareness but may leak sound. The built-in mic can be handy for calls. On the other hand, the Sennheiser 450BT provides a more contemporary look with closed-back design, meaning better noise isolation and less sound leakage, plus it has active noise cancellation (ANC) for quieter environments, which the Porta Pro lacks. It is also likely to offer a more premium sound quality and features such as longer battery life and Bluetooth connectivity. However, the additional features come at a higher cost. If you value portability and budget-friendliness over noise cancellation and wireless convenience, the Porta Pro could be the way to go. If you prefer a more immersive, noise-free experience and don't mind spending more, the Sennheiser 450BT is the better 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 Koss Porta Pro (with mic)
- Very good for music
Advantages of the Sennheiser 450BT
- Very good for TV and video
- Excellent for air travel
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
8.2
6.2
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is very good for music, while the Sennheiser 450BT is only fair.
Gaming
8.2
8.8
The Sennheiser 450BT and Koss Porta Pro (with mic) are both very good for gaming, though the Sennheiser 450BT is somewhat better.
Phone Calls
6.1
6.9
The Sennheiser 450BT and Koss Porta Pro (with mic) are both only fair for phone calls, though the Sennheiser 450BT is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.8
7.9
The Sennheiser 450BT is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is only fair.
Noise Reduction
2.5
9.1
The Sennheiser 450BT is excellent for noise reduction, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is poor.
Battery
N/A
27.5 Hours
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) does not have a battery. The Sennheiser 450BT has 27.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$60
$90
$40
$60
$80
$100
$120
$140
$160
The Koss Porta Pro (with mic) has a price of $60 and the Sennheiser 450BT costs $90.
Build Quality
6.0
8.0
The Sennheiser 450BT has very good build quality, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) has only fair build quality.
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Key similarities
TV and Video
7.6
8.1
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser 450BT to be very good for TV and video, while the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) is good.
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How the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) and the Sennheiser 450BT compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Koss Porta Pro (with mic) | Sennheiser 450BT |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$60 | $90 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Koss | Sennheiser | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 1984 | February 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.3/10 | 6.2/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 6.2/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.2/10 | 8.9/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.7/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.2/10 | 6.1/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 27.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 2.3 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 2.5/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | N/A | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 6.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 6/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 63.5 Grams | 240.4 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | In-Line | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Koss Porta Pro (with mic)
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphones.com
Sebastian Taboada | February 2022
"It’s clear to see why these have been such a popular choice amongst listeners for nearly four decades. It’s a charming pair of headphones that delivers a truly enjoyable listening experience and one that I think punches well above its weight."
Sennheiser 450BT
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Sound Guys
Lily Katz | March 2022
"The Sennheiser HD 450BT is a very good pair of headphones for the price, noise canceling is good and sound quality is great—quite rare at this price point. Like any product, this headset isn’t without its faults."
Get a great deal on the Koss Porta Pro (with mic) or the Sennheiser 450BT
About Koss
Koss is an American headphone manufacturer established in 1953. In 1958, they created the first set of stereophones, that is headphones with stereo sound, and in 1984 they released the world-famous Porta Pro, a set of on-ear headphones that has remained essentially unchanged for more than 30 years and that is still made, sold and loved by many audio enthusiasts around the world today.
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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