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Ear (2)
Company ProductName Specs




HD 400S
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 12, 2024·

If you're looking for earbuds that offer an immersive experience with a variety of features such as active noise cancellation, touch controls, and wireless charging, and you're okay with the higher price, then the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is a strong choice. They also have a low latency mode which is suitable for watching videos and gaming. However, if you prioritize cost-effectiveness and don't mind using wired headphones, the Sennheiser HD 400S are less expensive and provide excellent sound quality for music. But they lack the modern conveniences of wireless connectivity and a built-in microphone. Keep in mind, the earbuds are more portable and discreet, while the headphones can offer better comfort for long listening sessions. 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 "Nothing" Brand Ear (2)
  • Very good for TV and video
  • Good for exercise
  • Very good for air travel
  • Excellent for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD 400S
  • Very good for phone calls

Key differences

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Podcasts and Audiobooks

9.1
Ear (2)
HD 400S
7.6
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is excellent for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.

Noise Reduction

8.0
Ear (2)
HD 400S
5.3
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is poor.

Battery

6.7 Hours
Ear (2)
HD 400S
N/A
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) has 6.7 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD 400S does not have a battery.

Cost

$149
Ear (2)
HD 400S
$50
Product image
Product image

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) has a price of $149 and the Sennheiser HD 400S costs $50.

Build Quality

9.0
Ear (2)
HD 400S
8.5
The "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) has excellent build quality, while the Sennheiser HD 400S has very good build quality.
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Key similarities

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Music

7.0
Ear (2)
HD 400S
7.1
The Sennheiser HD 400S and "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) are both good for music.

Gaming

8.5
Ear (2)
HD 400S
8.6
The Sennheiser HD 400S and "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) are both very good for gaming.

Phone Calls

7.9
Ear (2)
HD 400S
8.2
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser HD 400S to be very good for phone calls, while the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) is good.

TV and Video

8.0
Ear (2)
HD 400S
7.6
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) to be very good for TV and video, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.

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How the "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) and the Sennheiser HD 400S compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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"Nothing" Brand Ear (2)Sennheiser HD 400S
"Nothing" Brand Ear (2)Sennheiser HD 400S

GENERAL

Price
$149
$50
Brand
"Nothing" BrandSennheiser
Release Date
March 1, 2023January 1, 2019
Form Factor
EarbudsHeadphones
Connectivity
WirelessWired

SOUND

Music Score
7.1/107.2/10
Phone Calls Score
7.9/108.2/10
Gaming Score
8.6/108.7/10
TV and Video Score
8/107.7/10
Exercise Score
7.9/104.2/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
6.7 HoursN/A
Wireless charging
YesN/A
Charging time
1 HoursN/A
Bluetooth version
5.3.N/A
Case Battery Life
30N/A

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesNo
Noise Reduction Score
8/105.3/10
Virtual Surround
NoNo
Android App
YesN/A
iOS App
YesN/A
Mic Quality
7/108.5/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
9/108.5/10
Comfort score
8/108.4/10
Size
SmallN/A
Weight (headset or single earbud)
4.4 Grams213 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedIntegrated

Shopping

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"Nothing" Brand Ear (2)

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Dig into reviews and images

Sound Guys

Jasper Lastoria | March 2023
"For the price the Nothing Ear (2) is pretty good. It fits well, and the IP54 rating (and IP55 with case) is durable enough for daily life. Most of its unique features are found in the Nothing X app, such as personalized frequency responses, and personalized, adjustable ANC."

Sennheiser HD 400S

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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 "Nothing" Brand Ear (2) or the Sennheiser HD 400S

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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Why trust us

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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.

By the numbers

108
Earbuds and headphones evaluated
11,340
Earbuds and headphones stats compiled
15
Proprietary Earbuds and headphones ratings developed
123,800
Recommendations made
18,570
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.

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