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450BT
Company ProductName Specs




WF1000XM5
Company ProductName Specs




What we think

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The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·

If cost is a primary concern, the Sennheiser 450BT is significantly less expensive and offers good build and mic quality, which is suitable for calls and meetings. They are over-ear headphones with active noise cancelling, making them suitable for air travel and TV due to their higher latency, but their bulkiness reduces their portability and they're not ideal for exercise. On the other hand, the Sony WF1000XM5 earbuds are pricier, but they provide a slightly better overall sound quality, more portability, better app customization, and additional features like wireless charging, ear detection, and an optimized experience for both Android and Apple devices. However, they are less suited for gaming and TV because of the lower latency and have a lower score for calls and meetings than the Sennheiser 450BT. 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 Sennheiser 450BT
  • Very good for gaming
  • Very good for TV and video
  • Excellent for air travel
  • Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sony WF1000XM5
  • Very good for music

Key differences

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Music

6.2
450BT
WF1000XM5
8.0
The Sony WF1000XM5 is very good for music, while the Sennheiser 450BT is only fair.

Gaming

8.8
450BT
WF1000XM5
5.1
The Sennheiser 450BT is very good for gaming, while the Sony WF1000XM5 is poor.

Phone Calls

6.9
450BT
WF1000XM5
5.0
The Sennheiser 450BT is only fair for phone calls, while the Sony WF1000XM5 is poor.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

7.9
450BT
WF1000XM5
4.9
The Sennheiser 450BT is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sony WF1000XM5 is poor.

TV and Video

8.1
450BT
WF1000XM5
5.4
The Sennheiser 450BT is very good for TV and video, while the Sony WF1000XM5 is poor.

Battery

27.5 Hours
450BT
WF1000XM5
9.0 Hours
The Sennheiser 450BT has 27.5 hours of battery life. The Sony WF1000XM5 has 9 hours of battery life.

Cost

$90
450BT
WF1000XM5
$298
Product image
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The Sennheiser 450BT has a price of $90 and the Sony WF1000XM5 costs $298.
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Key similarities

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Noise Reduction

9.1
450BT
WF1000XM5
8.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser 450BT to be excellent for noise reduction, while the Sony WF1000XM5 is very good.

Build Quality

8.0
450BT
WF1000XM5
8.5
The Sony WF1000XM5 and Sennheiser 450BT both have very good build quality.

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How the Sennheiser 450BT and the Sony WF1000XM5 compare to other earbuds and headphones

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Spec Comparison

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Sennheiser 450BTSony WF1000XM5
Sennheiser 450BTSony WF1000XM5

GENERAL

Price
$90
$298
Brand
SennheiserSony
Release Date
February 1, 2020July 1, 2023
Form Factor
HeadphonesEarbuds
Connectivity
Wired + WirelessWireless

SOUND

Music Score
6.2/108.1/10
Phone Calls Score
7/105/10
Gaming Score
8.9/105.2/10
TV and Video Score
8.1/105.5/10
Exercise Score
6.1/106.2/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
27.5 Hours9 Hours
Wireless charging
NoYes
Charging time
2.3 Hours1.5 Hours
Bluetooth version
55.3
Case Battery Life
N/A18

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
YesYes
Noise Reduction Score
9.1/108.8/10
Virtual Surround
NoYes
Android App
YesYes
iOS App
YesYes
Mic Quality
8.5/106.5/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
8/108.5/10
Comfort score
7/107.6/10
Size
N/AMedium
Weight (headset or single earbud)
240.4 Grams6 Grams
Microphone style
IntegratedIntegrated

Shopping

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Sennheiser 450BT

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Dig into reviews and images

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."

Sony WF1000XM5

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Dig into reviews and images

Sound Guys

Harley Maranan | July 2023
"The Sony WF-1000XM5 is among the best noise canceling earbuds currently on the market, and they aren’t cheap. These earbuds aren’t the best choice for budget-conscious listeners. But if you prioritize active noise cancelation, sound quality, and extensive software support, the WF-1000XM5 is worth its premium price tag."

Get a great deal on the Sennheiser 450BT or the Sony WF1000XM5

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.

About Sony

Sony is a multinational corporation, based out of Japan, with over 75 years of experience in the consumer electronics industry. In the audio market, Sony has been a trendsetter several times throughout its history. In 1979 they released the first-ever portable music player, the Sony Walkman, followed by the Discman 20 years later. Today, Sony is one of the leaders in the wireless headphone and earbud market, especially in terms of Active Noise Cancellation technology.

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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
122,900
Recommendations made
18,435
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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