A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If sound quality is important to you, both Sennheiser 450BT and Sony WH-CH520 offer similar performance, but if you prioritize comfort for extended use, Sony’s higher comfort score might make them the preferred choice. Those requiring headphones for calls and meetings may lean toward Sennheiser with its better mic quality. For frequent travelers, Sennheiser’s exceptional noise isolation and higher score in air travel use may offer a more peaceful journey. However, if battery life is crucial, Sony offers almost double the battery performance, which means less frequent charging. Sony’s model is also lighter and more budget-friendly, but lacks Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) which Sennheiser has, making Sony less ideal for noisy environments. While Sennheiser appears more durable, Sony provides app controls and equalization features for a more personalized experience. 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
- Excellent for air travel
Advantages of the Sony WH-CH520
- Good for music
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.2
7.6
The Sony WH-CH520 is good for music, while the Sennheiser 450BT is only fair.
Noise Reduction
9.1
4.6
The Sennheiser 450BT is excellent for noise reduction, while the Sony WH-CH520 is poor.
Battery
27.5 Hours
52.0 Hours
The Sennheiser 450BT has 27.5 hours of battery life. The Sony WH-CH520 has 52 hours of battery life.
Cost
$90
$40
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Sennheiser 450BT has a price of $90 and the Sony WH-CH520 costs $40.
Build Quality
8.0
7.0
The Sennheiser 450BT has very good build quality, while the Sony WH-CH520 has good build quality.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Headphones
Find your new headphones
Key similarities
Gaming
8.8
8.8
The Sennheiser 450BT and Sony WH-CH520 are both very good for gaming.
Phone Calls
6.9
6.7
The Sennheiser 450BT and Sony WH-CH520 are both only fair for phone calls.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.9
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony WH-CH520 to be very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser 450BT is good.
TV and Video
8.1
8.2
The Sony WH-CH520 and Sennheiser 450BT are both very good for TV and video.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Sennheiser 450BT and the Sony WH-CH520 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser 450BT | Sony WH-CH520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$90 | $40 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2020 | April 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.2/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.9/10 | 8.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.1/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.1/10 | 6.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 27.5 Hours | 52 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2.3 Hours | 1.9 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.2 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 4.6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 10/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 240.4 Grams | 147.41 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Sennheiser 450BT
See more
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 WH-CH520
See more
Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | September 2023
"If you’re looking for headphones that simply do what you ask them to: the Sony WH-CH520 is a decent option, even if it isn’t very exciting. Sony’s WH-CHXXX line fits this role quite well, and the WH-CH520 offers a decent raft of quality-of-life updates over its predecessor that should keep listeners happy. If the Sony WH-CH520 were a car, it’d be the boring-but-safe commuter compact."
Get a great deal on the Sennheiser 450BT or the Sony WH-CH520
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.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Earbuds or Headphones guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Sennheiser 450BT vs. JBL Live Pro 2
VS
Compare Sennheiser 450BT vs. Apple Airpods (2nd generation)
VS
Compare Sennheiser 450BT vs. Audio Technica ATH M30X
VS
Compare Sony WH-CH520 vs. Turtle Beach Recon 70
VS
Compare Sony WH-CH520 vs. Moondrop Nekocake
VS
Compare Sony WH-CH520 vs. Youthwhisper Bone Conduction Headphones
VS
FAQs
FAQs about earbuds and headphones
Why trust us
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.
Featured in
