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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Sennheiser 450BT offers better overall sound quality, microphone quality, and active noise cancelling which may justify its higher price, making it suitable for a premium listening experience, calls, and air travel. However, the Soundcore Life Q20 provides longer battery life, is also good for noise isolation, and is much more affordable. If budget is a constraint or you prioritize longer usage between charges, the Soundcore might be the better option. Both have similar comfort levels and are over-ear, closed-back, and offer wired connections. Neither is specifically sweatproof or dustproof, but the Sennheiser does support AptX Low Latency which is beneficial for video and gaming. 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
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Soundcore Life Q20
- Good for music
Key differences
Music
6.2
7.0
The Soundcore Life Q20 is good for music, while the Sennheiser 450BT is only fair.
Gaming
8.8
5.2
The Sennheiser 450BT is very good for gaming, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
Phone Calls
6.9
4.9
The Sennheiser 450BT is only fair for phone calls, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.9
4.7
The Sennheiser 450BT is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
TV and Video
8.1
5.3
The Sennheiser 450BT is very good for TV and video, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is poor.
Battery
27.5 Hours
32.3 Hours
The Sennheiser 450BT has 27.5 hours of battery life. The Soundcore Life Q20 has 32.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$139
$50
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Sennheiser 450BT has a price of $139 and the Soundcore Life Q20 costs $50.
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Key similarities
Noise Reduction
9.1
8.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser 450BT to be excellent for noise reduction, while the Soundcore Life Q20 is very good.
Build Quality
8.0
8.0
The Sennheiser 450BT and Soundcore Life Q20 both have very good build quality.
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How the Sennheiser 450BT and the Soundcore Life Q20 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser 450BT | Soundcore Life Q20 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$139 | $50 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Soundcore | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | February 1, 2020 | November 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.2/10 | 7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7/10 | 4.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.9/10 | 5.2/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.1/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.1/10 | 5.3/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 27.5 Hours | 32.3 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2.3 Hours | 1.8 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 9.1/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | No | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 240.4 Grams | 258.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
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."
Soundcore Life Q20
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Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | January 2022
"As far as headphones that cost under $100 go, the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 is a really solid option. Like any good tool, it does the job well without much guff, and it’s affordable to boot. Sure: it’s not going toe to toe with any of the higher-end models of ANC headphones out there—but the headphones do well enough for commuters that it’s a good stand-in if you were never planning on spending a bunch of money anyway."
Get a great deal on the Sennheiser 450BT or the Soundcore Life Q20
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 Soundcore
Soundcore is a sub-brand belonging to Anker Innovations. Starting in 2014, initially marketing wireless, Bluetooth, speakers, Anker now offers an array of, budget-friendly, wireless earbuds and headphones that directly compete, especially in the Active Noise Canceling field, with other brands several times as expensive.
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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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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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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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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