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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Sennheiser HD 250BT offers strong overall sound quality, excels with TV and video due to its low latency, and is considerably more affordable. However, they are bulkier and not as portable as the Sony WF1000XM3 which is smaller and provides active noise cancelling, making it ideal for air travel and noisy environments. Sony's model also offers better noise isolation and is better optimized for calls and meetings. If cost and low latency are your priorities, especially for home entertainment or gaming, go with the Sennheiser. For superior noise management and portability, the Sony WF1000XM3 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 Sennheiser HD 250BT
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
Advantages of the Sony WF1000XM3
- Good for music
- Very good for phone calls
Key differences
Music
6.5
7.5
The Sony WF1000XM3 is good for music, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair.
Gaming
8.8
5.6
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for gaming, while the Sony WF1000XM3 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.2
8.2
The Sony WF1000XM3 is very good for phone calls, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.1
8.7
The Sony WF1000XM3 and Sennheiser HD 250BT are both very good for podcasts and audiobooks, though the Sony WF1000XM3 is somewhat better.
TV and Video
8.4
5.7
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for TV and video, while the Sony WF1000XM3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.0
8.3
The Sony WF1000XM3 is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair.
Battery
25.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Sennheiser HD 250BT has 25 hours of battery life. The Sony WF1000XM3 has 6 hours of battery life.
Cost
$64
$180
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Sennheiser HD 250BT has a price of $64 and the Sony WF1000XM3 costs $180.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
9.0
9.0
The Sennheiser HD 250BT and Sony WF1000XM3 both have excellent build quality.
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How the Sennheiser HD 250BT and the Sony WF1000XM3 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser HD 250BT | Sony WF1000XM3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$64 | $180 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | August 1, 2019 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.6/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.2/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.9/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.5/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.2/10 | 6/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 25 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 3 Hours | 3.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 24 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6/10 | 8.4/10 | |
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 | 9/10 | 9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 125 Grams | 9 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Shopping
Sennheiser HD 250BT
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphone Check
Pete Scholßnagel | 2020
"As a lightweight, robust audio provider with a long battery life, the Sennheiser HD 250BT offer a lot for their price: very good Bluetooth codecs, an app connection and an extremely understated design. These headphones may not be among the most comfortable, but they deliver adequate sound – without overdriving or distortion."
Sony WF1000XM3
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Lily Katz | November 2022
"Wireless earbuds are a dime a dozen, and the Sony WF-1000XM3 makes it easy to justify the cost. The design and comfort are good, and the connection strength is consistent. While the lack of aptX or LDAC support is a big drawback, DSEE HX processing improves low-quality audio files. If you want stylish active noise canceling (ANC) earbuds, the WF-1000XM3 needs to be at the top of your list."
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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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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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