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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for a budget-friendly option with good overall sound quality and build, the Sennheiser HD 250BT might suit your needs; they have excellent battery life and are rated highly for gaming and TV due to lower latency. However, they are less portable and offer limited noise isolation compared to in-ear options. On the other hand, the Sony WF1000XM4 earbuds are pricier but offer superior sound quality, noise cancellation, and comfort, along with an app with customizable features. These earbuds are also more suitable for travel and sweatproof, but they have a shorter battery life and aren't ideal for gaming due to higher latency. 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
- Good for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Very good for TV and video
Advantages of the Sony WF1000XM4
- Excellent for music
- Best in class for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.5
9.0
The Sony WF1000XM4 is excellent 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 WF1000XM4 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.1
10.0
The Sony WF1000XM4 is best in class for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good.
TV and Video
8.4
6.0
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for TV and video, while the Sony WF1000XM4 is only fair.
Noise Reduction
6.0
8.3
The Sony WF1000XM4 is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair.
Battery
25.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Sennheiser HD 250BT has 25 hours of battery life. The Sony WF1000XM4 has 9 hours of battery life.
Cost
$64
$220
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
The Sennheiser HD 250BT has a price of $64 and the Sony WF1000XM4 costs $220.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
7.2
6.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser HD 250BT to be good for phone calls, while the Sony WF1000XM4 is only fair.
Build Quality
9.0
8.9
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser HD 250BT to have excellent build quality, while the Sony WF1000XM4 has very good build quality.
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How the Sennheiser HD 250BT and the Sony WF1000XM4 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser HD 250BT | Sony WF1000XM4 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$64 | $220 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | July 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.6/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.2/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.9/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.2/10 | 6.7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 25 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 3 Hours | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.2 | |
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 | 5.4/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 125 Grams | 6.5 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 WF1000XM4
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Dig into reviews and images
What HiFi?
What HiFi? | March 2023
"The headphones deliver a satisfying user experience, class-leading battery life, some of the best noise-cancelling we’ve heard in this category, and absolutely stunning sound quality."
Get a great deal on the Sennheiser HD 250BT or the Sony WF1000XM4
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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