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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Sennheiser HD 250BT offers great overall sound quality, a comfortable over-ear form factor, and is tailored towards a budget-conscious consumer, making it a good choice for someone looking for quality without the high expense. Its high marks for gaming and TV/video use suggest it performs well with multimedia content. In contrast, the Sony WF1000XM5 is a premium earbud that offers superior noise isolation, portability, and extra features such as active noise canceling and wireless charging. This earbud is especially suitable for air travel and has a longer battery life with additional battery support from its case. However, it is typically more costly. If you frequently travel or are in noisy environments and are willing to spend more, the Sony might be preferable; otherwise, for a balance between cost and performance, especially for multimedia usage at home, the Sennheiser could be a better option. 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
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sony WF1000XM5
- Very good for music
Key differences
Music
6.5
8.0
The Sony WF1000XM5 is very good for music, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair.
Gaming
8.8
5.1
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for gaming, while the Sony WF1000XM5 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.2
5.0
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is good for phone calls, while the Sony WF1000XM5 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.1
4.9
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sony WF1000XM5 is poor.
TV and Video
8.4
5.4
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for TV and video, while the Sony WF1000XM5 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.0
8.7
The Sony WF1000XM5 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 WF1000XM5 has 9 hours of battery life.
Cost
$64
$298
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Sennheiser HD 250BT has a price of $64 and the Sony WF1000XM5 costs $298.
Build Quality
9.0
8.5
The Sennheiser HD 250BT has excellent build quality, while the Sony WF1000XM5 has very good build quality.
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How the Sennheiser HD 250BT and the Sony WF1000XM5 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser HD 250BT | Sony WF1000XM5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$64 | $298 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2021 | July 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wireless | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.6/10 | 8.1/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 7.2/10 | 5/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.9/10 | 5.2/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 8.5/10 | 5.5/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 6.2/10 | 6.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 25 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | Yes | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 3 Hours | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 5 | 5.3 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 18 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 6/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 9/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Medium | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 125 Grams | 6 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 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 HD 250BT 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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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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