The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're looking for a more budget-friendly option with good overall sound quality, the Sennheiser HD 250BT would be a solid choice as they are significantly less expensive and still offer strong performance with excellent gaming scores. However, the Sony WH-1000XM5, while more costly, provides better noise isolation, which could make them preferable for air travel and busy environments. Additionally, the Sony headphones have a longer battery life and support features like wireless charging and virtual surround sound, enhancing the listening experience, especially for movies or immersive audio content. Both options have integrated microphones and similar comfort levels, but if you need active noise cancelling and advanced features, and don't mind investing more, the Sony WH-1000XM5 would be 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
Good for phone calls
Very good for gaming
Very good for TV and video
Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Sony WH-1000XM5
Very good for music
Key differences
Music
6.5/10
8.2/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is very good for music, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair.
Gaming
8.8/10
5.6/10
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for gaming, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 is poor.
Phone Calls
7.2/10
5.5/10
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is good for phone calls, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
8.1/10
6.0/10
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 is only fair.
TV and Video
8.4/10
5.8/10
The Sennheiser HD 250BT is very good for TV and video, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 is poor.
Noise Reduction
6.0/10
9.1/10
The Sony WH-1000XM5 is excellent for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 250BT is only fair.
Battery
25.0 Hours
40.3 Hours
The Sennheiser HD 250BT has 25 hours of battery life. The Sony WH-1000XM5 has 40.3 hours of battery life.
Cost
$64
$398
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Sennheiser HD 250BT has a price of $64 and the Sony WH-1000XM5 costs $398.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser HD 250BT to have excellent build quality, while the Sony WH-1000XM5 has very good build quality.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Sennheiser HD 250BT and the Sony WH-1000XM5 compare to other earbuds and headphones
"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."
"The Sony WH-1000XM5 are the best Sony Bluetooth headphones so far and one of the most well-rounded Bluetooth headphones around. Look no further if you need class-leading ANC with a mostly inoffensive sound signature. Just be ready to pony up the price premium."
Get a great deal on the Sennheiser HD 250BT or the Sony WH-1000XM5
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
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.