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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Sennheiser HD 400S is considerably less expensive than the Skullcandy Hesh ANC and offers a wired connection with good overall sound quality, a comfortable fit, and a detachable cable; they are suitable for music, gaming, calls, and general use but lack wireless convenience and active noise canceling. On the other hand, Skullcandy Hesh ANC is pricier and has lower sound quality for music but offers wireless connectivity, active noise canceling which is great for air travel and noisy environments, and better portability; they are better for use during exercise and for those valuing convenience over the highest sound fidelity. 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 400S
- Good for music
- Very good for phone calls
- Very good for gaming
- Good for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Skullcandy Hesh ANC
- Excellent for air travel
Key differences
Gaming
8.6
5.6
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for gaming, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is poor.
Phone Calls
8.2
5.3
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for phone calls, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.6
6.0
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is only fair.
TV and Video
7.6
5.8
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for TV and video, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is poor.
Noise Reduction
5.3
8.7
The Skullcandy Hesh ANC is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is poor.
Battery
N/A
23.0 Hours
The Sennheiser HD 400S does not have a battery. The Skullcandy Hesh ANC has 23 hours of battery life.
Cost
$50
$135
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
The Sennheiser HD 400S has a price of $50 and the Skullcandy Hesh ANC costs $135.
Build Quality
8.5
7.0
The Sennheiser HD 400S has very good build quality, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Music
7.1
6.7
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser HD 400S to be good for music, while the Skullcandy Hesh ANC is only fair.
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How the Sennheiser HD 400S and the Skullcandy Hesh ANC compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser HD 400S | Skullcandy Hesh ANC |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $135 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Skullcandy | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2019 | December 1, 2020 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired + Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.2/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.2/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.7/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.7/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.2/10 | 6.2/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 23 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 1.6 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | Yes | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 5.3/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | No | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | No | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8.5/10 | 7.4/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 213 Grams | 226.7 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Sennheiser HD 400S
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphone Dungeon
Jim | August 2022
"Sennheiser has done it again. The HD 400S performs well beyond its price range and is one of the better budget model headphones I’ve tried. It has very few bells and whistles and offers a simple means of listening that still delivers amazing clarity and quality. If you need a good first pair of headphones or need something that you can take out of the house, then the HD 400S is definitely for you."
Skullcandy Hesh ANC
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonecheck
Maike Paeßens | 2021
"Skullcandy’s Hesh ANC are compact, wireless over-ears for everyday use that are tuned for bass and designed to suppress or amplify ambient noise as required. In addition to Bluetooth 5.0, optional tracking via the Tile app is supported so that these headphones can be found if they get lost."
Get a great deal on the Sennheiser HD 400S or the Skullcandy Hesh ANC
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 Skullcandy
Skullcandy is an American, consumer-oriented, earbuds and headphones manufacturer with 20 years of market experience. They sell a wide variety of, budget-friendly and unique, wired and wireless products that are sure to please the vast majority of users. Among their most popular offerings, the Crusher headphones, includes a pair of actual subwoofers inside the cups which makes the bass extra prominent for a unique and extra fun sound.
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