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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize sound quality and comfort for long listening sessions, the Sennheiser HD 400S headphones are a strong choice, being over-ear and wired with a good overall sound rating. They're also less expensive than the Sony Linkbuds and better for calls and meetings. However, the Linkbuds are wireless earbuds, offering portability and convenience, more suitable for use during exercise with a sweatproof certification. The open design of the Linkbuds may also provide a more natural sound and is optimized for both Android and Apple devices, supporting features like ear/head detection, an app equalizer, and app controls customization. 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 air travel
Advantages of the Sony Linkbuds
- Good for exercise
Key differences
Music
7.1
6.6
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for music, while the Sony Linkbuds is only fair.
Gaming
8.6
5.5
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for gaming, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Phone Calls
8.2
6.8
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for phone calls, while the Sony Linkbuds is only fair.
TV and Video
7.6
5.4
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for TV and video, while the Sony Linkbuds is poor.
Noise Reduction
5.3
2.5
The Sennheiser HD 400S and Sony Linkbuds are both poor for noise reduction, though the Sennheiser HD 400S is somewhat better.
Battery
N/A
5.5 Hours
The Sennheiser HD 400S does not have a battery. The Sony Linkbuds has 5.5 hours of battery life.
Cost
$50
$178
$0
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
The Sennheiser HD 400S has a price of $50 and the Sony Linkbuds costs $178.
Build Quality
8.5
9.3
The Sony Linkbuds has excellent build quality, while the Sennheiser HD 400S has very good build quality.
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Key similarities
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.6
7.8
The Sony Linkbuds and Sennheiser HD 400S are both good for podcasts and audiobooks.
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How the Sennheiser HD 400S and the Sony Linkbuds compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser HD 400S | Sony Linkbuds |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $178 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2019 | February 1, 2022 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.2/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.2/10 | 6.9/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.7/10 | 5.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.7/10 | 5.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.2/10 | 7/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 5.5 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 1.5 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5.2 | |
Case Battery Life | |||
Case Battery Life | N/A | 17.5 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 5.3/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | Yes | |
Android App | |||
Android App | N/A | Yes | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | N/A | Yes | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Small | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 213 Grams | 4.5 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Integrated | |
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."
Sony Linkbuds
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Sound Guys
Sam Moore | February 2022
"The Sony LinkBuds is definitely the most unique audio product to release so far in 2022, and it largely executes well on it's unoccluded design. However, it's hamstrung by all the same things as other unsealed earbuds."
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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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