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What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize wireless convenience and long battery life, the Sony WH-CH520 may suit you better, as they are wireless with 52 hours of use, and also have mic and app features including equalizer customization. However, the Sennheiser HD 400S provides an immersive, high-quality audio experience for music and gaming with better sound and gaming scores but lacks wireless capabilities and has a lower battery life. The Sennheisers are better for critical listening, while the Sonys are versatile for everyday use, especially with easy pairing to your devices. 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
- Very good for phone calls
Advantages of the Sony WH-CH520
- Very good for TV and video
- Very good for air travel
- Very good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
7.1
7.6
The Sony WH-CH520 and Sennheiser HD 400S are both good for music, though the Sony WH-CH520 is somewhat better.
Phone Calls
8.2
6.7
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for phone calls, while the Sony WH-CH520 is only fair.
TV and Video
7.6
8.2
The Sony WH-CH520 is very good for TV and video, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
Noise Reduction
5.3
4.6
The Sennheiser HD 400S and Sony WH-CH520 are both poor for noise reduction, though the Sennheiser HD 400S is somewhat better.
Battery
N/A
52.0 Hours
The Sennheiser HD 400S does not have a battery. The Sony WH-CH520 has 52 hours of battery life.
Cost
$50
$40
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Sennheiser HD 400S has a price of $50 and the Sony WH-CH520 costs $40.
Build Quality
8.5
7.0
The Sennheiser HD 400S has very good build quality, while the Sony WH-CH520 has good build quality.
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Key similarities
Gaming
8.6
8.8
The Sony WH-CH520 and Sennheiser HD 400S are both very good for gaming.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.6
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sony WH-CH520 to be very good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is good.
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How the Sennheiser HD 400S and the Sony WH-CH520 compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser HD 400S | Sony WH-CH520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $40 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Sony | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2019 | April 1, 2023 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wireless | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.2/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.2/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.7/10 | 8.8/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.7/10 | 8.2/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.2/10 | 6.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | N/A | 52 Hours | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | N/A | No | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | N/A | 1.9 Hours | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | N/A | 5.2 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 5.3/10 | 4.6/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 7/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 10/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 213 Grams | 147.41 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."
Sony WH-CH520
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Sound Guys
Christian Thomas | September 2023
"If you’re looking for headphones that simply do what you ask them to: the Sony WH-CH520 is a decent option, even if it isn’t very exciting. Sony’s WH-CHXXX line fits this role quite well, and the WH-CH520 offers a decent raft of quality-of-life updates over its predecessor that should keep listeners happy. If the Sony WH-CH520 were a car, it’d be the boring-but-safe commuter compact."
Get a great deal on the Sennheiser HD 400S or the Sony WH-CH520
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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Why trust us
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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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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