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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Sennheiser HD 400S are over-ear headphones that provide good sound isolation and may offer a more comfortable fit for extended listening sessions due to their form factor. They are often slightly more expensive and come with an integrated microphone. On the other hand, the Steelseries TUSQ are stemless earbuds that could suit an active lifestyle better, given their smaller size and secure fit with cable ear hooks. The TUSQ also features a removable and replaceable boom mic, which could offer more clarity for communication, and they tend to be slightly less expensive. So, your decision should consider comfort, portability, microphone needs, and budget. 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
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Advantages of the Steelseries TUSQ
- The Steelseries TUSQ has no clear advantages over the Sennheiser HD 400S.
Key differences
Music
7.1
7.6
The Steelseries TUSQ and Sennheiser HD 400S are both good for music, though the Steelseries TUSQ is somewhat better.
Phone Calls
8.2
5.2
The Sennheiser HD 400S is very good for phone calls, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
7.6
4.7
The Sennheiser HD 400S is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
Noise Reduction
5.3
6.0
The Steelseries TUSQ is only fair for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD 400S is poor.
Cost
$50
$30
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
The Sennheiser HD 400S has a price of $50 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $30.
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Key similarities
Gaming
8.6
8.5
The Sennheiser HD 400S and Steelseries TUSQ are both very good for gaming.
TV and Video
7.6
7.3
The Sennheiser HD 400S and Steelseries TUSQ are both good for TV and video.
Build Quality
8.5
8.0
The Sennheiser HD 400S and Steelseries TUSQ both have very good build quality.
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How the Sennheiser HD 400S and the Steelseries TUSQ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Sennheiser HD 400S | Steelseries TUSQ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$50 | $30 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Sennheiser | Steelseries | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | January 1, 2019 | August 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 7.2/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 8.2/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 8.7/10 | 8.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.7/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.2/10 | 4.2/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 5.3/10 | 6/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 8.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 213 Grams | 11 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | Boom | |
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."
Steelseries TUSQ
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Can Buy or Not
Aloysius Low | March 2021
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."
Get a great deal on the Sennheiser HD 400S or the Steelseries TUSQ
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 Steelseries
Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.
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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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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