Comparison: Sennheiser HD 450BT vs Sony WH-1000XM3

Sennheiser is a company that has been around for several years now. They know precisely what they are producing. The German manufacture is almost on par with another German brand of the name, Bose.

These two brands have done their best to be ranked number one in the headset segment. However, other names like Logitech, Samsung, Corsair, Sony & luxury brands like Bowers & Wilkins have barged into the market, making consumers extremely difficult.

That is because their products are opulent and remarkable. Today, we will be reading all about two magnificent brand models from Sennheiser & Sony in this post. Like we read, if there is a name that has edged others in the headset market, it goes to Sennheiser.

Being in this industry for many years has perhaps given it an edge over other brands. It is quite apparent in the models that they have produced over time. The exceptional design, decent sound quality, ANC, and other outstanding features infused in them.

The flagship model is the Momentum wireless headset that is making waves in the market. Sennheiser HD 450BT wireless noise-canceling headset is a nicely designed, eloquent sound, and powerful unit.

The best part is that they are priced relatively cheap under $100. That is incredible from the maker. It is not often that you see models from this brand come price so low. How do they perform against the rivals, notably Sony?

Sony WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling wireless headset is another stupendous model from the maker. They seem to have learned the art of producing great products that are infused with fantastic specifications in them.

Most of their models are comfortable to wear, come infused with impressive specifications, and have a robust design. When you have read our reviews, you will not find us siding with a particular model.

However, this is an exceptional unit. The Sony 1000XM3 unit easily comes in the category. These models are incredibly ideal for outdoor wear & just about any purpose. Yes, they are similar to the previous Sony WH-1000XM3 headset; there have several upgrades in them.

It also comes with the USB-C charger that allows you to wear the wireless canceling model when you prefer. This is hard to get in because, in 2016, the company did not have any wireless headsets at all.

Today, a few years later on, they are among the top 5 wireless headsets. The journey was quite fast; we must say, with the release of WH-1000X and then eventually the WH-1000XM2. Sadly, they met with stiff competition from makers like Bowers & Wilkins with the PX unit.

They missed an award by a whisker. However, the models come with decent upgrades, unlike most units from other makers. There is a significant enhancement in the design and the production of the model.

The Sennheiser model has a 2-year warranty, whereas the Sony unit has only a 1-year warranty. Can this make a difference in the end between these two spectacular models? Let us read to find more about them and decide which model deserves to be the winner.

Sennheiser HD 450BT	Sony WH-1000XM3
PROS	PROS
The headset offers you a pleasant & elegant fit. The listening balance of the unit is smooth and beautiful. It comes with aptX low latency Bluetooth. It has incredible battery life. The unit has an outstanding noise cancellation feature it.	The design is elegant & sleek, to say. The headset is quite nice to wear for extended hours. It comes with a fantastic noise cancellation feature. It has a breathtaking battery working life. The unit has a 3.5mm aux port.
CONS	CONS
The soundstage found on the model should have been improved.	Though it is a good model, there is no multi-device pairing ability.

SPECIFICATIONS	Sennheiser HD 450BT	Sony WH-1000XM3
Name	HD 450BT Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones	WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones
Brand	Sennheiser	Sony
Noise Cancelling Active	Yes	Yes
Sound Mode	Stereo	Stereo
Connection Type	Wireless	Wireless
Wireless Connectivity	Bluetooth	Bluetooth
True Wireless	No	No
Built-In Microphone	Yes	Yes
Headphone Fit	Over-the-Ear	Over-the-Ear
Adjustable Headband	No	Yes
Battery Life	30 hours	30 hours
Charge Time	2 hours	3 hours
Warranty	2 years	1 year

Sennheiser HD 450BT vs Sony WH-1000XM3: Design & Comfort

The design & comfort of any headset should be the utmost priority & we can say that Sennheiser has done an exceptional job. Their headsets are usually quite comfortable to put on for prolonged hours.

The same can be said about the Sennheiser HD 450BT headset. The unit comes with tremendous potential and is beautifully designed in black & white tones. However, we preferred the white & gold model.

If you look at most of the headsets today, the makers try to make them quite user-friendly. In this sense, the physical buttons are either getting smaller or rounder. You can notice that they come in gesture & voice control methods.

However, these features cannot be expected on $100 or under $200 headsets. They can be noticed in luxury models. Hence, you have to beware of the presence of these buttons. Only then can you operate the headset eloquently.

Sennheiser units can come with buttons that are placed relatively close to each other. That is why some users might find it troublesome initially. This is a crucial aspect that they might want to work on shortly.

You can notice the voice assistant, a slider button for play answer calls. Besides, you can also skip calls backward or forward if you want. You can find the volume button in there. Using it, you can now set the volume up or down.

You can find another button that can be used to plug the 3.5mm cable. It activates not only the noise-canceling feature but also the power of the headset. It comes light and robust in design. You can feel the earpads quite firm on your ears.

They provide slight discomfort if you wear them for a lengthy period. But you can get used to it in a short time. With the comfortable build & design, you can place them inside your backpack and move around quickly.

Likewise, you can notice that the Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless headset has a light and sturdy design. Sony models are the lightest in the market & you can wear them for a prolonged period without hassle.

The headband is made from pleather. It is not as complicated or firm as Sennheiser models, but quite comfortable to say. We liked the silver-colored model in the Sony unit. For some reason, it does not appear as good as the earlier model from them.

The frame is quite slim, making them weigh relatively less compared to most models available in the market today. This feature makes Sony units one of the best as of now. You can see that the earcups are noticeably sleek.

The headset weighs 0.6 pounds making it very light. You can wear it on your head without any discomfort for a prolonged period of time. This aspect is a notable feature in most Sony models. Its earpads are quite soft, and they can fit even on large heads without much discomfort.

You will want to know that the Bose QuietComfort 35 II is one of the most comfortable. However, they are much costly than this particular unit. Coming back, the buttons are placed nicely on the earcups.

Unlike other models, where you can feel some difficulty finding or noticing them, here they are elegantly done. We can say elegance personified would be the apt term for describing this model.

You can choose to do what you want using the buttons. You can either skip tracks, answer calls, double-tap them, and many more. On the left side of the earcup, you can find the aware mode. This feature enables you to remove the headset for it to pause the song or video instantly.

As they are the closed-back headset, they are not breathable. A beautiful seal is performed in your ears that can make you sweat at times. When using the headset when exercising or working out, you can sweat a bit more than usual.

Sennheiser HD 450BT vs Sony WH-1000XM3: Build Quality

The Sennheiser HD 450BT wireless headset comes with the robust build quality. If you have gone through our posts, you know that we have a fascination for the build design of this maker. We are yet to come across models that can claim superior build quality than this brand.

Yes, a few exceptions like the Bowers & Wilkins models can easily be set up back by $600 or more. But here we are dealing with $200 models, and the Sennheiser unit is quite good. This model comes with a humungous 28-hours battery working life.

You can charge them in under 2 hours with the USB-C charging port. This makes them with a similar range to the Momentum 3 wireless model. It weighs close to 240grams, making it somewhat light.

Sennheiser models do not come lightweight like Sony. This is where the quality of the design lies. Though you may feel some discomfort after wearing it for a few hours, this model’s durability is unquestionable.

Users can view the status of the battery through the smart control app. It can help you to perform updates on the firmware by adjusting the EQ. The Bluetooth on the unit can be found on the aptX low latency support to sync the video & audio.

It is beneficial for playing games & watching videos on your connected device. You will be glad to know that the wireless unit comes infused with the noise-canceling feature present in it. With the decent cover, you can hear the ANC feature nicely done.

There is absolutely no noise at all. You can wear them in your room, in the office, and also elsewhere without hearing much disturbance. They come elegantly blocked. However, we may not say the same when you wear them in the subway or on the road.

Of course, these cannot be on par with the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 that does a phenomenal job. But, for under $100, we were quite impressed and thrilled to use it. On the whole, the build design is good, and they can last you many years easily.

Likewise, the Sony WH-1000XM3 headset comes with the decent build quality. Sony models though not popular for the build design, decided to tweak this model a bit. They are quite passably portable.

They are huge and large. You can fold them as and when you want. A notable feature about the Sony units is that they are provided with a case. The case is sturdy and intense. It does not allow the model to get damaged at all.

This unit has a fabric finish on it. The other headsets come with the pleather coating that some users might like. Of course, it is not very portable. However, you can make use of it with the help of a large backpack.

It comes with an elegant look and design. We liked the firmness of the headband, giving you with a solid appearance. You will want to know that the earcups are pretty dense. However, we noticed that the headband has pleather padding that may fade over time.

The model does not come with a metal body, as seen in the Sony WH-1000XM2 Wireless model. But the hinge & yoke design may allow you to use it carefully. You may want to handle the unit gently.

Sennheiser HD 450BT vs Sony WH-1000XM3: Audio Performance

The audio performance of both models is excellent. However, the Sony model seems to have that little zing into that makes it the better one, slightly. Probably, Sennheiser never really excelled as far as sound quality goes.

Most of the models struggle or provide you with average sound performance apart from the Momentum model that is on another level, to say the least. The Sennheiser HD 450BT headset has tremendous potential for being one of the best in the $100 segment.

For the price point, these things are acceptable and very useful. They produce a terrific combination of intense audio quality that is high on bass and opulent noise. The music becomes simple to enjoy & listen to.

That is all we can say. Some models, at times, tend to try too hard. As a result, they produce sound quality that is undefinable. You do not precisely know what is going on. However, this model can create an outstanding balance of music that is accessible on the ears and listen.

The genre of your music does not matter. It could be classic, vintage music, pop, or even some of the recent tracks that dwell more on rap; they are full-bodied. Our tester noticed that the tonality is slightly low, and hence; as a result, the midrange is affected in a small way.

We were quite surprised to note that the Philips PH805 headset comes with more juice in the variation in the music. You might want to try it and find out. The temporal and the range of the tracks were handled well.

Though the Momentum 3 Wireless does well. The minor details of the songs come to life in this one, which is appreciable. The mid-frequency was a bit of a sore. Overall, the Sennheiser does what you are going to pay for eventually, which is excellent.

The Sony WH-1000XM3 headset comes with an eloquent audio quality. You will be glad to know that the model has analog amplification infused in it. This model has a blend of DAC, noise-canceling & analog amplifier that has produced terrific sound performance.

Say hello to the QN1 chip that comes infused into the WH-1000XM3 unit. Users who own or tried the WH-1000XM2 model will instantly know the sound quality given in the headset. These would sound nothing in comparison to the new unit.

The sheer elegance in the audio quality is what blew us apart. You can hear everything that there is in the song or any music for that matter. The instruments could not have sounded better.

It is the same on the vocals as they sound intensely pristine. At times, you may feel that you are right there in front of them as they are performing the music. This is the actual experience that you would want to hear when listening to the songs.

They should generate that kind of emotion or a feeling of sorrow that is provided in them. This feature was lacking in most of the headsets sold until 2020. But thanks, due to the developments, current headsets have commendable features in them.

Its noise-canceling feature is truly unique. The maker says that they have tweaked on the frequency range. We are not sure about that, but if Sony has said it, they can mean it. The noise outside is blocked intensely.

The model has excellent bass accuracy. Its range can be overemphasized, but the response is quite good. The bass comes with sufficient punch in them. Its peaks & dips are nice. At times, you can hear the extra thump emanating from some of the songs.

Are there other alternatives to the Sony WH-1000WH3 in terms of sound quality? We cannot deny that the model is one of the best in the market as of now in terms of proper performance. It is the best ANC model sold for 2 years.

But you can notice that brands like Bose & Shure have come out with splendid units too. Shure is based in Illinois, America, and produce audio equipment and microphone. They have designed the Shure AONIC 50 active noise-canceling headset that is quite good.

The good news is that Sony models are cheaper than the Shure unit discussed above. It can hang in there unless you are a professional gamer or audiophile. Additionally, the Sony app is a lot more flexible, offering you 360 reality audio design.

Sennheiser HD 450BT vs Sony WH-1000XM3: Microphone Performance

The microphone on both the headsets is quite alright. The Sony was slightly ahead of the Sennheiser headset. The Sennheiser HD 450BT wireless noise-canceling headset comes infused with a splendid microphone.

You can use it for making & answering calls. The calling quality is average; you cannot say that they are marvelous or incredible either. Most users were not too satisfied with using it. However, it gets the task of doing a call.

That is about it. The unit has a dual beamforming microphone that can amplify the bass for your calls. These can deviate from the standard headsets. It offers you what is known as the proximity effect.

Here the bass notes are distorted & amplified when you are pretty close to the microphone. On the other hand, the Sony WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headset has an integrated microphone that is capable of offering average recording performance.

We noticed that the speech was slim and lacked some detail. The best in the market at the moment would be the Jabra Elite 85H Wireless that comes with spectacular handling capability. Users can easily hear you from the other end.

All in all, the Sennheiser model came with average microphone noise handling abilities. However, the Sony unit was an exception that had the ability to transmit the audio elegantly to the listener at the other end of the line.

Sennheiser HD 450BT vs Sony WH-1000XM3: Compatibility

The compatibility of the Sennheiser HD 450BT headset is good. Let us read to find more about it. Thanks to the Sennheiser smart control app, you can make use of any device of your preference.

But do note that it comes with a limited parametric EQ and 3-band graphic EQ. Additionally, you might want to also keep an eye on the firmware for the update. Not to mention, you can also check the level of the battery.

Its Bluetooth connectivity is terrific. There is no NFC pairing; users can connect more than 2 devices of their liking. Its sight range is pretty good and found in the PC’s high latency, and iOS is quite impressive watching videos.

It works slowly on android devices. Depending on the device, the internet connection, the speed varies. They can be compatible with the help of Bluetooth. It comes with the anticipated 1/8″ TRS audio cable.

Unfortunately, it does not come with the in-line microphone. If you want to use it on your gaming console like the Xbox One, then it is audio usable. Sadly, they do not come with a base. On the other hand, the Sony WH-1000XM3 headset comes with outstanding ANC.

Its Connect app is spectacular, among others, coming infused with incredible power & capability. You can quickly make use of the model as it comes with a wide range of features in it. There is a graphic equalizer with presets, an in-app media player, and room effects.

The Bluetooth connectivity is splendid and remarkable. You can now easily pair it with a smartphone of your liking. When you notice on the Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless, the unit does not support pairing of several devices, which is a bother.

You can watch movies on your smartphone. They come with an audio cable. However, there is no in-line remote. You may find it challenging to connect with the consoles. If you want to connect to your Xbox One, you cannot do it with Bluetooth.

The audio can be received by plugging in the audio cable. But the microphone cannot be used on it. The model does not come infused with the base, and you can make use of the wired model. When in that mind, you can also see the SteelSeries Arctics, 7 wireless 2019 model.

Sennheiser HD 450BT vs Sony WH-1000XM3: Price

The Sennheiser HD 450BT Bluetooth 5.0 wireless headphone is priced under $200. At the time of writing, it is rated at $100. It comes infused with the Bluetooth 5. 0 technology for seamlessly connecting it to the AAC and AptX low latency codec support.

The unit also comes with active noise cancellation for uninterrupted listening pleasure. The Sony WH-1000XM3 noise-canceling headphones, wireless Bluetooth over the ear headset are priced under $300.

It is being sold for $186 as of now. This model has a price difference of close to $90 when compared to the other unit. The model has digital noise-canceling infused having a soundproof experience.

You can make & do phone calls with the built-in microphone to use a hands-free call. There is an Alexa voice assistant embedded in it. This feature gives users voice access to listening music, getting more information, activating a simple touch, & the quick attention mode.

Sennheiser HD 450BT vs Sony WH-1000XM3: Verdict

We have come to the close of our review on these two stunning models, the Sennheiser HD 450BT vs Sony WH-1000XM3 headsets. We sincerely hope you enjoyed reading the post and may have made up what you intend to get for yourself.

The Sennheiser HD 450BT headset is a good model. The comfort, balance, and audio quality are exceptional. Its battery & connectivity are splendid. The noise cancellation is fantastic. Though most of the external noise does not get blocked by the unit when you are outdoors.

We found that the unit is not very sturdy in design, which was quite surprising from Sennheiser. However, they cost lesser than the Momentum 3 Wireless that priced close to $199. The model is an excellent option when you are comfortable with what it is providing you with.

We can only compare it to the Sony WH-1000XM3 because it is the only unit that is capable of standing in front of it. When you are looking for a lower-priced model, then the Sennheiser HD 450BT is.

Though the Sony WH-1000XM3 headset is a terrific option, it comes infused with unique features. A few years ago, it was considered as the best set of headphones. You may not be able to place it in front of the Sony WH-XB900N.

But it is not a poor trade at all. This model will set you back more than $300, which might sound a tat too costly. You may be tempted to look at the Shure AONIC 50 or the Jabra Elite 85H for exceptional quality.

The ANC should be able to work under any situation properly. It makes these headsets pretty ideal to use. You may not be able to listen using the high-end model, but they are good. This aspect makes it perfect travel device with a good fitting, outstanding audio quality, and battery.

The Sennheiser HD 450BT headset is the better choice as it comes with a 3.5dB/mW higher sound pressure level, 0.8 newer Bluetooth version, 17grams lighter, and 1-hour lesser time to charge. The unit comes cheaper than the Sony WH model.

The Sony WH-1000XM3 headset is the better choice because it has 14Hz lower low-frequency, passive noise reduction, 18000Hz higher high-frequency, and a neodymium magnet. There are 2 Ohms lower impedance, noise-canceling microphone, 8mm bigger driver unit,

It comes with 1 more microphone. Our winner in this comparison review between the Sennheiser HD 450BT vs Sony WH-1000XM3 headsets is the WH-1000XM3. The unit comes with excellent sound effects, fantastic comfort, enhanced noise-canceling features.