Sennheiser HD 450BT vs HD 458BT [Comparison Guide]

Going online and reading dozens of recommendations on headphones can be overwhelming. Sometimes all you need is something that does the job and does not require the latest features and specs that drive the price. Sennheiser considers this when designing the more affordable HD 450BT and HD 458BT models.

[adinserter block=”1″]

The Sennheiser HD 450BT and HD 458BT are the best headphones to buy if you want to get great sound for a reasonable price. While the Sennheiser HD 450BT isn’t bad for its affordable price and the mid-range specs and sound quality, some users may prefer the HD 458BT due to its superior aesthetics, which can be a deal-breaker for some users.

We will compare the two models side-by-side and compare their design, sound, wireless streaming, user interface (UI), active noise cancellation (ANC), and battery life.

[amazon box=”B083W7V3RG,B091CC8BBD” template=”table”]

Sennheiser HD 450BT vs HD 458BT Comparison Chart

Model	Sennheiser HD 450BT	Sennheiser HD 458BT
Weight	238g	238g
Detachable Cable	Yes	Yes
Foldable	Yes	Yes
Tangle Free Cable	No	Yes
Travel Bag Included	Yes	Yes
Open-back Design	Yes	Yes
Sweat Resistance	No	No
Dustproof and Water-resistant	No	No
Cable Length	1.5m	N/A
Over-the-ear Form	Yes	Yes
In-ear Form	No	No
On-ear Form	No	No
Earbud Form	No	No
Stereo Speakers	Yes	Yes
Active Noise Cancellation(ANC)	Yes	Yes
Lowest Frequency	18Hz	18Hz
Highest Frequency	22000Hz	22000Hz
Driver Unit Size	32mm	32mm
Impedance	18 Ohms	N/A
Sound Pressure Level	108dB/mW	108dB/mW
neodymium magnet	No	No
Passive Noise Reduction	No	No
Used Wirelessly	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth Version	5	5
APTX Adaptive	No	No
Bluetooth APTX	Yes	Yes
LDAC	No	No
APTX Low Latency	Yes	Yes
APTX HD	No	No
AAC	No	No
3.5 mm Male Connector	Yes	Yes
Maximum Bluetooth Range	10m	N/A
Supports Bluetooth pairing using NFC	No	No
Battery Life	30h	30h
Battery Type	Rechargeable	Rechargeable
Charge Time	2h	2h
USB Type-C	Yes	Yes
Battery Level Indicator	Yes	Yes
Wireless Charging	No	No
Battery Power	600mAh	600mAh
Removable Battery	No	No
Noise-canceling Microphone	No	No
Ambiant Sound Mode	No	No
In/On-ear Detection	No	No
Number of microphones	2	2
Lowest Mic Frequency	80Hz	N/A
Highest Mic Frequency	6000Hz	N/A
Mute Function	No	No
Multipoint Count	N/A	2
Control Panel Placed on a Device	Yes	Yes
Can be used as a Headset	Yes	Yes
In-Line Control Panel	Yes	Yes
Warranty Period	N/A	N/A
Price	$129.95	$119

Sennheiser HD 450BT and HD 458BT Descriptive Comparison

Design and Build

Though the design is still pretty similar, the Sennheiser HD 458BT has slightly more features than the HD 450BT. Due to Sennheiser’s commitment to providing a comfortable and convenient product in very lightweight designs, it weighs only 238 grams for the HD 450BT and HD 458BT. 

[adinserter block=”1″]

Using it with different appliances won’t bother the user since it’s easy to move around. In addition to being portable, these devices are foldable, taking up less space when stored.

Moreover, the HD 450BT and HD 458BT come with an oval over-the-ear ergonomic design. Full-size ear cups comfortably fit your ears, enhancing sound isolation due to active noise cancellation. This ensures that anyone nearby cannot hear what you are listening to.

Moreover, the cups are foldable inwards, maximizing the amount of space the cup takes up. Both models have a primarily plastic build, making them uncomfortable, especially in the band area, which is not padded heavily.

[adinserter block=”1″]

Both headphones feature a classy and minimalist design with the Sennheiser logo on both sides, but what distinguishes the HD 458BT from the others is the red accents on the band and cups. Those who value aesthetics as much as the sound quality won’t be satisfied with this. Even though it can be stretched to fit your head, it might feel too tight initially and may take some time to break in.

Related Post: Sennheiser HD 201 vs HD 206

Sound

Sennheiser designed both models to cater to general listening rather than focusing on a specific aspect of listening. There is a maximum frequency of 22,000 Hz and a minimum frequency of 18 Hz.

Bass lovers may not be too thrilled with the bass levels, although they are pretty high for accommodating a wide range of music. It allows you to listen to a wide variety of music, podcasts, shows, and gaming streams.

Being marketed as music for general listening might turn some customers away. However, you still get good vocals, thumping beats, and superb clarity of instrument detail beyond percussive sounds. The default frequency settings are adequate for everything, although not exceptional for those who don’t need this. Both models are compatible with the Smart Control app, which lets you play around with different frequencies and customize your listening experience.

[amazon box=”B083W7V3RG,B091CC8BBD” template=”table”]

Wireless Streaming

The pairing procedure is also relatively straightforward: both models support Bluetooth 5.0, aptX, AAC, and aptX Low Latency. They can also easily switch between devices and are highly intuitive regarding which device is playing audio.

[adinserter block=”1″]

Moreover, they support Bluetooth multipoint so you can use the headset simultaneously with two devices. With a phone or desktop, the streaming experience is excellent: there is no noticeable lag.

However, it was less responsive with Bluetooth multipoint because it did not support push notifications except for incoming calls.

Active Noise Canceling

Sennheiser’s HD 450BT offers excellent active noise cancellation. Although they may not be the most effective active noise-canceling headphones, they do the job well–the background noise is considerably reduced, so it’s excellent for general consumers and remote workers. It is a great choice for those looking for mid-tier features at an affordable price.

You can expect similar results from the Sennheiser HD 458BT. Generally, it performs better in areas that aren’t too noisy, but in crowded places, it might not be so effective. You can use it when you are in a cafe if it works well enough.

The active noise cancellation feature of both headphones isn’t very effective. Still, the over-ear cups are good enough for blocking out most external sounds.

[adinserter block=”1″]

User Interface

There is little difference in the user interface of the Sennheiser HD 450BT and HD 458BT. Both headphones have rockers and control buttons on the right ear cup.

The controller includes a power button, volume controls, a slider for moving between tracks, pausing, and playing, and an AI assistant button.

Despite Sennheiser’s belief that it is convenient to have all the buttons on one side, the buttons are too small and too clustered, so you will have to find them to activate anything.

Both Sennheiser headphones require some learning because the multi-tasking buttons can be overwhelming to newcomers. Another problem is there is no voice notification or distinct sound when the device switches on or off or when your chosen mode is activated.

Related Post: Sennheiser HD 600 vs HD 650

Battery Life

Battery life is one of the most critical aspects of the Sennheiser HD 450BT and HD 458BT. It is advertised that they will last for up to thirty hours, even during heavy listening. Charging takes two hours, but the payoff is that it has longer battery life. Even if it runs out of charge, you can still connect it to the 3.5 mm jack using the cable provided in the box.

Microphone

The microphone is not the best feature of either Sennheiser model. The microphone frequencies are in the range of 80 Hz to 6,000 Hz. Due to the lack of noise cancellation, both headphones aren’t ideal for making calls.

Price

It costs $129.95 to purchase the Sennheiser HD 450BT but $119 to buy the Sennheiser HD 458BT.

[amazon box=”B083W7V3RG,B091CC8BBD” template=”table”]

What’s included?

Sennheiser HD 450BT

• HD 458BT Wireless Headphones
• USB-C charging cable
• Audio Cable
• Safety Guide
• Quick Guide
• Carry Case

Sennheiser HD 450BT

• Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones
• Carrying case
• USB-C charging cable
• 1/8″ TRS cable
• Manuals

Related Post: Beyerdynamic DT 770 vs DT 880 vs DT 990

Verdict

Both models only differ in their design and price. Both models have the same specs and working features. It isn’t easy to distinguish one model from another because they perform equally well in crucial aspects such as sound quality and connectivity. In this case, the Sennheiser HD 450BT would be more cost-effective since it costs less and performs similarly to the HD 450BT. Based on these criteria, here is a summary of how the two models performed:

Sennheiser HD 450BT is the Winner in terms of price. Sennheiser HD 450BT won the design category. Both models have the same build and user interface. Regarding wireless streaming and active noise cancelation, both the HD 450BT and HD 458BT have the same functionality. They also come with the same battery life. And last but not least, the microphone is identical on both headphones.

Frequently Asked Questions