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  1. Table of Contents
  2. Top
  3. Main Differences
  4. Design
    1. Style
    2. Comfort
    3. Controls
    4. Breathability
    5. Portability
    6. Case
    7. Build Quality
    8. Stability
    9. Headshots 1
    10. Headshots 2
    11. Top
    12. In The Box
  5. Sound
    1. Sound Profile
    2. Frequency Response Consistency
    3. Raw Frequency Response
    4. Bass Accuracy
    5. Mid Accuracy
    6. Treble Accuracy
    7. Peaks/Dips
    8. Imaging
    9. Passive Soundstage
    10. Virtual Soundstage
    11. Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    12. Test Settings
  6. Isolation
    1. Noise Isolation
    2. Leakage
  7. Microphone
    1. Microphone Style
    2. Recording Quality
    3. Noise Handling
  8. Active Features
    1. Battery
    2. App Support
  9. Connectivity
    1. Bluetooth
    2. Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    3. Wired
    4. PC Compatibility
    5. PC / PS4 Compatibility
    6. PlayStation Compatibility
    7. Xbox Compatibility
    8. Base/Dock
  10. Comments

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC vs Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless

Tested using Methodology v1.4

Updated Oct 27, 2023 06:42 PM

Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v1.5

Updated Dec 20, 2024 06:31 PM

Amazon.com
Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Picture

Variants

  • HD 4.50
  • Soundcore Life Q20 (Black)
  • Soundcore Life Q20 (Blue)
  • Soundcore Life Q20 (Pink)
  • Soundcore Life Q20 (Silver)

Our Verdict

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC

Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless

The Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC and the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless are both decent wireless noise cancelling headphones, though the Anker provide better value if you prefer their sound profile. The Anker are more comfortable, easier-to-use, have a better microphone, isolate more noise, and have longer battery life. However, the Anker's V-shaped sound signature won't be for everyone. That said, while the Sennheiser are less bass-heavy, they can also sound quite harsh and dull.

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Check Price

Standard
HD 4.50
Amazon.com
Black
Soundcore Life Q20
Searching
Finding store
 
Blue
Soundcore Life Q20
Searching
Finding store
 
Pink
Soundcore Life Q20
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Silver
Soundcore Life Q20
Searching
Finding store

Notice: Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable. Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our headphones test methodology.

Main Differences for
Mixed Usage

Threshold 

0.10

Mixed Usage 

6.9
No major differences between these headphones for mixed usage. See full list of tests below.

Full Comparison

Design

Style  

Design Picture 2  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Design Picture 2
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Design Picture 2

Type  

Over-ear
Over-ear

Enclosure  

Closed-Back
Closed-Back

Wireless  

Yes
Yes

Transducer  

Dynamic
Dynamic
Show text

Comfort 
 

7.0
7.5

Comfort Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Comfort Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Comfort Picture

Weight  

0.5 lbs
0.57 lbs

Clamping Force 
 

1.1 lbs
0.9 lbs
Show text

Controls 
 

6.4
7.1

Controls Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Controls Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Controls Picture

OS Compatibility 
 

Not OS specific
Not OS specific

Ease Of Use  

Mediocre
Decent

Feedback  

Subpar
Good

Call/Music Control  

Yes
Yes

Volume Control  

Yes
Yes

Microphone Control  

No
No

Channel Mixing 
 

No
No

Noise Cancelling Control  

On/Off
On/Off

Talk-Through 
 

No
No

Additional Controls  

Multi function
Bass Effect + Voice Assistant
Show text

Breathability 
 

6.5

Breathability After Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Breathability After Picture

Avg.Temp.Difference  

5.8 °C
Show text

Portability 
 

6.2
6.1

Portability Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Portability Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Portability Picture

 

4.5"
5.5" (14.0 cm)

 

6"
5.6" (14.2 cm)

 

3.2"
3.0" (7.6 cm)

Volume  

86 in³
92.00 in³ (1,507.60 cm³)

Transmitter Required  

No
No
Show text

Case 
 

6.5
5.5

Case Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Case Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Case Picture

Type  

Soft case
Pouch

 

4.8"
N/A

 

7"
N/A

 

3.5"
N/A

Volume  

118 in³
N/A
Show text

Build Quality 
 

7.0
7.0

Build Quality Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Build Quality Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Build Quality Picture
Show text

Stability 
 

7.5
7.0

Stability Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Stability Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Stability Picture
Show text

Headshots 1  

Angled Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Angled Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Angled Picture

Side Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Side Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Side Picture

Headshots 2  

Front Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Front Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Front Picture

Rear Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Rear Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Rear Picture

Top  

Top Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Top Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Top Picture

In The Box  

In The Box Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC In The Box Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless In The Box Picture
Show text
Sound

Sound Profile 
 

Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Amount 
 

-0.71 dB
5.28 dB

Treble Amount 
 

-2.85 dB
-1.53 dB
Show text

Frequency Response Consistency 
 

7.4
6.8

Consistency L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Consistency R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Avg. Std. Deviation 
 

0.52 dB
0.66 dB
Show text

Raw Frequency Response 
 

Raw FR L  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Raw FR R  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Bass Accuracy 
 

8.8
5.4

Bass  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

1.79 dB
7.69 dB

Low-Frequency Extension 
 

13.16 Hz
10 Hz

Low-Bass 
 

1.93 dB
8.89 dB

Mid-Bass 
 

1.99 dB
10.36 dB

High-Bass 
 

1.71 dB
5.42 dB
Show text

Mid Accuracy 
 

7.5
8.5

Mid  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

3.38 dB
1.97 dB

Low-Mid 
 

-0.02 dB
0.86 dB

Mid-Mid 
 

2.18 dB
0.94 dB

High-Mid 
 

5.26 dB
1.98 dB
Show text

Treble Accuracy 
 

5.9
7.4

Treble  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Std. Err. 
 

5.47 dB
3.94 dB

Low-Treble 
 

-1.31 dB
2.71 dB

Mid-Treble 
 

-1.69 dB
2.94 dB

High-Treble 
 

-8 dB
-7.27 dB
Show text

Peaks/Dips 
 

6.7
7.1

Peaks/Dips Graph  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Peaks 
 

2 dB
1.96 dB

Dips 
 

2.19 dB
1.26 dB
Show text

Imaging 
 

8.9
8.4

Group Delay  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Phase Response  

See details on graph tool

Phase Response Mismatch  

See details on graph tool

Weighted Group Delay 
 

0.26
0.3

Weighted Phase Mismatch 
 

3.72
6.7

Weighted Amplitude Mismatch 
 

0.3
0.63

Weighted Frequency Mismatch 
 

1.5
2.03
Show text

Passive Soundstage 
 

4.3
4.5

PRTF  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.) 
 

3.99 dB
3.53 dB

PRTF Size (Avg.) 
 

3.54 dB
4.4 dB

PRTF Distance 
 

10.78 dB
7.4 dB

Openness 
 

2.8
2.4

Acoustic Space Excitation 
 

1.8
2.6
Show text

Virtual Soundstage 
 

0.0
0.0

Virtual Soundstage  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Virtual Soundstage
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Virtual Soundstage

Head Modeling 
 

No
No

Speaker Modeling 
 

No
No

Room Ambience 
 

No
No

Head Tracking 
 

No
No

Virtual Surround 
 

No App
No App
Show text

Weighted Harmonic Distortion 
 

7.3
7.4

Weighted Harmonic Distortion  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

WHD @ 90 
 

0.250
0.287

WHD @ 100 
 

0.313
0.205
Show text

Test Settings 
 

Firmware 
 

Unknown
Unknown

Power 
 

On
On

Connection 
 

Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth 4.2

Codec 
 

aptX, 16-bit, 48kHz
SBC, 16-bit, 48kHz

EQ 
 

Default
Default

ANC 
 

On
On

Tip/Pad 
 

Default
Default

Microphone 
 

Integrated
Integrated
Show text
Isolation

Noise Isolation 
 

7.2
7.6

Noise Isolation  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Isolation Audio 
 

Overall Attenuation 
 

-19.38 dB
-20.77 dB

Noise Cancelling  

Yes
Yes

Bass 
 

-9.11 dB
-12.68 dB

Mid 
 

-15.78 dB
-20.67 dB

Treble 
 

-33.72 dB
-29.76 dB
Show text

Leakage 
 

8.5
7.7

Leakage  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Leakage Audio 
 

Overall Leakage @ 1ft 
 

30.71 dB
35.14 dB
Show text
Microphone

Microphone Style 
 

Integrated 
 

Yes
Yes

In-Line 
 

No
No

Boom 
 

No
No

Detachable Boom 
 

No
No

Mic  

Yes
Yes
Show text

Recording Quality 
 

6.0
7.3

Microphone Frequency Response  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

Recorded Speech 
 

LFE 
 

329.38 Hz
243.22 Hz

FR Std. Dev. 
 

5.02 dB
2.36 dB

HFE 
 

3,368.2 Hz
7,240.77 Hz

Weighted THD 
 

8.924
0.803

Gain 
 

38.48 dB
-3.16 dB
Show text

Noise Handling 
 

7.1
6.7

SpNR  

See details on graph tool
See details on graph tool

SpNR 
 

21.02 dB
18.03 dB

Noise Gate 
 

Always On

Speech + Pink Noise Handling 
 

6.5

Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample  

Speech + Subway Noise Handling 
 

7.0

Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample  

Show text
Active Features

Battery 
 

7.5
7.7

Battery Type 
 

Rechargable
Rechargable

Continuous Battery Life 
 

22.3 hrs
32.3 hrs

Additional Charges 
 

0.0
0.0

Total Battery Life 
 

22.3 hrs
32.3 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.2 hrs
1.8 hrs

Power-Saving Feature 
 

No
No

Audio While Charging 
 

No
No

Passive Playback 
 

Yes
Yes

Charging Port  

micro-USB
micro-USB
Show text

App Support 
 

0.0
0.0

App Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC App Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless App Picture

App Name  

No App
No App

iOS  

No
No

Android  

No
No

macOS  

No
No

Windows  

No
No

Equalizer 
 

No
No

ANC Control 
 

No
No

Mic Control  

No
No

Room Effects 
 

No
No

Playback Control 
 

No
No

Button Mapping  

No
No

Surround Support 
 

No
No
Show text
Connectivity

Bluetooth 
 

8.6
7.0

Bluetooth Version 
 

4.0
5.0

Multi-Device Pairing 
 

2 Devices
No

NFC Pairing 
 

Yes
No

Line Of Sight Range 
 

120 ft
247.00 ft (75.29 m)

PC Latency (SBC) 
 

161 ms
362 ms

PC Latency (aptX) 
 

140 ms
N/A

PC Latency (aptX HD) 
 

N/A
N/A

PC Latency (aptX-LL) 
 

N/A
N/A

iOS Latency 
 

137 ms
93 ms

Android Latency 
 

61 ms
69 ms
Show text

Non-Bluetooth Wireless 
 

0.0
0.0

Non-BT Line Of Sight Range 
 

N/A
N/A

Non-BT Latency 
 

N/A
N/A
Show text

Wired 
 

9.5
9.5

Cable Picture  

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC Cable Picture
Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless Cable Picture

Analog Audio 
 

Yes
Yes

USB Audio 
 

No
No

Detachable  

Yes
Yes

Length  

4.5 ft
4.10 ft (1.25 m)

Connection 
 

1/8" TRS
1/8" TRS

Analog/USB Audio Latency 
 

0 ms
0 ms
Show text

PC Compatibility 
 

Analog 
 

Audio Only

Wired USB 
 

No

Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
Show text

PC / PS4 Compatibility 
 

PC/PS4 Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

PC/PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PC/PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No
Show text

PlayStation Compatibility 
 

PS4 Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

PS4 Wired USB 
 

No
No

PS4 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

PS5 Analog 
 

Audio Only

PS5 Wired USB 
 

No

PS5 Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
Show text

Xbox Compatibility 
 

Xbox One Analog 
 

Audio Only
Audio Only

Xbox One Wired USB 
 

No
No

Xbox One Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
No

Xbox Series X|S Analog 
 

Audio Only

Xbox Series X|S Wired USB 
 

No

Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless 
 

No
Show text

Base/Dock 
 

0.0
0.0

Type 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock

USB Input 
 

No
No

Line In 
 

No
No

Line Out 
 

No
No

Optical Input 
 

No
No

RCA Input 
 

No
No

Dock Charging 
 

No
No

Power Supply 
 

No Base/Dock
No Base/Dock
Show text

Check Price

Standard
HD 4.50
Amazon.com
Black
Soundcore Life Q20
Searching
Finding store
 
Blue
Soundcore Life Q20
Searching
Finding store
 
Pink
Soundcore Life Q20
Searching
Finding store
 
Silver
Soundcore Life Q20
Searching
Finding store

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC

Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless

Comments

  1. Comparison

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC vs Anker Soundcore Life Q20 Wireless: Main Discussion

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