Sennheiser's mid-range wireless headphones are 40% off, but this older pair is cheaper and better

Sennheiser HD 450BT on wooden table
(Image credit: Sennheiser)

Looking for a pair of truly affordable noise-cancelling wireless headphones? These Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones might be a few years old now, but we're still rather fond of these well-made, foldable, punchy and smooth-sounding cans. And their price has just plunged to £85 at Amazon as part of the two-day Prime Big Deals Day offers.

We saw these four-star cans drop to £99 during last year's Black Friday sales, but this is the new lowest price we've seen all year – and it's an absolute budget bargain. Would we recommend this model over some of Sennheiser's newer, snazzier pairs? We sure would... You can find a special edition version of Sennheiser's newer mid-range Accentum Wireless at 40% off and £100 at Amazon, but the HD 450BT are cheaper and arguably better for the same money.

Best Sennheiser HD 450BT wireless headphones deal

Sennheiser HD 450BT was £100 now £85 at Amazon (save £15)

Sennheiser HD 450BT was £100 now £85 at Amazon (save £15)

While we've seen the Sennheiser HD 450BT fall to £99 before during Black Friday, this is the lowest-ever price these wireless headphones have fallen. With excellent noise cancelling, a smooth sonic profile and comfortable, solid build, they're a budget bargain (and sound better than some newer models too).

So what makes us recommend the Sennheiser HD 450BT over the brand's more current Accentum range of wireless headphones? We can happily report that the older but still very affordable 450BT cans offer exactly the sort of sonic profile we've always loved from Sennheiser. There's balance, poise and an easy-to-listen-to character that will appeal to many. Warmth and body are the key adjectives here, with the HD 450BT offering a smooth yet full sonic profile to give your tunes plenty of solidity.

There's a slight skew towards the bottom end admittedly, but it's not overblown in more bass-heavy headphones we've heard like the Sony ULT Wear. Anyone who likes weighty, textured guitar sounds and meaty basslines will certainly enjoy this aspect rather than be repelled by it. The three-star Accentum Wireless, on the other hand, simply didn't excite us. While they offer a longer 50-hour battery life, they have a rather flat and joyless presentation; whereas these HD 450BT have punch and pep to keep you involved with the music.

The HD 450BT have solid features elsewhere, with a substantial 30-hour battery life and a pleasing user experience courtesy of on-ear buttons and the Sennheiser Smart Control app. They're even great for gaming fans thanks to support for aptX Low Latency which provides less than 40 milliseconds of latency via Bluetooth. Noise cancelling is good but not outstanding, while the cans' overall build quality is sturdy, durable and doesn't feel too cheap for the price. As we stated in our review regarding their foldable design, "You won’t be afraid to sling their compactly folded form into a bag or cram them into a coat pocket". The Accentum sadly don't fold away, making them a little less practical for daily travel use.

So there you go. While it may be tempting to go for newer, more exciting models, the Sennheiser 450BT proves that it's always worth keeping an eye out for older designs – grab this great budget bargain at Amazon while the deal lasts.

MORE:

Prefer a more premium, wired model? Outstanding audiophile headphones deal slashes over £500 off five-star Sennheisers

Prefer a five-star Sony pair? The classic WH-1000XM4 headphones have dropped in price AGAIN for Prime Day

Prefer non-Amazon deals? These are the top 5 hi-fi deals you won’t find in Amazon’s October Prime Day

Kashfia Kabir
Hi-Fi and Audio Editor

Kashfia is the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and first joined the brand 12 years ago. During her time in the consumer tech industry, she has reviewed hundreds of products (including speakers, amplifiers, turntables and headphones), been to countless trade shows across the world and fallen in love with hi-fi kit much bigger than her. In her spare time, Kash can be found tending to an ever-growing houseplant collection and shooing her cat Jolene away from spinning records.