Review: Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT

The Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT headphones were made for me. What I mean is I’ve been using these headphones for a little over a week now, and since then, I’ve used them every day for hours on end and have yet to feel discomfort wearing them while I’ve traveled, gone to the gym, or laid down and listened to podcasts. Most of the review was done using Bluetooth as I avoided using the included cable 3.5mm cable and I used my iPhone 6 Plus to pair the headset for this review.

While we’ve reviewed Sennheiser products before, we reviewed the PC 373, a wired headset made for gaming. The 4.40 BT are the first set that has gone through a day’s journey with me and left me feeling satisfied knowing I have a quality product that can support me during my day.

Comfort is key when wearing headphones and it’s something I look for when purchasing any headphones. The headband and over-ear design of the 4.40 BT are comfortable and easily one of the best I’ve used.

Immediately after opening the headphones, the first thing I did was feel them, they aren’t heavy at all, and most importantly the build of the product is what worries me when purchasing expensive toys. Not so with these, you can tell the HD 4.40 are sturdy and offer both performance and quality sound. The body is plastic, minimal, and most importantly, travel-friendly.

Speaking of minimal, on the right headphone is all your controls, power and Bluetooth sync, a play/pause button, and volume buttons. Pairing the HD 4.40 BT was simple, using Bluetooth 4.0, you simply hold the pairing button and wait for the blue light to appear, from there go to your phone and find the headphones to pair them. Within seconds you’re connected and ready to go, and with the included NFC, if your phone supports it, pairing is just as easy!

The HD 4.40 BT headphones boast a battery life of 25 hours, with rigorous usage throughout the week I easily hit the 25-hour mark before even needing to plug them into charge.

With the 4.40BT, Sennheiser use their proprietary aptX audio coding that provides crisp and clear stereo sound unlike anything else, and numerous times I’d stop and experience how much better the music sounded, the bass particularly was what made me smile, listening to Kanye West – Fade, for example. The dynamic bass you’ll find with the aptX drivers create a brilliant, crisp, and clear sound.

One thing to note is the free software CapTune which is available in the App Store and Google Play, which fine tunes your music through slider bars that adjust the waveform as well as allows you to log into Tidal, see your battery level and set profiles for headphones. Playing around with CapTune was easy enough and tinkering around with sound profiles can be fun, however, I found myself not using the app after a few days, it’s a neat feature and you can see how different your music can sound.

As for sound, the 4.40 BT are very bass friendly, meaning if you like your bass, these headphones are made for you. The midrange vocals and voices from calls taken are clear. Launching Spotify and jumping into my favorites and playlist, most of the time I noticed how good everything sounded and when it came to bass, it hit hard but never drowned out the vocals of what I was listening to. Depending on the genre and how well the song is mixed, you’re in for a treat when it comes to sound. Between deep house, hip-hop, and rock, I can tell you listening to artist like Kanye West, Run The Jewels, and Rick Ross included some of the best times I had with the 4.40 BT headphones on, pushing the last set at the gym or walking around the city or heavy and deep bass during a long house music set.

In Canada, you can purchase the Sennheiser HD 4.40BT for $200, which seems like a lot of money. However, being easily the most comfortable pair of headphones I’ve used, with clean and clear stereo sound, and being able to take calls whilst in the middle of a workout session, the price is worth every penny. Sennheiser builds a quality product and is known for their superior builds, throw in a total of 25-hour usage before needing to charge – what else do you need your headphones to do? Sennheiser also throws in a limited 2-year warranty, so you get the added comfort of knowing they have your back for the next two years in case anything goes wrong.

After a solid week of listening to all my music through these affordable Bluetooth headphones, I knew Sennheiser had a winner, the 4.40 BT blow Beats clear out of the water – being able to say I have headphones that cost less than Beats, but sound better puts a smile on my face, these headphones have a lot of work cut out for them in the future, and I’m confident I’ll enjoy every minute using them.

More Information

• Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology, with fast NFC pairing, and aptX audio let you stream true hi-fi sound from your compatible smartphone, tablet, laptop, MP3 player, or another audio device
• Over-ear closed-back headphone design covers your ears completely to isolate sound for a completely immersive listening experience
• Integrated microphone lets you pick up calls and give voice commands to your connected smartphone
• Ear cup-mounted call and track controls let you keep your device in your pocket, or another room
• Long-lasting battery provides up to 19 hours of talk time
• Made with high-quality parts and carefully chosen materials for dependable use, year over year
• Lightweight, foldable design makes the headphones compact enough to take anywhere
• Durable carrying case included for protecting the headphones when you’re not using them
• Includes a 1.4m audio cable for use if power runs out or with older non-Bluetooth devices
• Comes with a micro USB charging cable

The Sennheiser 4.40 BT headphones can be purchased here.