Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT Wireless Review

Sennheiser has seen achievements in the audio world over the years in many categories. However, with Bluetooth headphones their success has been limited. With the Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT, we finally have a great wireless headphone from Sennheiser that adopts a simple and minimalist design with an excellent sound signature. In this review, we delve into the Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT’s design, comfort and fit, sound, Packaging and accessories, specs and more. If you would like additional options or alternatives, check our list of the best Bluetooth headphones under 100.

Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT Specs

Driver type: Dynamic
Driver size: 32mm
Headphone type: Closed-back/ On-Ear
Impedance: 18 Ohms
Sensitivity: 113dB
Frequency response: 18 – 22,000 Hz
Pads: Pleather/ Replaceable
Headphone Connector: Wireless/ 3.5mm
Cable length: 1.4m
Color options: Black
Headphone weight: 225 g
Battery Life: 25 Hours
Bluetooth version: 4.0

Design

Looks and Build Quality

The Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT is an over-ear headphone with a close-back finish. The overall design and quality of the headphone are top notch. All visible materials in the headphone are synthetic but overall appear and feel very high quality with a simple look.

The construction of the headphone is fantastic. Though the headphone is constructed from plastic and pleather, the headphone is built to last with each component feels very solidly built. The headphone’s housing is pretty much all plastic, but as I mentioned before appears to be of high quality with a matte black color finish.

The earpads are notably puffy and plush and feel soft and well padded with memory foam. Their openings are quite big and fit very nice but for an over-Ear headphone, I think should be a little bigger. The overall depth and cushioning of the earpads is good which makes for a comfortable fit. The earpads are covered with a very soft pleather and the good thing is they can be replaced if they get worn out over time.

The headband features a hard plastic on the outside and in the inside a soft rubbery material which leans against the head. The headband lacks padding or cushioning but the material provided does a good job of replicating the cushioning feel.

The headband and be adjusted to fit any users preference by just pulling slowly for an easy and secure adjustment. There are no clicks or creaking sounds during this operation. The headband also provides a forward and back swiveling motion near the ends. Folding them inward makes the headphone compact in size for storage or easy portability.

Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT folds into a compact design

Controls

All controls, connectors, and indicators are located on the bezel of the right earcup except the NFC pairing sensor. From the front to back they include a USB charging input, a 3.5mm headphone jack port, volume control (up and down), multi-function switch, power button, and an LED indicator.

There is also a microphone on the right earpiece. All the buttons, I found could be identified uniquely, which makes it easy to use the headphone without looking them up each time you need to use them.

Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT controls are easy to use

Bluetooth Connectivity and Performance

The Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT conforms to Bluetooth 4.0, and my experience of pairing the headphone to my phone was flawless. After a successful

Bluetooth connection, there are no audio issues or any distortion experienced. The Bluetooth range is average but extends to what most people might require. In case you lose connection because of the range, Bluetooth quickly re-paired when you get back in-range automatically and quite fast.

The headphone’s Bluetooth supports aptX and the SBC codec with the following profiles, Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP), Hands-Free Profile (HFP), Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP), and Headset Profile (HSP).

Battery Life

According to Sennheiser, the battery life of the HD 4.40 BT is 25 hours, and a full recharge takes only 2 hours. The battery life, I found to be over 20 hours and even got me through a full eight hours workday while still on very good volume.

For a guide on how to fix bluetooth headphone charging issues, we have a helpful article here.

Comfort and Fit

Unless you have very big ears, the Sennheiser 4.40 BT is a very comfortable headphone. The earpad’s openings are very good and tall, but the opens are not that wide. Other than that, the earpads are sufficiently padded with memory foam, and soft synthetic leather covers them for improved comfort. The earpads can get hot from time to time.

The headphone is light, the headband though not padded is also comfortable, and the clamping force is sufficient to hold the headphone on the hold without falling when moving around. The headband gets uncomfortable after some hours, and you have to give them a break or shift them after some time.

Sound

What most people expect from Sennheiser is great sound quality, and though the Sennheiser 4.40 BT is a good sounding headphone, I would not term it as great sounding. Overall, the sound signature of the HD 4.40 BT is smooth with a slightly warm touch.

Low-End (Bass)

The bass of the Sennheiser 4.40 BT is prominent but becomes less extended into the midrange. Though the Sennheiser 4.40 BT is a prominent bass headphone, the bass is on point and not overblown like most headphones. For watching movies, the bass comes out very nicely, but when playing music, you can feel the bass does add a punch and my guess is most people will enjoy it.

Midrange and Treble

The midrange is very smooth and blends nicely into the lower treble region. The treble sound well and it is very close to a neutral sound signature.

Though the overall sound of the headphone is a little warm, the treble is by no way harsh sounding or muffled.

Microphone and Call Quality

After using the inbuilt microphone of the Sennheiser 4.40 BT for a number of calls, I found the microphone to be working very fine. Callers on the other end are able to hear me without any issues. In noisy places, callers can hear most of the background sounds.

Packaging and Accessories

Sennheiser HD 4.40 packaging

The Audio Cable

Included in the package is an audio cable terminated with a 3.5mm jack and a 2.5mm jack on the other end. The cable is of sufficient length but lacks inline controls to be used when connected to a playback device. The sound quality, when used in wired mode, is not very different from the Bluetooth mode. Although with Bluetooth, the bass is a little more than when on the wired mode.

Package and Additional Accessories

Other than the audio cable, the packaging and accessories for the Sennheiser 4.40 BT is like most Bluetooth headphones. The headphones come in a big black box with the picture of the Sennheiser 4.40 BT on the front. Inside the box, the headphone and other accessories including the audio cable, a USB charging cable, and a storage pouch.

Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT package and accessories

What we like:

• Affordable price
• Pleasant sound
• Solid build quality

What we don’t:

• The earpad openings are not wide enough
• The cable provided lacks inline controls

Comparison Table

Batt*  – Battery life
Canc* – Active Noise Cancellation

The Competition

Sennheiser did a good job on the Sennheiser HD4.40 BT wireless headphones. The build quality and the sound are all above par. But, the headphone does come with a number of challenges. So, if you are looking for alternatives, the Skullcandy Crusher would be an alternative headphone pick at the same price. OneOdio is also a good brand. We have an in-depth review here about the OneOdio A30 and OneOdio Monitor 60 that you might want to check out.

1. Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT vs. Skullcandy crusher

The Skullcandy crusher wireless headphone is a decently built headphone with one of the best designs in the Skullcandy headphones. The headphone is easy to use, and the Bluetooth connectivity is just as great. The best feature about this headphone is probably the 40+ hours of battery usage you get with the Skullcandy crusher. Now with the sound quality, the Skullcandy crusher has a deep and powerful bass response when the bass slider is set to a minimum. When the bass slider is moved, the bass gets more overpowering which could drown vocals or instruments. The midrange is recessed while the treble underemphasized.

2. Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT vs. Sennheiser hd 4.50 btnc

The Sennheiser HD 4 Series has seen a lot of headphones. The Sennheiser HD 4.50 is one of them and is an improvement of the HD 4.40 BT. The build quality and choice of materials between the two headphones are same. The earpads remain narrow like the ones on the Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT. The battery size is also reduced to 19 hours from the 25 hours in the HD 4.40 BT. However, the headphones come with active noise cancellation which would be useful for blocking out ambient noise or make it possible to for use in noisy areas.

3. Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT vs. Sony MDRXB950BT/BT

The Sony MDRXB950BT/B could also be an alternative set of headphones. They look solidly built, and the composition of materials seems quite good for comfortable wear. However, other users have expressed their concerns about the build quality, especially around the earpieces. Nevertheless, the Sony MDRXB950BT/BT is a great headphone with decent sound. The headphone’s sound quality has a more emphasized bass but does not overpower the mids and highs unless you use the bassboost.

4. Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT vs. Avantree Audition Pro

Avantree has a range of headphones that come at an affordable price. The Avantree Audition Pro at a cheaper price than the Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT could be a worthy replacement. The Avantree Audition Pro come with a 40-hour battery life, and the build quality is good. The headphone also comes with an audio cable to use them in wired mode. The sound quality is not at par with the HD 4.40 BT, but at the price, they are good to the ears.

At the current price of the Sennheiser HD4.40 BT wireless headphone, most features of the headphone are just good. The built quality and material of the headphone are good and should last quite long. The earpads are a little smaller compared with most over-ear headphones but if they fit they are quite comfortable.

Bluetooth connectivity is great, and the controls are easy to use and master. The overall, sound signature of the headphone is a little warm, smooth and enjoyable.