Sennheiser HD 400U Review: Great sound and Lossless Audio…

Macworld At a glance Expert’s Rating Pros Great sound and competitive price Firm, strong bass Comfortable, lightweight design Built-in mic for voice calls Cons Wired only, w…

There are no digital features such as noise-cancellation or Bluetooth, but the HD 400U provides very good sound quality at a competitive price. The lightweight design is comfortable to wear, and its USB-C connection supports lossless and high-res audio on Apple Music and other streaming services. Sennheiser’s new HD 400U wired headphones show that you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy high-quality sound.

Priced at $99.95/£69.99, the over-ear headphones use a USB-C wired connection that delivers what Sennheiser calls “pure, uncompressed audio,” supporting lossless and high-resolution music up to 24-bit/96kHz on services such as Apple Music. Despite the modest price, the HD 400U delivers impressive sound quality, strong bass and a lightweight, comfortable design, making it an affordable option for listeners who want the best possible audio quality from modern streaming services.

Wired headphones may feel like a throwback in the age of wireless earbuds, especially since Apple removed the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone 7 in 2016 — a move that helped accelerate the rise of Bluetooth devices such as AirPods. While wireless headphones have dominated ever since, Bluetooth audio still relies on data compression, which means it can’t deliver true lossless sound. As streaming services such as Apple Music increasingly offer lossless and high-resolution audio, wired headphones like the HD 400U are enjoying something of a comeback among listeners who want the best possible sound quality.

The HD 400U includes a USB-C cable that works with recent Macs, iPhones and other USB-C devices, allowing listeners to enjoy lossless and high-resolution audio without spending hundreds of dollars on premium models such as Apple’s AirPods Max, which cost $549/£499. Instead, Sennheiser focuses on the essentials: a comfortable, lightweight design and strong sound quality at an affordable price. Padded earpieces and lightweight design ensure that the HD 400U is comfortable to wear for hours at a time.

Padded earpieces and the lightweight design ensure that the HD 400U is comfortable to wear for hours at a time. The headphones weigh just 217g — far lighter than the 386g AirPods Max — and the thick padding helps reduce pressure during long listening sessions. The design itself is straightforward and practical. The headphones are made from matte-black plastic, which doesn’t feel as premium as metal-clad rivals like the AirPods Max but should be durable enough to survive life in a backpack.

The earcups fold flat for easier storage, and Sennheiser includes a fabric carrying pouch. Of course, the low price does mean that the HD 400U lacks some features that certain users may want. There’s no Bluetooth option and no noise-cancellation, and the headphones don’t include a dedicated volume control, so you’ll need to adjust volume on your phone or other device. However, the cable does include simple inline controls, with a microphone for voice calls and a single button for Play/Pause and handling incoming calls.

Most importantly, Sennheiser gets the basics right, with sound quality that’s impressive for headphones costing less than $100. Cheaper headphones often struggle with bass, but the HD 400U – with a frequency response of 18–20kHz – handles the bouncing bass that opens Bad Guy by Billie Eilish with a big, firm thud that immediately gets your body swaying. The deep, reverberating bass pulse later in the track adds a sinister edge as Billie whispers, “you said she’s scared of me?” The USB-C cable supports lossless and high-res audio, and includes inline controls for music and voice calls.

Crucially, the bass doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the mix. The finger snaps cut crisply through the bass and drums, while Billie’s whispered vocals retain a smooth, velvety tone. Switching to the sonic chaos of Planetary Go! by My Chemical Romance presents no problems either. It’s a dense track, with heavy rock guitars colliding with electronic keyboards, yet the HD 400U keeps each element clear and distinct.

The chopping guitar riffs have real punch, while the fizzing EDM keyboards burst with energy. If you need noise-cancellation or the flexibility of Bluetooth, you’ll need to look elsewhere. But if you simply want an affordable pair of wired headphones that delivers high-quality sound, the HD 400U offers excellent value for money. The lightweight, comfortable design also makes it a good option for long journeys – especially since the wired connection means there’s no battery to worry about.

Cliff Joseph is a former editor of MacUser magazine and a freelance editor with 30(ish) years experience of Mac and PC technology. He first used a Mac working as a magazine sub-editor and found it so much better than using scissors and a pot of glue to make the words fit on the page that he become a convert to the Mac overnight. He has spent the rest of his career following the ups and downs of Apple (and is old enough to remember the time Apple came close to going bust).

Cliff writes many of MacWorld’s games reviews – and is currently exploring options for getting Diablo IV to run on a Mac…

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