Well, this is going to be a short review. Why? Because you can simply read our review of the Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones for an almost complete review of the Sennheiser HD 350BT headphones. It’s just that a few of the features are missing. So do read this in conjunction with that review.
I was planning on holding back on this review for a week or two – you know, for variety. But I see that at the moment the Sennheiser HD 350BT headphones have been marked down on the Sennheiser Australia website from $199.95 to $149.95. I have no idea how long this will last, but if you’re interested in these headphones, you might as well buy them soon and save the fifty bucks.
Sennheiser HD 350BT features
So, what features do the Sennheiser HD 350BT incorporate? Well, absolutely everything that the HD 450BT headphones have, except: no active noise reduction; no carry case; no analogue audio backup.
They use Bluetooth 5.0. They support the AAC, aptX and aptX Low Latency codecs for higher audio quality. Of course, they can be EQ’d by the Sennheiser Smart Control app on Android or iOS. They have all the important controls on the right earcup, including volume up and down, track skipping and play/pause. There’s a dedicated button to invoke your phone’s voice assistant.
The battery life is the same as the more expensive headphones: 30 hours. Charge time is the same two hours. Charging is via a USB Type-C socket.
Your main point of choosing between the Sennheiser HD 350BT headphones and the more expensive model will likely be based on the importance to you of active noise reduction. The case is of little import. But the analogue connection may be a problem. If you run down the battery, you can’t use the headphones. Full stop. Not only don’t you get an analogue cable, the Sennheiser HD 350BT headphones don’t even have the 2.5mm input provided on the HD 450BT model.
Using the HD 350BT headphones
Apart from the points mentioned above, the specifications for the Sennheiser HD 350BT headphones are identical to the HD 450BT. Same maximum output (108dB), same frequency response (18 to 22,000 hertz -10dB), same distortion (0.3% THD @1kHz @ 100dB).
Since I’d already re-installed the Sennheiser Smart Control app on my Android phone, I didn’t have the same problems connecting I’d had with the HD 450BT. That app had correctly identified the review HD 450BT headphones as being white in colour. And it identified the review Sennheiser HD 350BT headphones as being black, a far better choice in my view. But white is also available.
I am not going to rehash how the Sennheiser HD 350BT headphones sound, because they sounded identical to the HD 450BT headphones. The only difference was a decibel or two reduction in level for a given volume setting. There nonetheless remained plenty of gain for all program material. Do read about the sound there.
I did undertake my customary walk-away-from-the-phone in the same position in my front yard that I always use, and found that the maximum rock-solid, any-head-orientation range was thirty metres rather than the 45 for the HD 450BT headphones. Why? I doubt that different circuitry is used. Thirty metres is still way better than average. Perhaps the presence of a couple of plastic garbage bins more or less in the line of sight when testing the HD 450BT headphones somehow enhanced the signal. Whatever. The connection reliability and signal were excellent.
Conclusion
At $199.95, the Sennheiser HD 350BT headphones are very good value, with good sound, great build and a first-class name behind them. At $149.95, they’re a steal. Unless you are a traveller and want active noise cancellation. Or even the ability to use them with the on-board flight entertainment system. Then they’ll be of little use to you.
