Short answer: the Philips Fidelio M2L, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #427 of 481 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.5/5, at $74.99. The Sennheiser HD 450BT ranks #431, rated 2.3/5, at $69, $5.99 cheaper, which does not close the gap in sound quality. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 481 over-ear headphones; for better sound, the Superlux HD 668B ranks #29 at $49.99.
What the Philips Fidelio M2L does well: Lower mids sit within about 1 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural. Watch for: Presence sits about 3.1 dB low with a 14.6 dB dip near 10.5 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
What the Sennheiser HD 450BT does well: Wireless with active noise cancelling, about 30 hours of battery and Bluetooth 5.0 with SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Low Latency. Watch for: A deep 15.7 dB dip near 4.4 kHz and presence about 8.5 dB low make vocals recessed and distant.
Buy the Philips Fidelio M2L. It is rated higher for sound quality, and the $5.99 saving on the Sennheiser HD 450BT is not enough to make up the difference.
Still deciding? The full Headphones rankings cover every ranked option.
Lower mids sit within about 1 dB of target, keeping voices and guitars natural.
Amazon $74.99 eBay
Wireless with active noise cancelling, about 30 hours of battery and Bluetooth 5.0 with SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Low Latency.
Amazon $69.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| Philips Fidelio M2L | Sennheiser HD 450BT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $74.99 | $69.00 |
| Ranked | #427 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones | #431 of 481 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wireless and wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 40mm dynamic | - |
| Impedance | 16 ohms | - |
| Frequency Response | 7Hz - 25kHz | 18Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 47 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 44 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 3.58 dB standard deviation | 3.64 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.43 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -1.56 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Falls 6 dB below target at 45 Hz (-10.5 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+2.1 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Sensitivity | - | 108 dB SPL (1 kHz, 0 dBFS) |
| Weight | - | 0.5 lbs (238 g) |
| Active Noise Cancelling | - | Yes |
| Battery Life | - | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.0 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Low Latency |
| Built-in Microphone | - | Yes |
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