Well 2017 is here and one of the first Sennheiser headphones to hit stores is going to be the HD 4.40 BT. Sennheiser has consistently been hitting the consumer headphone market with cool looking, streamline headphones with high-fidelity sound. And they seem to really be hitting the mark. Their most recent HD 4 Series is focused on music listening with an extra punch in the bass as well as smartphone integration. The HD 4.30 wired headphone took off with a bang and the HD 4.40 BT is simply a wireless Bluetooth version of this cool looking headphone. But how does it match up in the sound department? Does it still have that raucous, punchy bass once it’s wireless? I’m about to find out.
A Look At The Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT Wireless
DESIGN
As I mentioned before, the Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT is simply the wireless version of the HD 4.30. It’s got a slim but comfortable headband and around-ear design with a little more padding than we’re used to in a headphone. But somehow it works. The function for this padding is clear once you put it on. Added comfort and a little space for the bass to really get the music pumping. My only complaint is this headphone seems to only come in one color. The sleek grey/black is something I personally like but can’t help but think there should be a couple more color options to give users a way to express a little personality. Overall though it feels quite nice so let’s get this thing connected already.
Minimal buttons is the way to go and Sennheiser has kept that philosophy with the HD 4.40 BT wireless headphone. You’ve got a total of 3 controls to get you everything you need. The power button (which is also the Bluetooth pairing button), the play/pause track toggle (also used for answering calls), and the volume button. Pairing the HD 4.40 BT is as simple as you’d imagine. Using Bluetooth standard 4.0 users just hold the pairing button and wait for the blue and red light. Open up Bluetooth on your phone and you’re connected in seconds. Now you’re ready to make phone calls or get lost in some music. And it is also worth noting the battery life on the HD 4.40 BT is up to 25 hours. It’s also NFC capable for one-touch pairing with NFC devices.
One other thing to mention about this headphone that adds to the power is the Sennheiser smartphone app CapTune. Play tracks directly from your phone, connect to TIDAL music service and even see your headphone battery life all inside this powerful app. Even create EQ settings, change screen color and save profiles for different headphones or types of music. And it’s a free download.
So far no manuals needed to get going and I’m already anticipating the next step. How does it sound?
SOUND
The Sennheiser HD 4 Series is the kind of headphone that’s just asking to drive some bass. For the HD 4.40 BT I’ve chosen one of my favorite Spotify playlists “Death By Synthicide 1”. There’s 3 playlists in the series so far and they’re packed with hard hitting synthwave tracks that have some seriously deep synths as well as full range synth riffs as well as some guitars and vocals. You can find it on Spotify at the following link.
https://open.spotify.com/user/dreamwaveradio/playlist/5O4zuAPtjRTul5RTjJljvZ
The best way to describe the sound on the HD 4.40 BT is “bass for days”. People say they like Beats headphones cause it’s “got that bass”. Well they haven’t heard this headphone. The bass definitely goes boom. It’s punchy and even subsonic at times but something else is going on here too. While this is definitely not the kind of headphone you’d want to mix your new album on it definitely has a strong mid and high frequency response. Does the bass take over the mix at times? Yes, but more in the way you want it too. Like when you’re listening to you’re favorite track and it gets to that part where it just hits.
And for those of you not into synth tracks I tested this headphone out on some classic hip-hop just to prove my point. Trust me when I say it hits just as good on Kid Cudi, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, Dre, Snoop, Rick Ross… the whole lot. The 808 still booms and the bass lines still groove.
SUMMARY
The Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT wireless headphone is exactly what it’s designed to be. A portable, comfortable, streamline headphone that rocks the bass. It’s not a reference headphone. Your music is not going to sound “exactly as it did in the studio”. But it is the kind of sound that a lot of people are looking for in a headphone. Something intense and fun. And it’s not just for electronic or hip-hop either. This headphone would pair well with rock and metal tracks too. The conclusion is you’ll be hard pressed to find a wireless headphone with this kind of sound for the price. With an MSRP of $149.95 the Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT may just be the new talk of the town. We’ll see. You can pick up a pair at the headphone superstore Audio46 in NYC or on Amazon.
Get the Sennheiser HD 4.40BT at the Sennheiser Headphone store at Audio46Â
at the most competitive price. Use discount code “majorhifi” during checkout to receive a percentage off of the list price of $149.95.
SPECIFICATIONS
Impedance 18 Ω
Frequency response (microphone) Â 100 – 10,000 Hz
Frequency response  18 – 22,000 Hz
Sound pressure level  (SPL) 113dB (Passive: 1kHz/1Vrms)
THD, total harmonic distortion  <0.5% (1kHz/100dB)
Pick-up pattern  Dual omnidirectional microphones
Battery Specification  Li-ion Polymer Battery
Codecs  AptX
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