If you’re looking for affordable over-ear headphones with active noise cancelling then there’s very little to dislike here.

Sennheiser's HD 450BT headphones deliver excellent Bluetooth audio and solid noise cancellation for a bargain price.

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the Sony WH-1000XM3, these Sennheiser cans are a great choice. With a fantastic sound, good noise cancellation, and a comfortable (and fully-foldable) fit, they’ll suit most commuters down to a tee.

While not class-leading performers in the competitive mid-range market, these well-featured Sennheisers are still worthy of consideration

The noise cancelling performance is not the most thorough, but that is indicative of the price. If you can nudge further towards the £200, there are more effective pairs. To get a satisfying ANC performance you will need to set your sights even higher than that.

Although Sennheiser nailed the sound quality, it failed to create a comfortable headset with spacious ear cups for a wide array of listeners. This set of noise cancelling headphones does an okay job of reducing background noise, but doesn’t perform nearly as well as its big brother, the Sennheiser PXC 550-II. Unless you absolutely need USB-C charging, you’re better off saving up for the PXC 550-II.

The Sennheiser HD 450BT headphones offer excellent sound quality, active noise cancellation, and a decent microphone to boot. However, the cramped fit and smaller ear cups might be an issue for you. Everyone's head and ears are different, but the fit seems to be one of the headphones' most common complaints in customer reviews. All the features in the world don't mean much if the headphones start to hurt in extended use.

Sennheiser’s HD 450BT aren’t the best value in the business, but at just $200, their impressive feature set, stylish looks, and solid noise cancellation add up to a worthy option for those looking to dip into high-end travel cans without the high-end price.

They have a slight overemphasis across the bass range and their treble is a bit dark. These headphones also have inconsistent mid and treble delivery, and their small ear cup holes can affect their seal on your head. Luckily, you can tweak their sound to be more neutral via the graphic EQ and presets on their companion app.

The sound - as is often the case with Sennheiser products - is really good. You get decent volume, plenty of bass and a good amount of clarity and detail in the upper and mid levels. What's more, the battery lasts for ages and the fit is comfortable. Oh, and the noise cancelling's not bad either.