If you’re familiar with consumer audio products like headphones and earphones, you probably know the brand Sennheiser. It’s one of the biggest names in the industry so it’s no surprise why people expected a lot when the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds came out. While their first earbuds did have a few problems, their second iteration has come out with improved overall quality. However, that doesn’t mean they’re the best deal around when it comes to true wireless earbuds.
How do they stack up against the competition? Are they good enough for your ears? Let’s check out the latest Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds.
Design
First, let’s talk about the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds’ design. While aesthetics may not matter to some, it should when you’re paying this much for earbuds. Moreover, aesthetics isn’t the only important part of reviewing the design. An earbud’s design can determine durability, comfort, and overall experience. Plus, it’s not a bad thing to want something purely for aesthetics.
Earbuds
Starting with the earbuds themselves, the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds come with in-ear rubber tips and a bulging outer shell. There’s no non-in-ear version so if that’s already a deal-breaker for you, it’s best to look elsewhere. However, if you’re not particular about in-ear earphones, then they’ve got a pretty good-looking design.
The buds themselves are small like most earbuds out on the market. In fact, they’re smaller than the previous generation by 0.8 inches. However, you’ll notice that they stick out from your ears when you put them on. That isn’t to say they’re bad, but they could be smaller.
The buds come with black matte plastic and a silver metal circle on top with Sennheiser’s logo. They’re pretty classy and elegant to look at even if they’re made of plastic. Moreover, their build quality makes them lightweight enough so that they don’t fall out from your ears very easily. That’s true even while exercising and chewing food, so they should be safe to use while multitasking on other things.
Like most earbuds, the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds come with indicator lights and magnetic connectors. Although they’re present, they don’t get in the way making the earbuds look simple and elegant.
Charging Case
Now, onto the charging case. Sennheiser Momentum’s case is just the right size, fitting comfortably in your hand. It has a unique design compared to most wireless earbud cases because it’s built with a fabric exterior. That’s sure to make it stand out in the true wireless industry because most others come with glossy plastic finishes.
The design is sleek and simple with gray fabric and a white Sennheiser logo right in the middle. On the back, you’ll find a USB-C charging port and a pairing button. Both of them are accessible enough for convenient use and out of the way enough to not be distracting. They’re also very portable overall. At two ounces, these weigh a little more than the Airpods Pro’s case but not significantly more.
Perhaps one of the only (and biggest) downsides to the Sennheiser’s charging case is that it doesn’t support wireless charging. That’s a large setback since the amount they’re charging for these earbuds is pretty high. It’s also a real shame because many phones have come out with reverse wireless charging capabilities.
Sound Quality, Noise Cancellation, & Transparency
When talking about the Sennheiser Momentum pros and cons, most people think that sound quality is a big pro given Sennheiser’s reputation. They’d be right, of course, because these have an awesome audio quality that’s tough to beat in the wireless earbud space.
Bass
If you’re a music lover, then you’re sure to pick earphones based on their quality in different aspects. Some people want bass-heavy earbuds, while others want a bit more clarity on the sound of their music. If you’re part of the former, then these buds might not suit your tastes. That’s because the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds don’t overemphasize the bass. Rather, they focus on clarity. What does that mean?
With these earbuds, every note you hear will be more or less the same volume. That means you’ll hear how producers mixed the songs in specific as opposed to hearing how the music is affected by your earbuds’ sound structure. Some people turn up the volume to hear the details. However, doing that with bass-heavy earbuds might overwhelm your brain with too much bass. With these, you can listen at a comfortable volume and still hear those juicy details.
Highs & Mids
While some earbuds may sacrifice sound quality to hear high frequencies, this isn’t the case with the Sennheiser Bluetooth earbuds. Mids are also clear given that all of the notes you hear will be more or less the same volume. You won’t have to worry about the overall sound quality of the mids, highs, and bass with these earbuds.
Microphone
Listening isn’t the only integral part of Bluetooth earbuds. Speaking is an equally important part of it, and sound quality for microphones should always be considered. Thankfully, the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds do have decent microphone quality. However, some have reported that they sound more muffled and quiet with these earbuds.
Noise Cancellation & Transparency
Are Sennheiser Momentum true wireless noise-canceling earbuds? Yes, they are, and they should be, given this steep price point. Their noise cancellation feature is excellent and can even stand up against noise-canceling over-ear headphones. That means these are great for commutes and plane rides if you want to drown out ambient noise.
However, noise-cancellation does come with a few caveats in real-world usage. After all, cutting out surrounding noises may be terrible in some situations. Commuting or driving with these on even with noise cancellation off may prove to be dangerous. That’s why their setting for “Transparent Hearing” is a great addition to these premium earbuds.
Transparency is what it sounds like-—the ability to hear the world around you with these on. With that feature turned on, the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds will pump in sounds from your surroundings. Most noise-canceling headphones have this feature but the Sennheiser Momentum sounds less harsh compared to the competition.
Touch Controls
First of all, if you’re looking for wireless earbuds with buttons, you’re not gonna get them from Sennheiser. That’s because they’ve made these earbuds with touch controls instead of physical buttons. If that’s a deal-breaker for you, it’s best you find an alternative. However, if touch controls are your thing then you might like these. Well, maybe. Let’s talk about it.
There’s no easy way to say this, but right out of the box you’ll find the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds to be extremely confusing to use. That’s because they didn’t exactly make the touch controls as intuitive as many other wireless earbuds.
By default, the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds come with unintuitive touches. If you stick to the default settings, they’re going to take some getting used to. To play/pause, you tap once on the left earbud and twice to skip to the next track. If you want to go to the previous track, tap it three times. Is the volume too high? You can hold on the left earbud to turn the volume down. With the right earbud, you can do more peripheral commands like calling on your voice assistant, toggling transparency and active noise cancellation, and raising the volume by holding.
As you can see, the default touch controls are lop-sided so they’re tough to get used to. Thankfully, you can rearrange these touch controls to something that’s a bit more intuitive in the settings of the app. That’s why the app is such an important tool if you’re going to buy these earbuds.
If you’re fine tinkering with settings a little bit, then the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds can still be good for you. However, at this price point, it’s disappointing that they come with such unintuitive controls out of the box.
Connections: Latency & Multiple-Device Connectivity
In the wireless earbud space, people don’t talk enough about connection quality. It’s a shame since it’s a crucial part of the overall experience. So, let’s talk about it.
The Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds have little to no problem with latency with Bluetooth 5.1. That’s because they support aptX-Low latency, which is great for watching shows and playing games. However, iPhone users won’t have this capability since they only support AAC and SBC connections.
When it comes to using only one earbud at a time, these earbuds do support it with the right earbud. This is useful if you’re a big multitasker and want to keep your other ear open. However, the same isn’t true for the left earbud so you’re limited to listening over on your right ear. It might not be a major problem, but it is a con if you’re comparing it to Apple and Sony’s earbuds.
When it comes to multiple device connectivity, these earbuds are ample but not impressive. The Sennheisers can remember eight different device connections but can only connect to one at a time. That means keeping them connected to two devices and seamlessly switching between the two isn’t an option.
Comfort
The Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds fit snugly in your ears without having to jam them in. There’s no pressure on your ear canal when you put them on and even when you’re using touch controls. That’s a big plus considering in-ear earphones like these normally feel uncomfortable after a few hours. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case here even after wearing them for long periods.
While they are comfortable, you won’t forget about them being in your ears like most do with the Airpods. Even after a few hours of use, they’ll still be noticeable albeit without being uncomfortable. This isn’t a big deal to most people who don’t expect them to fade into the background.
What’s the use of comfort if the earbuds fall off your ears? Fortunately, even without wingtips to keep them in place, you’ll find that the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds will fit in your ears without falling. That’s true even when you’re exercising or cycling. They remain snug and comfortable even as you’re multitasking, which is an absolute must for premium earbuds like these.
Battery Life
Wireless earbuds come with weaknesses you don’t get with wired earphones, and one is the limitation of battery life. True, they’re convenient to use, but what’s the point if they keep dying on you all the time? Battery life is a big deal especially in premium earbuds so imagine the disappointment people felt with the first generation Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds.
While the first generation had Bluetooth chip problems that drained battery life, Sennheiser has thankfully solved that problem in their second-generation earbuds. Now, you’ll properly get the seven hours of charge from the earbuds with 21 additional hours from the charging case. That’s impressive because AirPods Pro only gets 4.5 hours (with active noise cancellation turned on). Even their charging case’s additional battery life of 19 hours pales in comparison.
That means anyone looking for premium earbuds with killer battery life should definitely take a look at the Sennheiser Momentums. You can use them intermittently over days without running into battery problems.
When you do eventually run out of battery, though, you’ll have to charge over USB-C. While that may be impressive a while back, USB-C is now basically a given for premium earbuds. The real kicker is when charging cases offer wireless charging but unfortunately, you won’t get that here. So, if you were looking forward to reverse wireless charging your earbuds on the go, the Sennheiser Momentum isn’t for you.
Durability
While they didn’t use precious metals to make the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds, they’re still impressively designed. They’re durable enough to withstand the regular wear and tear of daily use. Honestly, at this price point, that should be more than expected.
When it comes to water resistance, these won’t allow you to go for a dip in the pool. However, that doesn’t mean they’re useless against water. The Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds are rated with an IPX4 rating, meaning they’re splash-proof. If it suddenly rains when you’re outside, they should withstand a bit of water. They can also go against some light exercise at the gym if you’re in the mood to listen to music or a podcast as you sweat it out.
Smart Control App
Some truly wireless earbuds don’t offer as much control as they should but with Sennheiser’s earbuds, you don’t have that problem. Their free companion app called “Smart Control” allows users to customize their earbuds to their hearts’ content.
With the app on iOS and Android, almost any smartphone user should be able to customize their Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds. You can adjust the infamous touch controls here (which is highly recommended to avoid the steep learning curve). Not only that, but you can also adjust the active noise cancellation and transparent hearing modes.
Apart from these basic controls, the app also offers smart pause, which allows you to stop playback if you take off the left earbud. You can also toggle the auto-accept call feature in the app. Last but not the least, you can control the earbuds’ equalizer if you’re not satisfied with the sound. With this feature, you’ll be able to thoroughly customize your listening experience so you can personalize the kind of sound you’ll get.
The Verdict: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
Naturally, you can only put the quality and specs into perspective when you evaluate the price-to-performance ratio. Would you buy the Sennheiser Momentum earbuds if they cost the same as a flagship phone? That’s why the verdict will be skewed a lot by the price and with the Sennheiser’s, it’s pretty steep.
With a premium price of $300, you should expect to get the best of the best in the wireless earbuds space. Their price even beats that of Apple’s since the Airpods Pro costs only $250 in comparison.
Unfortunately, they’re a bit difficult to recommend given the setbacks. Don’t get me wrong, they absolutely nail the things they’re good at. They’ve got the best battery life out there if that’s your biggest consideration. The sound quality, active noise cancellation, and transparency are also top-notch. If you’re looking for headphone-level audio quality and active noise cancellation on wireless earbuds, they’re by far one of the best in the industry. However, the average user won’t be able to tell the difference between these and the AirPods Pro.
Nonetheless, the high price of the Sennheisers makes the drawbacks more blatant. The lack of wireless charging can be a deal-breaker, especially in the world of premium earbuds. Not to mention their non-intuitive touch controls are just unacceptable for wireless earbuds. Yes, the controls are remappable, but they should be seamless by default.
Still, the Sennheiser Momentum true wireless earbuds have a lot going for them. They’re a great product if you can tolerate the drawbacks.
