Sennheiser’s $299.95 Momentum True Wireless 4 noise-cancelling earphones cost more than their predecessors, but they don’t do much to merit the price increase. On one hand, we like their robust sound signature with a natural emphasis on bass, the EQ and control customization options in the companion app, and the many Bluetooth codec choices. On the other hand, these earbuds are far behind competitors in terms of active noise cancellation (ANC). Ultimately, you’re better off with the $249 Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), the $299 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, or the $299.99 Sony WF-1000XM5, all of which are Editors’ Choice winners that do more to justify their prices.Design: Secure Fit, Customizable ControlsThe Momentum True Wireless 4 earphones are available in Black Copper, Black Graphite, or White Silver (the version I tested) and come with a cloth charging case. They ship with four pairs of silicone eartips (XS, S, M, and L) and feel comfortable and secure. The earbuds also sport small bands that rest against your ear to enhance fit security—you get three pairs of those. Touch panels are on the outside of each earpiece, while internal 7mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 5Hz to 21kHz.
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(Credit: Tim Gideon)
They are compatible with Bluetooth 5.4 and work with the AAC, AptX, AptX Adaptive, AptX Lossless, LC3, and SBC codecs, an excellent range of support. AptX Lossless and LC3 are the standouts since they respectively allow for CD-quality bitrates and excellent scalability, though many phones don’t yet support either. (Sony’s WF-1000XM5 earphones trade AptX for the high-res LDAC, which is available on most Android phones.) Rounding out connectivity features, the earphones offer multipoint connectivity for up to two devices but do not support Google Fast Pair.The capacitive touch controls are highly responsive, which has the unintended consequence of making them somewhat prone to accidental presses. A single tap toggles the transparency mode on the left earpiece and handles playback on the right. A double tap controls track navigation (left for back, right for forward), while a triple tap toggles the ANC mode on the left or summons your device’s voice assistant on the right. A long press changes the volume level (left for down, right for up). A single tap on either side also answers incoming calls or mutes the mic during ongoing calls, while a double tap ends calls. In the companion app, you can assign nearly any control to any gesture.
With an IP54 rating, the earphones match the AirPods Pro in terms of durability. They offer a high degree of dust protection and can withstand splashes of water from any direction. Neither sweaty workouts nor light rain should pose a problem, though you should avoid cleaning them under a faucet. If you need more durable earphones for exercise, consider the IP57-rated Jabra Elite 10 ($249).The charging case lacks an IP rating, but its cloth-lined exterior makes it easier to open and grip than others with slick, glossy surfaces. It’s somewhat larger than competing cases, though it should still easily fit in most pockets. The front has a status LED and a USB-C port for the included USB-C-to-USB-A charging cable. It supports wireless charging, something I expect at this price.Sennheiser estimates that the Momentum True Wireless 4 earphones can last roughly 7 hours per charge with ANC on or 7.5 hours with it off, in line with the numbers for the previous model. That said, the case holds more battery life this time around (up to 30 hours compared with 21 hours). Your real-world results will vary based on your codec choice and typical volume level. Charging for 8 minutes should net you an hour of playback. The Sony WF-1000XM5 earphones perform better here, lasting up to 12 hours without ANC.App ExperienceThe Sennheiser Smart Control app (available for Android and iOS) offers useful extras and works smoothly. There are three menus—Devices, Discover, and Settings. The default Devices page shows battery life readouts for the earbuds and the case. Multiple tiles follow below. Connection Management allows you to view and switch between paired devices. My Sound lets you turn on the Bass Boost and Podcast presets, as well as design a custom EQ curve with five bands ranging from 63Hz to 8kHz. Here, you can also enable Sound Personalization, which tailors the audio to your hearing (this requires an account).
(Credit: Sennheiser)
Further down, Adaptive Noise Cancellation lets you switch between On, Off, and Anti Wind modes. Transparency allows you to toggle the transparency mode (for hearing your surroundings), as well as choose whether audio playback stops when it is active. Here, you can also adjust the mic levels with a fader.Moving along, the Touch Controls section lets you completely disable the on-ear controls or customize the layout to taste. As mentioned, you can assign nearly any function to any gesture. You can even set single taps to not do anything if you want to minimize the chance of accidental presses. Beyond that, you can create Sound Zones, which automatically apply audio settings based on your location (this also requires an account).The Discover menu has various links to other Sennheiser products. In the Settings section, you can change the audio resolution and codec, disable the Smart Pause feature (music pauses automatically when you remove an earbud), choose whether to auto-accept calls (removing an earbud from the case answers incoming calls), and download firmware updates. Underwhelming Active Noise CancellationThe Momentum True Wireless 4 earphones performed fine in my noise cancellation tests, but they aren’t in the same league as similarly priced competitors. They dialed back powerful low-frequency rumble to a degree and managed to reduce some of the lower frequencies from a recording of a crowded cafe. That said, plenty of high-register noise came through in the latter test. Overall, they are far less effective against all frequencies than the class-leading Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds have a particular advantage against low-register sounds, which they come close to eliminating. If ANC is your top priority, I recommend Bose.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)
Transparency mode boosts the higher-frequency sounds in your environment for easier conversation intelligibility. I like the ability to adjust just how much you can hear of your surroundings since a full transparency level might not always be ideal.Clear Audio With an Emphasis on BassI tried various EQ enhancements during my review period but used the default settings (no EQ and Bass Boost on) for testing. Changes to the EQ have an appreciable effect on the sound signature, and you can certainly push things too far as I discuss below.On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the drivers deliver a powerful low-frequency response. You can employ Bass Boost and EQ to add an extra sense of oomph, but overdoing it will cause the digital signal processing (DSP) to step in and noticeably lower the overall track volume. With no bass enhancements, the thump is still present and sounds full even at moderate volume levels.These earphones have no trouble reproducing the sub-bass at the 34-second mark of Kendrick Lamar’s “Loyalty.” The deepest of the sub-bass notes are audible and have a real sense of rumble without sounding overly boosted. Vocals are clean and clear, without any interference from the low-end frequencies.
(Credit: Tim Gideon)
Bill Callahan’s “Drover,” a track with far less deep bass in the mix, better reveals the sound signature. The drums get additional body from the bass-forward drivers, but they always retain a natural tone. Callahan’s baritone vocals exhibit some low-mid richness, though they could use a crisper high-mid presence (the EQ can easily accommodate). Although this sound signature favors the lows overall, it never forsakes the highs.On orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, the spotlight remains on the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals. The bass boosting is fairly subtle, though I occasionally hear a bit more rumble than is natural.The voice mic array works well enough. I could understand every word from a test recording on my iPhone, despite the slightly weak signal. The mics on the Sony WF-1000XM5 earphones are superior; they filter out everything that isn’t your voice and offer exceptional clarity.Sennheiser Still Falls Short on Noise CancellationFor around $300, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 earphones deliver a quality audio experience, offer an adjustable in-app EQ, and support an impressive range of Bluetooth codecs. But they don’t live up to their high price largely because their noise cancellation isn’t nearly as effective as that of top-rated competitors. For that reason, we continue to recommend a trio of Editors’ Choice winners in this price range: the AirPods Pro for convenient iOS integrations, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds for unmatched noise cancellation, and the Sony WF-1000XM5 for the most balanced default sound.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
The Bottom Line
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 earphones produce powerful, bass-forward audio and are very customizable, but they don’t cancel noise as well as they should for the price.
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