Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Headphones review
-
Design
-
Audio Quality
-
Battery Life
Summary
Pros
Sound quality – great audio with good range and bass.
Battery life – incredible 60 hours, beating predecessors and competitors alike.
ANC – decent noise cancelling.
Cons
Divisive design.
Foldability only goes so far, flat but stops short of entirely portable.
Premium price point, but more affordable than the competition.
You Down With ANC?
Sennheiser is clearly a name needing little introduction in the audio world, with the German manufacturer delivering high-quality headphones for close to a century.
Fast-forwarding to the present day, the Momentum series has been one of its leading lines of cans, offering a premium aural experience at a competitive price point.
The latest iteration, the Momentum 4 Wireless, aims to continue the legacy of delivering superb sound quality, comfort and features in a premium wireless over-ear headphone design.
Given the steep current competition from the likes of Sony, Bose and Apple, how do they fare? More importantly, are they worth the asking price of a hair under £310?
I spent some time listening closely with – and to – the Momentum 4 Wireless to find out.
Design and comfort
The first thing you’ll notice about the Momentum 4 Wireless is that they are a departure from the near-iconic aesthetic of Sennheiser’s Momentum 3.
Those distinctive – almost utilitarian – metal sliders, leather headbands and oval ear cups give way to a merger of metal and plastic which sees it visually fit in far more with its competition.
The Momentum 4 Wireless has a more minimalist and understated appearance, swathed in matte tones (of either black, white or denim blue) and a fabric finish, a thickly padded headband, and round – yet flattened – ear cups.
Definitely a divisive move that results in a pair of headphones from Sennheiser which look equal parts stylish and similar…but certainly less of an audiophile and more like a contemporary style statement wearing these.
The good news is that these changes not only do not compromise the sound experience in the slightest but also bring improvements when it comes to comfort.
Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 Wireless are incredibly comfortable to wear, thanks to their lightweight (only 293g, a 10-gram saving over its predecessor, but a good 40 grams heavier than Bose’s new QuietComfort Ultras), soft memory foam ear pads, and easily adjustable headband.
Fit is reassuringly secure, and whilst turning on the active noise cancellation (ANC) certainly caused a sensation of ear pressure that can occur with premium headsets, it very effectively shuts out noise (more on this later).
The ear cups have touch-sensitive controls that allow you to play/pause, skip tracks, adjust volume, activate voice assistants and toggle ANC and transparency modes.
The controls are responsive and intuitive, stretching as far as even enabling two-finger gestures to access some of the latter noise-cancelling related settings – initially a lot of directional gestures to take in, but the reassuring recognition of these movements makes them quickly second nature on the Momentum 4s.
Further customisation is also offered on the dedicated Sennheiser Smart Control app, which also allows for firmware updates when connected to your mobile.
The right ear cup also houses a power button, a USB-C charging port, and a 3.5mm audio jack for wired listening, whilst the headphones also automatically pause music upon removal – not necessarily a bullet point, but only a recent addition to Bose headphones, so a welcome addition here.
The ear cups have hinges that enable the Momentum 4’s to fold flat – although not in on themselves – for easy storage.
The Momentum 4 Wireless also comes with a practical hard case, USB-C, and 3.5mm cables.
Features and battery life
The Momentum 4 Wireless has a lot of features to offer, starting with their excellent ANC. The headphones use four microphones to analyse and cancel out ambient noise, and they do a very good job of it.
Whether you’re in a busy street, a noisy office or a quiet bedroom, the Momentum 4 Wireless can create a peaceful and immersive listening environment for you, cutting through the din of daily life.
One interesting aspect of the noise canceling is that it’s not necessarily at discrete levels – although those exist – but rather entirely customisable in terms of how much you wish to tune out the world, using either the app or direct touch controls to manipulate. You can adjust the ANC intensity manually using a slider in the app, which I’d definitely suggest tweaking to your tastes as the initial feeling was fairly strong.
The headphones also have a ‘transparency’ mode that lets you hear your surroundings without taking them off, incredibly useful for when you need to have a conversation, as well as maintaining all-important awareness of one’s environment.
Another feature of the Momentum 4 Wireless is its support for voice assistants, such as Google Assistant, Apple’s Siri, Alexa and Samsung’s Bixby – all of whom work with minimal effort or issue.
You can access them by tapping and holding the right ear cup, or by saying the wake word (for Alexa only).
The voice assistants work well, thanks to the clear microphones and the stable Bluetooth 5.2 connection. You can also use the headphones for making and taking calls, and the call quality is both crisp and customisable in terms of even the ability to hear your own voice, thanks to Sidetone.
It stops that sometimes weird muted sensation of not being able to hear oneself whilst on calls and using noise cancellation, but can’t say it’s entirely natural to hear your own voice piped back into your ears either…but it’s a welcome option!
One of the most impressive features of the Momentum 4 Wireless is its battery life. The headphones can last up to 60 hours on a single charge, which is simply phenomenal for wireless headphones in general, let alone those offering such comprehensive noise cancelling options. Even with ANC on, they can still last up to 40 hours, which is more than enough for most users.
And if you do run out of juice, you can get a frankly astounding 10 hours of playback from a quick 15-minute charge, thanks to the fast-charging technology.
The headphones also have a Tile tracker built-in, which means you can locate them using the Tile app on your smartphone. This is handy for when you misplace them or leave them behind somewhere. You can also use the app to ring the headphones, see their last known location, and mark them as lost – nothing short of a phenomenal feature.
Sound quality
Of course, the most important feature of any headphones is their sound quality, and the Momentum 4 Wireless does not disappoint in this regard. The headphones deliver a balanced, neutral and musical sound that is faithful to the original recording, but also engaging and enjoyable to listen to.
The headphones have a dynamic 40mm driver in each ear cup, and they support high-resolution audio codecs such as aptX, aptX HD, AAC and SBC. They also have an equaliser in the app that lets you tweak the sound to your liking, or choose from some presets.
The bass is tight, punchy and well-controlled, without being overpowering or boomy. The mids are clear, detailed and natural, with good vocal presence and tonality. The highs are crisp, smooth and airy, without being harsh or sibilant. The soundstage is wide, spacious and immersive, with good separation and imaging.
The Momentum 4 Wireless can handle any genre of music, from rock to jazz, from pop to classical, from hip-hop to EDM. They can also deliver a cinematic experience for movies and games, thanks to their excellent sound quality and ANC. Whether you’re listening to a quiet acoustic track or a loud action scene, the Momentum 4 Wireless can reproduce it faithfully and convincingly.
The noise cancelling itself is a hair short of that found in flagship competitors – a side-by-side test on the particularly audible Metropolitan Line found that underlying sounds weren’t quite as dampened in Senheisser’s effort than that of the latest Bose headset, but when considering the price difference as well as the ridiculous battery life, it’s a far closer run thing with all aspects considered.
Verdict
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are nothing less than a sonic triumph. They offer a balanced, neutral and warm sound that is hard to beat at this price range. They also have a best-in-class battery life, a suite of impressive customisation features and a comfortable fit.
The only downside is their uniform design, which might not appeal to fans of previous iterations. But if you can look past that, you’ll find a pair of headphones that are more than worth your money.
Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless Headphones, Bluetooth for Crystal-Clear Calls w/ Adaptive Noise Cancellation, 60h Battery Life, Customizable Sound & Lightweight Folding Design, Black
