Intro - My Journey with the Momentum
In 2011, the battle for portable audio was in full swing. Brought on by the both the integration of the smart phone into modern society and the overnight success of the juggernaught knows as Beats by Dr. Dre, audio companies both new and old were scrambling to catch up and leave their mark on consumers. This time also represented a paradigm shift in my own audio listening preference, from being content with using “good enough” drug-store purchased ear-buds, to not being satisfied when on-the-go unless I can replicate the same sound quality I had at home from headphone legends such as the DT 770, K701, and HD 598. Call me an audiophile elitist, but for me once I hear something I simply can not forget it and to be frank, my Koss IEMs were no longer acceptable to my ears. For almost a full year, like most reading this I am sure, I went through a buy-sell cycle of fancy marketing and broken promises. If sub-par performance wasn’t bad enough, long term comfort and build often sealed their fate. Needless to say I was frustrated. This all changed in 2012 when a new challenger appeared from Sennheiser, the Momentum!
Being quite new to head-gear at the time, I was starting to rely more and more on both reputable reviewers such as Tyl Hertsens, and the good folk here at Head-Fi to guid me in my purchasing decisions as I was tired of wasting both time and money. I wanted honest reviews by real people. One day as I am relaxing after a long days work and less than stellar 1 1/2 hour bus tip home, I open up my usual browser tabs including Inner Fidelity, and what I saw on their front page made my jaw drop. There it was, beckoning to me with it’s classic look and sleek lines backed up by stainless steel and lambskin leather, the Sennheiser Momentum! I probably read the review 3 times and double for the video. I was sold, and it wasn’t long before the local electronics store had a pair on demo that once heard only reinforced my wanting, no need to obtain a pair for myself. The only problem was I am not a rich man and could not afford to purchase a pair for myself. Luck changed that year at the company Christmas party when low and behold, a pair of black Momentums were up for raffle! 15 tickets later and them babies were mine, booya!
To this day, there have never been a pair of headphones I used more than the original Momentum. 2-3 hours per day on public transit as well as the fact I never left the house without at the very least having them around my neck, for nearly 7 years! It was only when I upgraded to an iPhone 8 that forced my hand into needing to upgrade to wireless headphones. Sure, I could have used my iFi xDSD, however I really did not want to drag that around with me to and from work + errands. My first and only choice naturally was the Momentum 2 wireless (HD 1). Once agin I was faced with the same dilemma of not being able to dish out the cash for a new purchase even though this time was an absolute need; No bloody way I can commute without my music! However luck strikes twice and I find a pair of HD 1 up for sale on Kijiji. Typical “ I bought these for travel and ended up purchasing X brand instead but can’t return these “ sales pitch with a price I both could afford and could not refuse. 30 minutes later and I was a proud owner of the HD 1! The leather still smelled new with full batter life, and I was a happy man once again!
All was good and the HD 1 served me well until one day in 2021 were I was browsing Amazon and came across a sale that made my heart race. There it was, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless (Momentum 3), 40% off AND 6 month equal payments! OMG, OMG, OMG…I have enough for the first payment… I NEED THESE NOW! I tell you good readers, my hands were shaking when I clicked the Buy It Now option. This was the deal of the year, maybe decade, and it felt great! However, hours later after watching and reading every review published for the Momentum 3, I came to a pause and think as to why the sale and unbelievable payment option for a pair of premium headphones from Sennheiser. DAGNABIT, they are planning on releasing the Momentum 4 soon, and sure as Schiit early 2022 they were announced! Well played Sennheiser, well played. From that day forward I channelled all my psychic energy towards Sennheiser, calling for them to announce a tour for the Momentum 4 wireless. Yes, I could have easily posted here and tagged them in, but sometimes willing the Universe to your favour is just as effective. It worked, I threw my name in, and after a couple weeks of rubbing Buda’s belly, I was selected to be part of the North American tour! Which brings us to today, my review of the much excited yet cautiously optimistic review of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 True Wireless headphones. This isn’t your Dad’s Momentums, and represent a new chapter in a beloved line of on-the-go headphones designed to take on today’s leading challengers.
Disclaimer
As read in the intro, the Momentum 4 were sent to me by Sennheiser as part of the review tour and yes, I am a long time appreciator of the Momentum line of headphones. Do not let this be of concern as my words are always honest and free of influence, and the way I am approaching this review will be both subjectively critical and highly objective where possible. I am not fanatically loyal; The Momentum 4 Wireless have large shoes to fill and will not shy away from delivering tough love if warranted. Now, without further delay, my review of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless!
Features
Ear Coupling - Around-the-ear, circum-aural
Connectivity - Bluetooth 5.2 compliant, class 1, 10 mW (max)
Supported Profiles - A2DP, AVRCP, HFP
Codecs - SBC, AAC, aptX™, aptX adaptive™
Speaker Type - 42mm diameter Dynamic
Speaker frequency range - 6 Hz to 22 kHz
Sensitivity - 106 dB SPL (1 kHz / 0 dB FS)
Total harmonic distortion (THD) - <0,3% (1 kHz / 100 dBSPL)
Impedance - Active 470 ohms / Passive 60 ohms
Active Noise Cancellation - Hybrid Adaptive ANC
Frequency response (microphone) - 50 Hz to 10 kHz
Microphone pick-up pattern - 2 mics per side, beam-forming for noise reduction
Battery time - Up to 60 hrs music playtime via Bluetooth and with ANC (test condition: iPhone, mid volume level)
Charging time - Approx. 2 hrs for full charge; 5 min charging for up to 4 hrs playtime; Remark: Ambient temperatures >30°C may lead to extended charging times
Power Supply - 5 V⎓, 800 mA max, USB charging via USB-C socket
First Impressions
May as well get rid of the elephant in the room first. In fact, it’s unavoidable. Upon opening the box and peeling off the instructional stickers from the cups, I could not help but to think that these are not a Momentum. I have obviously seen pre-release pictures of the Momentum 4 so I knew what to expect, but holding them in my hands and giving them a good look over, all that went through my mind was that they looked like a Sennheiser HD 450 had an affair with a pair of Sony 1000X. Plastic, synthetic materials, mundane design, these were not my Momentum! Technically, I put comfort over appearance all day long, but the stark difference in appearance to a long time Momentum user was (and to a degree still is) off-putting. But like my momma always said, looks aren’t important and it’s what’s inside that counts. Mother’s are always right, and I suppose it’s how they feel and sound on my head that is really important to me. I mean, I adore my PSB M4U1 but lets’ be honest, while they sound amazing and are super comfy they are not lookers by any means, especially considering since they came out the same time as the original Momentum.
After removing the Momentum 4 from their travel case, 4 white LEDs were pulsing back and forth, screaming out to me indicating that it’s looking for a pairing. Grabbing my iPhone, I opened the Bluetooth settings and the Momentum 4 paired without issue. I then opened up Sennheiser’s Smart Control App and the headphones were discovered and instantly synced. Good job so far! What was even better was that as soon as the headphones paired and were placed upon my head, Neutron Player instantly started to play! Why is this so significant I had to exclaim the last sentence? Simple, my Momentum 3 would always OPEN and start iTunes/Music and not what app I am actually using (and currently had open). Well, score another point for the Momentum 4! Before moving along to how they first sounded to my Momentum tuned ears, I have to mention I laughed to myself. I didn’t want whatever song was playing where it left off as my first song, so I instinctively went to my Apple Watch to pause the track. My finger was microns away from tapping pause when I pulled it away and said to myself, “ What am I doing, these have touch controls! “ and tapped the right ear-cup. I heard a little bleepy-blip noise to indicate the pause and it was paused. Nice!
Construction and comfort wise, I must say I was impressed… not that I had any worries. Sennheiser doesn’t make flimsy uncomfortable garbage, period. Yes, they didn’t feel as “premium” on my head, though I am unsure if that’s was more of an unconscious bias rather than a physicality. Overall they felt good. Light, non-irritating, and upon walking over to the mirror I actually gave them a nod, not of approval rather to see how well they stayed in place, in which they did to a satisfactory level. This did warrant a thumbs up, to be fare but looks wise they still irked me.
Continuing using the Momentum 4’s touch controls, I proceeded to swipe forward while looking at my phone’s screen until I found the song I was looking for,
I Will Remember - Toto from the Audio’s Audiophile Collection Golden Ballads Disc 18, and tapped to play. Immediately I was greeted with the typical Momentum sound, in regards to the general frequency response, but the similarities ended there. Whatever reservations I may have had in reaction to the radical redesign instantly faded from memory as the presentation of the music I was hearing was absolutely wonderful! Track after track, all I could think was wow, and this is Bluetooth AAC?! 30 minutes in and the Momentum 4 were off to a fantastic start! I knew that I would be enjoying the next 2 weeks commuting to and from work.
Build and Comfort
Gone is the retro style lamb skin leather and stainless steel, replaced with a more contemporary design wrapped in plastic and synthetic padding. While not 4 paragraphs up I made it clear I was not enthusiastic about the Momentum 4 Wireless’s redesign, but in all honesty the new style did grow on me over the 2 weeks I had them. I both find them rather sleek looking and fitting, and realize why the change was needed; Touch controls. While Sennheiser could have made this work on the classic design, even with my small fingers it would have been very awkward and unnatural as the band not only gets in the way, it literally splits the surface area in two. The change was absolutely warranted and in my opinion Sennheiser did a good job on aesthetics.
Constructed of high quality plastic and weighing in at around 650g, the Momentum 4 Wireless feel well built and solid in my hands, as were they sturdy on my head. They feel high quality and very durable, and I have zero doubts that the Momentum 4 are made to last the long haul. I found the actual fit of the Momentum 4 Wireless felt quit comfortable. The padding on the underside of the band felt good against my part/crown with no irritation and it did not get too warm, even after a lengthy walk in 28°C weather. The clamping force of the cups was snug, but not too tight. I felt no uneven pressure on my jaw with no discomfort. The soft-vinyl synthetic pads which are made from, to quote, a viscoelastic foam core (a fancy term for memory foam) and polyurethane leatherette optimized for soft touch and good coupling with the face/head, felt soft and cool against my skin, even with stubble. There was plenty of room for my ears, with enough depth so that no part of my outer ear rubbed against the baffle. I am also a glasses wearer and I found there to be no shifting or creaky squeals.
VS Momentum 3
Given I only had 2 weeks for impressions, it’s hard to really gauge which headphone will outlast the other. However, in regards to construction, both headphones are made by Sennheiser, and this give me great comfort (pun intended) knowing the company’s reputation for quality. Synthetic, lamb skin, plastic or metal it matters not. I was able to wear both headphones without discomfort or fit issues, and both felt great on my head. However, the Momentum 4 Wireless take the point as I was able to wear them for 2 1/2 hours, 30 minutes more than the Momentum 3, before I had to slightly readjust the headband.
Touch Controls
I LIKE BUTTONS, yet I have to say I was impressed with the touch controls! I didn’t’t think I’d like them, and worried I’d be constantly “miss-touching” by accident, yet even my small elf-like hand grabbing the cups failed to make contact. Response was quick, and I never had any issues with the commands not being registered i.e. swiping at an angle or tapping off centre. Overall an enjoyable experience that has a functional and intuitive design that simply works.
Swipe up - Volume increase
Swipe Down - Volume decrease
Tap - Play/pause
Pinch in - ANC Max
Pinch out - Transparency Max
VS Momentum 3
Obviously the Momentum 3 has no touch controls, simply mundane 20th century technology called buttons. I do actually prefer the Momentum 3’s transparency button over the Momentum 4’s pinch. In my opinion it’s both easier to use and I like the tactile feel that lets me know what mode I am in.
Voice Prompts
Ah, the sassy English gal is back! Alongside the signal bleeps, once again the Momentum 4 Wireless features voice prompts, giving you all the pertinent information one might need for a headset. They are as follows:
“Connected” ...are connected via Bluetooth.
“No connection” ... have lost the Bluetooth connection to a paired device.
“Pairing successful” ... have successfully completed Bluetooth pairing.
“Pairing failed” ... have not successfully completed Bluetooth pairing.
“Recharge headset” ... have an empty rechargeable battery. Charge the rechargeable battery.
“More than xx % battery left” ... indicates the remaining battery charge in percent.
“Volume min” ... have reached the minimum volume setting.
“Volume max” ... have reached the maximum volume setting.
“Mute on” ... mute the microphone.
“Mute off” ... activate the microphone again.
VS Momentum 3
New recording of the dialogue, but fundamentally unchanged since the Momentum 2. The Momentum 4 Wireless does however seem to respond quicker when prompted over the previous Momentum.
Sound
Bass - It wouldn’t be a Momentum if it did not bring the bass, and the Momentum 4 Wireless doesn’t disappoint! Slightly elevated and extending far past my hearing, the sub-bass is robust and nicely weighted. My go-to test for sub-bass is the track
20 Hz - Shake the Street. This track features a 20 Hz tone that persists throughout the track, and is an excellent way of determining both if the drivers can handle the intensity and remain coherent without distortion, as well as to gauge if (at all) the sub-bass bleeds and overtakes the mid-bass. The Momentum 4 Wireless handles this track with ease. The Sub-bass remained highly controlled with no odd fluttering noises coming from the driver, with absolutely no bleed into the mid-bass allowing the kick drum to come through with it’s intended punchiness. This behaviour persisted beyond the test track, with every genre of music thrown at the Momentum 4 Wireless being handled with respect. Not once did I hear a track and think wow, that’s a lot of sub-bass, nor did ever hear it unnecessarily being boosted beyond what the track called for. In other words, the Momentum 4 Wireless handles sub-bass right, and should satisfy both audiophiles and bass-heads alike.
Much like the lower frequencies, mid-bass is balanced and controlled. It effortlessly flows into the sub region in a flat line with no discernible hump, and never bleeds into the lower midrange. Bass is fast, detailed, and articulate. It is well balanced with a good sense of slam, but never sounds too hard. It hits as much as it needs to, with only a slight hint of extra oomph in the kick. Drums and bass guitars are nicely layered upon each other with each retaining it’s own detail and presence and never blending together. Lower registers of the piano sound rich and articulate, while cellos and double bass sound simply divine!
VS Momentum 3
The Momentum 3’s sub-bass rolls off a touch while the mid-bass feels like a hammer against your skull! The Momentum 4 Wireless’ bass while not hitting nearly as hard, is far more controlled and detailed than it’s predecessor.
Midrange - The Momentum 4 Wireless is a Sennheiser, meaning a midrange that is smooth, textured, detailed, with accurate timbre. While relatively linear, there is a slight S shaped curve rising to 1KHz, decreases down to 2.5KHz and back up to 4KHz. This 1K hump and 2-3K dip slightly brings the midrange forward while careful not to create a hollow, almost nasaly tonality to the sound. Overall, the Momentum 4 Wireless handles midrange like a boss. Vocals are clean, clear, and articulate, while instruments possess excellent speed and texture. It’s always so hard to critique any Sennheiser headphone’s midrange and put it to words. They are just THAT good I simply have nothing to add that Sennheiser isn’t well known for. I guess I can sum it up by saying true to form Sennheiser midrange.
VS Momentum 3
The Momentum 4 Wireless’ mids are slightly forward, while the Momentum 3’s midrange is more linear. For the latter this does not translate to a more natural or better sounding midrange. The Momentum 4 Wireless’s midrange is slightly more refined and poses more accurate timbre.
Treble - Detailed, well extended, smooth, with a great sense of air, the treble is, simply put, akin to the HD 600! No embellishment, if you have heard the Sennheiser HD 600 you will recognize the Momentum 4 Wireless’ treble. It really is that good and that similar! Vocal sibilance is extremely well controlled being both detailed and smooth. Cymbals are full sounding with incredible decay that has a certain delicacy to it yet still retains a good sense of weight. Horns have bite and zing, but never glare or peakiness. At no time did my ears ever get fatigued, even listening at higher volume. In short, the Momentum 4 Wireless does treble to perfection! Out of all the subtle changes to the Momentum 4 Wireless’s sound, I find the treble to be the most pleasing.
VS Momentum 3
While both headphones have great treble extension, detail, and resolve, by comparison the Momentum 3 upper registers are more dynamic and in-your-face, while the Momentum 4 Wireless are more natural and laid back (and my preference).
Soundstage - Perhaps the biggest change in sound that departs from the whole Momentum line would be the soundstage. With each revision, the Momentum’s soundstage got larger and larger, partly due to their size increase. But that’s about it, a BIGGER sound, but with no real refinement. The soundstage of the Momentum 4 Wireless is a complete overhaul and a stark departure from it’s siblings.
The first noticeable change comes in the form of tangible depth and height, in that there actually is some, and by some I mean an impressive amount for a closed back headphones. The Momentum 4 Wireless’ predecessors have what I describe as a large, all encompassing soundstage that is flat, and have a very in-your-head sound to them. Sure, I can describe the sound as tall and wide, even having decent layering and instrument separation, yet it’s still fairly flat. The Momentum 4 Wireless has actual depth with accurate height. The vocals and instruments do sound a touch smaller, but their positioning in the 180° frontal arc is far more accurate and true to source. With live performances I can clearly gauge the size of the venue and not just “get a feel” for the space with no real boundaries. With the Momentum 4 Wireless it’s as if I can “see” the back of the stage, the walls, the ceiling and not just experience the reverb. When listening to YouTube videos and Podcasts alike I can “feel” the room, their walls, even their desk. The layering is rendered so well I know when performers walk in front of one another. I can tell that that guitar rift was recorded by a mic placed in front of the amp with the guitarist firmly placed behind. All of this with stellar technical resolve!
VS Momentum 3
The Momentum 3 sound like the listener is front and centre right up against the stage, while the Momentum 4 Wireless sound as if you are in the venue’s sweet spot. Not only does this allow for a greater sense of holographic space, it allows the sound be breathe, creating an out-of head experience with far more accurate detail and resolve.
Summary - I have to say, the Momentum 4 Wireless aren’t just a great sounding and performing headphone, they are one of Sennheiser’s best sounding and performing headphones! Not only do they improve upon the Momentum sound, they easily outperform even the legendary HD 600! In fact, the Momentum 4 Wireless actually sound very close to, yes, I’ll say it, a theoretical closed back HD 600!
And I do have to apologize for not including any specific tracks to accompany this section. To be frank, most of my listening was done while on-the-go on random. Literally hundreds of songs were critiqued in my head during real world use. What was listened to was a diverse mix of artists and genres spanning 30 years from the 24 disc collection
Audio’s Audiophile.
Memorable Songs include:
Ana Caram - Meditation
Thomas Dolby - Pulp Culture
Toto - I Will Remember
Indigo Girls - Midnight Train To Georgia
Seal - Kiss From a Rose (Album Version)
Lou Reed - Small Town
Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra
Jeff Beck - She’s a Woman
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Little Wing
Joe Satriani - Slow Down Blues
Santana - Para Los Rumberosd
Klaus Weiland - Monkey River Magic
Rebecca Pidgeon - Primitive Man
Sara K. - Turned Me Upside Down
Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation
Sennheiser didn’t just improve upon their active noise cancelling, they raised the bar! New to the Momentum line and many headphones alike is the true Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation. What I mean by “true” is unlike before where the user had to manually control the environmental ANC either by controls or an app, the Momentum 4 Wireless will automatically set the ANC based on the environmental conditions. The best part is that it just works! When I first wore the headphones outside I manually set the ANC. I will admit, I didn’t trust the Momentum 4 Wireless to both swiftly and correctly switch ANC modes, but that’s not why I did so. I wanted to gauge how well ANC sounded manually when walking to my destination, and how well Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation worked by comparison while walking back. It only took a handful of trips before I just set it to Adaptive and left it at that. It was THAT good! It mattered not if I was in a noisy fast food restaurant (with teenagers), walking into the wind, or on a noisy bus, the Momentum 4 Wireless kept up and adapted accordingly.
Performance of the ANC was surprisingly good. I was both used to and content with the performance of the Momentum 3. While not quite as good as the competition, it was a vast improvement over the HD1 and that was fine by me. My opinion changed once I heard the Momentum 4 Wireless, and realized why many users and reviewers alike heavily criticized their predecessor over the competition. To my ears, the improved ANC performance is now on par with the high end competition, only falling behind the current and more expensive champ, Apple’s AirPods Max, and that’s mostly in regards to transparency mode. Speaking of transparency mode, the Momentum 4 Wireless improves upon this as well. While not perfect, it does sound more natural and less processed. My only small gripe and one area I think transparency mode needs improving is that there seems to be no priority on voices over the background noise as everything seems to be at the same volume (amplification). Again this is a nitpick only when compared to the AirPods Max as the Momentum 4 Wireless seem to be about equal to the rest.
Lastly, let’s talk about the cabin pressure caused by the ANC. Well, if there was any I’d gladly give my opinion however the Momentum 4 Wireless has ZERO added pressure introduced by the ANC. If there was any, my ears did not feel it, nor did they hear ANY change or alteration to the sound. Bravo Sennheiser, mine and other’s sensitive ears truly thank you! One can now listen to their music while cancelling out noise in complete comfort.
VS Momentum 3
Much improved! To give you a good perspective I will compare how well I, or shall I say I don’t, hear the sound of a diesel bus engine while seated. With the Momentum 3 the sound of the engine is present but veiled. I can still hear the midrange sound of the engine but the deep rumble and high pitched whine was attenuated. With the Momentum 4 Wireless that same Diesel engine sounded like an electric motor. What little sound I did hear mostly came through my arse to my ears via the seat. As for electric/hybrid busses, the sound was gone! In fact, the only sound I did hear appeared to be the sound of the tires on the asphalt, and even that was at a minimum!
Cabin pressure is also significantly reduced. With the Momentum 3, the pressure though is not too bad is noticeable and does alter the sound. The Momentum 4 Wireless suffers from virtually no pressure and the sound remains consistent throughout the adaptation and cancellation.
Bluetooth
With Bluetooth 5.2, the Momentum 4 Wireless features the latest technology. They can accept SBC, AAC, aptX™, aptX adaptive™ codecs, meaning that no matter what format you are using, the Momentum 4 Wireless should have no issues pairing. I say should as there are always devices that “should” connect but doesn’t. While not confirmed, the Nintendo Switch is a good example of a usual culprit. In regards to my own devices, a mix of Android and iOS, I found the Momentum 4 Wireless pairing to be effortless and without issues. It just worked! That said, some might find the absence of more premium codecs such as LDAC and aptX™Low Latency to be a huge miss-step. In regards to the former, the Momentum 4 Wireless first and foremost are headphones to be worn while being active in one’s own daily life, not critical listening in front of a fire in an old La-z Boy with a glass of Sauvignon blanc in hand. Besides, AptX Adaptive is backwards compatible with AptX HD. As for the latter, with Bluetooth 5.2, latency has been significantly improved making aptX™Low Latency unnecessary.
While on-the-go, I experienced little drop-outs. Whether walking through the mall, or crammed into an over-stuffed city bus, the music remained constant with a solid connection. Oddly enough, it’s mostly when I first approach fast-food restaurants that I hear a brief drop-out. My guess is that between the cars, customer’s smart phones, and the headsets used for the workers to communicate create a bubble of Bluetooth that once penetrated causes a brief overload of signals. As for range, I can safely say that I can walk to the dumpster of my townhouse complex which is several units down and still have a solid connection between the Momentum 4 Wireless and my iPhone still in my jacket’s pocket, hung up inside. As well, I was able to move around all 3 floors of my townhouse and not once did I experience even the slightest hiccup.
Overall I found the Momentum 4 Wireless Bluetooth performance to be exceptional! The connection is solid, and the sound quality definitely sits amongst the best! I, like many, have praised devices like iFi’s xDSD for having stellar AAC quality indistinguishable from wired, and I can confidently say that the Momentum 4 Wireless performance matches that of a dedicated Bluetooth DAC/amp. That is how far the technology has come, and it’s a breath of fresh air. Whether good or bad sounding, the song’s sonic quality comes from the track, not the headphone’s processing.
VS Momentum 3
In terms of performance and sound quality, connectivity, and signal stability, both headphones were virtually identical. Not much else to say.
Wired Connectivity
Connectivity wise, the Momentum 4 Wireless continues the trend of having both USB and 3.5mm options available if wireless is not. Both jacks are located on the bottom of the right cup. Located above the ports sits the only physical button, which it’s multi-function controlling voice assistant, Bluetooth syncing (5 sec hold), battery life voice prompt (double tap), and of course power on/off (hold for 3 seconds).
Like it’s predecessors, the Momentum 4 Wireless can be used over USB when connected to a PC/Mac with no additional drivers needed. You just plug it in and select the Momentum 4 Wireless from the systems’s sound settings, easy breezy, and the best part is they will charge while playing! This is a great option as not everyone’s laptop has equal Bluetooth, with dropouts being common while in crowded places such as restaurants and libraries. Or perhaps the desktop you are using has really bad internal audio and lacks any sort of Bluetooth connectivity, USB has you covered! However there are a couple of downsides to USB. The first is that you are limited to 16/48 audio output as you are using the Momentum 4 Wireless’ internal DAC. Not really an issue as 99% of music is in 16/44, and you will be getting a lossless signal. The second downside (letdown) is that once again you can not make use of the Momentum’s microphone. A huge miss-step in my opinion as the ability to both talk and listen would make the Momentum 4 Wireless a great option for a gaming headset (over USB).
The 3.5mm jack can be used two ways: Amped and raw. With Amped (the Momentum 4 Wireless turned on) the sound will pass through the DSP/Internal processing, giving the user the best sound quality yet retains the source material’s quality (bit depth/sample rate). Yes, it defeats the purpose of going wired, but it also allows the listener to experience the Momentum 4 Wireless’ intended tuning but at higher quality than Bluetooth allows, with the added benefit of ANC. I tell you, with 2 Lovebirds and a Senegal this was a Godsend while sitting at my desk!
* Note: You must max out the volume on the headphone itself, otherwise you will find the source amp will need a lot more power than is needed.
If you decide to go raw (un-amped), which to be honest given the intended use case of the headphone is a last ditch effort if in itself, one must physically hold down the multi-function button for 3 seconds to actually power down the Momentum 4 Wireless. If you connect in the 3.5mm plug the LEDs will flash RED, meaning the unit is in low power mode but the internal processing is still active and is not the same as powered down. As mentioned, this is the last use case of the Momentum 4 Wireless and in my own opinion, probably the least preferred option as the sound can only be described as, relatively speaking of course, weak. A good analogy would be if anyone has ever used the (depending on the manufacturer) Straight or Direct Mode on their stereo receiver. What this does is passed through the audio signal straight to the amp, bypassing all internal processing and tone controls leaving just your speaker’s “raw” sound. Some might find this pleasing and preferred.
Personally I am not too bothered by the raw 3.5mm performance. I understand why since the Momentum 2 (HD1) Sennheiser needed to use DSP to achieve the desired sound. To quote:
“ Because active electronics like ANC can fundamentally alter the acoustics experience, there is additional attention paid to the DSP so that when ANC is enabled it sounds more like a headphone that does NOT have ANC enabled. This is another benefit of having a companion app for updating firmware, enabling additional tuning controls (via EQ, etc) and fine-tuning of ANC strength, for example; we can (to an extent) build upon the experience even after the product has been released. At the end of the day, however, DSP and a transducer can only affect so much of the sound experience and definitely not all of it. We have to think of the transducer like a chameleon - it can change colour and patterns to adapt to its environment, but to humans, it still looks like a lizard. “
Well said! And…
“Using the headphones in passive mode (no battery in use, plugged in with the cable) is really the last use case for this model (and the intended customer use-case) The up-to-60-hours battery was implemented to constantly drive the DSP, which offers the best sound quality, even when ANC is on”
I couldn’t agree more. These are wireless headphones through and through.
VS Momentum 3
Going to make this short and sweet. The two headphones along with the HD1 wired connectivity and functionality are identical to one another.
Microphone
To be honest, I did not really do much microphone testing. I received 2 calls, one while shopping in the grocery store and one while out walking to 7-11. Both calls I asked the caller how I sounded, and both reported that I sounded just fine with minimal background noise. I suppose that’s a passing grade for the Momentum 4 Wireless.
VS Momentum 3
The Momentum 3’s microphone was a downgrade from previous models, including the wired in-line found on the original. Sennheiser remedied this and one’s voice now comes across as more natural and less hollow and distant. I’d like to also point out, when speaking my own voice comes across as more open and less pressurized, if that makes any sense. Again, I didn’t dive too deep into this as I really don’t make many phone calls, though if I had to guess it has to do with Sidetone feature found in the Smart Control app.
Smart Control App
The Smart Control app acts like a control hub for all of your Sennheiser Bluetooth headphones, and has several features that help tailor your listening experience. With every category clearly labeled and presented visually, I found it both quick easy to navigate, with the option to disable any of the sub menus if one does not care about a certain function. This not only helps clean up the interface, making it easier to navigate and select an option, but prevents my OCD need of a minimalistic interface. Like many, It bothers me when I have to scroll through so many sub menus in-between the ones I need and regularly use. I tell you, hanging on to a hand-grip on a moving bus or train is bumpy and trying to one-hand navigate is a pain, so the less chances of accidentally clicking on the wrong selection and have to back out only to try again (and again), the better!
One of the most useful feature of the Smart Control app, and in part the Momentum 4 Wireless, is that all changes made in app will be baked into the headphones, meaning it’s set it, forget it. If you are happy with the changes made that’s it, you don’t need to constantly re-open Smart Control every time you pair the Momentum 4 Wireless. This is fantastic if you make use of multiple devices or just don’t want to use the app.
Using the Smart Control app, you can even set specific presets based on what zone you are in! Ok that is cool! Leave the house, bass-boost kicks in and ANC turns on. In your office, it can switch to transparency mode with a more laid back EQ preset. It’s your choice and can be configured to your taste! This does however require the Smart Control app to be open with the Momentum 4 Wireless connected, but it a minor drawback. Seriously, the Momentum 4 Wireless is packed with features, but GPS would just be too costly to implement, not to mention would be kind of overkill, hence why the Smart Control app acts like a multi-purpose smart hub for your Sennheiser wireless devices.
VS Momentum 3
Both share and use the same app. The Momentum 4 Wireless is presented with more options over it’s predecessor, but otherwise identical. That is except for actually connecting. As mentioned previous, the Momentum 3 has issues with it’s auto-connect behaviour. It will open and start playing Music and not what app I was using previous. I often have to open Neutron and double tap play/pause quickly, then power the headphones on in order to keep my app selection. If that’s not bad enough, 75% of the time, even though I literally have music playing, if I open Smart Control the Momentum 3 will not connect. It will say connecting, but then disconnects and I have to tap on the icon to connect again, and even then I often need a 3rd attempt. The Momentum 4 Wireless had zero issues, in fact if I have the app open already in the background and I switch to Smart Control, the headphones are often already connected, or at the very least does so almost immediately after opening.
Battery Life
Much like the sub-par ANC with the Momentum 3 and it’s dismal battery life, Sennheiser lost out on a lot of potential sales due to not measuring up to the completion (so says the internet), and this time they weren’t messing around. They weren’t out for redemption, they were out for OVERKILL, and succeed they did! The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless features the longest lasting battery in the history of batteries! Ok, I made that up, but it most certainly can and will outlast the competition. With a MASSIVE
60 hours of battery life with
ANC on, we aren’t talking about simply outdoing the competition, Sennheiser obliterated them all by
doubling the life over the nearest competitor! When I received my review pair the battery life was at 80%; After the two weeks of moderate to heavy real World use, the battery was only down to 30%! Simply put, wow!
Oh, and before I end this section, I do have to mention that Sennheiser’s claim of 4 hour playback after 5 minutes of charging is absolutely correct… as far as I can tell after doing some quick math I’m my head at the time of charging. In regards to overall charge time I can tell you it went from 30% to 100% in just over 1 hour. This is amazing! I can’t tell you how many times I got ready to leave work and my Momentum 3s are redlining. 5 minutes of charge (if I am lucky) does little for them, and having no music for half my bus trip sucks. With the Momentum 4’s fast charging I could probably give them 3 minutes fo charging and easily make it home with more than enough power to spare. Nice!
VS Momentum 3
… cough...
… You serious?! The Momentum 4 Wireless has literally 4 times the battery life of the Momentum 3! While this never posed an issue for me as my use case was pretty static, my daily bus commute, I can see this being an issue for those who use the Momentum 3 for the entirety of their day such as office workers or students, not to mention those who travel. Besides the increased battery life, the Momentum 4 Wireless also charges quite a bit faster (charge level vs playtime) as well.
Travel Case
As with all of the previous models, the Momentum 4 Wireless headphones come with a protective travel case. The outer material is of high quality, being both rugged pleasing to the touch with the inner layers featuring a soft yet durable velvet-like fabric. The top and bottom are protective by a hard plastic layer, keeping potential damage to a minimum if not outright preventing it. Inside the case there is a space for all of the included accessories, nicely held in place by elastics and webbing. The only minor negative I have towards the case is the fact that you have to retract the arms fully before the Momentum 4 Wireless will fit flush and snug inside the case.
Speaking of the Momentum 4 Wireless sitting in their case, there is more than meets the eye! Much like Apple’s AirPods Max, when placed inside the travel case the headphones will automatically enter into a low power sleep mode, essentially being turned off. This is fantastic as a major gripe people have towards a lot of wireless headphones, including Sennheiser’s own, is that they would often turn on while in transit and run down the battery. Not ideal when on-the-go to say the least! With the Momentum 4 Wireless you will never need to worry.
VS Momentum 3
The Momentum 3 fold up rather than sit flat, meaning the case does have a smaller footprint. However since the don’t fold flat it does sit taller. Tit for tat really. Both are made of high quality material and have hard inserts to protect while in transit, and both can hold all of their accessories. The only difference being the ability to power down while placed inside, and what a difference it it. Again, having an auto-off feature is a Godsend and should be standard!
Value
At $349 USD, the Momentum 4 Wireless offers a great value. You get Sennheiser quality with class leading sound and class leading technology! What more is there to say other than:
Conclusion
My time with the Momentum 4 Wireless was that of pure joy, and I thank Sennheiser for giving me an opportunity to try out their latest offering. Being a long time user and fan of the Momentum line-up, I went into this review with high expectations. The Momentum 4 Wireless have big boots to fill, and a legacy to uphold. That said, I can confidently say that all worries and reservation I may have had going into the review faded from memory by the end. Offering both a technologically and sonically superior revision, Sennheiser did the Momentum’s namesake right and is a more than worthy upgrade to the line. Whether it be long time users such as myself, or new users wanting a pair of great sounding ANC headphones, the Momentum 4 Wireless will not disappoint! So, the big question: Will I be grabbing a pair myself? Absolutely! Eventually… sometime soon I hope, so I can enjoy them before the next Momentum is announced. Regardless, the Momentum 4 Wireless will be a very welcome addition to my Momentum lineup, and is highly recommended to anyone wanting nothing but the best sound while on the go!