Audiophiles heading into this comparison already know which headphone is better when used with a wire, but does audiophile bliss in a portable package translate into a better wireless experience than the world's largest technology company can provide? Let's find out if the best wireless audiophile headphone is worth buying over arguably the first practical wireless headphone to provide perfected wireless functionality.
Since I am only comparing the wireless experiences of both headphones, I will only briefly touch on design. They both feel premium, the Momentum feels much more mature with its superb metal and leather build. While the Solo3 are fairly comfortable for an on-ear headphone, the Momentum provide a stronger degree of comfort perfect for all-day wear. They both fold up for easy storage, and have thoughtful unboxing experiences with Sennheiser providing a superior case. In short, the Momentum 2.0 is an excellent over-ear headphone and the Solo3 is an excellent on-ear headphone.
Pairing
Sennheiser has NFC so the Momentum 2.0 Wireless will pair instantly on Android devices that support it, and Apple has the W1 chip so the Beats Solo3 will pair instantly with iOS devices. However, Apple's implementation goes a step further in automatically pairing the headphones with every device on the user's iCloud account.
(In my opinion, the extra twenty seconds it takes to pair a device even if it doesn’t have NFC or a W1 chip isn’t a dealbreaker regardless).
Winner: Solo3, by a slight margin
Connectivity
The Momentum 2.0 connects instantly upon powering it on to both active Bluetooth devices (in this case my MacBook Pro and iPhone 7 Plus) without any additional steps. It also switches off between the two seamlessly. Conversely, the Solo3 only connects to my iPhone when it’s turned on and has to be manually connected to the MacBook Pro.
Winner: Momentum 2.0
Battery life
40+ hours (some have tested as high as nearly 50) of playback on the Solo3, 22 hours on the Momentum 2.0. 22 hours is a perfectly acceptable amount of time as it should last the average user at least two days, and is an impressive number considering that active noise cancellation uses a substantial amount of power. However, Solo3 with nearly double the battery life makes for a zero-trade-off experience as it should last the average user about a week between charges. Regardless, both have excellent battery life.
Winner: Solo3
Standby mode
One drawback of the Momentum is that there is no standby mode: the headphone is always on, actively cancelling noise and utilizing battery life. It has to be physically turned off, otherwise it will drain the battery. The Solo3 does indeed have a standby mode which places practically no strain on the battery.
Winner: Solo3
Range
The range claim of 30 feet on the Momentum is just about accurate, as I was able to walk into the next room roughly thirty feet away from my MacBook Pro before audio began cutting out. Though do note that walls will definitely make the audio cut-out. Meanwhile the Solo3 can go much further with no cut-outs. I found I could even walk upstairs and listen to the Solo3 driven by the Mac downstairs. Range is one of the major advancements of the Solo3…
Winner: Solo3
Bluetooth Reliability
Both headphones held rock-solid connections when used within a few feet of the source device.
Winner: Tie
Bluetooth Audio Quality
Though they both provide drastically different audio experiences, there is a clear winner to my ears. The Momentum provided a confident presentation, pulling a remarkable amount of insight out of the compressed Bluetooth audio while retaining a spacious soundstage, precise separation, wonderful dynamics, and quality imaging. Bass is tight and punchy, with impressive sub-bass performance that may be a bit too overpowered for the driver as I find bass reduction EQ improves the overall clarity.
Unfortunately, the Momentum sounds unmistakably compressed with both A2DP on an iPhone and to a lesser extent with aptX on a MacBook Pro. Even in wireless mode the most impressive aspect of the Momentum, which is a velvety mid presentation that brings out every nuance in a singer’s voice, shines through but the clarity is also a downfall of wireless mode as it highlights the compressed audio. It still has that luscious Sennheiser sound, but it’s akin to listening to high-quality headphones with lower-quality audio files.
If Sennheiser had added AAC support, the Momentum would have sounded wonderful on Apple devices but unfortunately I can only recommend the Momentums to buyers that plan to use them with devices that support aptX. Even then, those buyers will have to ask themselves if going wireless is worth the trade-off of having better sound quality with a wire. Sennheiser was not able to hit the most important mark in my checklist for perfect wireless headphones, which is a sound as good or better in wireless mode.
Ironically, Apple was able to excel where Sennheiser has come up lacking: the Solo3 sound better in wireless mode. In fact, they sound as if they’re amped with stronger bass presence and better separation. Wireless mode is the only way I’d listen to the Solo3 whereas wired is the only way I’d listen to the Momentum 2.0. Sennheiser missed the opportunity to put an amazing DAC into the Momentum 2.0 and have them sound better than they do plugged into a non-amplified device.
That’s not to say the Solo3 sound better in wired mode as they definitely don’t, but the Solo3 are inoffensively fun and surprisingly pleasant. There is a solid amount of detail, mids are front-and-center alongside an accentuated, non-muddy bass (one of the best bass presentations of any consumer headphone IMO) and a recessed treble that makes loud listening non-fatiguing.
This one will be partly up to individual preference, as some audiophiles may still prefer Sennheiser’s presentation despite the compression and active noise cancellation (which can’t be turned off in wireless mode) mucking up the sound. However, my ears are sensitive to compression and the Solo3 with Apple devices (it particularly sounds the best with Bluetooth 4.2+ devices, it definitely shines with the newest iPhone) doesn’t sound compressed in the slightest. I’ve grown to find that the Solo3 holds a deserved place in my audiophile collection when I want a unique bassy experience that is exceptionally clear for a wireless headphone.
For its better-than-wired performance on a headphone already described by critics such as InnerFidelity.com as “excellent,” the Solo3 provides the more impressive wireless presentation.
Winner: Solo3
- For providing better-than-wired sound with no noticeable quality degradation/compression.
Conclusion
While the Momentum 2.0 are clearly the superior headphones when used with a wire, it is an entirely different world when used wirelessly. When the Momentum 2.0 Wireless were announced about two years ago, I had considered them at launch but had zero interest in Bluetooth headphones if the headphones didn’t sound exactly as good or better in wireless mode as they did wired.
Despite doing months of research, I still came back around to Beats when Apple announced the Solo3 and I’d have been remiss to avoid them based on their abysmal headphones of the past released with Monster. I don’t at all regret the Solo3 as they undoubtedly provide the absolute best, zero-compromise wireless experience out there in a package with a fun Beats sound signature that’s no longer offensive to audiophiles.
Nonetheless I still have to commend Sennheiser as the Momentum 2.0 Wireless do an almost-stellar job of adding Bluetooth functionality to the excellent Momentum 2.0. They are an exceptionally-made headphones with impressive battery life, pair easily, and connect instantly however to me personally Bluetooth headphones have to sound as good while used in Bluetooth mode as they do wired. Sennheiser may be able to reach this goal in the next iteration, but for now the Beats Solo3 is still the headphone I’d recommend most to Apple device users for the best wireless experience.
I have no doubt the marketplace will look very different with Bluetooth 5.0 later this year, but for now there are under a handful of wireless headphone that tick every single box. Every other wireless headphone looks archaic in comparison. I'm considering getting rid of the Momentum 2.0 Wireless and picking up a wired version, because the sound in wired mode is excellent. Ultimately, the Solo3 provides the wireless experience I'd actually want to use daily. Ultimately, the Solo3 provides the wireless experience I'd actually want to use daily.
Since I am only comparing the wireless experiences of both headphones, I will only briefly touch on design. They both feel premium, the Momentum feels much more mature with its superb metal and leather build. While the Solo3 are fairly comfortable for an on-ear headphone, the Momentum provide a stronger degree of comfort perfect for all-day wear. They both fold up for easy storage, and have thoughtful unboxing experiences with Sennheiser providing a superior case. In short, the Momentum 2.0 is an excellent over-ear headphone and the Solo3 is an excellent on-ear headphone.
Pairing
Sennheiser has NFC so the Momentum 2.0 Wireless will pair instantly on Android devices that support it, and Apple has the W1 chip so the Beats Solo3 will pair instantly with iOS devices. However, Apple's implementation goes a step further in automatically pairing the headphones with every device on the user's iCloud account.
(In my opinion, the extra twenty seconds it takes to pair a device even if it doesn’t have NFC or a W1 chip isn’t a dealbreaker regardless).
Winner: Solo3, by a slight margin
Connectivity
The Momentum 2.0 connects instantly upon powering it on to both active Bluetooth devices (in this case my MacBook Pro and iPhone 7 Plus) without any additional steps. It also switches off between the two seamlessly. Conversely, the Solo3 only connects to my iPhone when it’s turned on and has to be manually connected to the MacBook Pro.
Winner: Momentum 2.0
Battery life
40+ hours (some have tested as high as nearly 50) of playback on the Solo3, 22 hours on the Momentum 2.0. 22 hours is a perfectly acceptable amount of time as it should last the average user at least two days, and is an impressive number considering that active noise cancellation uses a substantial amount of power. However, Solo3 with nearly double the battery life makes for a zero-trade-off experience as it should last the average user about a week between charges. Regardless, both have excellent battery life.
Winner: Solo3
Standby mode
One drawback of the Momentum is that there is no standby mode: the headphone is always on, actively cancelling noise and utilizing battery life. It has to be physically turned off, otherwise it will drain the battery. The Solo3 does indeed have a standby mode which places practically no strain on the battery.
Winner: Solo3
Range
The range claim of 30 feet on the Momentum is just about accurate, as I was able to walk into the next room roughly thirty feet away from my MacBook Pro before audio began cutting out. Though do note that walls will definitely make the audio cut-out. Meanwhile the Solo3 can go much further with no cut-outs. I found I could even walk upstairs and listen to the Solo3 driven by the Mac downstairs. Range is one of the major advancements of the Solo3…
Winner: Solo3
Bluetooth Reliability
Both headphones held rock-solid connections when used within a few feet of the source device.
Winner: Tie
Bluetooth Audio Quality
Though they both provide drastically different audio experiences, there is a clear winner to my ears. The Momentum provided a confident presentation, pulling a remarkable amount of insight out of the compressed Bluetooth audio while retaining a spacious soundstage, precise separation, wonderful dynamics, and quality imaging. Bass is tight and punchy, with impressive sub-bass performance that may be a bit too overpowered for the driver as I find bass reduction EQ improves the overall clarity.
Unfortunately, the Momentum sounds unmistakably compressed with both A2DP on an iPhone and to a lesser extent with aptX on a MacBook Pro. Even in wireless mode the most impressive aspect of the Momentum, which is a velvety mid presentation that brings out every nuance in a singer’s voice, shines through but the clarity is also a downfall of wireless mode as it highlights the compressed audio. It still has that luscious Sennheiser sound, but it’s akin to listening to high-quality headphones with lower-quality audio files.
If Sennheiser had added AAC support, the Momentum would have sounded wonderful on Apple devices but unfortunately I can only recommend the Momentums to buyers that plan to use them with devices that support aptX. Even then, those buyers will have to ask themselves if going wireless is worth the trade-off of having better sound quality with a wire. Sennheiser was not able to hit the most important mark in my checklist for perfect wireless headphones, which is a sound as good or better in wireless mode.
Ironically, Apple was able to excel where Sennheiser has come up lacking: the Solo3 sound better in wireless mode. In fact, they sound as if they’re amped with stronger bass presence and better separation. Wireless mode is the only way I’d listen to the Solo3 whereas wired is the only way I’d listen to the Momentum 2.0. Sennheiser missed the opportunity to put an amazing DAC into the Momentum 2.0 and have them sound better than they do plugged into a non-amplified device.
That’s not to say the Solo3 sound better in wired mode as they definitely don’t, but the Solo3 are inoffensively fun and surprisingly pleasant. There is a solid amount of detail, mids are front-and-center alongside an accentuated, non-muddy bass (one of the best bass presentations of any consumer headphone IMO) and a recessed treble that makes loud listening non-fatiguing.
This one will be partly up to individual preference, as some audiophiles may still prefer Sennheiser’s presentation despite the compression and active noise cancellation (which can’t be turned off in wireless mode) mucking up the sound. However, my ears are sensitive to compression and the Solo3 with Apple devices (it particularly sounds the best with Bluetooth 4.2+ devices, it definitely shines with the newest iPhone) doesn’t sound compressed in the slightest. I’ve grown to find that the Solo3 holds a deserved place in my audiophile collection when I want a unique bassy experience that is exceptionally clear for a wireless headphone.
For its better-than-wired performance on a headphone already described by critics such as InnerFidelity.com as “excellent,” the Solo3 provides the more impressive wireless presentation.
Winner: Solo3
- For providing better-than-wired sound with no noticeable quality degradation/compression.
Conclusion
While the Momentum 2.0 are clearly the superior headphones when used with a wire, it is an entirely different world when used wirelessly. When the Momentum 2.0 Wireless were announced about two years ago, I had considered them at launch but had zero interest in Bluetooth headphones if the headphones didn’t sound exactly as good or better in wireless mode as they did wired.
Despite doing months of research, I still came back around to Beats when Apple announced the Solo3 and I’d have been remiss to avoid them based on their abysmal headphones of the past released with Monster. I don’t at all regret the Solo3 as they undoubtedly provide the absolute best, zero-compromise wireless experience out there in a package with a fun Beats sound signature that’s no longer offensive to audiophiles.
Nonetheless I still have to commend Sennheiser as the Momentum 2.0 Wireless do an almost-stellar job of adding Bluetooth functionality to the excellent Momentum 2.0. They are an exceptionally-made headphones with impressive battery life, pair easily, and connect instantly however to me personally Bluetooth headphones have to sound as good while used in Bluetooth mode as they do wired. Sennheiser may be able to reach this goal in the next iteration, but for now the Beats Solo3 is still the headphone I’d recommend most to Apple device users for the best wireless experience.
I have no doubt the marketplace will look very different with Bluetooth 5.0 later this year, but for now there are under a handful of wireless headphone that tick every single box. Every other wireless headphone looks archaic in comparison. I'm considering getting rid of the Momentum 2.0 Wireless and picking up a wired version, because the sound in wired mode is excellent. Ultimately, the Solo3 provides the wireless experience I'd actually want to use daily. Ultimately, the Solo3 provides the wireless experience I'd actually want to use daily.
A battery life advantage like that is simply too hard to ignore.
