Summary
I can’t stop (and won’t stop) raving about theSennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4. These sleek-looking earbuds sound fantastic, are super-comfortable to wear, and are fun to control and customize. Outside of a little ANC hiss and steep pricing, I can’t think of anything I didn’t love about them.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
Experience advanced wireless audio and step into tomorrow with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4. Immerse yourself in sound that’s tuned to your hearing and preferences. Discover future-proof features like Auracast and LE Audio, with adaptive ANC and up to 30 hours of playtime.
Design: Happily Judging a Book by its Cover
Presentation goes a long way in the world of consumer tech, and Sennheiser nailed the first impression. The Momentum True Wireless 4 (herein referred to as MTW4) are some of the coolest-looking earbuds I’ve ever tested—and there are plenty ofgood ones. Available in black, white, and copper, the buds are a thing of beauty. A smooth finish runs from the touchpoint at the rear, flowing down to the driver housing.
I was very pleased with the haptics. My taps and long presses never failed, and the little touchpoint bump-out felt natural to work with. At times, I thought the touchpoints were a bit sensitive, especially when trying to get the buds in my ears. Then again, I’m conditioned to AirPods Pro force stems. LED indicators are located in a couple of spots, including the back of each bud, and the charging case. Speaking of which: Sennheiser didn’t miss a beat with the latter’s look and feel.
A canvas material covers the entire case, and I couldn’t stop touching it. Seriously, it was a treat for the fingertips. A USB-C port and LED indicator adorn the front, with magnetized charging contacts housed inside. The case supports wireless charging, too.
The MTW4 earbuds come with four different silicone ear tip sizes, three ear fin stability bands, and a charging cable.
Fit, Controls, and Noteworthy Features: Across the Board Excellence
It may sound obvious, butearbudsshould feel good in your ears. I’m kind of a primadonna when it comes to in-ear audio. Something about the sensation starts driving me nuts after an hour or two. But I literally put the MTW4s in my ears and forgot they were there. I even wore them five hours straight one day. They’re nice and snug, and considering the IP54 rating, I think they’re perfect for everything from daily commutes to gym-going.
The controls are great, too. Single, double, and triple taps, with the occasional long press, are par for the course for most buds, but the haptics on the MTW4 are worth writing home about. The buds performed all of my commands flawlessly, and I really liked the default left-bud transparency command. you may also customize commands in the Smart Control App.
Rocking Bluetooth 5.4 and day-releaseMultipoint support, pairing the MTW4 to my iPhone and MacBook was as straightforward as it gets. I appreciated the manual pairing mode on the buds, too (long-press both buds for 3 seconds). Down the line, Sennheiser will also release a firmware update that will add LE Audio and Auracast support. The company won’t get credit for those features until they ship though.
Rounding out the noteworthy mentions is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound for lossless listening on compatible Android devices.
Sound Quality: The Biggest Win
My AirPods Pro 2 are my everyday wear and the best wireless earbuds I’ve ever used. But since I’ve been treated to the MTW4’s divine audio, I’m thinking about spending $300 on tech I don’t need. Performance-wise, the MTW4 are just that good.
Sennheiser was generous enough to include a diverse array of audio presets and a custom EQ in the Smart Control App, but I thought the out-of-the-box settings were near-perfect. I was particularly fond of the bass response, which acted as a punchy backbone to all the tracks and podcasts I listened to. But the low end was never overwhelming, leaving plenty of room for mids and highs to shine, too. Sennheiser opted to skip spatial audio support, and I never found myself wanting it either. Working with a tight and powerful stereo soundstage, the MTW4 doesn’t need an arena when it can dazzle with a black box stage.
Porcupine Tree’s“Closure/Continuation Live”was an album I listened to in full. The Amsterdam concert sounded bigger and more detailed than ever before. Vocals and drums were true standouts here, with Steven Wilson’s falsetto and Gavin Harrison’s cymbal work ringing true. Harder tracks from artists likeOpethdemanded a more guttural delivery from the MTW4, and I wasn’t disappointed. Singer-songwriter material sounded especially brilliant, and now I don’t think I can listen to Frank Ocean’s“Blonde”on any other earbuds.
I’m a longtime “WTF with Marc Maron” listener, and the neurotic maestro never sounded so alive. The MTW4 wastoogood at some points. One of the episodes I listened to was Maron’s chat with comedian Dave Attell, who happens to have a very phlegmy smoker’s cough that I won’t soon forget.
One small complaint: Wheneveractive noise-canceling(which worked terrifically) was enabled, there was a constant, subtle hiss in the background. Thankfully, just playing some audio made this go away.
Call Quality: Clear as Day
Taking phone calls with the MTW4 was a real treat. Callers sounded crisp and clear, and I was told I sounded just the same. The earbuds also did a nice job of acclimating to indoor and outdoor settings, where the Anti-Wind ANC setting came in handy.
One thing to keep in mind: there’s no side-tone capability for phone calls. I didn’t think this was a huge deal though, as I was able to hear myself clearly during test chats.
Battery Life: Similar to the Competition
Sennheiser claims the MTW4 should last up to 7.5 hours, with an additional 22.5 hours provided by the charging case. Those numbers are based on 50% volume. In my own experience, I received a little less playtime; maybe closer to 7 hours from each bud. I do think that noise-canceling and volume were unique variables in my case though. I like my earbuds cranked up loud, and my ANC always on.
Yes, other earbuds can handle a bit more juice before a recharge, but 7 solid hours was plenty for me. Plus, the MTW4 charge up nice and quickly. Just eight minutes in the case nets you an extra hour of battery.
Using the Sennheiser App: Lots of Ways to Personalize
The Sennheiser Smart Control App (foriPhoneandAndroiddevices) is the kind of earbuds companion app that Sennheiser’s competitors should be taking inspiration from. I don’t mind when options are spread across multiple screens, but the fact that Sennheiser can give you a trove of customizations on just two main panels is incredible.
The “Devices” tab is your MTW4 command center. Quick readouts of bud and case battery level are top-right, with one of my favorite features below: “My Sound.” Tapping “Equalizer” brings you to a five-band EQ, along with on-off options for “Bass Boost” and “Podcast.” You can also tap the presets button at the top of the page to choose from one of Sennheiser’s seven audio presets.
There’s another great setting called “Sound Personalization.” This creates a custom listening preset, based on your sensitivity to a range of musical instruments. ANC, transparency, an earbud fit test, and button mapping functions are on this panel, too.
Additional controls and customizations are housed on the settings page. One unique option is “Audio Resolution,” which lets you choose the codecs your MTW4 accepts, instead of relying on automatic switch-overs.
Should You Buy the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4?
They’re a little pricey, but if you’ve got $300 burning a hole in your pocket, theSennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4are one of the best sets of wireless earbuds money can buy. Going toe to toe with the likes of Sony, Bose, and Apple, the MTW4 may not be better than the rest ineveryway, but when these buds are great, they’rereallygreat.
