The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless are the next generation of the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless. Their design looks much more minimalist than their predecessor, and there have been a few key updates to their performance. They don't support High-End Sound Tuning, an EQ advertised to create a more dynamic and vibrant audio experience, but that exacerbated driver mismatch in our Momentum 3 unit. Instead of aptX-LL codec support, they utilize aptX Adaptive, which can either provide low latency or allow you to stream high-res audio, depending on your needs. They also have a significantly increased battery life compared to their predecessor and other competitor models like the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 are good for neutral sound. Using their default EQ preset, they have a bass-heavy sound profile that delivers some extra thump, rumble, and boom to mixes. Vocals and instruments are clear, and the treble range sounds remarkably balanced. Their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you customize their sound to your liking, for instance, if you want more or less bass. Keep in mind that the headphones are prone to some inconsistencies in audio delivery. If you have thick hair or wear glasses, you may experience a drop in bass. You can use them wired or wirelessly, which expands their utility.
Prone to sound profile inconsistencies depending on fit.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 are very good for commutes and travel. These well-built headphones have over 60 hours of continuous playback time and a comfortable enough fit for long days on the go. They also come with a sturdy, hard carrying case to help protect the headphones when not in use. Their ANC system does a great job of cutting out noise across the full range and only struggles to isolate you against the very lowest frequencies.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 aren't designed for sports and fitness. They're over-ear headphones, so they're not certified for water resistance, and their fit can fall off with moderate movement. That said, their wireless design ensures that you don't snag something and accidentally pull them off of your head. They're also well-built. You could use them for upright movements like bicep curls, but they'll fall off if you try box jumps.
No water or sweat resistance rating.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 are very good for office use. These over-ears have a comfortable fit and deliver over 60 hours of continuous battery life, which is great for long days at the office. They support multi-device pairing, allowing you to stay connected with your phone and computer at the same time. They also have an adaptive ANC system that can help reduce office chit-chat and the hum of computer fans. They don't leak much audio, so even if you like to crank up the volume, your music shouldn't bother nearby coworkers.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 aren't meant for wireless gaming. They have high latency using the default codec, so you'll notice lag if connected to your PC or phone via Bluetooth. However, they support aptX Adaptive, which provides low enough latency for casual gaming via Bluetooth, but competitive gamers may still find the delay a little too high.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 are decent for wired gaming if you don't need mic support via analog. They have a comfortable fit suitable for long gaming marathons. Their default sound adds extra bass, which can help emphasize sound effects like footsteps. Depending on the game, it can slightly drown out dialogue and instruments, but you can use the equalizer to even that out. You can use them via wired USB with full audio and mic compatibility, though their latency is a touch higher over this connection than analog.
Prone to sound profile inconsistencies depending on fit.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 are fair for phone calls. They have an integrated mic, which offers a fair recording quality via Bluetooth, ensuring your voice is understandable. However, the mic struggles to separate your voice from background noise, so if you're taking a call in a busy office, speech can be drowned out. Unfortunately, the mic's recording quality takes a dip if you use the headphones via USB. On the upside, the headphones have an adaptive ANC system that helps reduce a good amount of ambient noise around you.
The following test groups have been updated after Test Bench 1.8: Sound Profile, Raw Frequency Response, Bass Profile: Target Compliance, Mid-Range Profile: Target Compliance, Treble Profile: Target Compliance, and Peaks/Dips. Text changes have also been made throughout the review and to the side-by-sides to match these results.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 come in two color variations: 'Black' and 'White'. We tested the 'Black' variant. The label is found underneath the ear cup padding and is hard to reach without damaging the padding. Unfortunately, this is also our second unit. The first unit couldn't hold a charge, and we replaced it with another unit, which works as intended.
If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless are the next generation of the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless. This edition has a new look, and the headphones look more like the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless than their predecessor. They've retained a similarly comfortable fit and high-end build quality, but there have been some key changes. They support aptX Adaptive instead of aptX-LL, which is nice if you want to stream hi-res audio or reduce audio latency when watching videos. Sennheiser has also tweaked their sound profile and added more thumpy bass. Their companion app still offers a graphic EQ and presets to help you customize their sound.
Check out our recommendations for the best wireless Bluetooth headphones, the best noise cancelling headphones, and the best headphones for music.
The Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless are similarly performing over-ears with different strengths. The Sony have a virtual soundstage feature, which helps to create a more immersive audio experience, their ANC system does a better job of blocking out background noise, and they support LDAC codec for hi-res audio. However, the Sennheiser are more comfortable, are better built, and have a significantly longer continuous playback time, and they support aptX Adaptive codec.
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Wireless are better than the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless for most purposes. Both are higher-end headphones, but the Bose feel more comfortable fit, and they have a better noise isolation performance. However, the Sennheiser headphones last about twice as long off a single charge, so you might prefer them for long trips or if you don't want to recharge your headphones often. The Sennheiser offer greater sound customization via the app, too.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless have a slight edge over the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless due to the better noise isolation on the Sony. While both are premium headphones, the Sony are a bit more comfortable; their ANC blocks out more ambient sound, and they support LDAC, which is a Bluetooth codec for streaming high-quality audio. They also have a virtual soundstage feature to help make your audio seem more immersive and spacious. However, the Sennheiser are no slouch: they also have a much longer continuous battery life, and they support aptX Adaptive, which is a Bluetooth codec that dynamically adapts to your audio content to give you either lower latency or better audio quality. If you want USB audio, only the Sennheiser boast that feature, but their ANC isn't as strong as the Sony.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless headphones are more premium than the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Wireless. The MOMENTUM 4 are more comfortable and better built. Their ANC system can also block out more background noise. They last longer on a single charge and support wired connectivity. That said, the ACCENTUM are still a decent option, particularly if you're on a smaller budget. They have most of the same features as the MOMENTUM 4 but don't perform quite as well overall.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless have a premium build and feel slightly more comfortable than the Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless. The MOMENTUM 4 Wireless use touch controls on both ear cups and have noticeably better ANC performance and a more consistent sound between wears. Both headphones offer EQ and presets for finessing their sound and aptX codecs. The ACCENTUM Plus Wireless' mic sounds a bit worse but handles environmental noise better. You also only get touch controls on the right ear cup instead of on both ear cups, and their build quality isn't as premium.
The Focal Bathys Wireless and Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless share similar aptX codec compatibilities, USB-C, and analog listening capabilities. By default, the Sennheiser have more rumble in the low end and a more accurate treble response. Plus, they have a significantly better battery life. The Focal have similar noise isolation, a sound that follows our target curve more closely, and their mic handles noise better than the Sennheiser. The Focal also yield a more predictable sound than the Sennheiser between multiple wears. Both headphones have comprehensive apps for adjusting EQ and ANC levels. A deciding difference for many consumers is that the Sennheiser are priced in a lower bracket, while the Focal sit in a higher price tier.
The Apple AirPods Max Wireless and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless have different strengths. While both headphones are well-built, the Apple support Spatial Audio (which can help make your audio seem more immersive), and they can block out significantly more background noise. They also have an H1 chip for seamless pairing with your Apple devices. However, the Sennheiser are more comfortable. They also have a significantly longer continuous battery life, have sound customization features, and support multi-device pairing. Plus, their app works with Android or iOS devices.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless and Sonos Ace Wireless are at the top of their respective lineups, so choosing between them comes down to the details. Although the Sennheiser are more bassy in sound, you can finetune them to your liking using their companion app's graphic EQ or presets. Their continuous battery life is longer, and they can be used passively. Conversely, the Sonos are significantly more comfortable. They also have a superior noise isolation performance, which is handy for commuting, and the TV Audio Swap feature allows you to hear audio from compatible Sonos soundbars. Users have reported issues with the app, including bugginess and less functionality than in the previous iteration.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless are the next generation of the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless. The fourth generation have a different look than their predecessor, and their battery life lasts roughly four times as long. They support aptX Adaptive, and they come with a sturdier carrying case. By most measures, they're better. You might, however, prefer the mic performance on the third-generation model.
The Bose QuietComfort 45/QC45 Wireless and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless are similar headphones with different strengths. If you want headphones for your commute, the Bose are more comfortable and have an ANC feature that blocks out more noise. However, the Sennheiser support aptX Adaptive, which you can use to stream higher-quality audio or lower latency when you're watching videos. They also have a much longer continuous battery life and a greater selection of EQ tools to sculpt their sound.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless and the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Wireless are both good headphones, but the Sennheiser have a slight edge. While both headphones are comfortable, the Sennheiser have more tools to alter their sound profile, better ANC, and a significantly longer continuous battery life. On the flip side, the Bowers & Wilkins are better-built, more stable fitting, and their connectivity is similar, too. You might prefer button controls instead of the touch controls on the Sennheiser, though.
Depending on your needs, you may prefer either the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless or the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Wireless. The Sennheiser have a more complete app for sculpting your sound and a longer-lasting continuous battery life with better ANC. Conversely, the Bowers & Wilkins are more comfortable and better built. Plus, their mic sounds clearer and handles background noise better, too.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless have the edge over the Shure AONIC 50 Gen 2 Wireless. While both headphones feel premium, the Sennheiser have a significantly longer continuous battery life with more effective ANC. Their companion app also offers a lot of customization features. However, the Shure have slightly better mic and they're also pretty comfortable.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless have different strengths, and depending on your usage, you may prefer either one. While both pairs of headphones have a premium build and great noise isolation performances, the True Wireless 3 are lighter, more portable, and stable, thanks to their in-ear design. They're less prone to inconsistencies in audio delivery. However, the MOMENTUM 4 are over-ears and more comfortable. They have a significantly better battery performance.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless and the Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless are ostensibly both wireless over-ears equipped with ANC. That said, the Fairphone's modular design and sustainable construction will likely appeal to a different type of user: one that values being able to replace components when they fail. While Sennheiser sell some spare parts for the headphones online, the Momentum 4 aren't quite as modular as the Fairphone. That said, they're more comfortable, and their ANC performs better across the full range and in common scenarios; plus, they feature a mammoth 62 hours of continuous battery life. The Fairphone have a slightly more balanced default sound profile, with a flatter bass response, which makes them a better pick for neutral sound.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 look more like the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless than the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless, so they have a sleeker design than the previous gen. Sennheiser has removed the metal hinge design and opted for a plastic frame with cloth detailing. The manufacturer's logo is printed on the lower part of the headband. These headphones come in two color variants: 'Black' and 'White'.
These headphones are lightweight and comfortable for most people. The headband is comfortable, and they don't clamp too tightly on your head. However, depending on the size of your ears, they may touch the driver housing inside the ear cups. If you have a large head, you may also have trouble getting a good fit. The headband can put a bit of pressure on the top of your head, but it's not as fatiguing as the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 have great controls. There's only one button and a touch-sensitive surface on the right ear cup, which is easy to use. There's also a unique pinching movement you can use on the touch surface to adjust the strength of the ANC and transparency modes. However, to use this command, adaptive ANC needs to be off in the app. The touch-sensitive surface is also a bit too responsive, and you can accidentally register a command if you move the headphones on your head. There are beeps to let you know when you've registered a command, as well as voice prompts for a Bluetooth connection. However, the volume and track-skipping beeps are the same tones. You also need to use the app for some features to be active.
Power button:
The touch-sensitive surface on the right earcup:
The carrying case is great. Thanks to its rigid body and fabric-covered zipper, it feels very sturdy and secure. There's space inside to store the accessories.
We had to order a second unit as the first pair of headphones we purchased was defective and couldn't hold a charge. Our second unit doesn't have this issue, but our experience may indicate issues in quality control. If you've had the same problem, please let us know in the forums. However, assuming you don't get a defective unit, they have a great build quality. The headphones are mostly made of plastic with a silicone and cloth headband, as well as faux leather ear cups. The plastic ear cups attract fingerprints, which is a bit annoying. Overall, these headphones feel solid and sturdy but not as well built as the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Wireless, which have an aluminum and brushed metal frame. You can also purchase replacement earpads from the Sennheiser website. That said, you can't replace components like the battery, which is possible with the Fairphone Fairbuds XL Wireless.
By default, these over-ears have a bass-heavy sound profile that delivers extra thump and rumble to mixes. It's well-suited for genres like EDM and hip-hop, but if you prefer a different sound, their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets. You can also see a comparison of the 'Bass Boost', 'Podcast', and default modes, which you can also enable at the same time as any other custom EQ setting in the app. Amusingly, 'Podcast' mode is still rather bassy, though it hollows out the lower mids, while 'Bass Boost' unsurprisingly ups the low-end considerably. Still, these EQ presets mainly alter the bass and lower mid-range.
With the default EQ setting, the mids, like keys and lead guitars, sound reasonably even in the mix, if perhaps a bit pushed down by the headphones' strong bass emphasis in busy songs. Meanwhile, the treble range is bright and gets really close to our target: vocals sound articulate, and cymbal hits sound full and detailed. With the extra dose of bass, it'll still sound a touch warm in the highs, but overall, if the bass is too much, you can use the EQ to decrease the low-end and still enjoy a really clear top-end.
Unlike the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 don't support this manufacturer's High-End Fine Tuning feature. Instead, there's Sound Personalization, which is a 5-band EQ that's based on your own listening preferences. This feature will ask you to listen to a song and choose between different settings.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4's frequency response consistency is decent. There are some deviations in audio delivery based on the headphones' fit and positioning. You may notice a drop in bass if you have thick hair or wear glasses.
They have decent bass target compliance. The entire range is exaggerated, with the low-bass receiving the biggest dose so that deep sub-bass wobbles in dubstep and EDM tracks really stand out. Meanwhile, in rock and pop tracks, like Help I'm Alive by Metric, the kick drum gains extra boom and punch, which can slightly overpower the vocals. However, you can adjust the tuning in the app to your taste.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 have excellent mid-range target compliance. The low to mid-mid are well-balanced and nearly flat, which results in present and clear vocals and lead instruments. It can be heard in acoustic songs like The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, as both vocalists' voices sound natural with a hint of intensity in the high-mids within the mix.
Their treble target compliance is incredible. Virtually the entire region adheres closely to our target for bright, detailed, present, and airy vocals, cymbals, and all of the accompanying harmonics in your music. That said, depending on the track, the potent bass emphasis can overpower this range's clarity in the mix.
These headphones control their sound profile very well. For most of the bass and mid-range, it follows its own profile with very minor peaks and dips, producing a smooth transition between frequencies. The high-mids region has a small peak followed by a small dip that pushes vocals slightly up or down in the mix, depending on the pitch. The treble region has a series of low, narrow peaks and dips that either add a bit of overly bright detail or very slightly veiled detail to vocals and the harmonics of cymbals. The large peak in the high-treble is in a higher frequency range than many people's hearing but comes across as extra airiness if your ears are sensitive.
They have excellent imaging, which is the case for the majority of the Sennheiser headphones we've tested. While our Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless unit has mismatched driver issues, and it seems like their High-End Fine Tuning feature makes it worse, these headphones don't have that feature and are very well-matched. This results in the accurate placement of objects like voices in the stereo image. Keep in mind that imaging can vary between units and can be an indication of the manufacturer's quality control and ergonomics.
They have a poor passive soundstage, which is normal for closed-back over-ears. Their soundstage seems small, unnatural, and as if the sound is coming from inside your head rather than from speakers placed in the room around you.
They have a great weighted harmonic distortion performance. The frequencies fall within good limits, resulting in clear and pure audio reproduction across the range.
These are the settings used to test the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4. These headphones support aptX Adaptive, which is backward compatible with aptX HD. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 have good noise isolation. These headphones have adaptive ANC, and while they have some trouble reducing the very low bass frequency sounds, they do a better job of blocking out ambient chatter and the high-pitched hum of AC units. If you're looking for an even better noise isolation performance, consider the Sonos Ace Wireless.
However, these headphones don't have an ANC off mode and can only switch between ANC on and transparency mode. As a result, we tested the passive noise isolation with the headphones off.
These headphones perform very well when it comes to cutting out noise from everyday scenarios. They're great at blocking out the whine of airplane engines, as well as the sounds of a busy, traffic-filled street. They also do a great job of cutting out office noise, from chatty coworkers to computer fan noise.
Wind noise is difficult for headphones to counteract as it directly interacts with the ANC's microphones. This causes the ANC to produce anti-noise to cancel it out, even though the sound doesn't fully reach your ear. However, it results in a loud, annoying sound. While these headphones come with a wind suppression feature, we found that it didn't make much difference to the level of wind noise regardless of whether it was set to 'Max' or 'Auto.' Overall, these headphones do a better job of cutting out wind noise compared to similar over-ears like the Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless.
Their leakage performance is great. Leakage is mostly concentrated in the mid and treble ranges and sounds fairly thin as a result. It's unlikely that you'll bother others around you if you like to listen to your audio at high volumes.
The integrated mic has a fair recording quality. Your voice sounds fairly clear and easy to understand. We used an estimated value for LFE as the processing job is recording LFE at -3dB by default, which doesn't reflect its real performance. To account for this, we measured LFE at -6dB, as this is the point in the response that we feel is closest to the true LFE. Even though there isn't much bass in the recording quality, it's not as bad as the graph indicates. We are looking into this issue, though.
Users have reported a drop in mic audio quality when using the headphones via USB. When we connected our unit to our PC using this connection, and played a track, recording halfway to mimic a conference call. You can hear the recording here (it's quite loud, so you may want to lower your audio before playing it!). Although there's slight hissing coming from our speaker in the testing box, there's also a noticeable drop in audio quality, which can be frustrating if you want to use them for work calls. Keep in mind that the recording only shows the difference between USB and Bluetooth mic audio quality and doesn't demonstrate the sound quality of the headphones.
The microphone's noise handling performance is mediocre. The mic has trouble separating your voice from ambient noise. As a result, your voice can be drowned out if you're on the phone in a busy office or subway station.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 have an outstanding battery performance. The manufacturer advertises them to last 60 hours continuously with their ANC on, and we measured just over 62 hours, which is fantastic. Battery life can vary depending on usage, though. Luckily, they're equipped with an auto-off timer to help conserve power when not in use, and you can even use the headphones passively or while charging.
The Sennheiser Smart Control app is great. After updating to firmware 2.13.18, the app now offers a 5-band graphic EQ, customizable presets, and a Sound Check feature, which is a custom EQ that uses settings you select after listening to your favorite songs. You can also access the sound personalization feature, which allows the buds to provide sound based on your individual and unique hearing, as well as sound zones, which change the EQ and ANC settings based on your location. There are ANC controls, so you can turn the ANC on and off and adjust the Wind Noise Reduction settings. You can adjust the sidetone, turn head detection on or off, see which codecs are being used, and reset the headphones. You can activate High-Resolution Audio mode, which allows you to use aptX Adaptive codec for streaming audio in higher quality or with lower latency, depending on what you want. You can also use Sleep Mode to lock and unlock touch controls.
These headphones come with a 1/16" to 1/16" TRS cable, so you can use them wired. You can also connect the headphones via USB-C to receive audio. However, you can't use the mic that way. Also, their USB latency is higher than analog, so there will be very slight lip sync delays if you're streaming video over this connection.
These headphones have good Bluetooth connectivity. They support multi-device pairing, so you can stay connected to your phone and computer at the same time. Like the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 Wireless, they also support aptX Adaptive and are backward-compatible with aptX HD, which can help stream hi-res audio content with better audio quality. That said, latency is high with the default codec, SBC, as well as higher-quality codecs like aptX and aptX Adaptive (High-Quality), and delays are noticeable between the audio you hear and the visuals on screen. It's not a big deal if you're only streaming audio, but you'll want to stick to aptX Adaptive (Low Latency) if you're watching videos. Some apps and devices compensate for latency differently.
We also checked how Sennheiser's 'Audio Resolution' and 'Standard' modes affect latency. However, when using aptX Adaptive (High Quality), both modes performed very similarly at over 350 ms. As a result, we expect both Bluetooth modes to perform the same. The mid-tier Sennheiser ACCENTUM Plus Wireless support a similar set of Bluetooth codecs with lower latency when using aptX Adaptive (High Quality), although you'd still notice lag if you tried watching video, and their low latency codec results are similar.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 have full audio and mic compatibility when connected via Bluetooth to your PC. These headphones also have full compatibility when used via wired USB. However, if you want to use an analog connection, you'll only receive audio and can't use the mic.
These headphones are only compatible with PlayStation consoles via analog and wired USB. When using wired USB, they have full audio and mic compatibility. However, if you're using an analog connection, you can only receive audio and won't be able to use their mic.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 are compatible with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S when you plug their analog cable into your controller's AUX port. However, you can only receive audio and can't use their mic.