Companies haven’t needed to make major updates to their wireless headphones for generations. Sometimes it’s enough upgrades to make a great set more reliable and add features that extend their life. That’s what Sennheiser does Momentum True Wireless 4 (300 dollars). of the company fourth generation headphones With redesigned Bluetooth technology, higher resolution audio, Bluetooth LE Audio support and a tool for longer battery life, retain the excellent sound quality I’ve come to expect from Sennheiser. However, not everyone will reap all the benefits I encountered during my Momentum True Wireless 4 review.
Momentum True Wireless 4: Design
The Momentum True Wireless 4 is identical in appearance Momentum True Wireless 3, the only difference is a new copper/black color option alongside the existing silver/black and silver/white versions. You’ll also now get a fourth, much smaller, set of ear tips, and the company still includes three-dimensional stabilizer arches to help you achieve the ideal fit. Sennheiser’s Smart Control app also has a compatibility test, so you’ve got help there. The company has also improved the dust and moisture protection here with an IP54 rating, so they now withstand fine debris in addition to water splashes.
Sennheiser
Sennheiser’s latest flagship headphones retain the excellent sound quality the company is known for and add some quality-of-life updates that have improved over the previous model.
- Excellent sound quality
- Higher quality audio support on Android
- Good battery life
- Personalization options
- It’s $50 more than the previous model
- No design update
- No surround sound
However, the Momentum True Wireless 4 has some important changes. This includes an update to the S5 Sound Gen 2 platform with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sound. Part of the Bluetooth overhaul I mentioned is a redesigned antenna that makes this fourth-generation wireless headset more reliable. Users have reported problems with truancy and the accompanying app not recognizing the Momentum True Wireless 3, so Sennheiser is clearly addressing those issues here.
Software and features
As with recent Sennheiser audio devices, the company’s Sound Control app is where you access all the settings and customization options for the Momentum True Wireless 4. The main interface gives you access to battery percentages, Bluetooth connections, customized volume, ANC settings, transparency level, reconfiguration of touch controls, compatibility test and Sound Zones. This last feature allows you to automate changes to audio settings such as ANC and transparency in your space. You can set up to 20 of these “zones” for places like home, work, and the gym. Of course, to use this, you need to give the app permission to track where you are.
Sennheiser has taken steps to future-proof these cutting-edge headphones – ensuring they’ll last for at least the next few years. First, they support Bluetooth 5.4, which is ready for LE Audio and Auracast. These elements are not yet available on the Momentum True Wireless 4, but Sennheiser is planning an update this spring that will introduce features such as audio streaming, audio sharing and assisted listening.
If you have a recent premium Android phone, the inclusion of Snapdragon Sound will be useful for enhancing the sound quality. The Qualcomm processor in those devices can capture what Sennheiser calls “flawless” lossless audio when streaming from a compatible music service. There are two settings here: high resolution at 24-bit/96kHz via aptX Adaptive and lossless at 16-bit/44.1kHz via aptX Lossless.
The last quality-of-life update concerns the battery. To maintain better performance over time, Sennheiser has added a battery protection mode that stops the buds from charging more than 80 percent. This is important because headset batteries can almost never be replaced, and preventing them from being overcharged will extend their life. It’s nice to see the company making the product last longer, which also has an impact on the environment.
Momentum True Wireless 4: Sound quality
Sennheiser has a long-standing reputation for excellent sound quality, and the Momentum True Wireless 4 continues that tradition. I couldn’t detect a huge difference between the Momentum True Wireless 4 and its predecessor, even though the company says this year’s model has an “advanced tuning” that includes things like “smoother treble response, expansive bass and effortless midrange.” And that’s good, because the Momentum True Wireless 3 already sounded amazing.
There’s still great detail and clarity here, combined with a warm, inviting sound profile that’s enjoyable for hours. When a song like Incendiary’s “Lie of Liberty” demands it, the bass is loud and powerful, but the low-end tone is never overpowering. And you can easily hear the texture of distorted guitars, cymbal hits and other subtleties in that great hardcore track. Switch to something softer, like Charles Wesley Godwin’s Apple Music Sessions, and the level of detail envelops you even more. These songs are also available in Dolby Atmos, so they really let the Momentum True Wireless 4 shine.
If the stock tuning isn’t to your liking, you can adjust the 5-band EQ and save any custom presets. The app also offers Sound Customization, which adjusts the sound to your listening preference through a quick test. The Momentum True Wireless 4 sounded great out of the box and I left the setup untouched except for a little due diligence.
Android users can take advantage of the increased sound quality I mentioned earlier. There is a noticeable difference in sound, especially in fine details, but whether it’s “better” depends on your preferences. Of course, higher-resolution playback will affect battery life, and you’ll need a dedicated streaming plan (such as Tidal’s Hi-Fi or Hi-Fi Plus options) or locally stored files to take advantage of Snapdragon Sound’s offerings in the first place. will be
iPhone owners shouldn’t feel left out, as Apple’s AAC streaming sounds great on the Momentum True Wireless 4, too. This is helped by the fact that Apple Music’s audio quality is superior to other services, especially if the tunes are available in Dolby Atmos.
ANC performance
Like its predecessor, the Momentum True Wireless 4 features an adaptive ANC configuration that automatically adapts to changes in your environment for a more “immersive listening experience”. Sennheiser didn’t mention any difference in noise cancellation in this new model, and I didn’t notice any noticeable improvement or reduction. ANC works well in most settings, but struggles with sounds like human voices like most headphones and earphones. I also found it wasn’t as robust as the best buds from Bose and Sony with some constant noise sources like white noise machines and noisy fans.
Call quality
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 uses six microphones to handle calls. As long as you’re in a quiet place, the overall quality is good, but not pristine. Constant noise like a whirring fan comes across as an odd hum, but it’s still noticeable. Transparency mode only helps a little during calls to be aware of your surroundings. It has a natural sound compared to other headphones, but it doesn’t penetrate your voice, so the end result is not as good as Apple’s AirPods Pro.
Momentum True Wireless 4: Battery life
The Momentum True Wireless 4’s battery will last seven hours with ANC on, but you can extend that 30 minutes by turning it off. I easily hit the seven-hour mark during my tests, which consisted mostly of listening with ANC at about 70 percent volume, with a few calls using Transparency mode. Factor in the box that supports wireless charging, and you can expect up to 30 hours of playback on the go. There’s also wireless fast charging with a battery saver mode that gives you an hour of use in just eight minutes.
Competition
The leader of the pack still remains Sony’s WF-1000XM5. While the Momentum True Wireless 4 is superior in terms of sound quality, Sony’s headphones offer better noise cancellation and a number of useful features. Not to be overlooked are tools like Speak-to-Chat auto-pause and DSEE Extreme audio upscaling. Sony also lets you automatically change sound settings based on your location, like Sennheiser, so you don’t have to sacrifice this feature. The WF-1000XM5 debuted in July of last year, which means you’ll often find them on sale. They currently go for $278, $22 less than the Momentum True Wireless 4.
Collection
No new design? No problem. Sennheiser has made quite a few improvements to the device Momentum True Wireless 4 making it an attractive entry in a growing line of great-sounding headphones. The sound quality is great as usual and that’s the biggest selling point for me. Combine that with higher-quality audio on Android, forward-looking features and solid battery life, and this model checks a lot of boxes for a flagship bud set. Sure, the ANC could be better and some people will crave surround sound, but just because the Momentum True Wireless 4 excels in some areas doesn’t mean it’s perfect.
