Sennheiser - Momentum 4 Wireless Adaptive Noise-Canceling Over-The-Ear Headphones - White

Sound quality is top tier (with the use of the app, else it sounds flat out of the box). Sound quality is clean, spatial, and full. It feels like the singer is singing right into my ears. Each instrument is well balanced and placed; no instrument overpowers the other. ANC is very good too. I cannot hear the loud construction that's right outside. I come from the Skullcandy Crusher Evo which is specialized for bass and percussion. The bass and percussion on the M4s are exceptional, but are not as impactful and intense like the Evo's. This shouldn't be a concern for most listeners, but this is something to consider if you have a preference for bass and percussion. This isn't a dealbreaker but the sound quality is the best at high volumes (> 80%). Thankfully the ear pads are soft and comfortable. But wearing these for several hours at > 80% volume is definitely not recommended for the sake of ear health (which is obvious common sense for any headphones). My main deal breaker is I can hear more from my right ear. I wore the headphones backwards and could hear more from my left ear. The stereos are slightly angled, so the sound is the clearest when my ears are closer to the stereos. Regardless of how I wear it or what I listen to, I still can hear more from one ear. I checked my settings and nothing looks off. Other than that, I recommend the headphones for the A+ sound quality, 60 hour battery life, exceptional ANC, and comfortable ear pads.

Sound quality is excellent for a variety of music genres, however that is a subjective assessment and depends not only upon your individual preference but also the quality of your audio source. I haven't fully tested battery life but the claimed 60 hours on a single charge doubles the closest competitor. ANC is very good, however I haven't had the opportunity to wear them in-flight yet. The appearance is subdued with a cloth pattern and small logos on either side of the headband giving off a minimalist vibe is a nice touch.

Love these cans they are just Great exactly what I expected. Great music and very good noise canceling.

I have both the Sennheiser Momentum 3 (released around 3 years ago), and the newer Sony Sony WH-1000XM5, and these new Sennheiser Momentum 4 are simply the best sounding headphones I have ever had overall. The Momentum 3s, sounded incredible, and I feel they sound better even than the Sony WH-1000XM5s, but with the new Momentum 4s, we have a completely new design. Now, the Momentum 4s look kind of like any other headphones, and no longer fold up, but they weigh much less, have much less clamping force on your head. As much as I love my Momentum 3s, they do apply quite a bit of clamping force depending on your head. I do feel like the Momentum 4s are a bit of a step backwards here. The swivel hinges feel like plastic, and because of it, it just does not seem as premium and built to last like the Momentum 3s did. The 4s are definitely more comfortable, and I would say do sound a bit better overall than the 3s did. The bass on the 3s was very bass heavy, and here on the 4s it still leans that way, but to my ears sounds much cleaner. The Momentum 4s compared to this year’s Sony WH-1000XM5 sound MUCH better, and that is saying something because the 1000XM5s sounded great in their own right, however they lack really deep bass. The Momentum 4 knocks sound quality out of the park, whether you like bass driven music or not. I love using the Momentum 4 not just for music, but also for watching movies and shows from my TV via bluetooth. They just sound fantastic. Hard to believe that Sennheiser could top the Momentum 3s with the new Momentum 4s, but they have. Now, the battery life here is ridiculous!! I don’t know how Sennheiser has made such long battery life on these headphones, but so far I have over 45 hours on my initial first charge up to 100 percent. I still show about 20 percent battery life!! And that is with the ANC turned on too! When you first get these headphones, you will need to install the Smart Control app from either the Google Play Store or the Apple store. Be sure to update the firmware before using. It does take about 15-20 minutes, but has fixed some launch issues users had on release. Sennheiser continues to update the firmware on their products for a long time in my history with the previous generation Momentum 3s. Now here is where things are a little iffy. The app is very, very buggy. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t connect to your headphones, even if they are actually paired. I had this experience on 2 different Android phones. Initial pairing works, but then launching the app to control features often just does not let you connect, even though they I can be listening to sound directly on the device. I would say this happens about 20 percent of the time or so, and after a couple of tries I usually can get them to connect. Once they are connected you can control things like manage what devices have previously been paired. You get a named list, and you can only have 2 devices connected at once, and if you want to connect to another device, you need to “release” one of the two in that list, and make a new bluetooth pairing, or choose a previously paired device in the list. I generally am not a fan of touch controls, but they are actually pretty good on the Momentum 4s. Fairly intuitive, slide up for volume up, slide down for volume down. Press down and it will pause all audio. Double press down, and change between ANC modes. Charging is very easy, but you will need to provide your own charger. Headphones come with USB-A to USB-C charging cable, a wired headphone cable if you want to connect to a 3.5mm audio source, and even an airline adapter. These headphones come with a case that thankfully, is a nice solid hard case that I have no issues just throwing into a crowded backpack. Case also has some nice little compartments for holding the cables and adapters in place too. Noise cancellation on the Momentum 4s is very good, however the Sony WH-1000XM5 are much better at canceling noise. For me, I prefer the Momentum 4s regardless, as sound quality is more important than the noise canceling quality. Not to mention the Momentum 4 have more than double the battery life than the Sony WH-1000XM5, and are lower priced. Phone calls are pretty good. No complaints at all on this front. All the people I spoke to while walking around on the street, found that I sounded pretty good, and even under windy streets during my walk. Overall, if you value sound quality, like a little extra bass in your music, and don’t need the top of the line noise canceling the Sony WH-1000XM5 provide, you cannot go wrong with the Sennheiser Momentum 4s. Outstanding, even with the app quirks on Android.

For the longest time, I was married to Bose headphones. Then Sony came along and they became my go to. Now, with the Sennheiser Momentum 4, I have a new favorite set of cans. To be honest, we really are talking about a difference in degrees. All three of these brands sound great and have really good noise canceling. So I look to design, features, ease of use, and most importantly, comfort. The Sony XM5’s were my favorite, but the Momentum 4’s have supplanted them. While the audio quality is frankly, similar, the Momentum 4 wins on value and comfort (although the Sony cans are comfortable to wear). IN THE BOX Inside the box you have the travel case. The case is plenty sturdy to be thrown into your backpack without worries that they’ll get crushed. It has a nice zipper that’s enclosed tightly in fabric (so it won’t get damaged) and holds everything you need. Inside the case are the headphones, airplane two prong adapter (people still use these?) an aux cable to plug directly into an AUX port and a USB-C charging cable (thank you for the latter). And everything has its place in the case which keeps everything organized and there when you need it. The ear cups also have stickers on them with the touch controls, which I think is great. You can of course read the manual, but it’s nice just seeing the controls right there on the headphones itself while you learn to use them. SETUP AND THE APP When I took them out of the case for the first time, they automatically turned on and went into pairing mode. My Samsung phone immediately asked me to pair them. I can’t recall such a seamless Bluetooth pairing process. In any event, the process is like any other; once they’re on, you hold the power button for approximately 5 seconds to put it in pairing mode. I then downloaded the Sennheiser “Smart Control” app. (after the headphones were connected). The first thing I was prompted to do was to update the firmware. Which should come as a shock to no one, as most devices nowadays require a day one firmware download. But the process was relatively seamless and only took about 10 minutes. The app has a nice and easy to understand interface. There’s the equalizer where you can adjust the bass, mids, and trebles. There are about 6 different Sennheiser presets (or you can create up to 3 custom presets). There’s also an option for “Bass Boost” and a “Podcast” mode that enhances vocal clarity. I could tell a difference with the podcast mode, but it requires you to go into the app to change the setting each time and is too much of a hassle (not to mention I forget to do it). You can also adjust the active noise cancellation. There’s only 3 options, Off, Auto and Max. I just leave mine on Auto. I even leave it on “adaptive” so it adapts to my surroundings. Lastly, a feature I wish more over the ear headphones would incorporate is “sidetone.” For those that don’t know, sidetone is the ability to hear yourself. It’s helpful when wearing noise canceling headphones especially, because it is sometimes difficult to hear how loud you’re talking. SOUND QUALITY/PHONE CALL QUALITY Look, if you’ve used a new model of Bose or Sony headphones, you can expect a similar level of sound quality. These headphones have rich bass, and crisp mids and highs. They really sound terrific. Whether it’s classical, hip-hip, or podcasts, I was more than satisfied with the sound quality. Making phone calls is arguably where these outshine the competition. Primarily in the sidetone arena, being able to hear yourself talk when speaking to someone on the phone. I had no complaints how I sounded to others, and I certainly heard the person whom I was talking to with great clarity. OTHER FEATURES/NAVIGATION The navigation is similar to the Sony headphones, where the cans are touch sensitive. You can swipe up and down to adjust volume, left and right to go back and forward on song selections and you can even pinch (like zooming in on your phone) to adjust the noise canceling. It’s easy to learn and nothing that hasn’t been done before. What I really appreciate is the auto off and on feature. Sony has a feature where when you take the headphones off your head (to say, talk to someone) the music pauses. The Momentum 4s take it to the next level. I never turn them physically on and off, I just put them on my head and they turn on and automatically connect to my phone. Obviously hitting a button to turn them on is no big deal, but this is a nice touch. The noise cancellation is pretty good. I’m not qualified to say whether it’s “better” than Sony or Bose offerings, but I know that it can drown out children playing at a park (the noisiest place I could find to test it). Last, comfort. The Sony XM5s have been my favorite set of over the ear headphones, primarily because of the comfort. What I mean by comfort is the feeling you get that you’re not wearing them, and they don’t cause any pressure or discomfort from wearing them for long periods at a time. I’ll admit, my ears do get hot after wearing them for a long time, but that’s just me wearing any set of over the ear headphones. Eventually my ears get hot and I perspire around the cushions; after wearing them for an extended period of time. CONCLUSION Honestly, if you’re in the market for ANC headphones, the Momentum 4s should be on your short list Especially at their price point. The sound quality and noise cancellation is on par if not better than the household names of Sony and Bose and Beats. I’ve been really impressed with them, and for reasons that are hard to explain, they’ve become my go to over the ear headphones. Plus they have consistently performed well, they’ve been extremely reliable in connecting to my phone, pairing new devices, and simply overall comfort.

I have always been a fan of Sennheiser. Most of the high-end audiophile quality headphones I have ever owned have been Senns. I still have my HD650s and I used to have a pair of HD800s back in the day (and I sold them for almost what I bought them for)! I appreciate that Sennheiser makes outstanding headphones that tend to be very grounded and neutral as their baseline. Usually any deviation from that pure neutral sound has been through the design of the earcups and whether or not they are open or closed back. That being said, I HATED the Momentums when they first came out years ago. While I thought they looked OK, I actually didn't like the knob and open frame on the sides. Back then, I still had some hair on the sides of my head and I would actually get it caught sometimes in the frame and get pulled out! I didn't need any more help ridding myself of hair on my head. Back then they weren't ANC headphones and there were so many other offerings from Senn, that I didn't bother with a pair. When ANC headphones started being made by a lot more than just one or two manufacturers, I already had a pair that I really liked and I stayed with them from the XM1 version through the XM3. My headphones are starting to die (the problem with all closed system batteries), but I got a heck of a lot of use out of them. Either way, I wanted to see now what Sennheiser had come up with now that they have noise cancelling AND got rid of the design I didn't like (even though my hair is now shaved off). I really dig these new Momentum 4s and I'll go through a few of the feature sets to let you know what I think. Styling/build: While perhaps more plain and not being able to fold up into quite as small of a case, I prefer this styling far and away over the earlier models. The fabric covering to the headband is nice, the armatures are solid, and the padding is top notch, especially for a guy who has lost his natural padding on the top of his head. The only thing that kind of throws me off is the depth of the earcups, they are thick. I'm sure that is to allow more room for the battery, and if that is indeed the case, I am completely cool with it. Controls: My previous ANC headphones also used touch gestures but they could be pretty wonky at times. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to just raise or lower the volume, and instead ended up changing the track. The touch controls have been much better on the Momentum 4s. I have yet to accidentally make a change I wasn't looking to make. Software: I am rarely impressed by the app that many electronic devices have, especially headphones, but I have to hand it to Sennheiser, they did a really nice job with theirs. Incredibly easy to make changes but what really stands out is their Sound Check mode that lets you adjust the sound signature more naturally than just fiddling with sliders. It is almost like going to the optometrist with the better/worse kind of testing. The App offers you several sets of three different sound-scapes (while you are listening to the song) and you pick the one you like best. When you are done it sets up the equalizer and you can save it as a profile. Easy-peasy. Now some of the choices don't seem too different from each other (also kind of like the optometrist) but it's there if you really listen. Another software item that is both nice/annoying is the firmware update. I've had these Momentum 4s since they came out a week ago and I already have had two firmware updates. While it is cool that Senn is feeding these updates to make the headphones better, they kinda stink in that the update process take anywhere from 25-30 minutes! Not sure why it takes that long, but hey, as long as they are making my headphones all the better, I'm really not going to complain. Accessories: The hardcase is nice but the cables are just 'meh'. I would like to see an audio cable with a little bit better strain relief and thickness. If you were going to use these plugged in, I don't know how long that cable will last. The charging cable is good, but nothing to write home about. Supposedly you can use a USB-C to C cable (not included) to do audio from things like iPads but I did not test this out. Comfort: Both the headband and earcups have a really nice padding on them. I would have liked perhaps a little more on the headband, especially since the headphones don't need to be able to fold up. It's fine now, but I anticipate the headband padding compressing a bit over time which will impact how long I can listen without breaks. Sound: What really matters and I have ZERO complaints in the sound department on the Momentum 4s. They have the neutral soundstage that I prefer and all of the music genres I listen to (which is most of them with perhaps the exception of Bluegrass), sounds on point. There is also no eardrum 'pressure' from the active noise canceling. A lot of times I also just use ANC headphones to just give me a quiet room when stuff is going on in the house or in the neighborhood. The Momentum 4s have an outstanding level of passive noise cancelation just from the padding and fit, but having ANC on REALLY does a nice job of giving me some peace and quiet so I can read (or take a nap in my chair). The ANC is just as good as any other of the top players and I was not able to even detect some of the hiss that you sometimes can hear with noise cancelling. Phone Calls: I don't call people much nowadays but I do make a weekly call to my parents. I always wear earbuds/headphones when doing this because my dad tends to ramble and sometimes I surf the web while he is talking (and can't really hold a phone). I normally wear my earbuds from a certain fruit company everyone knows, and my parents never commented on the voice quality but when I called them a couple days ago using the Momentums, they actually asked what I was doing different because I sounded so much clearer to them. So now the Momentums are going to be my headphone of choice for doing calls from now on! Battery Life: Almost silly the amount of battery life in these things! I have been using them for music listening several hours a day for almost an entire week with ANC on, did a 40 minute call with my parents, and used them for about four hours just as a 'quiet zone' while reading. The battery life is still showing 80%. I think I could probably charge these up for a weeklong vacation somewhere and not have to charge them again until I got back home! That would be with the flight and the sitting by the pool/beach all day! Whatever Sennheiser did to maximize battery life worked like a charm, and despite this battery life they don't feel any heavier than other ANC headphones with HALF the battery life! Bottom Line: The Momentum 4s are a phenomenal set of Active Noise Cancelling headphones, completely on par with the other top ANC headsets. Everything combined together makes them, in my opinion, the best of the current crop of ANC headsets. I don't see how anyone can be disappointed in these cans.

Sennheiser has done it again; they’ve improved upon their noise cancelling wireless headphones with a new look and Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology in their MOMENTUM 4 Wireless over-the-ear headphones. The MOMENTUM 4 are the newly released version from Sennheiser and they have added even more user-friendly features than the previous versions while improving on their noise canceling technology. What’s in the box - The headphones ship with a great zippered carrying case, a USB-C charging cable, a 3.5mm audio cable for wired connection, airplane 2.5mm cable adapter and instructions/paperwork. The headphones fold flat to fit in the case which is a good size for traveling. They fit perfectly in the outside pocket of my backpack used for work and travel. The earphones were fully charged out of the box, so all that’s needed to get started (optional really, as they headphones will connect to your Bluetooth device anyway) is download the Sennheiser Smart Control app and customize the earphones. Some of the features are active at download but you need to create an account to access all the app features. There was a firmware update available for the headphones and it updated once they were connected. This took about 30 minutes. Smart Control App - it's a great tool for taking advantage of the many available settings these headphones provide like Connection Management, Equalizer, Sound Check, Sound Zones, Active Noise Cancelation, Adaptive NC Setting and Sidetone for phone calls. Connection Manager does exactly that as it lists your BT devices for connecting. One of the advanced features of these headphones is they can connect to 2 devices simultaneously. The Equalizer provides a handful of presets and can also be customized to the user’s preferences in Bass, Midrange and Treble. There’s also Bass Boost and Podcast sound modes to select. Sound Check lets the user selected from different sound options to create additional Equalizer presets. With Sound Zones the headphones can be set up to use specific sounds settings based on your location. The Active Noise Canceling setting can be set between ANC and Transparency based on user preference or can be set to Adaptive which will automatically switch the NC depending on surroundings and level of noise. Sidetone changes the sound of phone calls. My headphones came set to 50% and calls sound amazing! Fit and Function - The first thing I noticed when putting on the headphones was the plush feel of the ear pads and the headband. The cushy memory foam on the earcups allows for hours of use with no hot spots. The headband is not quite as plush as the earcup, but again, no hot spots or discomfort after hours of use. Adjustment of the earcups is easy with the slide bar to lengthen and the earcups rotate for a perfect fit. The build quality is exceptional, I expect these headphones to last for years to come. Cloth accents on the headband is also a nice touch. The headphones can be managed through the Smart Control app or with hand gestures on the right earcup. The single power/BT button is also located on the right earcup. Press and hold it for 3 seconds and you’re ready to listen to your favorite music or take a phone call. Pause/Play, Volume and phone calls can all be managed with finger gestures. It takes a couple tries to get them dialed in, but what a great feature. Music is paused when the earphones are removed and restarts automatically when put back on. Sound Quality - The sound quality is top-notch right out of the box, but the Smart Control app gives the user the ability to customize settings based on their preference. I did create my own Equalizer pre-sets and added the Bass Boost and wow, just wow! Quality sound as expected from Sennheiser! I messed around with the Adaptive NC setting and other features and found I liked setting the NC level to full ANC. That would be one area I felt these earphones fell a bit short compared to similar earphones. Noise Canceling was good, but not great. I use headphones when mowing the lawn and the MOMENTUM 4 just couldn’t block out the all of the mower noise. Phone Calls – This is an area the MOMENTUM 4 really shines. As mentioned earlier the Sidetone feature was preset at 50% and everyone I talked to said it sounded like I was right next to them. On the headphone side, sound was clear and very rich, not crackly like some headphones can sound. Top-notch in this category! Battery Life – I fully charged them upon receipt and after multiple days of use, they are still at 80%...this absolutely crushes the battery performance of my other NC headphones. And on top of that, there’s a quick charge feature as well. Worrying about battery life is completely off the table based on my experience to date. Pros: - Build and Sound Quality is Top-Notch - Ease & amount of sound customization and functions with the Smart Control app - Earcup Touch Controls - control your music, pause or call without ever touching your phone - Fit and comfort is outstanding, no discomfort even after hours of use - Taking Phone Calls – Best phone sound I’ve ever experienced, even in a crowded office - Battery life is exceptional - Great Carry Case for traveling and storage - Automatic On/Off feature Cons: - Noise Canceling has a little room for improvement…but sound quality makes up for this The Sennheiser MOMETNUM 4 Wireless Noise Canceling Over-the-Ear Headphones are one of my new favorite devices and would 100% recommend them to anyone looking for great noise canceling, comfortable & stylish and function-packed headphones.

I’m digging these Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones. My go-to cans the past few years have been an older set of extra-bass headphones. They’re my go to because the bass is really deep, pronounced and powerful and I listen to a lot of bass heavy genres. But my old cans are starting to show their age and I’m experiencing cut-outs and other wear/tear related issues. I’ve tried several sets of headphones and buds from just about every major manufacturer over the past year looking for a suitable replacement. All the sets I’ve tried simply had okay bass. The bass was acceptable or even good but was not fantastic. These are the first set to come close to matching the deep resonating, tooth-vibrating bass of my go-to cans. They aren’t a match against my older set if I max out the bass levels through the companion app, but I seldom listen at that high a bass level anyhow. That much bass quickly becomes overwhelming, painful to my ears, and gives me a headache after a while. These Momentum 4 have tight clean bass that hits fast and hard, but they can also handle deeper sub-bass when required. They basically sound like my older cans with the bass set at my normal moderate listening level. They give me all the bass I want with none of the discomfort I don’t. That’s the difference maker between these and the other potential successors. These Sennheiser reproduce a wide range of bass faithfully and provide proper justice to strong bass drops at any volume or bass level without compromising any sound quality. The highs and mids are also faithfully reproduced. Music is well balanced with a warm sound profile with everything working in sync and no sounds overpowering or drowning out other sounds. When combined with the ANC in a good listening environment it creates an excellent soundstage. Operation of the headset is subjectively easy. It depends on comfort level with swipe driven gestures. These gestures are performed on the right cup. I’m personally not too good with out of sight controls, so I use the phone and app for all controls. But for those who are proficient with cup mounted controls, they seem relatively easy to use. I do occasionally use the volume swipe gesture but not much else. Another area where the Momentum’s sound quality really impressed me is phone calls. Callers sound even better on these Sennheiser cans than my house phone. Voices are clear, loud, warm and rich, just like the music. It feels less like a call and more like I’m actually in a room with the person on the other end. I’ve been told my voice is also loud and clear on the other side. These are the first headset of any type (gaming, business, music) that I actually prefer and enjoy using over other communications devices. I’m considering trying these in place of my business headset for one of my upcoming video meetings. Fit and comfort are both excellent. The headset is lightweight and fits perfectly on my large head with no discomfort or excess pressure. The cups are silky soft and envelope my ears in warm buttery soft leather comfort. The headband is also soft memory foam that rests gently atop my head. The set is light enough for me to wear and listen for hours without them feeling heavy or uncomfortable. They also fit well with glasses. I’ve used them with thick frame sunglasses and thin frame prescription glasses and both temples were comfortable when worn underneath the cups. The headphones are also comfy when reclining on my back. They have an automatic on/off feature that powers the Momentum on when the cups are turned inward for wear and powers them off after 15 minutes of inactivity. These settings can be enabled, disabled or customized in the Smart Control app. The Smart Control app provides many other useful features like EQ with presets and manual sliders, ANC adjustment, voice and sound adjustments for calls, firmware updates and more. The app is both easy and intuitive to use and available for both Android and iOS. The Momentum’s build quality feels solid and well-constructed. They don’t have any excessive flexing nor any observable quality issues. The set ships with a firm protective carrying case. I like that they lay flat inside the case and don’t fold in all sorts of crazy directions like other high-end headphones. The case also easily holds the USB-C charging cable, 3.5mm audio cable and airplane audio adapter. Despite finding so much good with the Momentum, all is not perfect. The Momentum’s ANC is definitely a step behind the competition. I have a cheap set of ANC equipped beater cans that block more external noise than these. The Momentum’s ANC seems only suitable for low to moderate noise. It doesn’t really block a lot of noise in loud or noisy environments. They have a transparency mode to allow ambient sound in, but I almost never need it unless music is playing. I can already pretty much hear everything around me when the music is stopped or at low volume. The ANC does enhance the sound of music by removing excessive environmental sounds. That’s why I made the earlier comment about using ANC in a goo listening environment. Weak ANC was the only flaw I could find with these otherwise very impressive headphones. I have officially found my replacement and I’m sure my aging ears will thank me for finally abandoning the mega-bass profiles. The Momentum sound excellent, feel good, are easy to operate and they even charge easily. A five-minute charge can provide up to two-hours of listening for those last-minute headphone emergencies.