Sennheiser Momentum 4 BT, ANC over-the-ear headphones – how do you improve on perfection? (AV review)

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones are good, damned good, but in modernising have lost a little of the Momentum 3’s retro charm. Progress is inevitable, albeit at a price.

Momentum 3 (on special at $399) are my reference BT, ANC cans – big, bold, distinctive, retro and oh, so comfortable. The Momentum 4 are modern, slick, and look like so many other premium headphones. OK, the headband has a distinctive Sennheiser logo on each side.

Before we get into the review, let me say there is nothing wrong with progress. While the Momentum 3 has a slightly better sound signature and more bass, the Momentum 4 has better Mid and Treble accuracy. The Momentum 4 Adaptive ANC is a little better (perhaps at the expense of low bass), has BT Multi-point, and the battery life is a killer – over 60 hours.

Australian review: Sennheiser Momentum 4 BT, ANC headphones Model M4AEBT

Website	Product Page and Manual
Price	$549.95 for Black or White Update new colourways: Denim blends understated class with the perfect amount of casual cool. Black copper
From	Sennheiser online, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and good CE retailers
Warranty	2-year warranty (exceed)
Company	Sennheiser (Est 1945) is a German privately-held audio company specialising in designing and producing a wide range of high-fidelity products, including microphones, headphones, telephone accessories, and aviation headsets for personal, professional, and business applications. Sonova Holding, based in Switzerland – a global medical hearing solutions provider, now owns its consumer audio business.
More	Cybershack Sennheiser news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed.’

You can click on most images for an enlargement.

First Impression – modern if a little bland – Pass+

While I love progress, these are kind of bland – just like the other flagship headsets. It now only has one physical multi-function button (On/off/pair/voice assistant) and now has left and right cup touch controls that change depending on music or phone use.

The Sennheiser Smart Control App now controls everything. No issues there as the settings are downloaded to the headphone’s memory.

While the Momentum never folded down for travel like my favourite Sennheiser PXC550-II, these at least fold flat into a reasonably sized travel case. It comes with a 1.2m USB-A to USB-C cable (charge and audio simultaneously – very few headphones do both), a 1.2m 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable and an inflight two-prong adapter.

Setup and power on – Pass+

You can either set it for auto-on when you put them on or use the power on/off button (3-second push). A longer 5-second push enables BT.

Setup is easy – pair using BT with a phone or PC etc. Once paired, use the Sennheiser Smart Control App to fine-tune the settings.

Battery 700mAH – Can’t kill it – Exceed

It has a claimed 60 hours with BT and ANC, and after 2 x 8-hour days, it still had >70% battery. We let it run down (a real chore), and the 0-100% recharge was about 120 minutes from a 5V/.5A/2.5W charger. It is PD compatible but won’t charge any faster. It has fast charge – five minutes for four hours.

Comfort – Pass+

While the Momentum 3 are Exceed, these are pretty comfortable at 290g; I found the clamping pressure to be a little heavy. This will reduce over time. The earcups are snugger than the Momentum 3.

BT 5.2 with Qualcomm aptX codecs – Exceed

First, it is multi-point and fast pairs with Google Android and Windows 11. It remembers the last six device pairings.

Second, it has SBC, AAC, aptX, and aptX adaptive codecs. We tested to 27 metres, and reception was fine.

ANC – beefed up – Pass+

Continuous and low-frequency noise, such as motor or fan noise, is well suppressed. Speech (1-4kHZ) is reduced but intelligible. It is adaptive in that AI determines the amount of ANC. There is also a Wind-reduction mode.

Transparency Mode – Pass+

A double tap implements Transparency mode, and a two-finger pinch varies the level of ANC and Transparency.

Hands-free – Pass+

I want to say excellent, but the sidetone is not as good as the Sony WF-1000XM5 (and that does not have Qualcomm aptX). The MEMS mics (one beamforming voice and one ANC on each cup) are sensitive and handle most noisy conditions well. There is a Windy ANC setting.

Sound – Exceed

It has oversized 42mm, drivers with a superb frequency response of 6-22000Hz.

It has three pre-sets – default is flat, Bass boost and Podcast. The EQ can adjust Bass, Mid and Treble by +/- 6dB, and in addition to Rock, Pop, Dance, Hip Hop, Classical and Movie, you can save a custom pre-set.

Out of the box, it has a Neutral signature: The audiophile standard is a flat (good) response that neither adds nor subtracts from the original music! The better the music quality, the better it sounds.

Bas is thumpy (not wimpy), mids are clear, and vocals are bright. Dolby Atmos content shows a wider and higher sound stage.

Charge and Play – Exceed

Sennheiser has an inbuilt DAC that allows you to charge and play simultaneously or use it as a USB-C headphone (on a smartphone or PC). Sony WF-1000XM5 (and earlier) do not. This is a significant advantage found in few headphones.

Voice Assistants – all – Pass+

You need to press the multi-function button to hail the voice assistant of the connected phone.

Maintenance – Exceed

Sennheiser makes replacement ear pads available for many years. Sennheiser/Sonova can replace the internal rechargeable battery.

CyberShack’s view – Sennheiser Momentum 4 BT, ANC over-the-ear headphones are great – vale Momentum 3

While I still have a soft spot for Momentum 3, the new Momentum 4 is very good all around. If I had to single out two things – the music quality and the killer 60-hour battery life have won me over.

Sony WH-1000XM5 BT, ANC, headphones – great gets even better (review) ($549) is a very close competitor, and if Qualcomm aptX is not important to you (and perhaps it should be), it is worth consideration. Sony has slightly better ANC and sidetone but only 30 hours battery.

Focal Bathys BT ANC headphones – far-out French (first look) ($1199) is superb and have full Qualcomm aptX support.

EPOS Adapt 660 AMC – Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team co-branded) is a Sennheiser PXC550-II In Aston Martin Garb. These are 227g and well worth consideration for the serious traveller.

Ratings Explanation Sennheiser Momentum 4

Features: 95 includes USB DAC, killer battery life and superior sound signature

Value: 90 – similar price to Sony, Bose etc

Performance: 90 with Sony slightly ahead on ANC and sidetone

Ease of Use: 90 with Sennheiser Control App (not required for use)

Design: 80 – gone is that retro classic look

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