Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Review

Sennheiser has been a leader in audiophile-grade headphone design for decades, and when they make a pair of high-end wireless Bluetooth headphones, you have to listen.

Sound Quality

The Momentum 4 are some of the best-sounding headphones we tested. From lows to highs, the mix has great detail and crisp clarity. Sonically complex songs never sounded cluttered, and no matter where we set the volume level, the clean sound profile stays the same. These headphones don't get as loud as most others, which meant turning the volume up more than usual. Thankfully, they sounded great, even at max volume, but it's worth noting that this “max” is slightly lower than you'd expect.

Though not quite as dramatic as other bass-heavy headphones, the low end (0hz to 500hz) is prominent, providing warmth and punch through every track. While strongly present, the bass never overpowers the rest of the mix. This sound profile will be a godsend for listeners who are put off by the typical consumer-friendly, bass-heavy curve common in modern headphones. While not completely neutral, these headphones leave room for lighter genres like classical, jazz, and folk to display their full range of color, from lows to highs, without distracting the listener with accentuation of anything over another. EDM, pop, and rap lovers might not be wholly satisfied, but all can likely appreciate the added space that tracks gain without bass bloat.

The midrange (500hz to 2khz) reproduction is exceptional, and singer/songwriter tracks truly capture the Momentum 4's capabilities here. “The Captain is Drunk” by Jack Johnson sounds incredible. Our audio expert noted, “Guitars are warm and bright without being uncomfortably twangy,” harmonies sound tight and clean, the slide guitar pans excitingly to the right, and “its texture has a lovely contrast” with the rhythm section. From 2:01 to 2:25, you can hear how effortlessly Johnson's voice floats over the mix, with no nuances being lost from sonic overcrowding. These headphones make genres like this truly delightful.

High frequencies (2khz+) receive the same treatment as the other ranges, with notable accuracy and clarity no matter the instrument. While some headphones can struggle with sounds like cymbal crashes and shrill woodwind instruments, the Momentum 4's present them as vibrant without ever feeling over-emphasized. While treble detail is not always totally pristine in every track, it is consistently exciting and accurate across every genre of music. Songs like “Arabesque No. 2” by Debussy performed by Francois-Joel Thiollier do a great job at highlighting how well the mids and highs work together in these headphones, with detail front and center at every keystroke.

The Momentum 4s prioritize accuracy and detail above the coloration of any one particular frequency range. And they remain colorful and exciting. By balancing each frequency range against the other, these headphones allow exhilarating nuance and texture to unfold wherever they are displayed. While not necessarily the best for pop, EDM, or rap, they still do them justice by allowing you to hear more of what is on display. We think all music lovers can find something to appreciate.

Soundstage

A key element of experiencing music is the feeling of being surrounded by sound, with each instrument's location clearly defined.

While the Momentum 4s have a decent soundstage, it is not quite as stellar as their sound quality suggests. Instruments and sounds feel like they come from the ear cups, not the wider world. However, their location is clearly defined and spatially separated. Listeners will appreciate the headphones' ability to separate instruments and give them direction and spatiality, but it doesn't sound like you're sitting with the band. The suboptimal noise cancellation impacts the soundstage, so you won't be able to hear the soundstage unless the room is quiet.

Frequency Response

We compared the frequency response curve of these headphones to our custom GearLab House Curve. Results confirm our audio experts' findings, with sub-bass (0hz to 60hz) notably reduced and midrange (500hz to 2khz) and treble (2khz+) gain being slightly subdued.

If you adjust for the inherent gain reduction that these headphones seem to have, the curves would align closer. They have a curve that would be enjoyable to listeners of any music genre, though you may find them a little quieter than you're used to at mid-volume.

These won't do sub-bass-heavy genres justice (like EDM and some rap); however, nearly every other style of music will sound exceptional.

Comfort and Fit

Coming in at 293 grams with a measured ear cup size of 58mm by 39mm, these headphones were wonderfully comfortable. Coupled with luxurious-feeling ear cushion material and lightweight clamping, we could wear these 10 hours straight.

None of our glasses-adorned testers noticed a problem wearing these. The only downside is that they aren't the most stable, thanks to the less intense clamping force. You won't be able to do much beyond walking with these on; even stretching and yoga resulted in stability issues.

Noise Cancellation

Many high-end wireless headphones and earbuds offer great noise cancellation (ANC), but the Momentum 4 struggled.

To test ANC, we used our state-of-the-art audio testing lab and played various simulated environmental noises while we recorded what got past the earcups. While all headphones have some basic passive noise cancellation, the Momentum 4 doesn't have much. During our testing, the bass, mids, and treble all bled past their earcups.

They passively reduce ambient sound, but not as much as competitors. They reduced around 37 dB of the treble range, 17 dB in the midrange, and only 3 dB in the low end. That means a lot of noise and voices can be heard quite easily, while hissing and higher-pitched noises are more subdued.

With ANC on, mild improvements in noise reduction were made across the board, but a mild improvement over not much is still… not much. If ANC is your top priority, these are not worthy.

Ease of Use

The Momentum 4 headphones have several standout features, including a wonderful EQ control, but their sensitive touch controls detract slightly from their performance.

Though not the smallest, their travel case is helpful in improving portability and organization.

Customization

These headphones boast some stellar customization between their in-app EQ and different ANC modes. However, some features, like multi-point pairing, were lackluster. The touch controls were easy to use and intuitive, but we found them overly sensitive, which can lead to frustration and accidental changes.

Uniquely, the Momentum can adjust the EQ based on your location. Sennheiser calls these “Sound Zones.” It allows you to change EQ based on your environment without modifying anything. The EQ is better than most, allowing pinpoint, accurate frequency adjustments. You can turn the bass up quite a bit without it becoming distorted, though it never sounds as impactful as bass-focused headphones.

Connectivity

While these have multipoint pairing, meaning you can have up to two Bluetooth devices connected simultaneously, we noticed that this could glitch when previously paired Bluetooth devices are around. However, once connected to each device, having them switch between them was instant and seamless. We needed to pause the playback stream on one device before we would hear the other to get the automatic switching to work.

Battery

While the Momentum 4 has good battery life, it does not live up to its manufacturer's claim of 60 hours. We measured 49 hours of runtime, which is still a decent performance compared to competitors.

Between their battery life and case, these would be decent commuting and travel headphones if their noise cancellation were better.

Call Quality

The Momentum 4 has just okay call-quality performance, which is disappointing for the price.

During our stress test with louder background noises, you can hear that the extraneous noises become quite distracting, even in quieter environments like an everyday office.

The voice over the subway station's loudspeaker is strong, battling for your attention when the man and woman are talking. We sometimes found it hard to distinguish, creating confusion about what was being said by the caller.

The call quality in a quiet environment is soft and grainy; otherwise, it is clear and audible. Ultimately, test results again showed us they work best in quiet environments.

Should You Buy the Momentum 4 Wireless?

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are a great-sounding set of wireless headphones. If your main priority is sound quality, and your genres are largely not EDM and rap, and you plan on using them in quiet environments, these are great. Between their easy-to-use touch controls, customizable EQ, and all-day comfort, the Momentum makes listening to music truly delightful. However, if you want headphones for commuting and traveling, these probably aren't the best bet.

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