Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones Review – A BMW For Your Listening Pleasure
I got these Sennheiser Momentum 4 free (and unsolicited) from a new Shenzhen-based merchant, Voonaudio, whose sole ask was that we help introduce their online store. Now, while our central mission is to frivolously obsess over obscure audio gear and not to hype sellers, we do believe civilization is better served by having alternatives to the monolithic data-mining Amazon/Best Buy/Walmart juggernauts.
Ergo: Voonaudio, who register as sincere (and certainly enthusiastic) folks, sell what they promise are authentic Sennheiser phones at attractive prices and customer-friendly policies (my sample arrived very quickly from China and were in fact 100% genuine). Check them out.
The Momentum 4 are more plasticky and generic-looking than earlier, leather and metal- clad Momentum models, but seem sturdier and more durable. Fit is stable and comfort is pretty good, without undue clamping pressure, although these can feel slightly heavy and/or get warm over extended use.
The Momentum 4 ditches the physical control buttons of prior models for the touch-sensitive surface of the right earcup; the touch controls are intuitive and responsive. ANC is very effective, if not class-leading (the Sony XM4 is a little better at blocking out low frequencies). Battery life, however, is unrivalled—up to 60 hours w/ANC.
Tech features are off the hook—auto off, multipoint pairing, adjustable ANC, call quality enhancing—and the app has all sorts of preset and custom EQ features, including the ability to set different sound profiles for different locations.
It’s all very innovative, if somewhat over-complicated for us Luddites. The BT 5.2 connectivity is powerful, although I did experience a few pauses and/or dropouts, perhaps because the auto-pause function is hyper-sensitive.
In contrast to the more balanced, subdued signature of prior (wireless and wired) Momentum models, the 4 has a surprisingly energetic, L-shaped presentation, with enhanced, deep-but-controlled low end and full-sounding midrange (Tweaking the various EQ functions varies the degree of bass thump but doesn’t radically alter the stock sound character).
Soundstage extends beyond your head and is very enveloping and 3D; stereo spread and instrument placement are very accurate. Timbre is warmish and notes have a lot of body; high end sounds slightly rolled off but retains some sparkle; snare and cymbal hits have good transient speed and are reasonably well-reproduced, if a tad hollow and unnatural-sounding. However, overall clarity is very good (these excel at movies and podcasts) and coherence is perfect—there are no odd dips or peaks.
Where these trail good wired models (and even some BT phones like the AKG NC70 or Phiaton 900) is in tonal accuracy—while quite detailed, the Momentum 4 has a frenetic, digitally-enhanced quality which clearly favors danceable PRAT and immersion over audiophile-transparency. It’s free from glare and sharpness, but you never forget you are listening to Bluetooth and not to a precise rendering of the source.
Likewise, in contrast to the dead quiet background of Sennheiser’s wired models like the HD600, there’s faint but audible white noise on the Momentum 4, which tends to soften/blur the presentation on acoustic fare—I believe this is attributable to the fact that the ANC cannot be wholly disengaged. That said, the Momentum 4 sounds livelier and less clinical on more uptempo genres than the leaner-textured, less-bassy HD600.
The Sony XM4 have a similarly expansive soundstage as the M4, with similarly good imaging, but sound comparatively closed-in and laid-back, with less extended low end and less high-end detail. I do prefer the fit and UI on the Sony, but the Sennheiser presents more information and is the more exciting listen.
Apple’s AirPods Max have a similarly bass-boosted, warm and forward (also slightly unnatural) tonality with a big, enveloping stage. However, the Momentum 4 has more high-end extension and more microdetail; likewise the Momentum 4 has the richer midrange–it is the less-compressed, better-sounding phone.
On a quick listen, the Bose QC45 is more comfortable and has even better ANC, but sounds flatter and leaner, with an overemphasized midrange and less high end detail and sizzle. Ultimately, comparing the Momentum 4 to its competitors is sorta like comparing German to Japanese sports sedans, which is to say that the latter may have better build, or more refined features, but don’t provide the same driving thrill.
I wish the Momentum 4 was a few grams lighter and that they offered higher rez codecs like aptX HD or LDAC. At the end of the day, however, these are minor quibbles. Taking into account the <$300 street price, the impressive tech and the insane battery life (and not having heard the latest-and-greatest from B&W or Focal), I’d venture the Momentum 4 is the best of the current mainstream players.
Thumbs way up.
Disclaimer: as noted these were sent to us gratis by Voonaudio (https://www.voonaudio.com), who otherwise made no attempt to influence our review. We receive no compensation (except, hopefully, good Karma) from sales made by them.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Specifications
