Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless

Build Quality

Other than its predecessor, they are build out of plastic. This doesn't have to be bad. There is plastic and then there is plastic. My HD 580 Jubilee are also mostly made out of plastic and are still standing strong. I just hope, that the plastic used in the Momentum 4's can withstand sun exposure, because I'm mainly going to wear them out and about. Only time will tell.

Comfort

Coming from a pair of Sony XM3, the Momentum 4 are a step-down. They aren't uncomfortable, but could be better. The ear cups are on the smaller side. For my ears, it's barely big enough. The headband padding could be a bit firmer, or have more padding.

Bluetooth and Controls

The headphones got delivered with the newest firmware already installed. Which is a big plus. Connecting the headphones to my phone was as easy as it gets. The Android app also works without any problems. Only thing I don't like is the need to make an account for the custom EQ thing.

The touchpad works well, almost a little too well. Even the slightest touch pauses the music. The pinch gesture to change the ANC setting is a hit-and-miss. From ANC level 1 to neutral to transparency level 1 it works quite well, but either turning up the ANC level or transparency level above that needs a lot of tries.

ANC and Transparency

The ANC introduces a slight hiss, which is inaudible once music is playing. Other than that, it works great. On par with the Sony XM3. The transparency mode is a bit strange. Transparency mode turned all the way up produces a sound as if wind is blowing. Only that I'm inside with all the windows closed, and no AC turned on.

Sound

This is the strong point of these headphones. At home, I'm using a set of HD 580 Jubilee (predecessor of the famous HD 600) with a Fiio K5 Pro. The Momemtum 4 almost sound like a closed back version of the HD 580 Jubilee with slightly less pronounced mids and a sub bass extension.

Almost any of the Bluetooth headphones I tried out boost the lower mids/ upper bass. Hiphop sounds good, but everything else with drums (rock, metal) starts to sound muddy. This is even the case with the Momentum 3. I have no idea how Sennheiser managed to fix this with the Momentum 4, but they did. If the song has subbass, it's audible. If the song has strong subbass, the headphones have a subwoofer-like feeling to them. It does all that without convoluting the mids (or only ever so slightly). This also means that if a song has badly mixed bass, you're going to hear it.

Kickdrums in Metal songs lose a little tightness compared to my HD 580 Jubilee, but are fuller.

Mids are a tiny bit recessed. In The Seed by Aurora with the HD 580 Jubilee Aurora's voice is in the foreground. With the Momentum 4, it fights a bit with the low bass notes. But in return I hear bass notes, I can't hear with the HD 580 Jubilee.

Highs are nicely done too. They sound detailed without sounding harsh.

Imaging is superb. I am able to pinpoint the instruments with ease. I can even distinguish if something is coming from closer or further away.

Soundstage is good for a closed back headphone. It leans on the analytical side of things, which I like.

Final Thoughts

Sound wise, the Momentum 4 are the perfect match to my HD 580 Jubilee. Bass response is way better than 90% of other Bluetooth headphones in their price range (or even above) and are better than the Momentum 3. Comfort could be slightly better. All in all, a definitive recommendation for its price.

Disclaimer

Special thanks to Sennheiser for providing this opportunity to review the new Momentum 4 Wireless (or M4 from here on). I have not received any incentives for writing this review. All the comments are opinions of my own. I am not a professional reviewer, just a headphone enthusiast and music lover.

Build Quality

The M4 is built with mostly plastic materials. Although they do seem to be solid and they feel a little weighty when holding them. There is some padding under the headband so it doesn’t create hotspot on top of the head. The headband gimbals can be adjusted freely, there are no clicks. This allows for fine adjustment and there is enough friction to hold the gimbals in place after the adjustment. I do wish the gimbals could extend just a few millimeters more to have a better fit for my large head.

The other thing that bothers me was the ear pads. The M4 is advertised as over ear, or circumoral headphones. However, the inner diameters of the ear pads are on the smaller side and will not accommodate people with larger ears. The pleather materials of the pads are not breathable and they warm up the ears quickly. Since the ear pads require special mounting rings. This will limit the choices of using aftermarket pads.

The M4 is a set of feature-rich headphones. Although the M4 was not quite comfortable for me, I did not spend time to test all the features. I will keep this review short. I will also compare the M4 with my AirPods Pro (Gen 1) since that’s my only Bluetooth earphones in the similar price range.

Bluetooth Connectivity and Controls

My main reason for getting the Bluetooth headphones is for meetings and phone calls (working from home most of the time) plus the mobility. Therefore, Bluetooth connectivity and sound clarity are more important to me.

I really like the Bluetooth connectivity of M4. The Bluetooth pairing was very easy with my iPhone, LG V30 phone as well as my laptop. The M4 can connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. I can play music on iPhone then switch over to the V30 without having to disconnect the iPhone. I do need to pause the music on iPhone before using the V30. The setup of the Sennheiser Smart Control App is very easy and smooth for the Android phone (V30). However, it took me several attempts to connect the Smart Control App to M4 on the iPhone.

The touch controls were easy to operate, and I didn’t experience any misfiring.

Sound

Clarity of the sound during phone calls were excellent. I can hear the conversation clearly and my voices can be heard by the other parties with great clarity as well. The sound quality during phone calls on M4 was superior to the AirPods Pro.

I think the overall sound quality of M4 for music is also very good. The clarity and soundstage are great. The bass is full and impactful, although I feel it could be a little overpowering sometimes. I did listen to the M4 in passive mode using the provided headphone cable. The M4 sounded dull. The wireless mode sounded better and much more alive. I didn’t play with the EQ in the Smart Control App.

The M4 performs very well in terms of noise canceling. It can block out most of the ambient noises when the NC is activated. I didn't test the NC against the Bose (QC25). I didn’t use the M4 outdoors so I can’t test the wind noise reduction feature.

Comparison

Comparing to AirPods Pro, this doesn’t seem to be a fair game. The M4 is $100 more expensive in MSRP and it’s a full-size headphone versus the ear buds AirPods Pro. The M4 has much better battery life, 60 hours for M4 versus 4 hours for AirPods Pro (with one charge). The M4 can connect to two Bluetooth devices while AirPods Pro can only connect to one. In terms of noise canceling, I think M4 and AirPods Pro performed equally well. However, for sound quality on the iOS devices I prefer the AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro sounded more open, and the bass is more controlled and has better details.

Final Thoughts

I like the new Momentum 4 Wireless. The Bluetooth connectivity, the sound quality, the touch control, and the battery life are the strong selling points. If the headband gimbals and the ear pads could have been improved, then I would definitely give it a 5-Star rating.

Intro - My Journey with the Momentum

In 2011, the battle for portable audio was in full swing. Brought on by the both the integration of the smart phone into modern society and the overnight success of the juggernaught knows as Beats by Dr. Dre, audio companies both new and old were scrambling to catch up and leave their mark on consumers. This time also represented a paradigm shift in my own audio listening preference, from being content with using “good enough” drug-store purchased ear-buds, to not being satisfied when on-the-go unless I can replicate the same sound quality I had at home from headphone legends such as the DT 770, K701, and HD 598. Call me an audiophile elitist, but for me once I hear something I simply can not forget it and to be frank, my Koss IEMs were no longer acceptable to my ears. For almost a full year, like most reading this I am sure, I went through a buy-sell cycle of fancy marketing and broken promises. If sub-par performance wasn’t bad enough, long term comfort and build often sealed their fate. Needless to say I was frustrated. This all changed in 2012 when a new challenger appeared from Sennheiser, the Momentum!

Being quite new to head-gear at the time, I was starting to rely more and more on both reputable reviewers such as Tyl Hertsens, and the good folk here at Head-Fi to guid me in my purchasing decisions as I was tired of wasting both time and money. I wanted honest reviews by real people. One day as I am relaxing after a long days work and less than stellar 1 1/2 hour bus tip home, I open up my usual browser tabs including Inner Fidelity, and what I saw on their front page made my jaw drop. There it was, beckoning to me with it’s classic look and sleek lines backed up by stainless steel and lambskin leather, the Sennheiser Momentum! I probably read the review 3 times and double for the video. I was sold, and it wasn’t long before the local electronics store had a pair on demo that once heard only reinforced my wanting, no need to obtain a pair for myself. The only problem was I am not a rich man and could not afford to purchase a pair for myself. Luck changed that year at the company Christmas party when low and behold, a pair of black Momentums were up for raffle! 15 tickets later and them babies were mine, booya!

To this day, there have never been a pair of headphones I used more than the original Momentum. 2-3 hours per day on public transit as well as the fact I never left the house without at the very least having them around my neck, for nearly 7 years! It was only when I upgraded to an iPhone 8 that forced my hand into needing to upgrade to wireless headphones. Sure, I could have used my iFi xDSD, however I really did not want to drag that around with me to and from work + errands. My first and only choice naturally was the Momentum 2 wireless (HD 1). Once agin I was faced with the same dilemma of not being able to dish out the cash for a new purchase even though this time was an absolute need; No bloody way I can commute without my music! However luck strikes twice and I find a pair of HD 1 up for sale on Kijiji. Typical “ I bought these for travel and ended up purchasing X brand instead but can’t return these “ sales pitch with a price I both could afford and could not refuse. 30 minutes later and I was a proud owner of the HD 1! The leather still smelled new with full batter life, and I was a happy man once again!

All was good and the HD 1 served me well until one day in 2021 were I was browsing Amazon and came across a sale that made my heart race. There it was, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless (Momentum 3), 40% off AND 6 month equal payments! OMG, OMG, OMG…I have enough for the first payment… I NEED THESE NOW! I tell you good readers, my hands were shaking when I clicked the Buy It Now option. This was the deal of the year, maybe decade, and it felt great! However, hours later after watching and reading every review published for the Momentum 3, I came to a pause and think as to why the sale and unbelievable payment option for a pair of premium headphones from Sennheiser. DAGNABIT, they are planning on releasing the Momentum 4 soon, and sure as Schiit early 2022 they were announced! Well played Sennheiser, well played. From that day forward I channelled all my psychic energy towards Sennheiser, calling for them to announce a tour for the Momentum 4 wireless. Yes, I could have easily posted here and tagged them in, but sometimes willing the Universe to your favour is just as effective. It worked, I threw my name in, and after a couple weeks of rubbing Buda’s belly, I was selected to be part of the North American tour! Which brings us to today, my review of the much excited yet cautiously optimistic review of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 True Wireless headphones. This isn’t your Dad’s Momentums, and represent a new chapter in a beloved line of on-the-go headphones designed to take on today’s leading challengers.




Disclaimer

As read in the intro, the Momentum 4 were sent to me by Sennheiser as part of the review tour and yes, I am a long time appreciator of the Momentum line of headphones. Do not let this be of concern as my words are always honest and free of influence, and the way I am approaching this review will be both subjectively critical and highly objective where possible. I am not fanatically loyal; The Momentum 4 Wireless have large shoes to fill and will not shy away from delivering tough love if warranted. Now, without further delay, my review of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless!


Features

Ear Coupling - Around-the-ear, circum-aural

Connectivity - Bluetooth 5.2 compliant, class 1, 10 mW (max)

Supported Profiles - A2DP, AVRCP, HFP

Codecs - SBC, AAC, aptX™, aptX adaptive™

Speaker Type - 42mm diameter Dynamic

Speaker frequency range - 6 Hz to 22 kHz

Sensitivity - 106 dB SPL (1 kHz / 0 dB FS)

Total harmonic distortion (THD) - <0,3% (1 kHz / 100 dBSPL)

Impedance - Active 470 ohms / Passive 60 ohms

Active Noise Cancellation - Hybrid Adaptive ANC

Frequency response (microphone) - 50 Hz to 10 kHz

Microphone pick-up pattern - 2 mics per side, beam-forming for noise reduction

Battery time - Up to 60 hrs music playtime via Bluetooth and with ANC (test condition: iPhone, mid volume level)

Charging time - Approx. 2 hrs for full charge; 5 min charging for up to 4 hrs playtime; Remark: Ambient temperatures >30°C may lead to extended charging times

Power Supply - 5 V⎓, 800 mA max, USB charging via USB-C socket




First Impressions

May as well get rid of the elephant in the room first. In fact, it’s unavoidable. Upon opening the box and peeling off the instructional stickers from the cups, I could not help but to think that these are not a Momentum. I have obviously seen pre-release pictures of the Momentum 4 so I knew what to expect, but holding them in my hands and giving them a good look over, all that went through my mind was that they looked like a Sennheiser HD 450 had an affair with a pair of Sony 1000X. Plastic, synthetic materials, mundane design, these were not my Momentum! Technically, I put comfort over appearance all day long, but the stark difference in appearance to a long time Momentum user was (and to a degree still is) off-putting. But like my momma always said, looks aren’t important and it’s what’s inside that counts. Mother’s are always right, and I suppose it’s how they feel and sound on my head that is really important to me. I mean, I adore my PSB M4U1 but lets’ be honest, while they sound amazing and are super comfy they are not lookers by any means, especially considering since they came out the same time as the original Momentum.





After removing the Momentum 4 from their travel case, 4 white LEDs were pulsing back and forth, screaming out to me indicating that it’s looking for a pairing. Grabbing my iPhone, I opened the Bluetooth settings and the Momentum 4 paired without issue. I then opened up Sennheiser’s Smart Control App and the headphones were discovered and instantly synced. Good job so far! What was even better was that as soon as the headphones paired and were placed upon my head, Neutron Player instantly started to play! Why is this so significant I had to exclaim the last sentence? Simple, my Momentum 3 would always OPEN and start iTunes/Music and not what app I am actually using (and currently had open). Well, score another point for the Momentum 4! Before moving along to how they first sounded to my Momentum tuned ears, I have to mention I laughed to myself. I didn’t want whatever song was playing where it left off as my first song, so I instinctively went to my Apple Watch to pause the track. My finger was microns away from tapping pause when I pulled it away and said to myself, “ What am I doing, these have touch controls! “ and tapped the right ear-cup. I heard a little bleepy-blip noise to indicate the pause and it was paused. Nice!



Construction and comfort wise, I must say I was impressed… not that I had any worries. Sennheiser doesn’t make flimsy uncomfortable garbage, period. Yes, they didn’t feel as “premium” on my head, though I am unsure if that’s was more of an unconscious bias rather than a physicality. Overall they felt good. Light, non-irritating, and upon walking over to the mirror I actually gave them a nod, not of approval rather to see how well they stayed in place, in which they did to a satisfactory level. This did warrant a thumbs up, to be fare but looks wise they still irked me.

Continuing using the Momentum 4’s touch controls, I proceeded to swipe forward while looking at my phone’s screen until I found the song I was looking for, I Will Remember - Toto from the Audio’s Audiophile Collection Golden Ballads Disc 18, and tapped to play. Immediately I was greeted with the typical Momentum sound, in regards to the general frequency response, but the similarities ended there. Whatever reservations I may have had in reaction to the radical redesign instantly faded from memory as the presentation of the music I was hearing was absolutely wonderful! Track after track, all I could think was wow, and this is Bluetooth AAC?! 30 minutes in and the Momentum 4 were off to a fantastic start! I knew that I would be enjoying the next 2 weeks commuting to and from work.


Build and Comfort

Gone is the retro style lamb skin leather and stainless steel, replaced with a more contemporary design wrapped in plastic and synthetic padding. While not 4 paragraphs up I made it clear I was not enthusiastic about the Momentum 4 Wireless’s redesign, but in all honesty the new style did grow on me over the 2 weeks I had them. I both find them rather sleek looking and fitting, and realize why the change was needed; Touch controls. While Sennheiser could have made this work on the classic design, even with my small fingers it would have been very awkward and unnatural as the band not only gets in the way, it literally splits the surface area in two. The change was absolutely warranted and in my opinion Sennheiser did a good job on aesthetics.





Constructed of high quality plastic and weighing in at around 650g, the Momentum 4 Wireless feel well built and solid in my hands, as were they sturdy on my head. They feel high quality and very durable, and I have zero doubts that the Momentum 4 are made to last the long haul. I found the actual fit of the Momentum 4 Wireless felt quit comfortable. The padding on the underside of the band felt good against my part/crown with no irritation and it did not get too warm, even after a lengthy walk in 28°C weather. The clamping force of the cups was snug, but not too tight. I felt no uneven pressure on my jaw with no discomfort. The soft-vinyl synthetic pads which are made from, to quote, a viscoelastic foam core (a fancy term for memory foam) and polyurethane leatherette optimized for soft touch and good coupling with the face/head, felt soft and cool against my skin, even with stubble. There was plenty of room for my ears, with enough depth so that no part of my outer ear rubbed against the baffle. I am also a glasses wearer and I found there to be no shifting or creaky squeals.





VS Momentum 3

Given I only had 2 weeks for impressions, it’s hard to really gauge which headphone will outlast the other. However, in regards to construction, both headphones are made by Sennheiser, and this give me great comfort (pun intended) knowing the company’s reputation for quality. Synthetic, lamb skin, plastic or metal it matters not. I was able to wear both headphones without discomfort or fit issues, and both felt great on my head. However, the Momentum 4 Wireless take the point as I was able to wear them for 2 1/2 hours, 30 minutes more than the Momentum 3, before I had to slightly readjust the headband.


Touch Controls

I LIKE BUTTONS, yet I have to say I was impressed with the touch controls! I didn’t’t think I’d like them, and worried I’d be constantly “miss-touching” by accident, yet even my small elf-like hand grabbing the cups failed to make contact. Response was quick, and I never had any issues with the commands not being registered i.e. swiping at an angle or tapping off centre. Overall an enjoyable experience that has a functional and intuitive design that simply works.

Swipe up - Volume increase

Swipe Down - Volume decrease

Tap - Play/pause

Pinch in - ANC Max

Pinch out - Transparency Max



VS Momentum 3

Obviously the Momentum 3 has no touch controls, simply mundane 20th century technology called buttons. I do actually prefer the Momentum 3’s transparency button over the Momentum 4’s pinch. In my opinion it’s both easier to use and I like the tactile feel that lets me know what mode I am in.


Voice Prompts

Ah, the sassy English gal is back! Alongside the signal bleeps, once again the Momentum 4 Wireless features voice prompts, giving you all the pertinent information one might need for a headset. They are as follows:

“Connected” ...are connected via Bluetooth.

“No connection” ... have lost the Bluetooth connection to a paired device.

“Pairing successful” ... have successfully completed Bluetooth pairing.

“Pairing failed” ... have not successfully completed Bluetooth pairing.

“Recharge headset” ... have an empty rechargeable battery. Charge the rechargeable battery.

“More than xx % battery left” ... indicates the remaining battery charge in percent.

“Volume min” ... have reached the minimum volume setting.

“Volume max” ... have reached the maximum volume setting.

“Mute on” ... mute the microphone.

“Mute off” ... activate the microphone again.

VS Momentum 3

New recording of the dialogue, but fundamentally unchanged since the Momentum 2. The Momentum 4 Wireless does however seem to respond quicker when prompted over the previous Momentum.


Sound

Bass - It wouldn’t be a Momentum if it did not bring the bass, and the Momentum 4 Wireless doesn’t disappoint! Slightly elevated and extending far past my hearing, the sub-bass is robust and nicely weighted. My go-to test for sub-bass is the track 20 Hz - Shake the Street. This track features a 20 Hz tone that persists throughout the track, and is an excellent way of determining both if the drivers can handle the intensity and remain coherent without distortion, as well as to gauge if (at all) the sub-bass bleeds and overtakes the mid-bass. The Momentum 4 Wireless handles this track with ease. The Sub-bass remained highly controlled with no odd fluttering noises coming from the driver, with absolutely no bleed into the mid-bass allowing the kick drum to come through with it’s intended punchiness. This behaviour persisted beyond the test track, with every genre of music thrown at the Momentum 4 Wireless being handled with respect. Not once did I hear a track and think wow, that’s a lot of sub-bass, nor did ever hear it unnecessarily being boosted beyond what the track called for. In other words, the Momentum 4 Wireless handles sub-bass right, and should satisfy both audiophiles and bass-heads alike.

Much like the lower frequencies, mid-bass is balanced and controlled. It effortlessly flows into the sub region in a flat line with no discernible hump, and never bleeds into the lower midrange. Bass is fast, detailed, and articulate. It is well balanced with a good sense of slam, but never sounds too hard. It hits as much as it needs to, with only a slight hint of extra oomph in the kick. Drums and bass guitars are nicely layered upon each other with each retaining it’s own detail and presence and never blending together. Lower registers of the piano sound rich and articulate, while cellos and double bass sound simply divine!

VS Momentum 3

The Momentum 3’s sub-bass rolls off a touch while the mid-bass feels like a hammer against your skull! The Momentum 4 Wireless’ bass while not hitting nearly as hard, is far more controlled and detailed than it’s predecessor.

Midrange - The Momentum 4 Wireless is a Sennheiser, meaning a midrange that is smooth, textured, detailed, with accurate timbre. While relatively linear, there is a slight S shaped curve rising to 1KHz, decreases down to 2.5KHz and back up to 4KHz. This 1K hump and 2-3K dip slightly brings the midrange forward while careful not to create a hollow, almost nasaly tonality to the sound. Overall, the Momentum 4 Wireless handles midrange like a boss. Vocals are clean, clear, and articulate, while instruments possess excellent speed and texture. It’s always so hard to critique any Sennheiser headphone’s midrange and put it to words. They are just THAT good I simply have nothing to add that Sennheiser isn’t well known for. I guess I can sum it up by saying true to form Sennheiser midrange.

VS Momentum 3

The Momentum 4 Wireless’ mids are slightly forward, while the Momentum 3’s midrange is more linear. For the latter this does not translate to a more natural or better sounding midrange. The Momentum 4 Wireless’s midrange is slightly more refined and poses more accurate timbre.

Treble - Detailed, well extended, smooth, with a great sense of air, the treble is, simply put, akin to the HD 600! No embellishment, if you have heard the Sennheiser HD 600 you will recognize the Momentum 4 Wireless’ treble. It really is that good and that similar! Vocal sibilance is extremely well controlled being both detailed and smooth. Cymbals are full sounding with incredible decay that has a certain delicacy to it yet still retains a good sense of weight. Horns have bite and zing, but never glare or peakiness. At no time did my ears ever get fatigued, even listening at higher volume. In short, the Momentum 4 Wireless does treble to perfection! Out of all the subtle changes to the Momentum 4 Wireless’s sound, I find the treble to be the most pleasing.

VS Momentum 3

While both headphones have great treble extension, detail, and resolve, by comparison the Momentum 3 upper registers are more dynamic and in-your-face, while the Momentum 4 Wireless are more natural and laid back (and my preference).

Soundstage - Perhaps the biggest change in sound that departs from the whole Momentum line would be the soundstage. With each revision, the Momentum’s soundstage got larger and larger, partly due to their size increase. But that’s about it, a BIGGER sound, but with no real refinement. The soundstage of the Momentum 4 Wireless is a complete overhaul and a stark departure from it’s siblings.

The first noticeable change comes in the form of tangible depth and height, in that there actually is some, and by some I mean an impressive amount for a closed back headphones. The Momentum 4 Wireless’ predecessors have what I describe as a large, all encompassing soundstage that is flat, and have a very in-your-head sound to them. Sure, I can describe the sound as tall and wide, even having decent layering and instrument separation, yet it’s still fairly flat. The Momentum 4 Wireless has actual depth with accurate height. The vocals and instruments do sound a touch smaller, but their positioning in the 180° frontal arc is far more accurate and true to source. With live performances I can clearly gauge the size of the venue and not just “get a feel” for the space with no real boundaries. With the Momentum 4 Wireless it’s as if I can “see” the back of the stage, the walls, the ceiling and not just experience the reverb. When listening to YouTube videos and Podcasts alike I can “feel” the room, their walls, even their desk. The layering is rendered so well I know when performers walk in front of one another. I can tell that that guitar rift was recorded by a mic placed in front of the amp with the guitarist firmly placed behind. All of this with stellar technical resolve!

VS Momentum 3

The Momentum 3 sound like the listener is front and centre right up against the stage, while the Momentum 4 Wireless sound as if you are in the venue’s sweet spot. Not only does this allow for a greater sense of holographic space, it allows the sound be breathe, creating an out-of head experience with far more accurate detail and resolve.

Summary - I have to say, the Momentum 4 Wireless aren’t just a great sounding and performing headphone, they are one of Sennheiser’s best sounding and performing headphones! Not only do they improve upon the Momentum sound, they easily outperform even the legendary HD 600! In fact, the Momentum 4 Wireless actually sound very close to, yes, I’ll say it, a theoretical closed back HD 600!

And I do have to apologize for not including any specific tracks to accompany this section. To be frank, most of my listening was done while on-the-go on random. Literally hundreds of songs were critiqued in my head during real world use. What was listened to was a diverse mix of artists and genres spanning 30 years from the 24 disc collection Audio’s Audiophile.

Memorable Songs include:

Ana Caram - Meditation

Thomas Dolby - Pulp Culture

Toto - I Will Remember

Indigo Girls - Midnight Train To Georgia

Seal - Kiss From a Rose (Album Version)

Lou Reed - Small Town

Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra

Jeff Beck - She’s a Woman

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Little Wing

Joe Satriani - Slow Down Blues

Santana - Para Los Rumberosd

Klaus Weiland - Monkey River Magic

Rebecca Pidgeon - Primitive Man

Sara K. - Turned Me Upside Down


Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation

Sennheiser didn’t just improve upon their active noise cancelling, they raised the bar! New to the Momentum line and many headphones alike is the true Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation. What I mean by “true” is unlike before where the user had to manually control the environmental ANC either by controls or an app, the Momentum 4 Wireless will automatically set the ANC based on the environmental conditions. The best part is that it just works! When I first wore the headphones outside I manually set the ANC. I will admit, I didn’t trust the Momentum 4 Wireless to both swiftly and correctly switch ANC modes, but that’s not why I did so. I wanted to gauge how well ANC sounded manually when walking to my destination, and how well Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation worked by comparison while walking back. It only took a handful of trips before I just set it to Adaptive and left it at that. It was THAT good! It mattered not if I was in a noisy fast food restaurant (with teenagers), walking into the wind, or on a noisy bus, the Momentum 4 Wireless kept up and adapted accordingly.

Performance of the ANC was surprisingly good. I was both used to and content with the performance of the Momentum 3. While not quite as good as the competition, it was a vast improvement over the HD1 and that was fine by me. My opinion changed once I heard the Momentum 4 Wireless, and realized why many users and reviewers alike heavily criticized their predecessor over the competition. To my ears, the improved ANC performance is now on par with the high end competition, only falling behind the current and more expensive champ, Apple’s AirPods Max, and that’s mostly in regards to transparency mode. Speaking of transparency mode, the Momentum 4 Wireless improves upon this as well. While not perfect, it does sound more natural and less processed. My only small gripe and one area I think transparency mode needs improving is that there seems to be no priority on voices over the background noise as everything seems to be at the same volume (amplification). Again this is a nitpick only when compared to the AirPods Max as the Momentum 4 Wireless seem to be about equal to the rest.

Lastly, let’s talk about the cabin pressure caused by the ANC. Well, if there was any I’d gladly give my opinion however the Momentum 4 Wireless has ZERO added pressure introduced by the ANC. If there was any, my ears did not feel it, nor did they hear ANY change or alteration to the sound. Bravo Sennheiser, mine and other’s sensitive ears truly thank you! One can now listen to their music while cancelling out noise in complete comfort.

VS Momentum 3

Much improved! To give you a good perspective I will compare how well I, or shall I say I don’t, hear the sound of a diesel bus engine while seated. With the Momentum 3 the sound of the engine is present but veiled. I can still hear the midrange sound of the engine but the deep rumble and high pitched whine was attenuated. With the Momentum 4 Wireless that same Diesel engine sounded like an electric motor. What little sound I did hear mostly came through my arse to my ears via the seat. As for electric/hybrid busses, the sound was gone! In fact, the only sound I did hear appeared to be the sound of the tires on the asphalt, and even that was at a minimum!

Cabin pressure is also significantly reduced. With the Momentum 3, the pressure though is not too bad is noticeable and does alter the sound. The Momentum 4 Wireless suffers from virtually no pressure and the sound remains consistent throughout the adaptation and cancellation.


Bluetooth

With Bluetooth 5.2, the Momentum 4 Wireless features the latest technology. They can accept SBC, AAC, aptX™, aptX adaptive™ codecs, meaning that no matter what format you are using, the Momentum 4 Wireless should have no issues pairing. I say should as there are always devices that “should” connect but doesn’t. While not confirmed, the Nintendo Switch is a good example of a usual culprit. In regards to my own devices, a mix of Android and iOS, I found the Momentum 4 Wireless pairing to be effortless and without issues. It just worked! That said, some might find the absence of more premium codecs such as LDAC and aptX™Low Latency to be a huge miss-step. In regards to the former, the Momentum 4 Wireless first and foremost are headphones to be worn while being active in one’s own daily life, not critical listening in front of a fire in an old La-z Boy with a glass of Sauvignon blanc in hand. Besides, AptX Adaptive is backwards compatible with AptX HD. As for the latter, with Bluetooth 5.2, latency has been significantly improved making aptX™Low Latency unnecessary.

While on-the-go, I experienced little drop-outs. Whether walking through the mall, or crammed into an over-stuffed city bus, the music remained constant with a solid connection. Oddly enough, it’s mostly when I first approach fast-food restaurants that I hear a brief drop-out. My guess is that between the cars, customer’s smart phones, and the headsets used for the workers to communicate create a bubble of Bluetooth that once penetrated causes a brief overload of signals. As for range, I can safely say that I can walk to the dumpster of my townhouse complex which is several units down and still have a solid connection between the Momentum 4 Wireless and my iPhone still in my jacket’s pocket, hung up inside. As well, I was able to move around all 3 floors of my townhouse and not once did I experience even the slightest hiccup.

Overall I found the Momentum 4 Wireless Bluetooth performance to be exceptional! The connection is solid, and the sound quality definitely sits amongst the best! I, like many, have praised devices like iFi’s xDSD for having stellar AAC quality indistinguishable from wired, and I can confidently say that the Momentum 4 Wireless performance matches that of a dedicated Bluetooth DAC/amp. That is how far the technology has come, and it’s a breath of fresh air. Whether good or bad sounding, the song’s sonic quality comes from the track, not the headphone’s processing.

VS Momentum 3

In terms of performance and sound quality, connectivity, and signal stability, both headphones were virtually identical. Not much else to say.


Wired Connectivity

Connectivity wise, the Momentum 4 Wireless continues the trend of having both USB and 3.5mm options available if wireless is not. Both jacks are located on the bottom of the right cup. Located above the ports sits the only physical button, which it’s multi-function controlling voice assistant, Bluetooth syncing (5 sec hold), battery life voice prompt (double tap), and of course power on/off (hold for 3 seconds).



Like it’s predecessors, the Momentum 4 Wireless can be used over USB when connected to a PC/Mac with no additional drivers needed. You just plug it in and select the Momentum 4 Wireless from the systems’s sound settings, easy breezy, and the best part is they will charge while playing! This is a great option as not everyone’s laptop has equal Bluetooth, with dropouts being common while in crowded places such as restaurants and libraries. Or perhaps the desktop you are using has really bad internal audio and lacks any sort of Bluetooth connectivity, USB has you covered! However there are a couple of downsides to USB. The first is that you are limited to 16/48 audio output as you are using the Momentum 4 Wireless’ internal DAC. Not really an issue as 99% of music is in 16/44, and you will be getting a lossless signal. The second downside (letdown) is that once again you can not make use of the Momentum’s microphone. A huge miss-step in my opinion as the ability to both talk and listen would make the Momentum 4 Wireless a great option for a gaming headset (over USB).

The 3.5mm jack can be used two ways: Amped and raw. With Amped (the Momentum 4 Wireless turned on) the sound will pass through the DSP/Internal processing, giving the user the best sound quality yet retains the source material’s quality (bit depth/sample rate). Yes, it defeats the purpose of going wired, but it also allows the listener to experience the Momentum 4 Wireless’ intended tuning but at higher quality than Bluetooth allows, with the added benefit of ANC. I tell you, with 2 Lovebirds and a Senegal this was a Godsend while sitting at my desk!
* Note: You must max out the volume on the headphone itself, otherwise you will find the source amp will need a lot more power than is needed.

If you decide to go raw (un-amped), which to be honest given the intended use case of the headphone is a last ditch effort if in itself, one must physically hold down the multi-function button for 3 seconds to actually power down the Momentum 4 Wireless. If you connect in the 3.5mm plug the LEDs will flash RED, meaning the unit is in low power mode but the internal processing is still active and is not the same as powered down. As mentioned, this is the last use case of the Momentum 4 Wireless and in my own opinion, probably the least preferred option as the sound can only be described as, relatively speaking of course, weak. A good analogy would be if anyone has ever used the (depending on the manufacturer) Straight or Direct Mode on their stereo receiver. What this does is passed through the audio signal straight to the amp, bypassing all internal processing and tone controls leaving just your speaker’s “raw” sound. Some might find this pleasing and preferred.

Personally I am not too bothered by the raw 3.5mm performance. I understand why since the Momentum 2 (HD1) Sennheiser needed to use DSP to achieve the desired sound. To quote:


Well said! And…


I couldn’t agree more. These are wireless headphones through and through.

VS Momentum 3

Going to make this short and sweet. The two headphones along with the HD1 wired connectivity and functionality are identical to one another.


Microphone

To be honest, I did not really do much microphone testing. I received 2 calls, one while shopping in the grocery store and one while out walking to 7-11. Both calls I asked the caller how I sounded, and both reported that I sounded just fine with minimal background noise. I suppose that’s a passing grade for the Momentum 4 Wireless.

VS Momentum 3

The Momentum 3’s microphone was a downgrade from previous models, including the wired in-line found on the original. Sennheiser remedied this and one’s voice now comes across as more natural and less hollow and distant. I’d like to also point out, when speaking my own voice comes across as more open and less pressurized, if that makes any sense. Again, I didn’t dive too deep into this as I really don’t make many phone calls, though if I had to guess it has to do with Sidetone feature found in the Smart Control app.


Smart Control App

The Smart Control app acts like a control hub for all of your Sennheiser Bluetooth headphones, and has several features that help tailor your listening experience. With every category clearly labeled and presented visually, I found it both quick easy to navigate, with the option to disable any of the sub menus if one does not care about a certain function. This not only helps clean up the interface, making it easier to navigate and select an option, but prevents my OCD need of a minimalistic interface. Like many, It bothers me when I have to scroll through so many sub menus in-between the ones I need and regularly use. I tell you, hanging on to a hand-grip on a moving bus or train is bumpy and trying to one-hand navigate is a pain, so the less chances of accidentally clicking on the wrong selection and have to back out only to try again (and again), the better!



One of the most useful feature of the Smart Control app, and in part the Momentum 4 Wireless, is that all changes made in app will be baked into the headphones, meaning it’s set it, forget it. If you are happy with the changes made that’s it, you don’t need to constantly re-open Smart Control every time you pair the Momentum 4 Wireless. This is fantastic if you make use of multiple devices or just don’t want to use the app.



Using the Smart Control app, you can even set specific presets based on what zone you are in! Ok that is cool! Leave the house, bass-boost kicks in and ANC turns on. In your office, it can switch to transparency mode with a more laid back EQ preset. It’s your choice and can be configured to your taste! This does however require the Smart Control app to be open with the Momentum 4 Wireless connected, but it a minor drawback. Seriously, the Momentum 4 Wireless is packed with features, but GPS would just be too costly to implement, not to mention would be kind of overkill, hence why the Smart Control app acts like a multi-purpose smart hub for your Sennheiser wireless devices.



VS Momentum 3

Both share and use the same app. The Momentum 4 Wireless is presented with more options over it’s predecessor, but otherwise identical. That is except for actually connecting. As mentioned previous, the Momentum 3 has issues with it’s auto-connect behaviour. It will open and start playing Music and not what app I was using previous. I often have to open Neutron and double tap play/pause quickly, then power the headphones on in order to keep my app selection. If that’s not bad enough, 75% of the time, even though I literally have music playing, if I open Smart Control the Momentum 3 will not connect. It will say connecting, but then disconnects and I have to tap on the icon to connect again, and even then I often need a 3rd attempt. The Momentum 4 Wireless had zero issues, in fact if I have the app open already in the background and I switch to Smart Control, the headphones are often already connected, or at the very least does so almost immediately after opening.


Battery Life

Much like the sub-par ANC with the Momentum 3 and it’s dismal battery life, Sennheiser lost out on a lot of potential sales due to not measuring up to the completion (so says the internet), and this time they weren’t messing around. They weren’t out for redemption, they were out for OVERKILL, and succeed they did! The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless features the longest lasting battery in the history of batteries! Ok, I made that up, but it most certainly can and will outlast the competition. With a MASSIVE 60 hours of battery life with ANC on, we aren’t talking about simply outdoing the competition, Sennheiser obliterated them all by doubling the life over the nearest competitor! When I received my review pair the battery life was at 80%; After the two weeks of moderate to heavy real World use, the battery was only down to 30%! Simply put, wow!

Oh, and before I end this section, I do have to mention that Sennheiser’s claim of 4 hour playback after 5 minutes of charging is absolutely correct… as far as I can tell after doing some quick math I’m my head at the time of charging. In regards to overall charge time I can tell you it went from 30% to 100% in just over 1 hour. This is amazing! I can’t tell you how many times I got ready to leave work and my Momentum 3s are redlining. 5 minutes of charge (if I am lucky) does little for them, and having no music for half my bus trip sucks. With the Momentum 4’s fast charging I could probably give them 3 minutes fo charging and easily make it home with more than enough power to spare. Nice!

VS Momentum 3

… cough...… You serious?! The Momentum 4 Wireless has literally 4 times the battery life of the Momentum 3! While this never posed an issue for me as my use case was pretty static, my daily bus commute, I can see this being an issue for those who use the Momentum 3 for the entirety of their day such as office workers or students, not to mention those who travel. Besides the increased battery life, the Momentum 4 Wireless also charges quite a bit faster (charge level vs playtime) as well.


Travel Case

As with all of the previous models, the Momentum 4 Wireless headphones come with a protective travel case. The outer material is of high quality, being both rugged pleasing to the touch with the inner layers featuring a soft yet durable velvet-like fabric. The top and bottom are protective by a hard plastic layer, keeping potential damage to a minimum if not outright preventing it. Inside the case there is a space for all of the included accessories, nicely held in place by elastics and webbing. The only minor negative I have towards the case is the fact that you have to retract the arms fully before the Momentum 4 Wireless will fit flush and snug inside the case.





Speaking of the Momentum 4 Wireless sitting in their case, there is more than meets the eye! Much like Apple’s AirPods Max, when placed inside the travel case the headphones will automatically enter into a low power sleep mode, essentially being turned off. This is fantastic as a major gripe people have towards a lot of wireless headphones, including Sennheiser’s own, is that they would often turn on while in transit and run down the battery. Not ideal when on-the-go to say the least! With the Momentum 4 Wireless you will never need to worry.



VS Momentum 3

The Momentum 3 fold up rather than sit flat, meaning the case does have a smaller footprint. However since the don’t fold flat it does sit taller. Tit for tat really. Both are made of high quality material and have hard inserts to protect while in transit, and both can hold all of their accessories. The only difference being the ability to power down while placed inside, and what a difference it it. Again, having an auto-off feature is a Godsend and should be standard!


Value

At $349 USD, the Momentum 4 Wireless offers a great value. You get Sennheiser quality with class leading sound and class leading technology! What more is there to say other than:




Conclusion

My time with the Momentum 4 Wireless was that of pure joy, and I thank Sennheiser for giving me an opportunity to try out their latest offering. Being a long time user and fan of the Momentum line-up, I went into this review with high expectations. The Momentum 4 Wireless have big boots to fill, and a legacy to uphold. That said, I can confidently say that all worries and reservation I may have had going into the review faded from memory by the end. Offering both a technologically and sonically superior revision, Sennheiser did the Momentum’s namesake right and is a more than worthy upgrade to the line. Whether it be long time users such as myself, or new users wanting a pair of great sounding ANC headphones, the Momentum 4 Wireless will not disappoint! So, the big question: Will I be grabbing a pair myself? Absolutely! Eventually… sometime soon I hope, so I can enjoy them before the next Momentum is announced. Regardless, the Momentum 4 Wireless will be a very welcome addition to my Momentum lineup, and is highly recommended to anyone wanting nothing but the best sound while on the go!

PREFACE

Hello, this is my first review on Head-Fi actually, exciting!!! Much thanks to @ericpalonen for giving me this chance to try the Momentum 4 North American Tour (Canadian Portion)!!!

Momtum 4 Tour
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/new-tour-momentum-4-wireless.964460/

Discussion Thread
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/introducing-momentum-4-wireless.964459/

I'll be honest I'm normally a wired headphone guy, but I've wanted to give wireless try for a while now. My past headphones are mostly composed of Denon/Fostex variants (D2000, D5200, TH-X00, E-Mu Teak, TH900....etc). And if any of you guys have used Denon/Fostex variants and you'll know they come with this big and long 3m cables, it's kind of tedious from time to time. Which prompt me to maybeeeeeeeeee time time to explore wireless?????

Which happens to be good timing this tour just popped so I signed up and here I am.

Apologize if I'm very newb when it comes to wireless. Also everything written in this review is my own opinion and not influenced by Sennheiser in any ways (since they don't know how terrible I am at wireless gear shhhhhhhhhhh LOLLLLL).

INITIAL IMPRESSION

Here's some pictures of the package, it comes with a handy case that includes all the accessories. For my own preference (not Sennheiser's fault or anything) I think I would've preferred the white version, but black version looks very nice too haha.



Unboxing!!!





I opt to not peel away the sticker since this is a review copy and I have to send it back LOL. So ignore the sticker for now, but it basically give you instruction on how the touch gesture do.



And it folds flat in either direction.



USABILITY

It comes with a Sennheiser app where you can control things between Noise Cancelling mode or Transparency mode. Noise Cancelling mode as the name suggests........ let you cancel noise, and Transparency mode plays the outside noise into your headset as if you're not wearing headset.

It also has EQ options where you can tune the sound to your preference, but to be honest I think the tuning is superb and fits my preference so even no EQ on sounds good. More on that in the sound section.

And I'll be honest........ there's other extra feature but I didn't look too much into it since it doesn't fit my use case.

If anything I wish it has a OFF function in the noise cancelling, as is now you can only slide it in the middle between Noise Cancelling mode and Transparency mode but I don't think it counts as OFF. As I find normally with noise cancelling headphone when it's not playing sound, it always give off this weird pressure feeling and it's a little bit uncomfortable.

Another wish list is I wish it has an desktop app, right now there's only phone app available. But I did try to connect to my PC and it worked without issue (just can't access any extra features).

COMFORT

If we're talking about comfort, we have to bring out my comfort reference headphone which is the Bose SoundTrue Around Ear!!! Bose SoundTrue Around Ear is by far the most comfortable headphone I ever owned, 2nd most comfortable headphone I own is Sony MDR-1AM2. Size wire they're pretty similar as you can see. Both fit my head at max headband extension, but my head is on the large side so this is normal.

So I'll say Momentum 4 is quite comfortable however it being wireless, I'm assuming they don't want it to fall off your head, so the clamp force is a bit higher. Which makes it not as comfortable as the other 2 headphones I've mentioned but still quite comfortable. I'd imagine for most people with normal head size this would not be an issue.

Ear cup size is a tiny tiny bit bigger on the Momentum 4.





SOUND

Okay so I'm assuming this is the most important thing, since we're reviewing headphone LOL.

Off the bat I'll say....... it sounds good! In fact very good tonal balance similar to the Bose I have. Something weird about audiophile headphone is that a lot of the time they have somewhat recessed vocal. I think because somehow audiophile always want to avoid "shouty vocal" and want to be "smooth. But I listen to headphone to listen to the vocal! Luckily both Sennheiser and Bose have what we call more "mainstream" tuning which is easy to like and have forward vocal which is good for pop. Another headphone that I like with forward vocal is Grado (yes I know it's love and hate here).

This might sound generic but..... I'll say it sounds energetic and fun, treble is sparkly, vocal is forward, and bass has nice kick. Overall very balanced and fun signature.

Timber is also quite good, things sound natural and realistic. Not too thin not too thick.

If I were to find a flaw I'd say........ resolution is decent. I think for regular listening it's fine but for critical listening you'll be reminded that it's a wireless headphone also the price point. I mean it makes sense since for the price point you have to also factor in cost that goes to noise cancelling and cost that goes into wireless vs 100% of the cost goes into sound (wired headphone).

Though if you have to ask for absolute sound quality, I'd say TH-X00 ($400) sounds better, but Momentum 4 at $350 on sound quality alone probably is competitive to $200-$300 wired headphone, then you factor in the Noise Cancelling and Bluetooth then it makes sense.

Again as I mentioned if you don't do any critical listening then this is totally fine and enjoyable. I didn't really need to use the EQ since the default tuning already sound quite good to me.

VS WIRED HEADPHONES

So I did try to run wired mode on the Momentum 4 to see what the difference are, and.......... it didn't sound too good to me LOL. So I THINK, this is similar to the Grado GW100 wireless headphone where they use digital tuning to "correct" the sound digitally. So the wireless mode actually sounds better than wired mode. Since the "tuned" sound is what they want you to hear. So here on I'll compare the sound quality to my wired headphone using Momentum's wireless mode.





As I previously mentioned I have a lot of Denon/Fostex headphones, and my current daily driver is Lawton Modded TH900 MK2 with Lyr 3 / Violectric V200 hooked up to SDAC.

Off the bat I'll say yeahhhhhh Momentum 4 can't live up to the resolution and depth and soundstage of my desktop setup BUT, I do think the tuning / tonal balance IS better on the Momentum 4. As I mentioned I struggle to find a vocal forward headphone that also has the tonal balance I like on treble and bass. TH900 is no exception, it's still not perfect but it's "close enough". But the Momentum 4 do win out on tonal balance but lose on resolution.

Again if I don't sit down and do some critical listening then the Momentum 4 is really enjoyable. Also we're comparing products that costs like........3-4 times the price of Momentum 4 so it's not really fair. But if you factor out the wireless aspect I do think on sound quality alone Momentum 4 do compare more directly to my Bose SoundTrue Around Ear and Sony MDR-1AM2. Though tuning wise the Momentum 4 and Bose SoudnTrue are better.

CONCLUSION

So as I mentioned I'm normally a wired guy and want to see if there's potential in wireless at this day and age. I definitely think it's getting close. It's not quite there yet but I have faith we'll get there. Again not at the fault of Sennheiser I think they made an excellent product, but for my use case (specific to me) I think I would prefer something more desktop friendly. Something with a desktop app and probably doesn't need noise cancelling? I know I'm in the niche market but one can dream LOL.

Maybeeeeee just maybe I could give Focal Bathys a try next time, again not really same price point so not a fair comparison. But I'm thinking something to bridge that wired desktop quality while having wireless functionality.

Otherwise I definitely had a fun on this tour and I'd like to thank Sennheiser for giving me this opportunity to try and write my first review on Head-Fi!

Please let me know if you have any questions, cheers!!!

Hyde00