Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Review

Classy, sleek, leather-clad, pearlescent, are some of the words we’ve used to describe the previous few generations of the Momentum series headphones. The Momentum 4 drops the individuality, puts on a gray suit and blends in with the crop of the competition. On top, you can see the difference between the previous gen and the current gen.

Look past the toned down design and there are a few features that wow us. The claimed 60 hour battery life is true. It isn’t the marketing department getting creative with loopholes. The Momentum 4 lasts that long with ANC and Bluetooth on! That’s twice the capacity of the competition!

The ANC on the Momentum 4 is the closest we’ve experienced to the industry leaders - the Sony XM5. They shun out all the traffic, the loud Mumbai honking and keep you focused on the track you are listening to. The ANC Controls are regular and on the right earcup. Swipe left/ right, up/down for tracks and volume and pinch for ANC level control, which is an interesting new addition and takes a bit to get used to.

While they’ve lost their outer sheen, the wide headband and the beautifully judged clamping force doesn’t cook your ears while still providing some passive noise cancellation. You don’t notice them even when you’ve worn them all day!

The Momentum 4 demands you sit up and listen! Almost like Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman - clean, clear and direct! They sound sharp and lean and seem to have toned down the richness of the previous gen, but in no way compromise the substance across the frequency range.

The Momentum 4 lays in front of your ears a beautifully articulated soundstage as well. It’s precise, layered well and spacious, far from sounding one-dimensional. As we play Holocene by Bon Iver, the Momentum 4 further unravel their talent. The mids sound plump and Vernon’s voice comes across with emotion intact! A rare feat to achieve for even class leading rivals.

You may be wondering how they stack up against the Industry leading Sony XM5s… In pure sonic terms, both come very close but Sony takes the edge when it comes to mid-range detail and transparency. The XM5 also have a more nuanced lower end. Apart from these two factors, it will take an extremely trained ear to mark subtle differences. The ANC is on par and so is the comfort. The Momentum 4 blows the competition out of the water with its 60 hour battery life and extensive codec support though.