Enjoy The Silence
Control the ambient sound while enjoying your favourite music with the signature Sennheiser sound
When the Sennheiser Momentum 4 was revealed, one of the talking points among the review community was the design which is a vast departure from the Momentum 3.
The large ear cups appear plain flat, providing a large surface area for the numerous gesture controls, though they are missed opportunities to make it look more unique. I believe this is a deliberate decision to make the Momentum 4 nondescript and in line with the other wireless headphones models. Nevertheless, the fabric headband with a stick-on logo makes it a little more recognisable for the sharp eye.
The Momentum 4 operates by touch gestures on the right ear cup, just like the Sony and the Bose. A new gesture first to be introduced on these headphones is pinch-and-zoom, which adjusts the ANC-to-Transparency level.
It means that as you reduce the ANC, you are increasing Transparency. The on-head detection, when enabled, will auto-pause the playback, auto-mute during the call, activate power saving mode to power down automatically after a preset time, and power up when you wear the headphones.
The advertised battery life of 60 hours was not put to the test, but throughout the 1-week review period, there was no need to charge the headphones at all and it remains at 60% after about 10 hours of use. Multipoint is supported on the headphones, which allows connecting 2 devices concurrently.
The ANC quality on the Momentum 4 is by far the best from Sennheiser, though, the upper frequency is not suppressed as well as the Sony WH-1000XM5 nor the Bose HP700. The Transparency level is also adequately natural but not open enough to match the sound when not wearing the headphones. It’s just a tad softer than with the headphones removed. What’s good is that the ambient noises do not sound processed.
I recall enjoying the predecessor Momentum 3, but only because the tuning favour the sparkles and the booms – a popular V-shaped EQ. With Momentum 4, the tuning is less extreme. The upper midrange delivers a bit more meat while retaining the signature treble clarity. The bass is also sounding slightly less intense but still retains prominence, with a little more substance at the upper bass. The instrument separation is distinct and sound staging is wide and close, allowing details to be easily heard despite a stronger vocal presence. The midrange is clear and not too bloated. The Momentum 4 retains the Sennheiser quality of prominently sizzling treble without being too overbearing.
One of the benefits of using the Momentum 4 is the Sidetone where I can hear the ambient sounds while on a call. This makes me aware of the surroundings and also prevents me from speaking too loud. Turning up 100% oers the most naturally open sound without excessive amplification.
Rating 4.0
We say:
The Momentum 4 may not look distinct, but the ANC and Transparency Modes perform sufficiently to match the competition. And the audio quality is what Momentum delivers.
S$499
sg.sennheiser-hearing.com
Technical Specifications
Driver 42mm Dynamic
Frequency Response 6 – 22,000 Hz
Sensitivity 106 dB SPL (1 kHz / 0 dB FS)
Total Harmonic Distortion <0,3% (1 kHz / 100 dBSPL) Impedance 60 ohms (passive) / 470 ohms (active) Codecs SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive
Battery Up to 60 hours
