The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless arrives in Singapore at S$599, nearly four years after the Momentum 4 Wireless, which is a notably long gap in the fast-moving wireless headphone world. In that time, many headphones were released. We had seen two generations of Sony’s XM line, Bose with their QuietComfort Ultra, and even Apple with their AirPods Max 2. Slowly bur surely, we finally got the update to the Momentum Wireless headphones that was long due by Sennheiser.
Build quality and battery life
I don’t own the Momentum 4, but doing a simple comparison, it does seem that the Sennheiser Momentum 5 doesn’t completely reinvent the look, and if any it does look a little cleaner. The most visible change is the removal of the separate cap on the outside of the ear cups, making each cup a single, cleaner piece. The Sennheiser logos on the headband now sit on textured silver discs which gives it a more premium overall feel. The headphones come in three colorways: Black, White, and Denim. The unit I have is the White colorway.
Build wise, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 is largely made out of matte plastic with fabric and metallic accents to break up the plastic monotony. The fabric headband has a nice texture to it. The overall build quality is good as well – no noticeable creaking of the plastic was heard. The ear cups fold flat for travel but don’t fold into the headband, which might be a minor inconvenience if you’re tight on bag space. Having said that, the included carry case is 20% smaller than before, and is just 6cm thin making it slim enough to keep in most bags. Furthermore, the carry case also has slots for both the USB-C charging cable and the 3.5mm analogue audio cable, making it a tidy experience. You also get a 3.5mm to 2.5mm TRS cable for wired listening, which is a thoughtful inclusion.
As for battery life, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 is rated at up to 57 hours with ANC enabled, which is exceptional by any measure, even though it’s actually a slight step down from the Momentum 4’s 60 hours. Fast charging is included for top-up moments on the go.
What’s really cool about the 700mAh battery is that it is user-replaceable. You can swap it yourself with a standard Phillips-head screwdriver in minutes, with no need to send the headphones in for servicing. In a category where most headphones quietly become landfill once the battery degrades, this is a meaningful commitment to longevity that no rival currently matches at this price.
Fit and comfort
The Sennheiser Momentum 5 is largely a comfortable wear. The 290g weight is light enough for extended listening. The headband is decently padded to reduce any top-of-head pressure, and the ear pads use a plush protein leather that feels comfortable against the ear. The overall clamping force is also on the gentle side which adds to the overall comfort. Having said that, I find the earcup depth is decent but on the shallower side. They work fine for me as my ears are not that large. But if you have larger ears, the inner fabric may touch your ears – just something to note.
Sound quality
The Sennheiser Momentum 5 has a rich and full-bodied without becoming heavy-handed. It has a relatively neutral sound with a slight emphasis on bass. Bass is full sounding and brings some weight to it but doesn’t muddy the midrange. The Sennheiser Momentum 5 excels at its midrange being clean and well balanced, allowing vocals and instruments to shine through cleanly. For those who enjoy a bright and sparkly treble, you might find the highs of the Momentum 5 to be slightly toned down and less airy. But the treble remains smooth and well-rounded. And you can just simply bring up the highs in the EQ for a more sparkling listen.
There is also Immersive Audio mode which you can turn on to get the Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head-tracking. That said, I found that the standard tuning actually sounds better than the Atmos mode for most music as the vocals come through more prominently without it. But it’s worth experimenting based on what you’re listening to as movies or shows may sound better which this mode turned on.
Active Noice Cancellation
This is where Sennheiser sought to improve and the Momentum 5 does have effective and reliable ANC. Sennheiser has doubled the microphone array to eight mics (four per side), and the result is an ANC that reliably cancels out all low-end engine hum on planes and most chatter noises in crowded environment. While the ANC of the Sennheiser Momentum 5 is good, it still isn’t as strong as the likes of Sony and Apple, particularly for filtering out mid-range voice chatter.
Having said that, Sennheiser Momentum 5 remains a strong alternative and is honestly good enough for everyday use cases such MRT commutes and working from a co-working space.
App & Controls
When it comes to controls, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 employs touch-based controls on the right earcup. The touch panel registers swipes, taps, and two finger pinch/spread (which can take some time to get used to). You also have a single tactile power button. You can’t customise the controls though, so if you’re not a fan of the touch controls you can only disable it completely.
The companion app is the Smart Control Plus. You can customise the EQ with an eight-band equalizer, giving you more granular control over the sound signature. There’s also a Sound Personalisation engine that helps tailor playback to individual preferences, plus custom presets and adaptive listening settings. You also can enable Dolby Atmos with head-tracking. Multipoint Bluetooth is supported, letting you stay connected to two devices at once which makes it handy for switching between your work laptop and phone during the day.
Conclusion
At S$599, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 is in the price range that competes directly against the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QC Ultra 2. What Sennheiser wins is clearly on battery life and also the ability to change out the battery. Sound quality can be largely a personal preference, but I do find the tuning of the Sennheiser Momentum 5 to be an enjoyable listen and well-tuned to begin with so you can easily EQ it one that you like. You can pre-order the Sennheiser Momentum 5 on Lazada on when it is available mid-June.