Sennheiser was one of the first brands to cut the cord on wireless earbuds when it launched the first version of its Momentum True Wireless headphones back in 2019. Fast-forward five years and the fourth-generation model has dropped - which has got many of us, myself included, excited.
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 has a slightly longer battery life than its predecessors, along with improvements in the adaptive noise cancelling, an adjustable transparency mode for when you need to let the outside world in (to hear public transport announcements, for example) and features such as sound personalisation and an ear-fit test.
However, Sennheiser thinks the biggest improvements are the future-proofing technologies, which include support for Qualcomm’s Aptx Lossless codes, along with the inclusion of Low Energy Bluetooth and Auracast. Auracast, in case you’re not familiar, is a technology that lets you directly tap into broadcasts in locations such as train stations or airports, without needing to remove the headphones or turn on the transparency mode to hear them.
Sound Quality
There’s no denying the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 sounds very good. The audio is balanced, with equal weighting given to vocals and a top end which sounds bright and clear. Then there’s the bass - a warm, rich sound that’s powerful but never becomes overpowering or hollow-sounding.
When listening to The Show by Girls Aloud, the electronic tones combine perfectly with the vocal harmonies, while the subtle bass is clearly audible and offers a consistent rhythm without getting lost – something other earbuds often fail to reproduce.
Meanwhile, Back on the Chain Gang by The Pretenders sounds fresh, with both the guitar and Chrissie Hynde’s instantly recognisable vocals front and centre, and the gentle percussion softly flowing in the background.
It’s not just music that sounds good through these earbuds, either. Switching to an episode of Parenting Hell, the Sennheisers have a clear, warm delivery, which sounds almost as if you are in the room during the conversation. Using the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 to make calls, meanwhile, is also a good experience - both parties sound clear, and the earbuds pick up just a handful of external noises (such as a car pulling to a halt at a junction where I am crossing while making the call).
Qualcomm’s aptX Lossless is one of three technologies built into the Momentum True Wireless 4 that are designed to future-proof the earbuds. This codec provides CD-quality 16bit/44.1kHz audio over Bluetooth - but, crucially, this happens without applying any form of compression which can otherwise degrade the sound quality.
Of course, as well as aptX Lossless support from the headphones, the device you’re using as a source of music needs to support it too. And this is the issue: there simply aren’t that many devices around right now which support aptX Lossless and that’s likely to be an issue for anyone buying these earbuds in the near future. My iPhone 15 Pro doesn’t, and neither does my partner’s Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Living with
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are a little bit, well, brash when it comes to looks - the earbud equivalent of Pat Butcher’s earrings. They’re chunky, and protrude far further out of my ears than my trusty Apple AirPods Pro. Admittedly they look slightly less obtrusive in white or black rather than the copper version on review, but personally I prefer a more discreet design. They certainly stand out from the crowd, though.
Music control comes from tapping once, twice or three times on each of the earbuds, and as well as playing or pausing the music, functionality extends to volume adjustment, skipping tracks, summoning the voice assistant and turning noise cancelling on or off. The Smart Control app can be used to customise the number of taps that perform the different actions - a level of personalisation I really value in true wireless headphones. I also find the automatic pause feature (which stops the music when you remove one or both of the earbuds) extremely handy.
The Smart Control app is easy to use, and offers additional features such as the ability to tweak the sound, a fit test, and Sound Zones (which automatically applies equaliser settings, noise cancelling or transparency levels when entering or leaving locations such as home, work or the gym).
When it comes to noise cancelling, the Momentum True Wireless 4s are effective, blocking out almost all the noise when walking along a busy high street on a Saturday morning. Only the occasional agitated driver honking a horn slips through.
The battery life is good, with these earbuds lasting around 7.5 hours between charges – not the longest on the market, but better than the five or six hours that’s become the norm. The case offers enough charge for up to 30 hours of use, and the bold claims about an hour’s listening from an eight-minute charge stand up in real life too. As an added bonus, the case can be charged using a Qi wireless charger.
Conclusion
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are a great pair of wireless earbuds, fusing excellent audio with effective noise cancelling and good battery life. But the future-proofing is exactly that, and might seem like an unnecessary addition right now.
Listening Notes
Eve Tambourine
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 ensure this mid-noughties RnB track is well balanced. The percussion and Eve’s raspy take on the lyrics to Blow Your Whistle by the Soul Searchers are allowed to shine, while the powerful bass line is well-rounded.
Caro Emerald A Night Like This
The vintage Latin piano and the gentle tinkle of the harp in this 1950s-inspired track from Dutch jazz project Caro Emerald sounds fresh and clear when listening through the Sennheisers. There’s plenty of warmth in the bass, and the slightly throaty guitar gets the spotlight towards the end of the track.
Niall Horan Meltdown
Niall’s tuneful vocals and synthesised electronic sounds are the stars of this track, while the gentle bass pumps away in the background with good control. It makes for an extremely pleasurable listen.
These headphones are a good buy if you’re after true wireless earbuds that offer a great sound, and that you can tweak to perfectly suit you. The noise-cancelling is effective and the battery life is great, but at £259 they’re still a significant investment. They’re best suited to early adopters, and anyone planning ahead and doesn’t mind waiting to test out these technologies. Just as long as you’re not looking for a discreet design…
