Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Review: At their price of $265 / Rs 34,990, they go up against the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QC45. And they actually beat them comfortably in terms of both audio quality and battery life!
“With great ANC generally comes audio quality that often is not quite as great” is a saying that can be broadly applied across the ANC headphone spectrum. Yes, there are a few exceptions to this rule (like the Sony WH-1000 XM series and the Bose QC series), but by and large, ANC headphones are supposed to be better at keeping ambient sound out rather than delivering fantastic sound.
Barring something like the AirPods Max (and that too only with an iPhone), audio quality is not the forte of ANC headphones, whether budget or premium. Sennheiser is looking to change that with the Momentum 4 Wireless.
Table of ContentsSennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Review: More plastic, less compact, very comfortable
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are a very different kettle of design fish as compared to the Momentum 3 Wireless. Whereas the Momentum 3 Wireless had a very prominent metallic band running between the ear cups and even beyond them, the Momentum 4 Wireless are mainly plastic. The ear cups are totally plastic, and the hinges attaching them to the band are plastic as well.
There is supposed to be some metal in the band which is covered by the sort of canvas cloth that we saw on the Momentum TWS, and the whole setup seems very solidly built. However, in terms of the overall design, the Momentum 4 Wireless do not stand out from the headphone crowd the way in which their predecessors did. The cups also do not fold inwards so, which limits their portability. Sennheiser has included a very good carrying case in the package, but because the headphones do not fold up, the case is pretty bulky too. This is something we had noticed in the case of the Sony WH-1000XM5 as well, and we do hope brands work out a way to make these headphones more portable.
In terms of fit and comfort, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless are on par with the Sony WH-1000XM5. The pads on the cups are comfortable, and the band did not fit too tightly across our heads. The right and left cups are clearly marked on the inside of the pads, and on the right earcups are a USB Type C port, battery indicator lights, and a multi-purpose button.Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless audio quality: They sound fantastic
Such is their audio quality that we would recommend the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless even if they came with no ANC. They have the classic Sennheiser clarity, striking just the right balance between different frequencies, with the 42 mm transducer drivers delivering impressive volumes without distortion. The bass, which often gets accented in ANC headphones (a little in the case of Bose, a fair bit in the case of Sony), is present and can be clearly detected without your ear cups rumbling.
The treble makes those cymbals and strings twang clearly without ever being piercing, and well, this is a Sennheiser, so mids are just outstanding – vocals come through crystal clear. A huge surprise is a soundstage. We normally have a very limited expectation in this regard from closed-back headphones and even fewer ones from ANC headphones, but the Momentum 4 Wireless actually give you a sense of music coming from different parts of your head.
