When it comes to true wireless earbuds, I’ve been less than impressed with a lot of them. From the B&O E8 to the Erato Verse, the Zolo Liberty to Apple AirPods, I haven’t actually been sold on any of them. (I’m a Pixel 3 guy, so AirPods don’t have the same effect.) That’s because if the sound quality was great, then the connectivity was flaky or the app was clunky. And if the connectivity was great, the sound quality was lacking. No truly wireless earbud I tested hit that Goldilocks zone. That was until I tested Sennheiser’s first true wireless earbuds, the Momentum True Wireless, which blew me away. Though, for $300, they probably should.
The Good: The biggest selling point for the Momentum True Wireless is their incredible sound quality. For a truly wireless earbud, they are unmatched. But for me, the good hardly stops there. They are also the only earbud we’ve tested that rivals the quick-pairing capabilities of Apple’s AirPods. The case is slim (though not as slim as others), and is wrapped in a textured gray fabric that feels surprisingly luxe. The earbuds themselves fit snug and don’t feel as weighty and bulky when in-ear as they look.
Who They’re For: If you’re in search of truly wireless earbuds with the best possible sound quality, stop your search here. They work well in office settings, and while commuting or traveling, thanks to a transparent hearing mode that lets in ambient noise and can be toggled on and off.
Watch Out For: The biggest hurdle, and really the only thing to watch out for, is the price. At $300, they are certainly at the tippy top of the market for true wireless earbuds. For context, AirPods cost roughly half of what these are going for, and many people think AirPods are to expensive. That said, the price tag is certainly in the realm of many over-ear headphones with comparable sound quality. Some reviewers have noted that the touch controls on either earbud can be unintuitive, but I found that once I knew what to do, it was easy to control volume, pause/play and skip to the next track.
Alternatives: In terms of price and sound quality, the most comparable alternative is Bang & Olufsen’s E8 Wireless earbuds ($299). They are similarly sized, have a competitive sound quality and offer a lot of the same features. Another, cheaper option would be Optoma’s NuForce BE Free8 ($149). They are the only other earbud to offer aptX low latency support.
Review: As far as I’m concerned, these are the best-sounding true wireless earbuds you can buy. Bar none. AirPods don’t really come close. Neither do the Jabra Elite 65t. If sound quality, noise isolation and comfort are important to you, the Momentum True Wireless earbuds should be your earbuds of choice.
In testing, they were easy to set up and pair with my Google Pixel 3 and my MacBook Pro. In fact, once they were initially paired with each device, connecting to my phone and computer was the fastest I’ve experienced from any Bluetooth device. And once connected, the signal was strong and hardly encountered any interference or characteristic popping and cutting out that I’ve experienced with other true wireless earbuds when my phone is in my back pocket.
The sound quality was clear and slightly warm (a characteristic that Sennheiser is known for). The bass was there, without making your teeth chatter, and treble and mid tones were clear and consistent. I listened to a wide range of music as well as podcasts and was impressed by the Momentum’s performance throughout. And if you happen to come across a particular song that doesn’t sound quite right, or if the out-of-the-box sound profile doesn’t quite work for you, the Sennheiser Smart Control app also you to access an equalizer to tweak things. It also gives you to battery levels on each earbud as well as the transparent hearing mode that amplifies ambient noise.
The Verdict: When I first listened to the Momentum earbuds, their sound shocked me. In the best possible way. And then when I saw their price, that shocked me as well. That said, after spending two weeks with them, I the Momentum earbuds could replace each headphone in my current rotation — including my Bowers & Wilkins P5 on-ear headphones. They hit everything I’m looking for in a wireless headphone, minus perhaps gesture support for control on the earbuds, but I’m willing to overlook that thanks to the stellar sound quality.
Key Specs
Battery life: 4 hours
Charging port: USB-C
Compatibility: Android 7.0 and up; iOS 11.0 and up
Water-resistance: IPX4
Sennheiser provided this product for review.
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