Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4: What 11 Experts Say

Who is the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 for, and who should skip it?

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 launched in March 2024 at $299.95, according to TechRadar’s price box 1. It is a music-first earbud. TechGearLab says that if you love music and consider yourself an audiophile, it is their favorite, and it named the earbuds a Top Pick for sound 2. Tom’s Guide lists balanced audiophile sound and strong sound personalization among its pros 3, and Trusted Reviews lists a feature-laden, customisable app 4.

Several groups should think twice. Anyone whose day is mostly phone calls and online meetings falls in the first group: TechGearLab says it would look elsewhere for reliable call quality 2, and SoundGuys found microphone quality well below the tier, with wind noise handled very poorly 5. iPhone owners should read the connectivity notes below. TechGearLab had connectivity issues with iOS devices and suggests the Apple AirPods Pro 3 for iPhone users 2.

Buyers who want a small case are also poorly served. Tom’s Guide calls the design bulky compared with price rivals 3, GSMArena calls the case chunky 6, and HiFi Oasis lists a bulky charging case as a con 7.

Finally, the model has a successor. RTINGS mentions the Momentum True Wireless 5 as the replacement 8.

What do reviewers praise about the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4?

Sound. This is the strongest point of agreement. Engadget and TechRadar both list excellent sound quality as a pro 91. What Hi-Fi? calls the sound rich, detailed and dynamic, with a refined presentation that is easy to listen to 10. Trusted Reviews lists a rich, clear and detailed performance 4, and Digital Trends lists great sound quality 11. TechGearLab’s verdict is that the earbuds have “good-enough noise-cancellation and call quality, but they sound incredible” 2. SoundGuys’ listening-panel scores were 4.9 for timbre and 4.8 overall, on a scale from 1.0 to 5.0 5. RTINGS rates audio accuracy as good and notes frequency-response consistency it calls excellent 8.

Fit and comfort. What Hi-Fi?, Trusted Reviews and HiFi Oasis each list a comfortable fit 1047, and Digital Trends goes further with excellent comfort and fit 11. RTINGS singles out a very stable fit 8. TechGearLab’s testers found them comfortable for about seven hours 2.

Battery life. Sennheiser rates the earbuds at 7.5 hours with ANC off 12. SoundGuys measured 7 hours 45 minutes, slightly above the claim 5, and TechGearLab measured 7.5 hours 2. TechRadar, Engadget and RTINGS all list battery life as a strength 198.

Features and controls. Digital Trends credits Bluetooth multipoint and says it works out of the box, where the previous model only gained it through a firmware update 11. RTINGS adds a five-band equalizer in the app, touchpad controls that are easy to reach, and IP54 protection against dust and water 8. What Hi-Fi? calls the controls responsive 10. HiFi Oasis says the sound and control personalization is well implemented 7.

Noise cancelling, for some. SoundGuys measured an average 83% cut in external noise, with passive isolation reaching almost 50 dB in some frequency ranges 5. Digital Trends lists much improved noise cancellation 11, Trusted Reviews calls it impressive 4, and RTINGS says the adaptive ANC does an excellent job 8. That verdict is contested in the disagreements section below.

What are the common criticisms?

Calls and microphone. This is the most common complaint, but not a unanimous one. What Hi-Fi?, TechRadar and Trusted Reviews all say call quality could be better 1014, although TechRadar’s body text calls the call quality good 1. HiFi Oasis says microphone performance could be better 7, GSMArena calls the microphone surprisingly poor 6, and RTINGS says the mic does not filter noise exceptionally well 8. Others are kinder. Digital Trends found calls a meaningful improvement over the previous model, much better at separating the voice from background sound 11. Engadget calls overall quality good but not pristine in a quiet spot 9, and HiFi Oasis, which rates the mic as average, says the person on the other end had no complaints 7. Digital Trends adds a different gripe: the earbuds offer no side-tone, which it finds tiring on calls 11.

Noise cancelling versus rivals. What Hi-Fi? says the ANC can be bettered 10, and HiFi Oasis lists ANC that is not as good as competitors as a con, while its text calls the noise cancelling respectable and only slightly behind top-tier rivals 7. Digital Trends also reports a slight but noticeable hiss in ANC mode, which disappears once music plays 11.

Size and design. Engadget lists no design refresh as a con 9, on top of the bulky case complaints above.

Features still missing. Engadget and TechRadar both list the lack of spatial audio as a con 91. Tom’s Guide notes that Auracast and LE Audio support was not available immediately and that there is no LDAC 3. GSMArena says the app requires an account 6, and SoundGuys says the same of Sound Personalization 5.

Battery with ANC on. The measured figures drop once noise cancelling runs. HiFi Oasis got about 6.5 hours with ANC on, against 7 hours 40 minutes with it off 7, and Sennheiser itself lists 7.0 hours with ANC on 12. GSMArena measured 6 hours 47 minutes on aptX Adaptive at 48 kHz, which it called pretty close to Sennheiser’s 7-hour AAC claim with ANC on, and it rates the battery life as very good 6. Tom’s Guide says battery life trails the Sony earbuds’ 3.

Price. Engadget lists $50 more than the previous model as a con 9, and Tom’s Guide also puts the price $50 above the Momentum True Wireless 3’s $249 3.

Where do reviewers disagree?

How good the noise cancelling is. The sources land on both sides. RTINGS calls the adaptive ANC excellent and roughly on par with the Sony WF-1000XM5 8. GSMArena calls it very good 6, Digital Trends lists it as much improved 11, and Tom’s Guide calls it effective while saying it is not as strong as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra’s 3. On the other side, TechRadar says the noise cancelling isn’t anything special 1, Trusted Reviews lists not the best ANC as a con even though it also lists impressive noise cancellation as a pro 4, and HiFi Oasis finds it respectable and effective but slightly behind the Sony WF-1000XM5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Apple AirPods Pro 2 7. None of these accounts settles the question.

Comfort. The fit draws mostly favorable notes, with two exceptions. RTINGS says the earbuds can cause discomfort over long sessions for some people 8, and GSMArena calls the comfort poor 6. What Hi-Fi?, Trusted Reviews, HiFi Oasis and Digital Trends all call the fit comfortable or excellent 104711. The Bose comparison also splits: RTINGS calls the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds more comfortable than the Sennheiser 8, while TechGearLab says the second-generation Bose earbuds are not as comfortable 2. RTINGS and TechGearLab name different Bose generations, and neither source explains the gap 82.

Wireless reliability. Trusted Reviews lists excellent wireless performance as a pro 4. Digital Trends, testing with an iPhone, found a shorter range than rivals and one dropout of about 40 seconds, and suspects it may be a firmware issue 11. TechGearLab reports connectivity problems on iOS devices 2. Digital Trends says its testing covered only about three days 11.

What the sound is like. Praise for the sound is widespread, but the descriptions of its character differ, and GSMArena is the most reserved. Tom’s Guide and HiFi Oasis use “balanced” 37. RTINGS describes a warm signature, with bass about 3 dB up and treble about 4 dB down 8, and Engadget calls it warm and inviting, with punchy but controlled bass 9. What Hi-Fi? notes some listeners might prefer a more neutral sound 10. GSMArena hears a warm, dark, laid-back tuning with a lackluster mid-range that carries pop, hip-hop and electronic music well but feels congested and heavy on classical or instrumental tracks, though it expects most people to be happy with it 6. Digital Trends finds it less immersive than the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, whose soundstages it calls wider, but says that is less a criticism than it sounds 11.

Whether the price is justified. Engadget counts the $50 increase over the previous model as a con 9. TechRadar acknowledges the same increase over the $249 launch price but says the features and sound justify it 1.

Auracast and LE Audio. RTINGS lists Auracast support as a pro 8. Engadget says the Bluetooth 5.4 hardware is ready, but the features were not yet available at its review, with an update planned for spring 9. Tom’s Guide also notes support isn’t available immediately 3. TechRadar presents readiness as future-proofing 1. Sennheiser says Auracast arrives through a firmware update 12. The sources do not say when each reviewer last checked.

High-resolution codecs. Tom’s Guide calls its aptX Lossless support class-leading 3, and HiFi Oasis lists excellent aptX codec support 7. Digital Trends lists limited phone support for aptX Lossless as a con and says it cannot tell whether Lossless beats aptX Adaptive 11. GSMArena notes aptX Adaptive ran at 48 kHz rather than 96 kHz on its phone 6.

What are the alternatives to the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4?

Sony WF-1000XM5. SoundGuys lists it as an alternative 5. RTINGS calls the Sennheiser’s ANC roughly on par with it 8, Tom’s Guide says the Sennheiser’s battery life trails it 3, and Digital Trends finds the Sennheiser less immersive 11.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. Tom’s Guide says the Sennheiser’s ANC is not as strong as the Bose’s 3. RTINGS says the Bose is more comfortable and cuts more low-pitched noise 8. TechGearLab names the second-generation model as an alternative with remarkable sound and better call quality, though less comfortable 2.

Apple AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3. SoundGuys names the AirPods Pro 2 as the pick for iPhone owners 5. TechGearLab recommends the AirPods Pro 3 for iPhone users, saying they paired better with iOS devices and offered better noise cancelling and call quality 2.

Sony WF-1000XM6. TechGearLab lists it as an option for similarly impressive sound and some of the best noise cancelling, at a higher price, with comfort and fit that are not for everyone 2.

Technics EAH-AZ100. RTINGS says it is better overall than the Sennheiser 8.

Other options. SoundGuys also lists the JLab Epic Lab Edition and Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 as alternatives 5.

Momentum True Wireless 3. The predecessor launched at $249, per Tom’s Guide 3, and Engadget notes the newer model has no design refresh 9. Digital Trends says multipoint reached the older model only through a firmware update 11.