Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless hands-on: A surprisingly good first try
Sennheiser has a tremendous reputation amongst audiophiles, but when it comes to true wireless earbuds, they’re a newcomer in the space, which is exactly why we’re curious to see how its first stab at them turns out. Enter the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless, a pair that’s sporting a price tag of $299.95 out of the gates!
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless earbuds are rather deceptive, in the way that they appear larger in size that most other offerings, but they’re surprisingly light weight and not that bulky at all. Flaunting the signature Sennheiser logo on the outer metallic plate on each earbud, the minimalist design sort or reminds us of the B&O Beoplay E8 and Bragi Dash Pro we checked out from earlier in the year. However, as we mentioned already, they’re significantly more light weight.
Wearing them, we’re also a bit surprised by how snug they fit in our ear. Using them at the gym briefly, they’re able to stay in place for a period of time without becoming too loose in the process. Even better, they're IPX4 rated for protection against water splashes and sweat – so there’s no worry if you work out vigorously at the gym and build up a good sweat in the process. As for the battery charging case that comes included with them, it’s your standard fanfare that features a magnetic connection that keeps them in place and charges them. However, it doesn’t offer some extra utility beyond that – like what we find in some other models that offer full-sized USB ports.
In our short time checking them out, we’re impressed and astounded by the audio performance! Not only is the audio quality clean and detailed, there’s a complementary level of bass that supports the output. It’s not overpowering, which is nice, but it’s even better that there’s an equalizer option that can adjust the tone to your particular liking through the Sennheiser Smart Control app. Furthermore, there’s also a transparent hearing mode that amplifies the ambient noise, so you’re aware of your surroundings.
If there’s one minor complain we have with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless, it has to be that the touch sensitive metallic plates on the earbuds can’t register gestures. Instead, media playback functions such as pause, play, track forward, and reverse are all done by tapping – whether they’re single, double, or triple pressing. However, volume adjustment is done by long pressing either the left or right metal plates on each one, which seems a bit more unintuitive, than say, performing a swiping gesture.
Finally, we can’t overlook its steep $299.95 cost. So far, its audio performance and minimalist design are commendable for a first effort, but it’s still on the steep side when you consider how the Bragi Dash Pro, which are priced similarly, offer more features. Then again, you could argue that it’s due to Sennheiser’s sound signature superiority, how there’s no latency issue with video streaming, and how they offer an uninterrupted connection.
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