SoundGuys and What Hi-Fi? both point to the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless for battery life and sound quality that beats much of what else sells at this price. Active noise cancellation works well without matching the top-tier models from Bose and Sony. What Hi-Fi? called it 'one of the best-performing ANC over-ears at their price today,' while lamenting the departure from the brand's previously classy design aesthetic. Commuters and frequent travelers who want performance and value in one package are the target; audiophiles may find the ANC short of premium offerings.
Full review
Neutral tuning that reviewers rate near the top
SoundGuys noted the MOMENTUM 4 “don't veer off into wild overemphasis of the bass or highs, though there is some added bass” and scored the headphones 8 out of 10 overall, while What Hi-Fi? awarded a full five stars for what it called superb sonic substance. TechGearLab was warmer still at 4.8 out of 5. The 42 mm dynamic drivers lean neutral rather than bass-forward, with the midrange and treble carrying most of the detail, so listeners who want a heavy low end will be reaching for the app's equaliser. Codec support covers SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX-HD and aptX Adaptive, which gives Android users high-bitrate streams that several rivals at this price still do not offer.
Sixty hours between charges
Battery life is the specification that sells these headphones. Sennheiser rates 60 hours with noise cancelling running, and Tom's Guide built its review around that figure; SoundGuys scored battery life 9 out of 10. In practice that means a long-haul return trip, or a couple of working weeks of commuting, between charges — roughly double what most of the class manages. Charging is over USB-C, and both a wired USB-C connection and an analogue TRS cable keep them working when the battery does run out. Runtime is less predictable in wired mode, which is a minor irritation for anyone switching back and forth.
Noise cancelling that lands mid-pack
Active noise cancellation is the one area where reviewers consistently mark the Momentum 4 down. SoundGuys called it middling and rated it 7 out of 10. What Hi-Fi? judged it effective but short of the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort 45, and TechRadar described it as good rather than exceptional. It handles low-frequency drone competently — aircraft cabins, train carriages, road noise — and struggles more with voices and higher-pitched sound, which is the opposite of what you want in an open-plan office. Transparency mode is responsive and well judged. If maximum isolation is the reason you are buying over-ears, this is not the pair.
A plastic band and 295 grams
The Momentum 4 drops the metal-and-leather look of earlier Momentums for plain plastic. What Hi-Fi? was direct about it, describing 'the classy design of Momentums of old giving way to one that's markedly more non-descript', while allowing that the new shape is fit for purpose and that plenty of buyers will prefer its low-key discretion. The practical payoff is weight: 295 g with thick leatherette padding, comfortable across the long sessions the battery makes possible. There is no IP rating, and the materials no longer feel like the premium the badge once implied. A fabric case, an airline adapter and both cables are included.
Features the app has to switch on
Several of the more useful behaviours are gated behind Sennheiser's Smart Control app. SoundGuys pointed out that 'several creature comforts only work when you turn them on with the app', Smart Pause among them, so a set of headphones straight out of the box is not the set the reviews describe. The app also holds the equaliser, the ANC and transparency settings, and firmware updates that have mattered to this model over its life. Bluetooth 5.2 with multipoint keeps a laptop and a phone connected at once and switches between them cleanly. Call quality is the weak end: SoundGuys found microphone noise rejection subpar, so a busy street is a bad place to take a meeting.
Strengths
- +Excellent battery life with up to 60 hours of playback
- +Superior sound quality that's ahead of the pack according to SoundGuys
- +Effective active noise cancellation for the price point
- +Good connectivity options including USB-C and TRS analog jack
Watch-outs
- −Middling ANC performance compared to top-tier competitors like Bose or Sony
- −Drops predecessors' classy aesthetic for a more generic design
- −Mic noise rejection is subpar according to SoundGuys
How it compares
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless excels in battery life and sound quality compared to the Bose QuietComfort 45 and Apple AirPods Max, though it doesn't match the ANC performance of the Sony WH-1000XM5 or Beyerdynamic DT 700 Pro X. Unlike the Sony WH-1000XM5, it lacks IP rating and is less premium in build quality, but offers better value for money than the Apple AirPods Max which is more expensive and ecosystem-dependent.
Rating sources
Our 4.6 score is the average of these published ratings. More about methodology.
