REVIEW: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4

Announced in January, Sennheiser’s latest in the “Momentum” truly wireless line up is expected to enhance capabilities with the latest Qualcomm hardware, along with improved battery life.

But how much can change in two years? We’re about to see as we move from version three to version four in the Sennheiser Momentum TWS earphones.

Design & Build Quality

Before diving into features and performance, let’s examine the design, and it’s hard to spot any difference, if at all. Unlike the Momentum 4 over-ear headphones, these are in-ears and are quite similar to the previous model. Comparing the Momentum TWS 3 to the Momentum TWS 4, Sennheiser has followed the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach, as they look nearly identical.

Internally, they’re using Qualcomm’s S5 Gen 2 platform with Snapdragon Sound, and there are also improvements to wireless reception technology to keep the connection strong.

Simply put, aside from the internal updates, the Momentum True Wireless 4 closely resembles its predecessor. Given that the previous generation was highly praised, this isn’t necessarily a drawback. One difference is the upgraded water resistance, moving from IPX4 to IP54, providing better protection against dust and water.

Once the Momentum 4 earphones are in your ears, they offer comfort and a secure fit, a significant improvement from the first generation, which was less comfortable. Again, the “ain’t broke, don’t fix it” philosophy is evident, with comfort unchanged and the touch panel retained.

Sennheiser’s Smart Control app remains a primary tool for customisation, allowing you to tweak controls and enable adaptive noise cancellation based on GPS locations, provided you register or sign in with Sennheiser. For instance, at work, you can automatically activate ambient mode to hear your surroundings, or not, as needed. It’s your choice.

A minor update is the inclusion of four in-ear tips, now offering an extra-small size alongside small, medium, and large.

Performance

With the right ear tips, you can dive into the sound. The Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds are capable, warm, and balanced.

Starting with the electronic and dance vibes of Kygo and One Republic, we found surprisingly rich mids and lows, with Sennheiser’s consistent bass delivery providing slightly warm sound with strong balance. They offer bass where necessary without overdoing it.

The same holds true for pop tracks by Taylor Swift and Pink, delivering a punch when needed, and you still get solid bass in tracks like Billie Eilish’s ‘Bad Guy’.

Older rock tracks, like Elton John’s “Rocket Man,” sounded clear and well-defined, showcasing excellent sound quality in this well-mastered track. Unsurprisingly, these earphones handle almost any genre well, making them a good choice for diverse listeners.

Active Noise Cancellation

Audio performance is just one aspect, with active noise cancellation also a key feature. Testing the Momentum 4 wireless earphones around Dublin, the noise cancellation performed well, though it could still improve compared to Bose and Sony.

There aren’t many noise cancellation settings beyond switching between transparency or ANC modes. You can toggle adaptive noise, anti-wind, and adaptive noise off. That’s it.

These earphones effectively block much ambient noise and perform well against wind and other consistent sounds, but high-pitched and irregular noises can still sneak through.

Future Software Updates

Sennheiser sees potential for more features in the Momentum 4 wireless earphones, thanks to the Snapdragon tech inside.

Auracast support is on the way, allowing you to connect to a shared media source, like a TV sending audio wirelessly to multiple Bluetooth earphones. Think of it as watching a muted TV in public while Auracast earphones let you listen in without disturbing others.

Bluetooth LE Audio is another upcoming feature via firmware update, promising better sound through a new codec.

Regular listeners might not notice this immediately, especially since neither feature is available at launch or during this review, but Sennheiser (and Qualcomm) promise future updates, making these earphones future-proof.

Battery Life

There’s up to 30 hours of battery life in what appears to be an identical case, due to its size, though the battery system has slight improvements. Essentially, Sennheiser is tweaking things slightly to extend battery life, with the seven hours from the Momentum 3 now lasting up to half an hour longer in the Momentum 4.

This equates to a maximum of 7.5 hours per charge, with four full charges from the case, totalling 30 hours of battery life. It’s a small improvement, almost matching the competition.

The charging case also supports wireless charging via Qi and works with USB-C, maintaining the knitted design from the previous generation. While it’s still a large case compared to others, it holds a significant amount of battery life.

Conclusion

A slight update to an already excellent pair of wireless noise-cancelling earphones, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 offers everything fans of great sound could want, with a few additional features.

There’s no doubt these are excellent earphones, and most users will be satisfied with their sound.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Pricing & Availability

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 ANC earbuds are available now for €299.90 from Sennheiser directly or are currently on offer from retailers such as Richer Sounds for €249.