Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Headphone Hands-on Review: Versatility not Novelty

The wireless ANC headphone space has more players than ever before, but when it comes to the top of the crop, only a handful of names come to mind. There's the Bose QCs which arguably started the whole trend, Sony's WH-1000XMs, and Apple AirPods Max fast making converts among its existing massive brand following.

Sennheiser - being one of the forefathers of headphones did have their take on the top-end ANC headphone with the MOMENTUM 3, which we have noted in our own review that it definitely did not hold back on the high-end build, with its stainless steel headband and sheepskin covered ear cup cushions. But it did not feel like it was after the crown, but a classy luxurious alternative to the ANC headphone rat race - more in the class of B&O or B&W.

With the new MOMENTUM 4 however, the drastic change in its design seems to say the German headphone maker wants in on the ANC headphone crown after all. Can the new wireless headphones take its popularity to another level to compete with the current market leaders? Let's dive in to find out.

Toned Down Stealthy Design

The previous Sennheiser MOMENTUM 3 had a very distinct appearance, and I was always able to spot them from afar seeing other passengers carrying them at the airport. But the new MOMENTUM 4 is much stealthier, and has a less distinct look about it - which is not necessarily a bad thing.

With matte black earcups that are void of any obvious feature, the most identifiable attribute on the MOMENTUM 4 is the fabric covered headband: something that MOMENTUM True Wireless charge cases are known for. Other than that, the entire headphone is made of high quality matte black plastic - a far cry from the hefty stainless steel band on the M3.

The overall structure is also free of any fancy foldable joint, or elaborate yoke design. One might describe the design of the M4 as boring, but that for me simply just means being more reliable and better longevity. Since the MOMENTUM 4 is made for travel, structural integrity is a must, and these headphones look like they were born to last.

There is also the comfort factor, and this is where many audiophile headphone companies can't seem to get right, since it's a complicated ergonomic issue after all. But for Sennheiser's new MOMENTUM 4, they completely nailed the comfort factor. Even for me, who has a large head circumference as well as always having glasses on, I'm able to wear the M4 for hours on end without any sort of fatigue or stress build up.

Crowd Pleasing Version of Sennheiser's Sound Signature

For anyone who has heard of Sennheiser headphones before, will know that like brands such as Sony, it has its own signature sound. At the same time, different models are tweaked differently, giving them different characteristics.

Since the Sennheiser M3 was the first MOMENTUM I tried, my impression of the MOMENTUM headphone characteristics was that they are as posh as they look. It had a uniquely wide soundstage - especially for the low range, beautiful details in the high ranges, and a fairly flat overall response. That's why I was thoroughly surprised after trying out the MOMENTUM 4, because it sounded drastically different.

The M4 still kept an excellent soundstage, offering a beautiful holographic soundscape, but the overall response became much more crowd pleasing. Gone is the unique atmospheric bass that the M3 had, instead, replacing it with a punchy bass that would give any pop or rock song a decent thump. The airy details are also not as accentuated as its predecessor, even though the detail that Sennheiser is known for is still very much present. In my experience, with all Sennheiser earphones or headphones, they never fail to present excellent vocal detail, and the MOMENTUM 4 is no exception.

Overall, whereas the M3 was a specialist tool made for classical, jazz or acoustic music, the MOMENTUM 4 is much more versatile, and would give a good presentation for all sorts of music genres.

Gesture Control Done Right

Many attempts have been made by headphone makers to create alternatives to replace tactile buttons, from capacitive mushroom buttons like Nuraphone, to physical dials like Surface Headphone, to AirPod Max's digital crown. The market has far from reaching a consensus on the best button alternatives.

Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 uses a gesture based touch control, but executes it better than others that I've experienced so far. The sensitivity is just right, that I don't trigger a command by accident, nor do I need to tap it multiple times before it registers. This is what has turned me off many other headphones that have attempted this, but on the M4 this is executed well and it simply works.

The gestures turned out to be useful in day-to-day operations. I especially like the volume control, which instead of registering just a single up or down command when swiped, it's a continuous slider like the classic Microsoft Arc Mouse scroller. To drastically volume up or down, I'm able to do it with one long swipe instead of multiple swipes.

The switch from ANC to Transparent mode is done via a pinching motion to 'close up' the environment noise and a parting motion to open up the environmental sounds. Since the MOMENTUM 4 gives the user an ability to mix between the two sounds, there are 5 levels of ambient settings. This however is not continuous like the volume, and you would need to pitch the control surface a few times to get right mix that you're after.

High Endurance 60 Hour Battery Life

As a travel headphone, an extensive battery life is a must for those long haul flights. Sennheiser has put in the homework and the MOMENTUM 4 achieves a whopping 60 hour battery life. To put that into perspective, this doubles the Sony WH-1000XM5 battery life which is rated at 30 hours. The battery life lasts long enough that during the 5 weeks I've spent with the headphone, I barely remember charging the headphones.

When it does come to the rare occasion to charge the headphone, a quick 10 minute charge will allow you to use the headphones for a good 4 hours, so you would rarely be caught out of battery with these headphones.

Travel Ready Accessories

The MOMENTUM 4 is travel ready from the moment you open its box, as all its contents are already inside the soft shell carrying case. There's a dedicated spot for each of the accessories, which are the usual suspects: audio cable (3.5mm to 2.5mm), travel adapter and a USB-C charging cable. Since the M4 cups can swivel in a way that it can lay flat, the softshell case is compact enough to put in and take out of any carry-on backpacks.

Final Verdict

Sennheiser's latest TOTL Wireless ANC headphone is a retake on its approach, this time aiming for versatility instead of novelty. That said, the MOMENTUM 4 continues to retain the unique sound characteristics that marks its maker: excellent soundstage, crystal clear upper frequencies and vocal presentations that are tuned to perfection.

The Sennhesier MOMENTUM 4 improved leaps and bounds this time focusing especially on features that make a good wireless headphone: from its massive 60 hour battery life, to offering the most comfortable fit yet, to its new gesture based onboard controls. We felt it has improved exactly in the right areas to give other top selling headphones a race for the top spot, and are awarding the Sennhesier MOMENTUM 4 the IBTimes Best Products badge.

Sam is a production engineer turned tech writer who specializes in seeking out gadgets that enhances productivity while still looking sharp. This is a contribution to an ongoing IBTimes review series on gadgets for Business Travelers.