Sennheiser Momentum 5 review: Built to outlast its price tag

I've been reviewing noise-cancelling headphones for around two decades now, and it's both surprising and reassuring that many of the same brands that dominated the market when I was starting out are still dominating today.

Sennheiser did take its time with the Momentum 5, though. While many brands push out annual updates with minor improvements, Sennheiser took about four years to get the Momentum 5 out the door.

The focus for engineers over that time has clearly been on the noise cancellation. Doubling the number of noise cancellation microphones, Sennheiser has produced a pair of wireless headphones that sound phenomenal and block out the outside world almost completely.

But this is a competitive space. Do the Momentum 5 headphones do a better job than Sony's exceptional WH-1000XM6? It's a tough call.

What makes the Momentum 5 stand out?

Sennheiser is a brand that has been doing audio for decades, and that experience shines through with the Momentum 5.

At its core, the headphones are built around the same 42 mm transducer as the Momentum 4. Given how highly the Momentum 4 were regarded when they launched, that's not a bad thing.

The big boost for this generation is in the active noise cancellation. Sennheiser has doubled the microphone count to four per side, which helps capture external sounds from all directions, so the ANC can more effectively cancel it out.

According to Sennheiser, the new microphone array allows for 3x the cancellation across mid-range frequencies, than the Momentum 4.

The other big upgrade introduced in the Momentum 5 is the battery. With up to 57 hours of playback with ANC on, these headphones should keep you going for an entire trip to Europe.

But in a few years, after hundreds of recharges when the battery starts to struggle to hold its charge, Sennheiser has designed the Momentum 5's battery to be replaceable. This is really uncommon in the category, and means you'll be able to keep enjoying these premium headphones for a long time.

Sennheiser Momentum 5 specs

Design and build quality

Moving straight from my review of the Sony 1000X THE COLLEXION, there's a really different approach to premium here.

Sennheiser sent me the white version to review, and while I generally prefer a black pair of headphones (Apple's iconic AirPods Max colours notwithstanding), the two-tone combination of the white plastic frame and light browny-grey ear pads looks really nice and refined.

The top of the headband is a fabric that kind of blends the two colours, too, just making the overall appearance look and feel premium.

The Momentum 5 are nice and lightweight, coming in at just 290 grams. Even better is that the ear cups rotate a full 180 degrees, so you can comfortably rest the soft, padded side on your collarbones when you leave them sitting around your neck.

I can't overstate how important this is. One of my biggest issues with the AirPods Max is that you have to have the hard aluminium side banging against your shoulders when you rest the headphones around your neck. Sennheiser has designed these for comfort not just on your head, but also around the neck.

That said, the headphones don't fold down. While they are smaller and lighter than Apple or Sony's most premium headphones, they can still take up a decent amount of space, particularly in the supplied case.

When you put them on, the clamping pressure is almost perfect. I've worn the Momentum 5 for hours without feeling the pressure overwhelm me. Even wearing glasses, the ear cups adapt around the glasses stem easily.

Controls are straightforward. There's a single button for power and pairing, and the right ear cup has touch controls for your music. Turning ANC on and off is a double tap of the touchpad, which does have a tendency to pause music in my experience (which is controlled by a single tap).

But the controls are customisable in the companion app, so it's not a permanent issue.

The biggest disappointment I have from a design perspective is the decision to use a 2.5 mm connector on the headphones, with a supplied cable to connect to a 3.5 mm jack. It means that you can't rely on the more standard 3.5 mm cable if you lose the supplied one, and seems like an arbitrary decision to use a less common connection.

Audio performance

Sennheiser's audio quality in the Momentum 5 is all built around the 42 mm transducer. This is the same transducer as the Momentum 4, sure, but it's also present in the company's audiophile HD 650 headphones.

That's one hell of a baseline to give these headphones, so it's no real surprise Sennheiser continues to use it.

In real terms, it means that the Momentum 5 gives a really clear and open reproduction across its entire frequency range. Bass sounds deep and moving without distortion, mid-range fills your ears and the high-end is crystal clear.

I found myself listening to Melissa Etheridge's debut album through the Momentum 5, and it's a brilliant album to test headphones. The bass on Like the Way I Do is insane, while the percussion-driven Occasionally lets Etheridge's vocals really sing. The Momentum 5's reproduction of those iconic tracks was as good as I've heard.

Heavier songs, like You Am I's Get Up feel, especially well-balanced. But if you really want the headphones to shine, try Florence and the Machine's The Old Religion. It's a spectacular example of vocal reproduction in a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

The headphones support the aptX Bluetooth codec, which allows for higher streaming rates, which helps when listening to lossless audio. The catch is that you'll need a compatible Android phone to take advantage of the codec.

You can customise the EQ via the Sennheiser app to your taste as well. The versatility of the Sennheiser headphones to be fine-tuned to your personal preferences is definitely a strength here, as the headphones sound remarkably good regardless of how you tune them.

ANC improvements

With a premium pair of wireless headphones, it's not just the audio reproduction that defines audio quality, though. Noise cancellation plays a big part, and Sennheiser really took the time to deliver here.

ANC is especially good, certainly among the elite in terms of cancellation. I think Sony has a slight edge in terms of overall cancellation with its WH-1000 series, but it's barely noticeable when your music starts to play.

I sat on a crowded Sydney train with my volume set to 50%, and I couldn't hear any background chatter or announcements over the PA system. I haven't had the chance to wear these on a plane yet, but I'm certain they'll do an exceptional job.

Even better is transparency mode, which passes through outside sounds so you can have a conversation without having to remove the headphones entirely. So long as your volume is under 50%, you shouldn't have any problems with the Momentum 5.

Surround sound

One of the greatest travesties of modern-day headphones is that Apple Music's Spatial Audio tracks are seemingly limited to Apple (or Beats) headphones.

Every other pair of spatial headphones I've tested apply a virtual surround layer on top of a stereo track, rather than the Apple headphones playing back the tracks as they were mixed in surround sound.

The effect and experience are infinitely better when you listen to music mixed in Atmos, rather than it just being applied over the top.

When watching movies or TV with Atmos soundtracks, the experience is better, but I think the Sonos Ace is more immersive on that front.

You do need to activate the Atmos feature through the app to experience it as well, which seems like it could be easily missed.

Battery life and connectivity

Sennheiser says you get up to 57 hours of battery life with ANC on from these headphones. That's enough to get to and from Europe, if you were to be so inclined.

Over the course of my review, I've had to recharge the Momentum 5 a few times, which works out at about 1–2 weeks of playback with occasional to regular use. It's a solid metric, and far superior to most of the ANC headphones I've tested.

If you do run out of charge, 10 minutes on the charge will give you 7 hours of playback.

The other battery feature worth mentioning, though I didn't test it for obvious reasons, is the user replaceable battery. I've had countless gadgets go to technology heaven because their non-replaceable batteries died out. This move is great for users, as well as the environment.

On the connectivity front, you get Bluetooth 5.4, with support across A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP, GATT profiles.

You can also enjoy wired sound through the supplied headphone cable, though as I lamented, it's a 2.5 mm jack on the earphones themselves.

The headphones do support audio over USB-C too, which does open these up to higher resolution playback. If you prefer that audiophile experience but don't want to fork out for a dedicated pair of audiophile headphones, this is a solid option.

Verdict

On their own merits, the Momentum 5 are an exceptional pair of headphones. They are comfortable to wear all day, have battery life for literal days, and sound superb. The ANC has had a significant upgrade and now competes comfortably with the other top dogs in the premium headphone space.

While I think Sony's WH-1000XM6 probably just gets the nod in terms of overall performance, I think the Momentum 5 sneaks ahead in terms of comfort, both on the head and around the neck.

All these good things come at a cost, though. Sennheiser has priced these at $749 RRP at launch, which sits above the WH-1000XM6's $699.95 RRP, and a significant step up from the Momentum 4's $579.95.

It's not an unreasonable price given the quality and performance that the Momentum 5 offers. But if your budget doesn't stretch that far, you can consider the Momentum 4, which offers similar audio quality, though lacks the improved ANC features.

Buy the Sennheiser Momentum 5 if

• You want headphones you can leave around your neck between calls. The 180-degree rotating cups mean the soft side rests on your collarbone, not a hard edge.
• You're planning long-haul flights or multi-day trips. 57 hours of ANC playback and a 10-minute quick charge for 7 hours means you're not chasing power outlets.
• You want a pair that'll still be worth using in five years. The user-replaceable battery is rare in this category.
• You're on Android and want the best codec support going. aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive give you options most competitors don't.

Skip the Sennheiser Momentum 5 if

• You already own the Momentum 4 and don't specifically need better ANC. The core driver and sound signature haven't changed.
• You need headphones that fold flat for a bag. These don't collapse down like the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Bose QC Ultra.
• You want true spatial audio. The 360 mode is a virtualised overlay, not a native Atmos mix, and the head tracking isn't fully reliable yet.
• Budget is tight. The Momentum 4 remains available and offers similar core sound quality without the ANC and battery upgrades.

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Nick Broughall

Nick Broughall is an award-winning technology journalist with 20+ years experience, previously Editor at Finder, Gizmodo and TechRadar. He founded BTTR Reviews and regularly contributes to News.com.au's Checkout section.