Sennheiser Momentum 4 evaluation: Stellar sound, insane battery life | Engadget

The different registration-required device is Sound Check. This merchandise helps you personalize the audio on the Momentum 4 with steering on the most effective presets for the music you prefer to hearken to. Sennheiser says you should utilize the characteristic repeatedly to create a number of modes for each style, permitting you to get fairly detailed in your customization.

Of course, the app offers you extra basic items like battery share (in 10-percent increments) and connection administration. A separate settings menu provides the power to allow/disable on-head detection, automated pausing and automated energy off. You also can select between quarter-hour, half-hour, 60 minutes and by no means for when the Momentum 4 will routinely flip off if you happen to’re now not actively utilizing them.

Sound high quality

Sennheiser’s earbuds and headphones persistently supply among the greatest sound high quality amongst all the merchandise I check – and that’s very true of the Momentum line. The firm has a knack for balanced tuning that also provides punchy bass the place it’s wanted and excellent readability within the particulars. It’s no shock, then, that the audio profile on Momentum 4 is stellar. There’s a good quantity of customization when it comes to sound in Sennheiser’s app, however the default tuning is so good I not often activated any of it.

The very first thing that struck me is how deep the sound is. In phrases of each low-end tone and total depth, there’s a large soundstage the place completely different genres are free to roam. Whether it’s the staccato synths and pulsing bass line on Sylvan Esso’s “Echo Party” or the myriad parts dancing on prime of the driving beat of Beyoncé’s “Alien Superstar,” all the things sounds prefer it was positioned in an precise area, reasonably than simply being compressed sound waves streamed on to your ears. Even when there’s loads occurring without delay, like that Beyoncé observe, you possibly can nonetheless pick every factor. Nothing ever feels prefer it’s been smashed collectively.

The Momentum 4 are the type of headphones that you simply placed on and also you uncover new features of songs you didn’t understand have been there. On Maggie Rogers’ “Want Want,” for instance, there’s a whole lot of atmospheric airiness to among the devices that doesn’t come throughout on another fashions or earbuds. Things just like the textured distortion of the bass guitar or the reverb on the drums.

When it involves ANC efficiency, Sennheiser has made a giant enchancment. The noise cancellation on earlier fashions was positive, nevertheless it didn’t come wherever near what Bose and Sony supply on their flagship headphones. With the Momentum 4, Sennheiser has narrowed the hole, particularly with fixed noise sources like sound machines and dishwashers. Bose and Sony are nonetheless higher at blocking undesirable clamor total, however the change from the Momentum 3 is clear when you do that new model.

Call high quality

For calls, Sennheiser has geared up the Momentum 4 with two beamforming microphones per aspect. Much just like the ANC, the headphones do a greater job blocking fixed noise throughout calls than issues like background music or tv. The individual on the opposite finish can nonetheless hear you loud and clear, it’s simply apparent you’re speaking over prime of the roar. Your voice additionally sounds higher than most headphones and earbuds total, a lot of which provide the audio high quality of a speakerphone reasonably than something with a touch of mids and bass.

The Momentum 4 can routinely swap to transparency mode once you make a video or voice name. And coupled with Sidetone that allows you to hear your self talking, these are a stable choice for finishing both of these duties. Plus, multipoint connectivity means you possibly can take a name in your telephone and simply bounce again to a podcast or music in your laptop.

Battery life

Sennheiser guarantees a jaw-dropping 60 hours of battery life on the Momentum 4, and that’s with energetic noise cancellation enabled. That’s double what a lot of the competitors provides, the place a whole lot of premium fashions can sometimes solely muster round 30 hours. Of course, generally these battery claims don’t all the time pan out. It’s not unusual for a corporation to return up a number of hours quick. Incredibly, that’s not the case right here.

Over the span of a number of days, which included powering the headphones off manually and letting them flip off on their very own, I managed 57 hours of ANC use. Sennheiser says 60 hours is achievable at “mid quantity degree, however I saved the audio round 75 % the whole time and nonetheless virtually hit the corporate’s estimate. If, by some means, you end up in a pinch, there’s additionally a quick-charge characteristic that gives you 4 hours of playtime in 5 minutes.

The competitors

Despite Sennheiser’s mixture of stellar sound and insane battery life, the Momentum 4 doesn’t fairly have sufficient to dethrone Sony’s WH-1000XM5. Sony merely provides extra options, like automated pausing once you begin speaking, although it is clear firms like Sennheiser are catching up with instruments like location-based sound settings. The M5’s noise cancellation is healthier and Sony consists of compatibility with its LDAC and 360 Reality Audio, on prime of DSEE Extreme upscaling. Of course, the Momentum 4 has double the battery life and at full worth Sennheiser’s providing is $50 cheaper.

I’m additionally a giant fan of the ​​Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2. They supply extra of a refined look than the Momentum 4, with spectacular sound high quality and higher than marketed battery life. These are among the solely headphones I take into account to rival Sennheiser when it comes to audio. ANC works properly and the Px7 S2 are a lot comfortable to put on for lengthy durations of time, however the headphones may use a bit of extra polish with options just like the ambient sound mode and customizable EQ. They’re additionally the identical worth because the M5, so Sennheiser is the extra inexpensive choice as soon as once more.

Wrap-up

The Momentum 4 is Sennheiser’s most full set of headphones to date. The firm improved its ANC efficiency so it matches up higher with the excellent sound high quality that was already a staple of the Momentum line. Conveniences like Sidetone, automated pausing and Sound Zones make your life simpler, however in addition to stellar audio, the principle attraction right here is the battery life. Sennheiser has doubled up a lot of the competitors there and, maybe much more impressively, has managed to take action whereas preserving noise cancellation energetic. The design is what it’s, however all the things else combines for a worthy contender.