Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 : VALUE DESIGN SOUNDQUALITY & FEATURES

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 2024: In a fiercely competitive industry, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 stands out because to its excellent sound quality, extensive feature set, and sturdy design. Although it doesn’t have the finest call quality or ANC in the industry, it excels at what it does have.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4

SENNHEISER MOMENTUM TRUE WIRELESS 4 REVIEW: TWO MINUTE REVIEW

Table of Contents

The Momentum True Wireless 4 (TW4) is the most recent iteration of Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless line. The Momentum True Wireless 4 is priced at $299 / £259 / AU$479 and is up against some of the best noise-canceling earbuds available, but it also has a lot going for it.

One of the Momentum TW4’s best features is its future-proof Bluetooth support, which includes aptX Lossless, LE audio, Auracast, and the most recent Bluetooth 5.4 version. With a maximum playtime of 30 hours, its battery life is impressive, and there are ways to extend and conserve power for periods when chargers aren’t available. It is one of the best earbuds available because of these features.

The Momentum TW4’s microphones can withstand harsher weather conditions, and calls sound clear and clear. During my test, I was unable to customize the ANC or transparency of calls like I can with Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones’ Sidetone feature; however, these features will be available in a future firmware update.

While the Sennheiser Smart Control app is a useful addition to the Momentum TW4, it falls short of Sony’s Control App in terms of functionality and can occasionally be a bit difficult to use.
When it comes to sound quality, the Momentum TW4 excels. The Momentum TW4’s neutral profile might not appeal to those who prefer the Technics EAH-AZ80’s trebles or the Sony WF-1000XM5’s bass, but it can nonetheless represent any genre expertly because no instrument is overlooked or underemphasized.

On the Momentum TW4, ANC works well. Playing loud music drowns out the sounds of busy streets and business buildings, albeit the effectiveness of the Adaptive Noise Canceling feature can be a little spotty. The Momentum TW4 does a decent job of reducing outside noise while the music is off or played at a moderate volume, but it won’t completely eliminate it. If noise cancellation is your main concern, you should consider the Bose QuietComfort II.

The Momentum TW4’s design is identical to that of the Momentum True Wireless 3, but it has a more enticing metallic sheen on the exterior. Though the Momentum TW4 buds may be large for some, they were sufficiently comfortable for extended durations of use thanks to a variety of fitting options and a Fit Test in the app. An attractive and useful charging case, along with customizable and simple touch controls, complete an excellent design.

In a crowded and competitive market, the Sennheiser Momentum TW4 is a superb value for its money. Although the Momentum TW4’s sound may not be to everyone’s taste and I did have some issues with the Smart Control app and call control, it really challenges the best wireless earbuds available.
£259.95 / AU / $299.95479.95 dollars
Publishable in March 2024

The Momentum True Wireless 4, which was released at $249 / £219 / AU$399, is slightly more expensive than its predecessor. Nevertheless, at $299.95 / £259.95 / AU$479.95, the Momentum TW4 is priced similarly to many of its rivals, of which there are many.

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II ($299 / £279 / AU$429), the Technics EAH-AZ80 ($299 / £259 / AU$499), the Sony WF-XM1005 ($299.99 / £259 / AU$499), and the Airpods Pro 2 ($249 / £249 / AU$399) are the Momentum TW4’s main competitors. Even though the prices are all rather similar, the new Momentum TW4 is at a disadvantage because the other buds have experienced significant price reductions. However, just looking at the features and audio quality, the Momentum TW4 is priced appropriately.

SENNHEISER MOMENTUM TRUE WIRELESS 4 REVIEW: SPECS

Drivers                                7mm, TrueResponse dynamic
ANC                                    Yes
Battery life                        7.5 hours per earbud, 30 hours in total
Weight                               6.2g per earbud
Connectivity                     Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C, LE Audio, Auracast
Frequency range             5Hz – 21kHz
Waterproofing                 IP54
Bluetooth                         SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive/Lossless, LC3

SENNHEISER MOMENTUM TRUE WIRELESS 4 REVIEW: FEATURES

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4

Sennheiser obviously intended to make the Momentum TW4 future-proof. It has Snapdragon sound, which is based on Qualcomm’s S5 Sound Gen 2 platform. It can stream at 16-bit/44 kHz and 24-bit/48 kHz, depending on when the firmware is updated. Additionally, it supports Auracast and LE audio, which will also be included in a future update.

The most recent version of Bluetooth (version 5.4), aptX Lossless, LC3, and other standard Bluetooth suspects are all supported. However, spatial audio is not supported, in contrast to the Sony WF-XM1005.

Call quality performs admirably on the Momentum TW4. Similar to the Momentum TW3, there are a total of six microphones, but Sennheiser has included a new feature they refer to as “AI improved voice pickup and call virtualization.” Even on a rainy and windy day, I was told I was coming through clearly when on a conversation with the Momentum TW4.

ANC was set to maximum, thus I wanted to be able to adjust how the call sounded on my end. This worked well, but it was also a little unsettling because I couldn’t hear the traffic or my hectic surroundings. The caller’s voice seemed a little low quality, so it would have been wonderful to have been able to adjust elements like transparency, which I’ve been informed will be added in an update shortly.

The Momentum TW4 is advertised as having a 7.5-hour battery life in the earphones and a 30-hour playback duration when the case is included. In general, this was true. The battery life was remarkable, even when playing with “Lossless” Audio Resolution. When I used ANC at full, I only lost 30% of the power during about 2.5 hours of playback.

While regular USB-C charging offers up to an hour of playback off a short 8-minute charge if you’re in a hurry, wireless charging is also an option, but it takes longer. Although it’s not quite at the astounding 3-minute Sony XM5 level, it’s still respectable. The Smart Control app also includes a Battery Protection Mode option that gradually increases battery life by never charging the battery to 100%.

Although it’s not the most fascinating software, Sennheiser Smart Control works. A 5-band EQ and sound customizing option, a Fit Test to ensure your buds are properly positioned, and customisable Touch Controls offer plenty of customization options. While the program typically accomplishes its goal, I occasionally noticed that its answers were a little sluggish or imprecise (changing transparency while listening to music had no noticeable effect).

Additionally, there is the Smart Pause option, which pauses music when it senses that one earbud has been removed. It worked really well in general, especially when it came to restarting when the earbud was inserted again. You can also disable that feature within the app if it bothers you.

SENNHEISER MOMENTUM TRUE WIRELESS 4 REVIEW: SOUNDQUALITY

broad, well-balanced soundstage
Although it can be beaten, the app’s extensive sound modification options for ANC are effective.

The sound quality of the Sennheiser Momentum TW4 is excellent. No instrument is absent and no component of the sound is overpowering when the profile is neutral and balanced. That might not be the best news for those seeking strong bass or boosted trebles, but there are still plenty of positive aspects of the Momentum TW4’s audio quality.

The Momentum TW4 sounded fantastic whether using lossy Spotify or the better lossless quality Tidal. It makes sense to use Tidal to extract a little bit more from these buds as she naturally gets the most out of them.

With Confidence, Stream Man’s “Holiday,” a loud and boisterous dance-pop hit, was played on the Momentum TW4. The song’s expansive soundstage let every element to shine, and the song’s hefty bass and ecstatic synths soar without overpowering the vocals.

The next song is Dir En Grey’s “Rinkaku,” a strong, driving metal tune. Lead singer Kyo’s falsetto vocals shined through, and the Momentum TW4 let every instrument to breathe. The track had thunderous drumming and crushing guitars.

When I listened to the laid-back hip-hop classic “Award Tour” by A Tribe Called Quest, the bass wasn’t as strong as I would have liked, but it was well-managed and polished. Once more, the Momentum TW4’s balancing was evident, as the bass, drums, and shimmering keyboards all blended well with the vocals.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4

These were but a few of the highlights. The Momentum TW4 did a fantastic job handling most genres, including the sweeping strings of the different Final Fantasy soundtracks, Cat Stevens’ shimmering acoustic guitar stylings, and the frenetic jazz opener “Tank” of the anime Cowboy Bebop! (which has a spectacular saxophone solo).

I discovered that the greater the ANC level, the better the music sounded, therefore it appears that ANC was a consideration in the construction of these earbuds. The song retained its quality even though I felt it lost some of its impact when the transparency was set to “High” as opposed to “Low.”

When it comes to Active Noise Canceling (ANC), the Momentum TW4 works well, providing a number of ANC choices via the Sennheiser Smart Control app. A slider is used to change the transparency from Low (greater ANC levels) to High (lower ANC levels). There was no music playing, and surrounding sounds were muffled but still audible in a busy office with ANC on full. But when I was working, I had trouble hearing my keyboard when the music was playing.

While it wasn’t particularly amazing, the Adaptive Noise Canceling feature—which dynamically adjusts ANC to the environment around you—worked well during my walk to work through congested streets. Though Sennheiser won’t overtake the Bose QuietComfort Buds II anytime soon, ANC on the Momentum TW4 is excellent.

It’s important to keep in mind that noise canceling cannot be fully disabled—only reduced in transparency. Although I didn’t found this to be a big problem, it is something to be aware of.

The Smart Control app offers several choices for customizing the sound, such as a 5-band equalization and a Sound Personalization feature that uses sliders to conduct an A/B test to determine your perfect sound profile. After a few days of run-in, I thought the out-of-the-box sound was excellent, but having these features was also helpful. What surprised me was how different the sound was when I tried with Sound Personalization to get my EQ profile.

The Technics EAH-AZ80 has more treble, and the Sony WF-1000XM5 may have more bass, but the Momentum TW4’s sound profile falls comfortably in the middle for my preferred listening experience. Thus, you will also enjoy the Momentum TW4 if you want a more neutral sound.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top