5 Reasons To Buy The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless (And 3 Reasons To Skip)

Sennheiser came out swinging with the Sennheiser Momentum 5 headphones. The company says it's the most advanced wireless headphone it has ever made, with several meaningful improvements over last generation's Sennheiser Momentum 4, which we at SlashGear think is among the best wireless headphones you can buy right now. Sennheiser has a decades-long reputation for producing some of the best audiophile headphones known to humankind along with quality budget options, so when they release a new one, it's definitely a newsworthy event. 

The Momentum 5 headphones present shoppers with an interesting conundrum. Those who already own the Momentum 4 headphones are considering whether or not it's worth it to upgrade, while those from outside the Sennheiser family have no doubt heard of the cool new features and are wondering whether these headphones are right for them. Since they are high-end Bluetooth headphones, people always want more information before they pull the trigger on a purchase, especially when the Momentum 5 Wireless starts at $400. 

So, if you're in the market, either for an upgrade or starting fresh with your first pair of Sennheiser Bluetooth headphones, we'd like to help out. I've been considering buying a pair of Momentum 5 headphones myself after doggedly refusing to buy Bluetooth headphones for the better part of a decade. The Momentum 5 may have changed my mind, but I'm still very much on the fence. Here are reasons to buy it and reasons why you may not want to. 

The first, and arguably most important, feature of the Sennheiser Momentum 5 is the user-replaceable battery. One of the worst parts about owning Bluetooth headphones is knowing that someday, the battery is going to expire, which means you're either in the market for a new pair of Bluetooth headphones or a repair fee to get your battery replaced. Regardless, it's an annoying process that makes even high-end Bluetooth headphones feel disposable, especially compared to wired headphones, which simply do not have that problem. 

The Momentum 5 changes this with a user-replaceable battery. The battery sits in the left ear cup, which is removable with a few small screws, which is easy to remove with any one of a number of electronics repair kits. From there, the battery can be removed by unplugging a single plug. You swap in the new battery, screw the earcup back together, and you're back in business. Sennheiser says it will sell replacement batteries on its official parts store, although as of this writing, the batteries have not yet been listed. 

This is the start of what will become a trend over the next few years as EU regulations mandate more electronics come with user-replaceable batteries. Sennheiser is ahead of the curve here, but by doing so, the company temporarily has the only high-end headphone with a user-replaceable battery. If longevity matters to you, the Momentum 5 has that in spades. 

It almost doesn't matter who you ask; the general consensus is that the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless sounds good. This is important for obvious reasons, most notably because you're going to be wearing them for extended periods, and if you don't like what you hear, you won't enjoy your time. Sennheiser is a longtime player in this game and has made many headphones that have made millions happy, and based on reviews, it seems the Momentum 5 Wireless continues that proud tradition. 

That sounds like an advertising line, but it's the truth. We scoured dozens of reviews, and nearly all of them agree that Sennheiser made a good headphone that is pleasant to listen to. It tends to lean more on the consumer-friendly U-shaped (or V-shaped) frequency response, which means it boosts the bass and treble while pulling back on the midrange a bit to create a modern, pop-friendly sound. Those cross-shopping between brands will be happy to know that reviews also say that the Momentum 5 keeps up with other high-end headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Apple AirPods Max.

Sennheiser also has a companion app, like most other high-end Bluetooth headphone makers, that lets you adjust the sound if it's close but not quite what you're looking for. This added personalization is pretty common and also solves the one-size-fits-all problem: Something may not be quite to your liking, but you have the option to change it if you need to.

The only downside to the Momentum 5 Wireless is that they sound remarkably similar to the Momentum 4 Wireless. This isn't terribly surprising, since what sounds good to a person is highly subjective. Thus, Sennheiser had a choice to mimic the Momentum 4, which people already liked, or try something different and hope that people liked it. Sennheiser clearly went for something more similar than different, which provides consumers with some interesting choices. 

For those who already own the Momentum 4 Wireless and like how their headphones sound, this may be a huge reason to avoid upgrading to the Momentum 5. When people buy new things, they expect something new or different, and since the main functionality — playing audio — sounds the same, the other feature bumps may not be enough to justify a $400 purchase. In that case, the Momentum 4 Wireless folks may want to wait for a deep sale or just stick with what they already own. 

For shoppers approaching Sennheiser for the first time, you can get nearly identical audio quality out of the Momentum 4 or Momentum 5. The Momentum 5 clearly has superior features and is newer, but Sennheiser is selling the Momentum 4 for $100 less, with steep discounts during sales events. The savings and the similar audio quality between generations may motivate bargain shoppers to skip the Momentum 5 and instead seek out the Momentum 4. 

Active noise canceling is a major selling point for Bluetooth headphones. Their portability makes them a top-tier option for travel, and if you've ever traveled before, you know how noisy it can be. Thus, headphone makers have been battling it out for ANC supremacy for a decade now, with Sony, Apple, and Bose usually being the winners in such competitions. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 was not terribly well known for its ANC, which was functional but not great. The Momentum 5 is much better in this regard. 

Quantifying improvements is rather difficult, but you can get some ideas. Both headphones feature the same general features, like geotag-based ANC, an adaptive ANC function, and over 50 hours of battery life with ANC on, which outlasts all the big competitors. Per Sound Guys, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 blocks out an additional 12% of noise compared to the Momentum 4, which is a rather huge improvement. The Momentum 5 still isn't at the level of the big dogs like the Sony WH-1000XM6, but the gap is a lot smaller than it was in the prior generation between the Momentum 4 and the Sony WH-1000XM5. 

This means that it's okay to talk about the Momentum 5 Wireless in the same category as mainstays in the segment, at least in terms of ANC capability. Sennheiser still has some of the best battery life around as well, making it a more appealing and interesting selection when surfing for top-end Bluetooth headphones. 

Sennheiser has widened its over-ear Bluetooth offerings over the last year, which puts shoppers in an interesting position. At the top of the pile is the Sennheiser HDB 630, the company's top-of-the-line Bluetooth headphones tuned for an audiophile experience. In the middle is the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless, the newest addition to the lineup. Then, at the bottom, you have the aforementioned Momentum 4 Wireless, which had a price drop to make it the budget option. 

This opens up the conversation significantly. The HDB 630 is only $50 more expensive than the Momentum 5. You trade off a tiny bit of ANC performance (and the user-replaceable battery), but then you get a different, more audiophile-friendly sound signature that more closely follows the Harman Curve. That's a compelling offer, especially during sales seasons when discounts may close the price gap even further. On the other side of the fence, we've already established that the Momentum 5 Wireless sounds eerily similar to the Momentum 4 Wireless, so if you don't care about the ANC performance, you can get similar sound at a much lower price. 

That means the Momentum 5 is really only the best option if you like its mix of features. It has the best ANC in Sennheiser's over-ear lineup right now, and the user-replaceable battery is arguably the best Bluetooth headphone feature to come out in a decade. However, you can get almost everything else in either the Momentum 4 or the HDB 630. 

When you purchase the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless, you don't just get the headphones. Sennheiser includes some extra goodies in the box. This isn't terribly unusual, as most high-end Bluetooth headphone makers do. The Sony WH-1000XM6 comes with a carrying case and some cables, and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra does the same. So, it's nice to see Sennheiser keep pace with the competition in this regard. 

The purchase includes the headphones, a carrying case, a 3.5 mm-to-3.5 mm cable, and a USB-C charging cable. The latter two are color-matched to the case, which is also color-matched to the headphones. So, if you get the blue Momentum 5 Wireless with the tan headband, the case is blue with a tan interior, and all the included cables are tan as well. It's a small thing, and it probably doesn't cost Sennheiser all that much to do it, but the extra attention to detail is appreciated and makes the purchase feel more premium. 

This isn't necessarily new. Sennheiser also color-matches its cables and case to the Momentum 4 Wireless. Thus, this is technically a reason to buy either the Momentum 5 or the Momentum 4 over the competition, especially if that attention to detail matters to you. It is worth noting that the Momentum 5 has a smaller, sturdier case than the Momentum 4, which will be easier to shove in a backpack.

No product is perfect, and that includes the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless. However, some complaints are fairly mild for some but could be dealbreakers for others. So, we're going to take a minute to list some other issues that may be problematic for some folks in certain lifestyles. One such example is the lack of water and dust resistance. The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless doesn't have an official IP rating, which means these are probably not the best set of Bluetooth headphones to take with you to the gym or while you're out jogging, especially if it's raining. 

Some other mild complaints we spotted around the Internet include middling voice call quality, a shorter overall feature list than some other competitors, and Sennheiser shipped the headphones with Bluetooth 5.2 instead of Bluetooth 5.3 like most competitors. Sennheiser does say that Bluetooth 6.0 will be enabled with a software update, though, so this will go from a con to a pro eventually, but that day is not today. 

The only other consistent complaint is that the headphones are visually indistinguishable from the Sennheiser Momentum 4 in terms of design. At even arm's length, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the two headphones apart, so Momentum 4 owners who were hoping for a visual overhaul may be disappointed with the Momentum 5. These are all minor details, but dealbreakers are subjective, so one may be enough to cause someone to skip the Momentum 5.

One of the several things that consumers take into account is price, and that while it is more expensive than the prior generation, the Momentum 5's price holds up pretty well in the greater scheme of popular Bluetooth headphones. Arguably the biggest competitors for the Momentum 5 include the Apple AirPods Max 2, Bose QuietComfort Ultra, and the Sony WH-1000XM6, since those are the flagship models from those brands and are often recommended to those shopping for top-tier Bluetooth headphones. 

The Sennheiser Momentum 5 beats all of them in terms of MSRP. Sennheiser's cans come in at $400 while the Bose and Sony headphones clock in at $450, and the Apple AirPods Max 2 start at $550. For its $400 price tag, you get a headphone that's in the conversation in terms of features, ANC, and sound quality, although the actual selection of features varies greatly depending on which headphones you're comparing. 

It's also important to note that sales also skew things. The Momentum 5 is brand new and hasn't gone on sale as of this writing. The other headphones have at some point, even the most expensive AirPods Max 2. Thus, depending on when you look and where you look, it's very possible to find one of these headphones for cheaper than the rest.