Sennheiser has done it again. The German company has launched an amazing pair of truly wireless earbuds — the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4. The earbuds deliver a lot of what fans loved about previous models and add a few more bells and whistles. The earbuds retain Sennheiser’s sleek, durable design and excellent sound quality, along with powerful adjustable noise cancellation and Auracast, a new, futuristic audio sharing feature — all for $299.
Despite their high price, the TW 4 lacks spatial audio as well as Find My. It’s a glaring absence, considering most of Momentum’s competitors have at least one, if not both, of these features. However, these will be minor concerns for people who value actual audio quality above all else, as the Momentum True Wireless Earbuds are some of the best-sounding premium earbuds available.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Headphones
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are some of the best premium earbuds on the market. You can expect excellent sound, long battery life, and a host of features designed to enhance your listening experience.
- Excellent audio performance
- Comfortable even after hours of use.
- Long battery life
- Stylish and durable design
- Lacks spatial audio
- There is no “find my feature” feature.
- beloved
Price, availability and what’s included
Excellent headphones, excellent price.
At $299, the earbuds are on par with several other premium flagship earbuds including the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra, which are currently $298 and $299 on Amazon. The Momentum TW 4 are available in three two-tone colors: Copper Black, Graphite Black, and Silver White.
In addition to the earbuds and the stylish charging case, the TW 4 ships with three additional pairs of silicone ear tips (X-Small, Small, and Large) with the default medium ear tips, two sets of silicone ear fins, and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
Design and Fit
Excellent equipment
Add a cheesy joke about German engineering perfection here. The Momentum True Wireless 4 retains the compact oval housing of its predecessor, the Momentum TW 3. However, Sennheiser has opted for a more attractive display with the TW 4, as evidenced by the Black Copper earbuds I reviewed. It certainly took me a few seconds to admire the matte, metallic-colored finish on the upper plastic shell of the earbuds.
Weighing in at 6.2 grams (0.21 ounces), the TW 4 are quite lightweight. But more importantly, after wearing the earbuds for over five hours, I didn’t feel any pain or pressure. That’s important because the Momentum occupies the entire outer ear canal, pressing directly on the ear bone and concha—a situation that can go from uncomfortable to painful fairly quickly. But again, that wasn’t the case. The Momentum sat comfortably in my ears, even as I ran up the stairs to catch the 5 train at Grand Central Station.
Another way to ensure hours of comfortable enjoyment is to run the fit test in the Sennheiser Smart Control app. The app plays a series of tones for just a few seconds to ensure a tight fit between the earbuds and your ears.
Insert a corny joke about typical German engineering here.
Adding to the convenience of the TW 4 is the tap control scheme, or should I say taps since the earbuds are so responsive. A single tap on either earbud will pause or play music or answer a phone call. Two taps on the left earbud will play the previous track while the right one will play the next. During a phone call, two taps will end the call. Three taps on the right one will launch the digital assistant while the left one will cycle through the noise cancellation modes. A long press on the left one will initiate volume reduction while the right one will increase the volume. Of course, all of this can be changed and customized via the app.
The TW 4 headphones are rated IP54 for dust and splash resistance. This means they can handle a light drizzle of moisture, but they can’t handle being immersed in a pool or other body of water.
The Momentum charging case is fairly compact, weighing in at 66.4 grams and measuring 70.1 x 44.6 x 34.8 mm (2.34 oz, 2.75 x 1.75 x 1.37 inches). However, instead of a plastic outer shell, the case is covered in brown fabric with the Sennheiser logo printed on the top. The USB-C charging port is located along the front of the case. The case uses an array of strong magnets to keep it closed and secure your earbuds.
Application and features
There is no way to locate missing buds.
Most of the Momentum TW 4’s features can be accessed and controlled via Sennheiser’s free Smart Control app. From here you can perform a fit test, create a custom sound profile, customize sound profiles, enable Transparency mode, make location-based custom audio settings, and check the battery life in both the earbuds and the case, to name a few.
While I certainly appreciate the ability to choose between audio resolutions in the app, I’m disappointed that there’s no Find My feature. These are $300 earbuds, and not having a way to locate them if one or both of the earbuds go missing is confusing. Another thing missing? Spatial audio. While its biggest competitors have integrated 3D audio into their premium earbuds and Sennheiser has integrated its AMBEO 3D audio technology into its speakers, the company has yet to bring the technology to its earbuds and headphones.
Looking ahead, the TW 4 are among the first earbuds to use Auracast, a form of audio sharing endorsed by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (Bluetooth SIG), the group responsible for setting Bluetooth standards. Auracast essentially allows for one-to-many streaming, meaning a TV or smartphone can send one or more audio streams to an unlimited number of receivers including earphones, speakers, hearing aids, etc. From there, the listener can choose which audio their receiver will tune into.
The Momentum TW 4 headphones are Bluetooth 5.4 compatible and have the ability to pair with up to two devices at once.
Performance and sound quality
Really excellent sound quality.
Sennheiser has nailed the sound quality. Whether it’s the immersive keyboards of Maeta’s “Sending My Love,” or the frenetic violin and triumphant trumpets of Rhiannon Giddens’ “The Ballad of Sally Anne” on Spotify in standard resolution (Smart Control app), the Momentum TW 4 delivers a balanced performance across the mids, highs, and lows. Now, will the bass get a little distracting on tracks with very low frequencies? Sure, there’s only so much a 7mm driver can do, dynamically or otherwise. But overall, the TW 4 has serious chops.
I also listened to the same tracks on Tidal at maximum playback quality of 24-bit, 192kHz with the earphones’ resolution set to Lossless (16-bit, 44.1kHz). Both settings are designed for the audiophiles among us and deliver on the promise of a richer audio experience. I definitely heard more detail like plucked strings, better treble, and overall vocals.
I was also impressed with how well the earbuds conveyed the heavy thuds, heavy explosions, and muffled moans of pain in “John Wick 4.” I also received positive reports about call quality. Everyone I spoke to said they could hear me clearly with little to no background noise. It was the same for me.
Sennheiser has got excellent sound quality.
Sennheiser codec support includes SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive/Lossless, and LC3.
The TW 4 features adaptive active noise cancellation, which allows the earphones to adjust the active noise cancellation based on how loud or quiet your surroundings are. The Smart Control app also gives you three active noise cancellation modes (off, anti-wind, and on). Anti-wind did a good job of reducing ambient wind noise when I was walking quickly on the subway, but in the end, I prefer to have it on.
But while I prefer to mute the sounds around me, there are times when it’s not particularly wise, like walking home late at night. In those moments, Transparency mode was helpful because it allowed me to continue listening to music while allowing ambient noise to enter the soundscape so I could maintain a healthy level of street awareness.
Battery life and charging
Better than average
Sennheiser estimates that the Momentum TW 4 can last seven hours on a charge with ANC enabled, making them some of the longest-lasting wireless earbuds available. I wore the TW 4 from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. before I started getting low-battery warnings. During that time, I listened to music, participated in some video chats, made a few phone calls, watched a bunch of YouTube videos, and watched a movie.
When connected to the charging case, the earbuds have up to 30 hours of battery life, which means at least two additional charges. When it’s time to recharge, you can place the earbuds in the case for ten minutes to get an hour of charge. The case can be charged via USB-C or a wireless charger.
a race
Another $300 earbuds want a word
Sure, the Momentum True Wireless 4 are top-of-the-line earbuds, but in the premium earbud market, they’re worthy of a win at best. When it comes to active noise cancellation, it’s a head-to-head battle between the Sony WF-1000XM5 and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. In terms of audio performance, it’s a battle between the TW 4 and Sony, with the latter taking the lead in battery life. Additionally, the WF-1000XM5 and QC Ultra feature spatial audio. Bose also has the all-important Find My feature, which at this stage of the game, every earbud with a companion app should have.
Related to
Bose QuietComfort Ultra vs Sony WF-1000XM5: Which ANC Headphones Are Better?
Two top-of-the-line wireless headphones – which one is better?
Should you buy them?
If you don’t mind paying for sound quality, Sennheiser is a good choice.
If you want your earbuds to have a certain level of style while providing a comfortable fit with a bit of durability, then you should definitely consider purchasing the Sennheiser True Wireless 4 earbuds. Plus, you get a free companion app with a plethora of features and some future-proof built-in features.
But what really sets the TW 4 apart is the sound. They’re rich and warm, with a generous soundstage regardless of genre. While they lack 3D audio, I’m a big fan of their ability to fine-tune the sound. And while they don’t have the best noise cancellation out there, the TW 4 can certainly make a dull roar sound louder.
But for $299, I really want Sennheiser to figure out how to get Find My and some spatial audio in. Still, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are an excellent pair of premium wireless earbuds, especially for audiophiles.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Headphones
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are some of the best premium earbuds on the market. You can expect excellent sound, long battery life, and a host of features designed to enhance your listening experience.
