One of our favorite all-time travel headphones is the PXC-55Os which came out in 2016 and still remains in the rotation for long-haul trips. The 550s are the perfect combination of comfort, lightweight, incredible sound, good battery life, and active noise canceling (ANC). We never got the chance to test the 550 IIs and didn’t feel the need to try them.
Now, six years later, we have been presented with an evolution of the MOMENTUM line that possesses similar traits, although a bit bulkier and sporting some impressive stats. The MOMENTUM 4 is the culmination of what Sennheiser does best when launching new headphones, with the noticeable improvements consumers look for when buying next-generation products.
The MOMENTUM 4 brings the improved sound, ANC, onboard mics, comfort, and incredible battery life. We spent a couple of weeks with these headphones in various conditions to get a well-rounded perspective of how they perform; here is what we found.
Like the previous editions of the Momentum and the PPX line, the 4’s are purpose-built to keep music in and the world out. They provide a comfy, peaceful sanctuary that dulls outside noise and brings your music front and center with a rich, full sound that will please even the picky audiophile types (well, maybe, they are pretty difficult to please).
Who are the Sennheiser Momentum 4 for?
Commuters don’t want to compromise sound quality but want comfort, battery life, and decent noise canceling.
The Momentum 4’s long battery life, solid ANC, excellent sound, and updated mics are perfect for the professional on the move. If you need to work on a plane or a train, the ANC will effectively hide the sound of engines, chatter, and crying babies and allow you to hear your music clearly to focus on that PowerPoint presentation.
You can control different levels of ANC, like transparent mode, and use the app to set up geotags to immediately switch to the desired level of ANC in other locations. This feature is fantastic if you do the same commute every day and don’t want to think about it, but we don’t see many people using it.
If you need to make a call, the mics are good enough to eliminate background noise and allow you to communicate clearly and effectively. The carrying case is slim enough to slide into a backpack and does not take up too much space as the headphones fold flat, so even though they are larger, they travel well.
It’s genuinely one of the best well-rounded commuter headphones on the market. If you are looking for better ANC and mics, they are out there, but you sacrifice sound quality and battery life – so for us, this is a clear winner.
Momentum 4’s Features And Build Quality
With so many different options for headphones on the market, each option needs a way to stand out. Here are a few qualities that caught out attention with these headphones.
They Are Comfortable
The Momentum 4 is built with a rigid plastic that is light and durable, so you won’t have to worry about minor incidents like the occasional drop or lots of commuting. The clamping force is just right, and it’s pretty easy to find a comfortable fit with a few quick adjustments.
The earcups are the standard leatherette with the perfect amount of padding, although they run hot pretty quickly, so you might need to take the occasional break to let your ears breathe a bit.
If you are in a warm environment, you will notice this almost immediately, so something to keep in mind on summer commutes. For most sessions, wearing these cans for longer durations is very doable, but there is no way around the heat build-up, and you will need to take the occasional break to cool down your ears.
The nice thing about the rubberized underside of the headband and plastic construction is that it’s easy to clean the headphones. If you wear them a lot, you will want to wipe them down regularly, and cleaning them is easy. It’s a good idea to remove dirt and oils frequently to extend the life of your investment; a clean set of headphones are a happy set of headphones.
Their Design Is Amazing
Design-wise, the Momentum 4 is very understated, with a clean design that blends in rather than screams for attention. The right side of the earcup allows you to execute touch commands that are easy enough to get the hang of and quickly manage your volume, music, digital assistant, and calls with finger strokes.
One caveat about touch controls is that you must be careful when adjusting or touching the headphones, or you could interrupt playback. Playback interruptions, unfortunately, happened to us quite a bit when making simple adjustments, and if we could change one thing, it would be to move these controls to a simple tactile button. One actual button is used for pairing and powering up/down and will mute your mic on calls.
One feature we like is “smart pause,” which will put the headphones into standby mode if you remove them to talk to someone, etc. This feature will also put your call on hold if you use them with your phone. They will eventually power down completely to save battery life if you leave them off.
The headphones feature a USB-C charging port when you need to charge them. If you don’t want to use the Momentum 4 wirelessly, a USB-C to TRS 3.5mm analog jack is included.
To control the headphones and do the occasional firmware update, the Sennheiser Smart Control App can be used. The app works well enough and will spot multiple devices we use for the Momentum 4’s and the CX 400BT True Wireless buds we have.
How Do The Sennheiser Momentum 4s Sound?
These headphones are tuned to make most people happy with a well-balanced sound that leans in on the bass and gives all genres an excellent pass of color. If you are someone that desires more of a flat sound, these are not the headphones for you. This tuning is why most listeners gravitate toward Sennheiser; it makes music sound full, vivid, and exciting to the average ear.
If you like a mix of genres, from electronic to indie rock, the Momentum 4’s will satisfy with just the right amount of bass to feel robust but not ridiculous. We found them exceptional with artists like Max Cooper, Nils Frahm, Aphex Twin, and other more complex electronic artists. If you want to tweak the sound, you can use the EQ on the Sennheiser Control App quickly enough to get your sound dialed in.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Specs
What Comes In The Box
Headphones
Rigid plastic case with fabric overlay w/ internal mesh cord pocket
USB-A to USB-C charging cable
USB-C to TRS analog cable
Airplane Adapter
Connectivity:
– BT Wireless via SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive
– USB-C to TRS Analog Jack
Battery Life:
– These headphones were made to go the distance with roughly 55-56 hours of battery. We tested them until they died, and it took us two months to drain the battery.
Pros:
- Insane Battery Life
- Excellent build quality and slim protective case
- Sound is vibrant and exciting with all genres
- Intelligent features like Smart Pause save battery life
Cons:
- These headphones get warm fast, so you need to take breaks in warm environments
- We wish all the controls were tactile buttons
- Not the leading ANC in its class, which may be an issue for some who are looking specifically for this functionality
- The sound may be too colored for some listeners
Final Thoughts On The Sennheiser Momentum 4s
If you are a heavy commuter and need a pair of great-sounding headphones that will effectively block out ambient noise, give you some intelligent functionality, and have fantastic sound for the majority of listeners and battery life, the Momentum 4 is an excellent choice at $350, delivering a lot of value.
If you are more concerned with best-in-class ANC as a top priority, you might look at other options. For us, the great sound and other features take precedence, so the Momentum 4’s checked all the right boxes.
Hello from the Magnetic editorial desk.
