Sennheiser Momentum 5 Review Finds Balanced Sound and 57-Hour Battery at $399.99

The headphones sit in the middle of a crowded $300-to-$400 premium segment, with the pricier Sony and Apple models as their main competition. TechCrunch's reviewer described the sound as balanced, with natural vocals and bass that stays strong without dominating the mix, and said the pair reveals details such as background harmonies or guitar strings that cheaper headphones often miss. The Momentum 5 also support Dolby Atmos, which the review said makes music and movies sound as if they come from all around the listener rather than only from the left and right.

For noise cancellation, Sennheiser doubled the microphone count on this generation to eight. Voices and nearby chatter, the sounds most likely to cut through weaker ANC, were noticeably quieter in testing, and Sennheiser claims the pair is up to three times more effective than the previous generation at blocking that kind of noise. The review said the system does not eliminate everything, such as a plane's engine, but works effectively without the pressurized feeling some ANC headphones produce.

On comfort, the reviewer said the Momentum 5 do not feel as premium as Apple or Sony models tried previously, a trade-off the review attributed to the lower price. Battery life drew stronger praise: the rated 57 hours held up in testing, roughly twice that of the Sony WH-1000XM6 and nearly three times that of the AirPods Max 2. A 10-minute charge provides up to seven hours of playback, and a full charge takes about two hours. Unlike its competitors, the Momentum 5 also use a user-replaceable battery cell, so owners can swap it out once it degrades instead of buying a new pair.

The review highlighted the carrying case as unexpectedly useful. Described as thin enough to fit into a medium-sized purse and to take up little space in luggage, it addresses a problem the reviewer had with other headphones. Through the companion Smart Control Plus app, users can adjust an 8-band EQ, choose Sennheiser presets, set the level of noise cancellation rather than only switching it on or off, and access an anti-wind mode. A Sound Personalization feature walks listeners through a hearing test and builds a tailored sound profile. The reviewer found the app easy to navigate and said it offers a decent amount of control.

The main drawbacks cited were weight and comfort: the Momentum 5 are heavier than the Sony WH-1000XM6 and not as comfortable as some Sony or Apple options. At $399.99, the review concluded, they cost less than both competitors while still performing where it matters.