Sennheiser Momentum 5 TWS Review: Great Sound, Tough Competition

THE SCORECARD

How the Sennheiser Momentum 5 TWS scored

• Comfort

  8/10

  The shallower driver shaft caused contact outside my ear canal and became annoying after about an hour.

• Security

  8/10

  They stayed very secure during weight training and running, but there are no wing tips and bodyborne noise remains moderate.

• Case and battery life

  8.75/10

  The much thinner case and replaceable batteries lift this score despite lower battery figures than the Momentum 4.

• Controls

  8/10

  The controls are highly customizable, but mode-change feedback and wearing detection still need work.

• Connectivity

  8.5/10

  Bluetooth 6.0, useful codec support and multipoint are here, although single-bud mono mode is gone.

• Call quality

  8/10

  Calls are an upgrade and usable in most conditions, though louder background noise and wind are not their strongest area.

• App customization and extra features

  8/10

  The app adds immersive audio and an eight-band EQ, alongside the existing hearing test and feature controls.

• Noise cancelling

  8.75/10

  ANC is noticeably improved, particularly with wind reduction, but it is not at the level of Bose, Apple or Sony.

• The transparency mode

  9.25/10

  Transparency is clearer and less hissy than before, but my own voice still has a slight occlusion effect.

• Sound quality

  9.5/10

  The stock tuning is good, while the eight-band EQ lets me clean up its mid-bass and treble to get very close to my preferred sound.

The Pros and Cons

Are the Momentum 5 comfortable and secure?

I scored comfort at 8 out of 10. You get four ear-tip sizes, from extra small to large, and the buds are a similar size to the Momentum 4. The driver shaft is now much shallower, almost non-existent, which may work better for some ears. For me, it did the opposite: more of the bud contacted the area just outside my ear canal, and I noticed discomfort after about an hour.

Security is also an 8 out of 10. They stayed incredibly secure for me while weight training and running, but Sennheiser has removed the wing tips. I would rather have the option. Bodyborne noise is slightly improved over the Momentum 4, yet heavy footfalls can still reverberate through the ear tips and occasionally cause a slight popping or crackling sound.

The earbuds have an IP54 dust and water-resistant rating, which is solid for sweaty workouts. The case has no resistance rating.

The smaller case is better, but battery life is worse

Case and battery life score 8.75 out of 10, up from the Momentum 4 mostly because Sennheiser has finally shrunk the case. It is paper thin compared with the old case and comparable to the AirPods Pro 3 for thinness.

Battery life is actually slightly worse: 6 hours in the earbuds and 20 hours total with the case, versus 7 hours and 30 hours total for the Momentum 4. An 8-minute charge provides 1 hour of playback, which is slow compared with buds that offer 1 hour from 5 minutes. Wireless case charging remains available.

The big advantage is that the batteries in both the earbuds and the case are replaceable. Sennheiser includes a wedging tool to open the earbuds, although you need your own PH0 screwdriver. Replacement battery cost is currently unknown.

Controls and connectivity still have a few annoying issues

Controls score 8 out of 10. You get single, double and triple taps plus a long hold, and can customize the left and right earbuds with almost complete freedom. You can also disable the controls entirely. A single tap can mute your microphone on calls, complete with a voice indication.

My frustration is unchanged from the Momentum 4. Switching between noise cancelling, off and transparency only gives a single beep, so with music playing you do not know which change you made. Wearing detection can also activate if a bud is face down on a desk, and transparency always defaults back to noise cancelling when I take the buds out and put them back in.

Connectivity gets 8.5 out of 10. There is Bluetooth 6.0, SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair. Multipoint works without takeover, so I need to pause one device before playing on another. What has disappeared is single-bud mono mode. LE Audio and LC3 are planned in a later update.

Noise cancelling improves, while transparency is a standout

Noise cancelling scores 8.75 out of 10. It is not a massive leap from the Momentum 4, but I noticed an improvement in lower frequencies, voices and my broader noise tests. It is still not on the level of Bose, Apple or Sony, and the Tozo NC20 Pro matches its score while costing about one-fifth as much.

Wind reduction is a huge improvement. When wind becomes too strong, the earbuds automatically reduce ANC strength by about 30%, then return almost instantly to full strength when the wind stops. The transition is on par with the AirPods Pro 3, and I would say the Momentum 5 are slightly quicker.

Transparency scores 9.25 out of 10. It is clearer, more natural and has much less white-noise hiss than the Momentum 4. My own voice has a little more occlusion, so my ears feel slightly blocked when I speak. Still, the same fast automatic wind reduction makes transparency far more usable outdoors than it was on the Momentum 4.

Why the Momentum 5 are tied first for sound quality

Sound quality is a 9.5 out of 10, tied first with the Denon PerL Pro. The stock tuning is a minor refinement of the Momentum 4: bass is tighter, mids are a little more boosted, and treble is smoother. Mid-bass remains slightly too forward for me, upper mids are still a little recessed, and treble can become harsh at 60% volume and above.

The eight-band EQ is the main win. My preferred EQ reduces mid-bass and upper treble, adds some deep sub-bass, brings 1 kHz and 3 kHz forward, and lowers 6 kHz to reduce harshness. That gets rid of my minor stock-tuning complaints and gives kick drums more impact while keeping the bass controlled.

The mid-range is classic Sennheiser: smooth, natural and rich. Male vocals are a real standout. Treble remains airy, precise and crisp once I dial it back from the stock setting. If you want more forward vocals and upper mids, the Sony WF-1000XM6 or Galaxy Buds4 Pro may suit you better. For sound-quality value, I still have to give the nod to the SoundPEATS H3 after EQ, but the Momentum 5 offer better overall customization.

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