Sennheiser Momentum 4: One Year Daily Use Review

These headphones have been on my head almost every day for twelve months. Commute, office, gym, flights. The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless cost me $350 and promised audiophile sound without wires. Time to tell you whether they delivered.

Right away I'll say this isn't a typical two-week review. I've been through firmware updates, earcup replacements, and three different smartphones. I know these headphones inside out.

Here I cover sound quality, ANC performance, comfort over long sessions, and everything that broke or annoyed me over the year. Real experience, no marketing fluff.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless features 42mm dynamic drivers with a frequency response of 6Hz to 22kHz, supports aptX Adaptive codec for high-resolution wireless audio up to 24-bit/96kHz, delivers 60 hours of battery life with ANC enabled, and weighs 293 grams at a retail price of $349.95.

This review covers sound signature characteristics, noise cancellation effectiveness in various environments, long-term comfort and build durability, app functionality, and direct comparisons with Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra. Information accurate for US, EU, and international markets as of January 2026.

Sound Quality: The Sennheiser Difference

First listen out of the box and you immediately understand why people pay extra for Sennheiser. The sound is simply different from mass-market headphones. More natural, more detailed, more... musical. Hard to describe but easy to hear.

The tuning leans slightly warm with emphasis on mids. Vocals sound intimate and present, like the singer is in the room with you. Guitars have body and texture. Drums have punch without being boomy. This isn't a bass cannon or a treble laser. It's balanced in a way that works for everything from jazz to metal.

Technical Performance

Soundstage impressed me most. For closed-back headphones, the Momentum 4 creates a surprisingly wide and deep image. Instruments have space around them. You can pinpoint where things are in the mix. On well-recorded albums this approaches the experience of good open-back headphones.

Detail retrieval sits at the top of the wireless headphone class. I kept noticing things in familiar tracks I'd missed before. The brush of fingers on guitar strings. Room reverb on vocals. Subtle synth layers buried in the mix. Whether this matters depends on how closely you listen, but it's there.

The bass extends deep and stays controlled. No bloat, no bleed into the mids. Electronic music hits hard when it should. Acoustic bass sounds like an actual instrument, not a vague low-frequency rumble. This control impressed me more than raw quantity.

Noise Cancellation: Good But Not Class-Leading

Here's where I have to be honest. The ANC on Momentum 4 is good. It's not the best. Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra both cancel more noise, especially in the low frequencies where plane engines and train rumble live.

On my daily subway commute, Momentum 4 reduces noise enough to listen at reasonable volumes. But I can still hear the train. With Sony or Bose, the train almost disappears. For frequent flyers this difference matters.

Adaptive mode works well though. The headphones automatically adjust cancellation based on ambient noise levels. Walking down a quiet street, ANC stays light. Step into a busy cafe and it ramps up. I stopped thinking about it after the first week.

Transparency mode deserves praise. Voice sounds natural, not robotic like some competitors. I can have conversations without removing the headphones. Ambient sound comes through clearly without that artificial processed quality.

Comfort: Built for Long Sessions

Weight at 293 grams sits between Sony (250g) and Bose (306g). The headband distributes pressure well. Earcups are deep enough that my ears don't touch the drivers. Padding uses protein leather that feels premium but breathes reasonably.

I regularly wear these for four to five hour stretches without discomfort. That's my main work block. No hotspots, no ear fatigue, no headband pressure headaches. This matters more than sound quality if you're wearing headphones all day.

The folding mechanism works smoothly after a year of daily use. No creaks, no loose hinges. Build quality feels solid throughout. The matte finish hides fingerprints and minor scratches well.

What Broke

After eight months, the left earcup developed a slight rattle on bass-heavy tracks. Sennheiser warranty covered replacement earcups, shipped free, took ten days. The new ones have been fine since.

The carrying case started fraying at one corner around month six. Purely cosmetic but disappointing at this price. The headphones themselves show minimal wear despite heavy use.

App and Features: Smart Headphones

The Sennheiser Smart Control app surprised me. Clean interface, useful features, no bloat. EQ with presets and custom bands. Sound zones that automatically switch settings based on location. Customizable touch controls.

Speaking of touch controls. The entire right earcup is a touch surface. Swipe up and down for volume. Swipe forward and back for tracks. Tap for play and pause. Double tap for next. After the learning curve, it becomes second nature. I prefer this to physical buttons now.

Multipoint connection to two devices works flawlessly. Laptop and phone connected simultaneously. Audio switches automatically to whichever device is playing. Call comes in on the phone while watching a video on laptop? Headphones switch, I answer, call ends, back to the video. Seamless.

Battery life claims 60 hours with ANC. I get about 55 in practice, which is still exceptional. I charge these once a week with heavy daily use. Fast charge gives 6 hours from a 10-minute charge. The battery anxiety that plagued earlier wireless headphones simply doesn't exist here.

Versus Sony and Bose

The big question everyone asks. How do Momentum 4 compare to the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra?

Sound quality: Momentum 4 wins. More natural, more detailed, better imaging. This gap has narrowed with recent Sony and Bose updates but Sennheiser still has the edge if pure sound matters most.

Noise cancellation: Sony and Bose win. Both cancel more noise, especially low frequencies. If you fly frequently or commute in loud environments, this matters.

Comfort: Personal preference. All three are comfortable for extended wear. Momentum 4 has the deepest earcups. Sony is lightest. Bose has the most plush padding.

Features: Rough tie. All have good apps, multipoint, customizable controls. Sony has Speak-to-Chat which pauses music when you talk. Bose has immersive audio modes. Sennheiser has the best EQ implementation.

Battery: Momentum 4 wins decisively. 60 hours versus 30 for Sony and 24 for Bose. Not even close.

Who Should Buy These

Buy the Sennheiser Momentum 4 if sound quality is your top priority. If you value natural, detailed, musical presentation over maximum bass or maximum noise cancellation. If you want headphones that work all week on a single charge. If you appreciate build quality that lasts.

Look elsewhere if you need the absolute best ANC for flights. If you prefer heavy bass emphasis. If $350 stretches your budget and you'd rather save $100 on the Sony or find Bose on sale.

After a year, I'm not looking to replace these. They've become part of my daily routine. The sound still impresses me. The comfort still works. The battery still lasts. That's the real review right there.