Sennheiser Momentum 5 Review – Sweet, Smooth Sounding Cans

The Sennheiser Momentum 5 is the brand’s latest pair of wireless headphones that aim to offer exceptional sound and noise cancelling capabilities in a stylish package. We managed to get our hands on a test sample for field testing and after testing it in the office and our usual commute, here’s our Sennheiser Momentum 5 review where we share if it’s worth what you pay for.

Sennheiser Momentum 5 Review – Build and Design

In terms of design, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 is an over-ear pair of headphones made primarily of lightweight polycarbonate done up in a shade of dark metallic blue with a satin finish that can repel fingerprints to a modest degree. While the headband can’t fold inwards in the manner of some travel-oriented headphones, the cans are able to fold flat to create a flatter profile.

Closer inspection reveals lushly upholstered cans with the headband offering similar cushioning for comfort and the ability to pivot about 180-degrees. You are also able to adjust the fit somewhat thanks to an adjustable headband slider to allow for a tighter or looser fit as needed.

Each can houses 42mm drivers with the left housing the battery while the right features a power button that doubles as a Bluetooth pairing button as well as a touch sensitive control surface that allows you access to all the usual functions including audio playback and volume via a series of taps and strokes. The right can also features a USB-C port for charging and a 2.5mm port for wired listening. 

Of note is that the Momentum 5 has ensured that the battery remains user accessible and replaceable.That’s not all, Sennheiser also issues replacement parts for the ear cushions too. Allowing users to replace both is a brilliant move as it reduces e-waste and allows users to keep the earphones in service longer.

Overall build quality is excellent with the satin finish and heft lending it a premium look and feel that is further complemented by the smooth headband slider that stays securely in place without requiring adjustments. Unfortunately, the headphones lack any IP dust or water resistance rating which means that they aren’t particularly suited for outdoors use against dust, rain or sweat though that’s not a deal breaker.

Out of the box, our Sennheiser Momentum 5 review sample came with a modest array of additional kit. Along with the headphones, Sennheiser has issued a hard carry case. A USB-C cable and a 3.5mm-to-2.5mm  audio cable. While the headphones cannot fold inwards, they have a relatively flat profile which makes them relatively easy to pack in a backpack.

Sennheiser Momentum 5 Review – Setup and Performance

Getting our Sennheiser Momentum 5 review sample up and running was a relatively simple task and it paired with a Galaxy S26 Ultra test sample without issue via Bluetooth 5.4 along with support for multipoint pairing with up to two devices. Traditionalists will also appreciate the fact that it also supports lossless wired listening too though you need to turn the headphones on for wired listening to work.

While it runs straight out of the box, you’ll need Sennheiser’s Smart Control Plus app to customise its sound profile that’s free to download on Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Up close, the app allows you to adjust the level of noise cancellation or noise transparency, create a personalised sound profile or select from rock, pop, dance, hip-hop, classic, movie and jazz preset sound profiles. You also get the option to activate an immersive audio mode that’s optimised with Dolby Atmos for richer sound staging. However, this mode doesn’t work if you select a personalised sound profile.

Navigating the headphone’s controls is a relatively straightforward task via a series of taps and sliding motions on the right earcup’s control surface. Sliding up or down on the right panel controls volume. Pinching outwards or inwards controls sound transparency. Tapping once lets you play or pause music while sliding forwards and holding lets you fast forward and doing so in reverse rewinds a track. 

Sliding forwards rapidly and backwards lets you jog to the next or previous track as well as accept and end calls. Tapping and holding the control panel rejects a call. Unfortunately, the controls are hardwired but are relatively easy to master.

On paper, our Sennheiser Momentum 5 review unit supports SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX lossless, aptX Adaptive and even Snapdragon Sound for compatible phones.

To assess its capabilities, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 was tested with a variety of tracks across multiple genres from classical to pop. Experiences will vary depending on what modes you use, the quality of the audio source and if you opt for your own equaliser settings but by and large, the headphones offer a generally competent, balanced experience with a bass-forward experience and an emphasis on the lows and mids. 

In Bear McCreary’s ‘Prelude to War’ our Sennheiser Momentum 5 review unit managed to competently handle its intricate percussion arrangement with deft aplomb, with its numerous taiko drums and subtle gamelans sounding distinct and unique throughout the track. 

On the other end of the scale, it managed to offer a good level of detail with subtle tracks like Vaughan William’s ‘The Lark Ascending’ though we noticed a subtle background hiss during quieter passages, particularly with ANC enabled, which was substantially reduced with ANC off. Vocals were handled well with Joanna Wang’s cover of Vincent delivering her soulfully rich, deep vocals and guitar strumming in their full glory.

Like many other headphones with customisable equaliser settings, your mileage will vary depending on your hearing sensitivity or lack thereaof, music source quality and EQ settings though the Momentum 5 offers a useful selection of settings out of the box. If you’re looking for the broadest, most immersive sound stage and boomy bass with detailed mids, Movie mode with Immersive Audio mode activated and ANC disabled yields the best results for our tastes without intensive tweaking.

When dialled to maximum, the ANC in combination with the passive noise insulation of the ear cushions on our Sennheiser Momentum 5 review unit was able to effectively drown out a good chunk of irritating low frequency sound like the whirring of fans, background noise like passerby and most of the conversations in a busy cafe. Public announcements and louder external sounds remain audible to some degree, but the overall reduction in ambient noise is substantial enough to notice.

Of note is the excellent comfort thanks to a combination of just enough clamp force for passive noise insulation without feeling like a vice along with excellent upholstery on each ear cup as well as the head band. Our Sennheiser Momentum 5 review unit didn’t cause any undue discomfort when worn through the course of a full work day with intermittent breaks for lunch and the water cooler.

In terms of battery life, official numbers for its 700mAh battery allow for up to 57 hours of listening with ANC on and our Sennheiser Momentum 5 review sample did not disappoint.

When tested with a combination of music playback and a few minutes of phone calls daily, it comfortably managed to allow for a good 8 hours of daily usage for an entire work week and a full Saturday which is impressive any way you slice it.

Interestingly, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 has a unique feature typically restricted to smartphones – battery protection. If enabled in the Smart Control Plus app, you restrict charging to less than 100% to enjoy extended battery service life.

Should you buy the Sennheiser Momentum 5 headphones?

The Sennheiser Momentum 5 headphones offer excellent battery life and balanced, bass-forward sound for mainstream listening along with good active noise cancellation performance.

What makes it particularly appealing though is its repairability with easy access to swap out the battery and swap out the ear cushions – two key features that often wear out with regular use. If you’re looking for a repairable, well balanced pair of headphones with impressive battery life this makes for a worthy choice.

Specifications
Price RM1,999
Drivers 42mm dynamic drivers
Frequency range 6Hz-40kHz (USB & Bluetooth), 6Hz – 22kHz (Analog Line-in)
Connectivity Bluetooth 5.4
Supported codecs SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX lossless, aptX adaptive, Snapdragon Sound
Battery 700mAh,  57 hours with ANC, 2 hours charge time
Size/Weight 180 x 197 x 47mm / 290g

Sennheiser Momentum 5 review sample courtesy of Sennheiser. For more details visit https://my.sennheiser-hearing.com/