Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Incredible sound to rival Sony's best-ever buds

It doesn't feel like more than five minutes since I was trying out the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds, but here I am two short years later auditioning the company's Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds. Announced at CES 2024, these are Sennheiser's fourth-generation model since the original Momentum True Wireless launched in 2019 — which, even by the fast paced standards of the rapidly evolving tech sector, just goes to show how quickly time passes when you're listening to your favorite music in great sound quality.

It's no secret that the TW3 have been among one of my go-to wireless earbuds for reference purposes since they went on sale in 2022. They ranked among the best wireless earbuds we've tested thanks to their balanced performance and personalized sound features, but were recently overtaken by even stronger rivals.

This next-gen version looks to boost Sennheiser's flagship wireless earbuds back among the top rankers with stronger audio support, connectivity and sound. As such, they come with an adjusted acoustical system and a re-tuned sound signature. The external design looks identical to their predecessor, except for the addition of a new copper colorway option, though there's numerous internal improvements including stronger connectivity and audio handling support.

Keep scrolling to discover how Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless fourth-gen model performs.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Cheat sheet

• $50 more expensive than predecessor.
• Same external design as TW3 with internal improvements to boost connectivity and audio performance.
• Built on the Qualcomm S5 Sound Gen 2 platform with Snapdragon Sound and support for aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive audio.
• Same 7mm TrueResponse dynamic driver, but with different acoustic system and retuned sound signature. 
• Supports Bluetooth 5.4 with LE Audio and Auracast support arriving in a future firmware update.
• 7.5 hours listening from earbuds with 30 hours from the charging case. An 8-minute quick charge provides up to 1 hour listening. Qi wireless charging compatible.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Price and availability

• Higher price than predecessor
• Black copper, metallic silver and graphite color options

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 are priced at $299 / £259 / AU$499, which makes them the same price as the Sony WF-1000XM5 — the best wireless earbuds overall. Is that a coincidence? Probably not. Either way, it's a considerable increase compared to the MSRP of the Momentum TW3 that originally launched at ($249 / £219 / AU$399), and makes the next-gen TW4 more expensive than Apple's ubiquitous AirPods Pro 2 USB-C ($249 / £229 / AU$399).

They are available to buy from the Sennheiser website as well as via online retailers including Amazon, Crutchfield, and Sweetwater. They come in a choice of black copper, metallic silver, and graphite color options.

• Find out how the Sony WF-1000XM5 compares to the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 in our face-off

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Design and fit

• Same level of moisture protection as TW3 but now also rated for dust protection
• Similar construction to predecessor

While Sennheiser's TW3 showcased a redesign that was 16% smaller than the model they replaced, the latest flagship looks and feels the same. I couldn't help but be a little disappointed that the styling hadn't been given a softer look when I popped open the lid on the charging case, and they look a bit bulky compared to the softer designs sported by current price rivals.

Nevertheless, the fit and comfort levels are similarly strong. Durability has been improved to IP54, meaning that they're protected from dirt ingress while moisture protection remains the same as the TW3. That's the same IP rating as the AirPods Pro 2 USB-C but better than the Sony WF-1000XM5, which only has an IPX4 rating. 

Like their predecessor, the TW4s are heavier than most earbuds but they wear their 0.21-ounce weight lightly. There's a rubber stabilizer on each earbud (the packaging contains two pairs of different sizes), and in tandem with the choice of silicone ear tips (XS, S, M, and L sizes are supplied) they achieved a secure and comfortable fit. I wore them for several hours a day for several days during my reviewing process, and haven't felt the need to remove them due to any discomfort or fatigue.

Sennheiser uses the same 7mm TrueResponse dynamic driver, but the company tells us that it has improved antenna design with greater RF sensitivity, improved signal-to-noise ratio, faster connections, and better signal continuity while on the go. I also like the new black copper color option supplied for this review. 

The charging case looks identical to the version supplied with the TW3 and is clad in smart fabric. The TW4 version I have has a copper-colored Sennheiser logo etched on the lid, and the company says that the battery in the charging case has been upgraded to "ensure maximum operating life."

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Features

• Supports aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive and Bluetooth LE Audio
• Auracast support coming in future firmware update  

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 bring a considerable boost to their feature set. They're built on the Qualcomm S5 Sound Gen 2 platform with Snapdragon Sound and support for aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive Audio and Bluetooth LE Audio from compatible Android devices. Sadly, there's no LDAC support, and iOS smartphone users won't be able to take advantage of aptX or LE Audio codecs.

Auracast audio-sharing support will be on board in a future firmware update. This will make the TW4 one of the first wireless earbuds to enable listeners to hear audio shared from nearby compatible devices and Auracast-powered public transmitters that can beam public announcements at train stations and airports straight to the earbuds.

The Sennheiser Smart control app includes a useful fit test and there's a sophisticated Sound Personalization process that enables listeners to fine-tune the sound output to their liking and save it to a profile. Additionally, Sound Zones enable you to customize noise canceling, transparency, and EQ profiles based on your location. These work by using a playback device's location service, and can even be set so that the Sound Zone is activated from within a 100m range or up to 1km relative to the zone. 

Multipoint connectivity is also on board, and I was able to connect to both my Android and iOS smartphones simultaneously without any issues.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Controls

• Reliable touch controls
• Useful audible feedback of tap commands

Capacitive touch controls can be customized for each earbud, and whether it's a tap once, twice, or three times, or tap and hold commands, every action is extremely reliable. Everything feels straightforward to get to grips with basic commands such as Play/Pause, Skip forwards/backwards, Volume up/down, Answer/End/Reject Call as well as turning noise-cancelation on or off. 

What's useful is that each tap is acknowledged with a short low-level tone. Although I've encountered this kind of feedback before, the Sennheiser sounds more reassuring at confirming your command actions and the acknowledgment can easily be heard above the music. There’s no built-in voice assistant, but I was able to summon my player’s native assistant with three taps on the right earbud.

Sennheiser’s Smart Control app has evolved to become one of the strongest around. It's not quite as sophisticated as Sony's stellar Headphones Connect app, but connectivity between the app and the earbuds was consistently reliable. It's simple to customize the Momentum True Wireless 4 experience via a 5-band EQ and remarkably effective Sound Personalization mode, as well as creating the aforementioned Sound Zones. 

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Sound quality

• Perfectly balanced audiophile
• Class-leading codec support
• Sound personalization provides worthwhile fine tuning

I may be going out on a limb, but from my listening trials so far the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 buds are already serious contenders for the best wireless earbuds. It's perhaps too early to call where they'll rank overall as I've yet to complete my face-off assessment with them up against the Sony WF-1000XM5 (one of my favorite earbuds of 2023). But a quick comparison with Sony's flagship buds showcases the Sennheiser's astonishing audio capabilities, and the competition for best wireless earbuds overall looks like it'll be a close contest. 

Most of my listening was carried out using a Sony Xperia I IV smartphone with aptX Adaptive codec support. I've also listened to the TW4s connected to my iPhone 12 Pro to see how they sound with Apple's AAC Bluetooth streams.

Sennheiser says that the TW4's internal design features a new acoustical system and a redesigned sound signature to bring a performance boost to vocal clarity. While there was nothing wrong with their predecessor's sound signature as far as I was concerned, the TW4 sounded remarkably well-balanced across the entire frequency range and made listening to my favorite Tidal playlist tracks entirely enjoyable. 

The factory-set sound signature was very enjoyable, but I found I was able to improve things even further via the sophisticated Sound Personalization mode. My preference turned out to be subtle when switching back to the factory EQ setting to compare it to the Sennheiser's signature sound, but it was a worthwhile tweak that softened the upper bass performance to my tastes.

Compared to Sennheiser's Momentum TW3, I'd say that the TW4 has more bass energy; it digs deeper and upper bass sounds have more detail. In fact, the energy is so good at the bottom end that they had no problem handling some of my go-to tracks for testing loudspeakers. While plenty of earbuds have punchy bass, few convey that energy with as much engagement and expression as Sennheiser's Momentum TW4, and Yello's "Electrified II" sounded superb.

Whether the extra bass power and definition are a result of the acoustic re-tuning or the redesigned ear tip shape (said to help prevent earwax build-up) is hard to say. Both factors can affect earbud sound. Either way though, the Sennheiser's had a level of rhythmic engagement that got my head nodding, which means they're doing the music justice.

Vocals have plenty of expressions and presence, and the reworking of "Cry Little Sister" by Chvrches from the Netflix movie Nightbooks redefines the iconic theme music from The Lost Boys movie. I love the new version of this song. It has plenty of scale at both ends of the frequency spectrum, and the vocal sounded spectacular through the Sennheiser MTW4.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Active noise canceling

Competition for the best noise-canceling earbuds is extremely tough, but the Sennheisers hold their own even if they don't quite block out external sounds to the levels of silence managed by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. With Sennheiser's Adaptive Noise Canceling enabled, it was still possible to pick out occasional sounds from the Sonos speaker playing along in my home office, and the Sennheiser's sonic signature has a slightly altered presentation when ANC mode is switched off.           

The Anti-Wind setting that’s available in the Smart Control app continues to be among the very best of its type. The earbuds protrude slightly from each ear, and the outer casing seems prone to catching gusts of wind. But with the Anti-Wind mode enabled while standing on an exposed and blowy train station platform, it was very effective at making the sound of the wind disappear. 

Just like its predecessor, the level of transparency can be adjusted, allowing wearers to control the amount of background noise the buds let in. Another app customization option enables you to pause music when Transparency Mode is on.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Battery life

The Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds claim to hold slightly more battery life than their predecessors. The earbuds are rated at 7.5 hours, and users will get 30 hours from the charging case with ANC off. A quick charge is said to provide up to 1 hour of additional listening from just 8 minutes of charging. The USB-C charging case has Qi wireless support.

Despite having some of the strongest battery life in the best headphones for the Accentum and Momentum 4 over-ear wireless headphones, the battery life on Sennheiser's wireless earbuds falls short compared to the Sony WF-1000XM5 which lasts longer.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 review: Verdict

I don't love that there's such a big price hike for Sennheiser's next-gen wireless earbuds, but after several days of continuous listening and testing, I'm confident that the extra cost for the TW4 is worthwhile. Despite the continuation of a slightly bulky design, these are Sennheiser's most sophisticated wireless earbuds so far. 

The improvements to the sound signature and wider audio codec support make these a fantastic companion for any music fans serious about audio quality. With support for Auracast and LE Audio that's promised to arrive in a future firmware update, they're one of the most futureproof pairs of ANC buds I have encountered.

Sometimes I get concerned about generational improvements, particularly when they come at such expense, but the exceptionally high-level sound makes these a strong contender that rivals some of the best wireless earbuds I've heard.

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 wireless earbuds I recommend for audiophiles
• 5 things I love (and one I don't) about the Sony WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds
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