Sennheiser MOMENTUM TW 5 Review: A Hi-Fi In-Ear Upgrade

Following the release of the MOMENTUM 5 over-ear headphones, Sennheiser has unveiled the newest in true wireless listening with the MOMENTUM TW 5. This true wireless earphone comes as an upgrade from the already popular MOMENTUM TW 4, which people loved for its balanced sound, comfortable fit, and excellent microphone quality. Does this new MOMENTUM 5 hold a candle to its predecessor? In this review, we look at the finer details of what makes this a great upgrade for wireless listening. 

Let's start with the basic design. Previously, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 had a square-shaped shell and a collection of eartips and outer ear supports that help with a secure fit. The MOMENTUM 5 forgoes that design and instead opts for a more circular shape that fits snugly in the ear. There are no outer ear supports to adjust the grip on your inner ear, but there is a selection of eartips that help get the right seal. The shape is very similar to what you see in the Sony WF-1000XM6, but the color choice is more reflective and metallic than the signature matte Sony look. The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 comes in four colors: black, white, copper, and lavender. The purple and brown are nice variations from the black and white you see everywhere in other companies. 

I found the fit of the MOMENTUM 5 to be a nice upgrade from the previous MOMENTUM 4. While the bigger shell could prove to be a little less comfortable for smaller ears, the ergonomic fit actually was well-suited for my ears. I enjoyed wearing the MOMENTUM 5 for long listening sessions, and it was stable in my ear despite not having the supports from the previous iteration. 

The controls of the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 remain consistent with what we've seen in the past. The earbuds have touch control sensors on each side, and in the Sennheiser Smart Control Plus app, you can customize what each command does to best suit your needs. You can skip tracks, play and pause, adjust volume, and toggle through the noise cancellation modes. The sensors are fairly sensitive, so you can use these controls easily and quickly without having to use your source device.  

The Sennheiser Smart Control Plus app opens the door to a lot of different features, including some custom EQ and more exact adjustment in the noise cancelation. The MOMENTUM 5 has adaptive ANC, so you can set the transparency level as well as the strength of the noise cancellation. The ANC is effective on the earbuds, which is also aided by the seal of the eartip. If you find this strong ANC and eartip seal combo is giving you too much bass, the in-app EQ feature is very intuitive and gives you full range of customization. You can boost the bass, enhance the treble, or just use one of the preset filters Sennheiser made based on genre. 

You get 12 hours of battery life from the MOMENTUM 5 on a single charge, with an additional 3 charges with the case. That gives you 40 hours of listening with one charge of the case, so you are set for all-day listening every day of the week. The wind-cut feature is also great for when you're on the move and taking phone calls. The crystal-clear phone call quality is only made sharper by cancelling out the wind noise around you. 

• Wearing style: True wireless stereo earphones
• Ear coupling: Ear canal
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 6.0 compliant, class 1, 10 mW (max)
• Transmission frequency/modulation: 2,402 MHz to 2,480 MHz; GFSK, π/4 DQPSK / 8DPSK
• Supported profiles: A2DP, AVRCP, HFP
• Supported codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX™, aptX™ Adaptive/Lossless
• Speaker principle: Dynamic
• Speaker type/size: TrueResponse™ dynamic, 7 mm diameter
• Speaker frequency range: 5 Hz to 21 kHz
• Speaker sensitivity: 107 dB SPL (1 kHz / 1 mW)
• Speaker THD: <0,08% (1 kHz / 94 dB)
• Active Noise Cancellation: Hybrid Adaptive ANC
• Mic principle: MEMS
• Mic frequency range: Up to 16 kHz (super wideband telephony mode)
• Mic pick-up type: 4 mics per earbud incl. bone-conducted mic; AI and beamforming for de-noising
• Battery lifespan: 
  • Up to 12 hrs music playtime with earbuds (ANC off)
  • Up to 6 hrs music playtime with earbuds (ANC on) 
  • Up to 40 hrs overall music playtime with charging case (test condition: iPhone, mid volume level)
• Charging time: Approx. 1.5 hrs for a fully charged, After 8 min of charging, 1 hr of music playtime 
  • Note: Ambient temperatures <15°C or >30°C and Qi wireless charging lead to extended charging times
• Battery type: Lithium-Ion rechargeable batteries, User replaceable with standard tools, Left/right earbud: 72 mAh, Charging case: 760 mAh
• Power supply: 5 V⎓, 1000 mA ma;, Charging power up to 5 W, USB-C charging socket, no Power Delivery (PD), Qi Wireless Charging (Version 2.1)
• Magnetic strength field: Earbuds: 1.48 mT, charging case: 97 mT
• Weather resistance: IP54, dust and splash resistant (earbuds only)
• Product weight: 62 g (both earbuds and charging case), 7 g (single earbud) / 55 g (charging case
• Product dimensions: 67.2 x 48.4 x 25.0 mm (charging case with earbuds)
• Operating condition: 
  • Operating Temp: 0 to +40°C 
  • Charging Temp: 5 to +35°C Rel. humidity 25 to 75%, non-condensing
• Storage condition: Temp: –20 to +60°C Rel. humidity 10 to 90%
• App support: Sennheiser Smart Control app for iOS™ and Android™

SOUNDSTAGE & IMAGING

So: what does the MOMENTUM 5 sound like? If you were expecting something completely new and different from what Sennheiser has made in the past, you may be underwhelmed. The signature is very balanced and typical of what you might expect from a Sennheiser earphone. The MOMENTUM 5 is balanced, precise, and incredibly natural-sounding, making tracks feel realistic. The soundstage is wide and expansive, showing off depth and horizontal space with ease. You can place things very easily in the sound field of the MOMENTUM 5, and with the way things filter outwards and backwards, you can hear the separate instruments very clearly and accurately. 

The overall signature of the MOMENTUM 5 is balanced and natural. While the soundstage doesn't give us a lot of height to work with, there is certainly a very wide horizontal sound that allows for all the individual instruments to take place and have their moment to shine. Timbres were heard with clarity, and the frequency ranges flowed from one to the next smoothly. I could see the MOMENTUM 5 being a great choice for the traveling musician, or anyone that values honest sound in their everyday listening. The forwardness of the midrange keeps the bass and treble in check. The balance makes these earbuds an excellent reference sound that you can apply to any genre. 

BASS FREQUENCIES

Though it may not be the most intense bass sound you've ever heard, the MOMENTUM 5 has low-end reproduction that feels natural and still effective. The bass is strong and emphasized in those bass-heavy genres, but it doesn't take over the whole signature to make the low-end the star of the show. When you compare it to the Sony WF-1000XM6 or the Bowers & Wilkins Pi6, you can hear how the bass is more relaxed and subdued. This doesn't mean it isn't impactful when it needs to be; you get to hear the tones of the lower instruments as well as their textures in stunning clarity. I definitely was a fan of how the bass sat behind everything in the stock tuning, and you could always adjust it to be stronger if needed. Even making it stronger didn't take away from the textural and timbral detail. The MOMENTUM 5 did a good job of creating a foundation for the rest of the signature, balancing power and clarity with ease. 

MIDRANGE FREQUENCIES

The midrange in the MOMENTUM 5 comes forward to highlight melodic details. The sound reproduction is natural and honest, so you can hear all the finer details of the tracks in startling clarity. Vocals come front and center, making them the star of any track they are featured in. The midrange is where a lot of main instruments live, and the MOMENTUM 5 handles that congestion by spacing everything out horizontally and backwards. Each element is heard clearly and separately, but you still get a cohesive image that makes listening engaging. The midrange is where you see the most timbral detail and how natural each element sounds. I found classical music to be really great on the MOMENTUM 5, as well as some alternative rock with a lot of unique instrumentals. 

TREBLE FREQUENCIES

To round out the MOMENTUM 5 signature, you get to the treble frequencies. This range is bright but not overwhelmingly so, bringing balance to the powerful bass. It sits evenly with the bass frequencies behind the midrange, creating the slight V-shape that makes those melodic elements all the more detailed. The treble response is bright and fairly accurate, which makes all the textures of the instruments stand out a bit more. I liked that the treble carried throughout the entire signature, making the other ranges more detailed and precise by just accentuating the upper range detail. 

The question on everyone's mind: how do the MOMENTUM TW 5 earbuds differ from the MOMENTUM TW 4? Immediately, you can see that the MOMENTUM 5 is a stylistic change. The body is a bit bigger and not as adjustable for any size ear. Instead, you get a one-size-fits-all shape in brighter and more metallic colorways. The MOMENTUM 4 had more adjustable sizes, with the outer ear hook being adjustable with different rings. The MOMENTUM 5 may not have this, but the fit is still quite stable in the ear. 

Sonically, you'll see a lot of the same qualities from one Sennheiser to the next. The MOMENTUM 4 has a good balance between frequency ranges, accentuating detail in the midrange and balance between the treble and bass. The sound is a bit more cohesive in the center, while the MOMENTUM 5 expands outwards more for better separation and clarity. This difference isn't too drastic, but it does create a subtle boost in quality that is instantly recognizable. Both earbuds have stunning balance and naturalness in their signatures, and the honesty in all the instrumental timbres is highly appreciated. 

The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 true wireless earbuds take what people love about the brand and just accentuate it. Natural, honest sound, effective customization, and lightweight design all make the MOMENTUM 5 a great earphone for all uses. Phone calls are clear on both ends, and the comfort is perfect for all-day listening. The noise cancellation could probably be stronger, but the loud reproduction it gets with the solid seal from the eartip makes this much less concerning. The MOMENTUM 5 is set to compete with Sony, Bowers & Wilkins, and JVC, and I have a feeling it will come out a winner for many listeners. 

You can get the Sennheiser MOMENTUM TW 5 at Audio46 today.