Sennheiser Momentum 5 assessment: A contender for greatest headphones of 2026

There’s been a flurry of headphone launches in latest months, with manufacturers similar to Apple and Sony including spectacular new fashions to their line-ups. Now the competitors is heating up even additional with Sennheiser unveiling its absolutely refreshed Momentum 5 Wi-fi headphones. These new cans have been a very long time coming. The earlier Momentum 4 launched again in 2022, that means followers have waited 4 years for a significant replace. So, has it been definitely worth the wait?

The brief reply is sure.

The Momentum 5 sound excellent. Pair them with a smartphone or music participant, and also you’re instantly handled to wealthy element, crystal-clear vocals and loads of bass that delivers affect with out overwhelming the combination.

Should you love listening to music with an actual thump, I’d say these are a few of the greatest I’ve utilized in a really very long time.

Sennheiser has packed in some spectacular audio expertise too. The Momentum 5 characteristic Hello-Res Audio certification alongside Snapdragon Sound with assist for Bluetooth codecs as much as aptX Lossless, serving to ship true CD-quality wi-fi audio, so long as you’re utilizing the precise streaming service and have a suitable telephone. iPhones can’t faucet into aptX or Snapdragon Sound, so that you’re higher off with Android.

Dynamic head monitoring provides one other layer of immersion, whereas energetic noise cancellation (ANC) does a superb job of shutting out the skin world.

I’ve used them on the London Underground and in busy cafés, and the ANC constantly proved efficient at eliminating distracting background noise.

As spectacular because the sound high quality is, battery life could also be much more exceptional. The Momentum 5 provide an enormous 55 hours of playback, comfortably beating a lot of the competitors.

There’s additionally a novel twist relating to longevity. Not like most premium headphones, the Momentum 5 has a user-replaceable battery.

In response to Sennheiser, house owners can swap out the ability cell in just some minutes utilizing a small Phillips-head screwdriver, serving to preserve the headphones in service for years relatively than changing them when battery efficiency ultimately declines.

It isn’t one thing I’ve wanted to check but, however it’s a genuinely welcome characteristic and one that ought to considerably lengthen the lifespan of those headphones over rivals.

Different highlights embrace responsive contact controls that make it straightforward to regulate quantity, skip tracks and toggle ANC with easy gestures.

You can even reply or reject calls, finish conversations and activate Dolby Atmos options with out reaching on your telephone.

I nonetheless favor bodily buttons, however Sennheiser’s implementation is intuitive and dependable sufficient that I not often discovered myself wishing for them.

The accompanying app is equally spectacular, providing intensive customisation choices. A full EQ permits customers to fine-tune the sound to their preferences, whereas multipoint connectivity lets two gadgets keep linked concurrently for seamless switching between telephones, tablets and laptops.

There’s even location monitoring assist to assist discover the headphones ought to they be left behind on a prepare.

Consolation is one other space the place the Momentum 5 carry out effectively. Even throughout prolonged listening classes, I skilled no discomfort or fatigue.

In addition they fold neatly away right into a sturdy but slim carry case, making them straightforward to slide right into a bag when travelling. This case additionally features a USB-C cable (one thing Sony neglected of its £549 WH-1000X The ColleXion cans) and a 3.5mm audio wire.

There’s quite a bit to admire concerning the Momentum 5, however I do have one criticism.

My assessment pattern arrived in white and, regardless of the premium £329 price ticket, the design does not fairly look as premium because it ought to.

Rivals such because the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Sonos Ace have a noticeably extra premium look because of supplies similar to fake leather-based, metallic accents and reminiscence foam pads.

Oddly, the Momentum 5’s headband appears and feels high-end, however the ear cups and hinges may gain advantage from extra premium supplies, flashes of metallic or stronger Sennheiser branding.

That design quibble apart, the Momentum 5 are straightforward to suggest.

They sound distinctive, ship class-leading battery life, provide efficient noise cancellation and introduce a genuinely helpful replaceable battery system that units them other than rivals.

Should you’re already a fan of the model, need highly effective, detailed sound with bucket a great deal of bass and are not overly involved about having probably the most luxurious-looking headphones in the marketplace, the Momentum 5 Wi-fi will not disappoint.

The Momentum 5 Wi-fi can be found now in Black, White and Denim colourways, priced at £329.