Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Review: long‑lasting ANC cans with great sound and a few quirks

I’ve been using the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 as my main headphones for work, commuting and Netflix for a while now. I swapped to these from an older Sony WH-1000XM3, and I also tried a friend’s Bose QC45 side by side. So this isn’t just a quick unboxing impression; it’s based on daily use at a desk, on trains, and walking outside. I’ll keep it simple: there’s a lot I like, a few things that annoy me, and they’re not perfect for everyone.

The short version is: sound and battery are the strong points, ANC is good but not top of the class, and the app and Bluetooth are decent with the odd hiccup. If you mainly care about sound quality and not having to charge all the time, these make a lot of sense. If you want the strongest noise cancelling on the market or you’re super picky about comfort, you might want to compare them carefully with Sony and Bose.

What pushed me to try them was the 60‑hour battery claim and the feedback about the sound being more balanced than Sony’s bass-heavy tuning. I listen to a mix of rock, electronic, podcasts and a lot of YouTube, so I wanted something that doesn’t turn everything into a bass party. At the same time, I still needed proper ANC for open-plan office noise and travel.

In this review I’ll walk through how they’re built, how they feel on the head, how the ANC and sound hold up in normal life, and whether I think the price makes sense. I’m not going to dress it up: when they’re good, they’re really good, but a couple of design choices and small bugs might annoy some people. Let’s break it down.

Price-wise, the MOMENTUM 4 usually sit in the same ballpark as Sony’s WH‑1000XM4/XM5 and Bose’s QC series, sometimes a bit cheaper on sale. So we’re clearly in the “premium ANC headphone” territory, not budget gear. At that level, you start nitpicking, because all three brands make good products. For me, the Sennheiser make the most sense if you care more about sound and battery than having the absolute strongest ANC or the softest clamp.

Compared to Sony, I’d say: Sony still wins on ANC and has a slightly more comfortable, softer clamp, but Sennheiser wins on battery life and more controlled, less boomy sound. Compared to Bose, Sennheiser’s sound is more detailed and less bland, while Bose usually win on all-day comfort and simple, no-fuss operation. So it really comes down to your priorities. If you want a “plug in, press ANC, never touch an app” experience, Bose or Sony might feel more straightforward.

Taking into account the 60‑hour spec, the solid sound quality, and features like the ability to turn off the touchpad, I’d say the MOMENTUM 4 offer good value when they’re discounted and fair value at full price. The main knocks are the slightly fussy Bluetooth behaviour at times, the wind sensitivity on ANC, and comfort that’s good but not outstanding. If those are deal-breakers for you, then the price will feel high. If you can live with them, you’re paying for sound and battery that many rivals don’t quite match together.

So, I wouldn’t call them a bargain, but I also don’t feel ripped off. They sit in that zone of “you’re paying a premium, and you mostly get what you’re paying for”. If you spot them on sale, they become a much easier recommendation.

Design-wise, the MOMENTUM 4 are quite understated. The Black/Copper version I tried has small copper accents, but from a distance they just look like plain black over-ears. If you’re expecting some flashy, show-off design, this isn’t it. Personally, I like that they don’t scream for attention on the train or in the office. They look more like a work tool than a fashion item, and that suits me fine.

The headband uses a sliding mechanism with no visible metal arms like the older MOMENTUMs. Adjustment is smooth and you can fine-tune it pretty easily. The earcups rotate and fold flat, which makes them comfortable to wear around your neck and helps them fit into the case. They don’t fold inward like some Sony models though, so while they’re portable, they’re not the smallest over-ears you can buy. If you’re travelling light with a small bag, you’ll feel the space they take.

Controls are mostly on the right earcup and are touch-based. Swipes for volume and track changes, taps for play/pause, and you can configure ANC/transparency behaviour in the app. There’s also a physical button, which I appreciate, because pure touch-only designs drive me mad. The touch surface works fairly well, but like one of the Amazon reviewers, I also found myself accidentally brushing it when adjusting the cup. Thankfully, Sennheiser lets you turn off the touchpad entirely in the app, which I ended up doing quite often when I knew I’d be moving around a lot.

The only thing that feels a bit cheap is the mostly plastic construction. It doesn’t feel fragile, but if you’re used to metal bands and more premium materials, you’ll notice. On the flip side, that plastic helps keep the weight down, which matters for comfort over long sessions. So in design terms: clean, practical, not exactly exciting, but it does the job without trying to be fancy.

Battery life is one of the main selling points here, and in practice it’s not just marketing. Sennheiser claims up to 60 hours, and while you rarely hit the full spec in real life with ANC on and decent volume, these things last a long time. With ANC on most of the time at around 60–70% volume, I was getting roughly 35–45 hours per charge, which is still very good. That’s several full workdays plus some commuting and TV in the evenings without thinking about charging.

The nice part is the mental freedom: I stopped doing the “do I have enough battery for this meeting/flight?” check before putting them on. I’d just plug them in for 30–40 minutes every few days and that was enough to top them up. They also support fast charging, so a short plug-in gives you a decent chunk of playtime back. The 2‑hour full charge time is fine; you’re not stuck waiting forever if you accidentally run them down completely.

Another thing I liked: they don’t seem to drain much when off or just sitting in the case. Some Bluetooth devices slowly lose battery even when you’re not using them, but here I could leave them for a week and they’d still be basically at the same level. The auto power on/off with folding helps avoid accidentally leaving them on, although as I said earlier, it can be slightly irritating if you’re just handling them and they keep waking up.

If battery life is a priority for you, this is where the MOMENTUM 4 really makes sense. Compared to older Sony and Bose models I’ve used, I simply charge these less. It’s not a flashy feature you see, but over time it’s one of the things I appreciated the most. You just use them and forget about the charger, which is kind of the point of wireless gear.

Comfort is where opinions will vary the most. For me, wearing glasses and having a slightly larger head, the MOMENTUM 4 are comfortable enough for several hours, but I do feel the clamping force after a long day. Compared to my old Sony WH‑1000XM3, the Sennheiser clamp is noticeably tighter out of the box. The upside is they feel secure on your head; they don’t move much when you look down or walk. The downside is that after 3–4 hours straight, I start to feel some pressure at the sides of my head.

The ear pads themselves are soft and deep enough that my ears don’t touch the drivers, which is a big plus. Heat build-up is about what you’d expect from closed-back over-ears: after an hour or two, your ears get warm, but not to the point of being sweaty in normal indoor temperatures. I wore them on a couple of warmer days while walking outside and, yes, they got a bit toasty, but nothing out of the ordinary for this type of headphone.

The headband padding is decent. It distributes the weight fairly well, and I didn’t get a hotspot on the top of my head, even during long work sessions. They weigh around 293 g, which is pretty reasonable for ANC over-ears. I wouldn’t call them feather-light, but they don’t feel like a brick either. I’ve done full workdays (8–9 hours) with them on and only taken them off for short breaks, and while I was happy to take them off in the evening, I didn’t feel sore.

If you’re very sensitive to clamping force or you hate any sense of pressure, you might find Bose models more comfortable. But if you’re okay with a slightly firmer fit in exchange for better stability on your head, the MOMENTUM 4 are fine. I’d just say: if possible, try them on before buying, especially if you already know you’re picky about how tight headphones feel.

On durability, the plastic build had me a bit sceptical at first, but after living with them, they feel sturdy enough for daily use. The hinges and sliding mechanism don’t wobble on my unit, and the earcups still rotate smoothly. I’ve tossed the case into a backpack plenty of times, taken them on trips, and there are no creaks or worrying noises when I put them on or adjust them. The case itself is rigid and should protect them well from knocks and mild pressure.

The ear pads are replaceable, which is important because that’s usually the first thing to wear out on headphones. I haven’t had them long enough to destroy the pads, but knowing they can be swapped easily gives some peace of mind. The headband fabric also looks like it will hold up, though like any fabric it will probably show wear if you’re rough with it or constantly throw them onto rough surfaces.

One thing worth pointing out is Sennheiser’s support, because that’s part of durability in a broader sense. One Amazon reviewer mentioned a ticking noise on ANC in one ear, and Sennheiser just replaced the pair the same day they received them. That lines up with what I’ve heard from other users: if something goes wrong, they tend to handle it reasonably well. Obviously your experience can vary, but it’s better than brands that make warranty claims painful.

So, while they don’t feel ultra premium in the hand, they do feel like they’ll last several years if you treat them normally and use the case. If you’re rough on your gear, you might want to be a bit more careful with the plastic, but for regular office/commute/home use, I don’t see any red flags so far.

Let’s start with sound, because that’s the main reason to go for these over some cheaper ANC options. Out of the box, the sound is clear, detailed, and a bit on the brighter side compared to Sony. Bass is definitely there and punchy, but it’s tighter and less bloated. One Amazon reviewer in Spanish nailed it: if you’re obsessed with heavy bass, you might feel a bit underwhelmed. But if you like to hear instruments and vocals clearly without everything turning into a low-end mush, these are strong. I found rock, acoustic and electronic all came through nicely after a bit of EQ tweaking.

The app EQ is simple but effective. I ended up slightly boosting the low end and gently reducing some of the higher treble to make it a bit smoother for long listening. Once dialled in, I preferred these over my Sony XM3 for most music. Separation is good enough that you can pick out different instruments and small details. For podcasts and YouTube, voices are crisp, sometimes even a bit too sharp at high volumes if you don’t tame the highs a bit.

ANC is solid but not class-leading. It handles constant low noises (air conditioning, train rumble, office hum) very well. Typing sounds, chatter and clinking dishes are reduced but not fully gone. Several users mentioned wind noise issues, and I had the same experience: on max ANC outside on a windy day, the mics pick up wind and you get that whooshing sound. Dialling ANC back to around 70–80% in the app reduces this and still keeps most of the noise reduction. Transparency mode works nicely and is handy for quick conversations or hearing announcements without taking the headphones off.

Call quality is okay but not outstanding. People on the other end could hear me clearly in a quiet room, but in noisier environments it’s more “acceptable” than impressive. I’d rate it the same as that Amazon reviewer: about 7/10. For occasional calls and meetings it’s fine, but if you spend your life on calls in loud places, you might want something with stronger mic noise reduction. Overall, performance is very good on sound, good on ANC, and just decent on calls.

Out of the box, the MOMENTUM 4 feel like a fairly high-end product, but without that over-the-top “luxury” vibe some brands push. You get the headphones, a hard case, a USB‑C charging cable, a 3.5mm audio cable with a 2.5mm plug for the headset side, and an airplane adapter. Everything has its place in the case, which sounds basic, but it does make it easier to just throw the whole thing in a bag without bits getting lost. The case itself is a bit chunky, but still slides into a backpack without drama.

From a feature standpoint, they tick basically all the boxes: Bluetooth 5.0, adaptive noise cancelling, transparency mode, touch controls, wired mode, and an app (Smart Control) where you can tweak the EQ, ANC behaviour and a few other things. The headphones turn on when you unfold them and turn off when you fold them, which is handy most of the time, but can be slightly annoying if you’re just adjusting them or showing them to someone and they keep powering on.

In day-to-day use, I mostly ran them over Bluetooth with ANC on, paired to a laptop and a phone. They support multipoint, so you can have two devices connected, but switching audio between them isn’t always instant. Sometimes my laptop would “steal” the connection from my phone when a notification came in, which is more of a software annoyance than a hardware issue. It’s not constant, but it happens enough to mention.

Overall, as a package, they feel like serious everyday headphones rather than a niche audiophile gadget. They’re clearly aimed at people who want one pair for everything: office, commute, flights, and maybe a bit of gaming or TV. If you expect a perfectly polished experience with zero quirks, you might be a bit disappointed. If you can live with the occasional Bluetooth sulk in exchange for strong sound and huge battery life, they start to look pretty solid.