Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 Review: The Earbuds That Sound Like Headphones

Most true wireless earbuds sound like earbuds. Small drivers in small shells doing their best in a tiny acoustic chamber. The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 is one of the few that made me forget I wasn't wearing full-size headphones.

After two months of daily use across commutes, coffee shops, gym sessions, and late-night listening, the sound quality is the reason these stay in my pocket instead of the half-dozen competitors sitting on my desk. Everything else is good. The sound is the reason you buy them.

SolderMag Take

The true wireless earbuds market has a clear hierarchy. Sony and Bose dominate the mainstream with strong ANC and reliable features. Apple owns the ecosystem buyers. And then there's Sennheiser, quietly making earbuds for people who actually care what their music sounds like.

The MOMENTUM TW4 is not trying to win on noise cancelling specs or battery life charts. It wins by sounding better than everything else in the category. The 7mm dynamic driver and aptX Lossless support put it in a different league from earbuds that prioritize convenience over audio performance.

That focus comes with trade-offs. The ANC is good, not best-in-class. The battery is adequate, not exceptional. The case is bigger than it needs to be. If you want the most well-rounded earbud that does everything acceptably, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is the safer choice. But if sound quality is the thing that matters most to you, the Sennheiser is the pick and it is not particularly close.

Specs deep dive

Drivers: 7mm dynamic drivers with Sennheiser's TrueResponse transducer technology. The driver uses a composite diaphragm that Sennheiser says extends the frequency response and reduces distortion at higher volumes. In practice, the bass extends lower and the treble extends higher than most competing earbuds without either range sounding forced or artificial.

ANC: Adaptive noise cancelling with three modes: ANC, Transparency, and Off. The ANC uses a hybrid system with two microphones per earbud, one internal and one external. It handles steady-state noise like airplane engines and HVAC well. It struggles more with sudden, sharp sounds like nearby conversations and keyboard typing. This is typical for earbuds, where the seal and form factor limit how aggressive the ANC can be.

Transparency mode: Above average. Voices come through clearly without the tinny, processed quality that makes some transparency modes unpleasant. Good enough to order coffee without removing the earbuds, though not as natural as Apple's implementation on the AirPods Pro 2.

Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, and aptX Lossless. The aptX Lossless support is the headline feature for audio enthusiasts. It delivers CD-quality 16-bit/44.1kHz audio over Bluetooth with no lossy compression. You need a compatible source device (most recent Android flagships and Qualcomm-equipped laptops), but when it works, the difference over AAC is audible. Cleaner transients, better stereo separation, more natural decay on vocals and acoustic instruments.

Battery: 7.5 hours per charge with ANC on. The charging case holds an additional 2.5 charges for a total of roughly 26 hours. Quick charge gives 1 hour of playback from a 10-minute charge. These numbers are fine. Not class-leading. The Sony XM5 gets 8 hours per charge and the Bose QC Ultra gets 6, so Sennheiser lands in the middle.

Fit: Ships with four sizes of silicone ear tips (XS, S, M, L) and three sizes of ear fins for stability. The fit test in the Sennheiser Smart Control app helps find the right seal. My experience is that the medium tips with small fins locked in securely and stayed comfortable for 3-4 hour sessions without adjustment.

IP rating: IP54. Splash-resistant and dust-protected. Fine for workouts and rain. Not submersible.

Bluetooth: 5.4 with multipoint for two simultaneous device connections. The multipoint switching between phone and laptop has been reliable in my testing, though there is a 1-2 second handoff delay when switching audio sources.

Daily use

Commuting: The ANC handles train and bus noise adequately. Low-frequency rumble is reduced by maybe 60-70%, which is enough to let you listen at lower volumes without cranking it up. The Sony XM5 blocks more noise, maybe 80-85%. The Sennheiser compensates with superior sound quality at those lower volumes. Detail that gets lost in the noise floor on lesser earbuds stays present here.

Office and coffee shops: Transparency mode is the real winner for shared environments. You can keep music at a low level and still hear someone say your name. The ANC in these settings is solid but not remarkable. Nearby conversations bleed through unless the volume is up.

Gym use: The ear fins keep them planted during lifting and rowing. I ran 5K in them twice and they stayed put. The IP54 rating handled sweat without issue. They are not as workout-optimized as the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (which have a more aggressive locking fit), but they work.

Phone calls: Call quality is the one genuine weak spot. In quiet environments, calls are fine. But in any ambient noise, the person on the other end reports that my voice sounds distant and competing with background sound. The dual microphone array does its best, but the beamforming is not as aggressive as Sony or Bose. I would not rely on these for work calls from noisy locations.

Sound quality: This is where the review becomes simple. The MOMENTUM TW4 sounds better than any true wireless earbud I have tested. The bass is textured and controlled, not just present but articulate. The midrange has warmth and detail in equal measure, vocals sound real and close. The treble extends without harshness, with cymbal decay and string pluck details that most earbuds simply cannot reproduce.

Switching to aptX Lossless from AAC on the same track, same volume, you hear it immediately. Snare hits have more snap. Piano notes have more sustain. The stereo image widens and instruments separate more clearly. It is not a massive difference, but it is consistent and reproducible. For anyone streaming from Tidal, Qobuz, or local FLAC files, the codec support justifies the price gap over competitors that max out at AAC or LDAC.

EQ customization: The Sennheiser Smart Control app includes a parametric EQ with 5 bands, adjustable frequency, gain, and Q factor for each. This is significantly more powerful than the simple presets most competitors offer. If you know how to use a parametric EQ, you can dial in a response curve that matches your preferences precisely. If you don't, the presets are sensible defaults.

Soundstage: For earbuds, the MOMENTUM TW4 has a wide and natural soundstage. Instruments have space between them. The imaging is precise enough to pick out individual elements in a dense mix. Sennheiser's spatial audio processing (Immersive Sound) adds to this when enabled, though I find it most effective with film and podcast content rather than music.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Best-in-class sound quality for true wireless earbuds
• aptX Lossless delivers audible improvement over standard Bluetooth codecs
• Parametric EQ in the app gives real control over tuning
• Comfortable fit with multiple tip and fin options
• Multipoint Bluetooth works reliably across two devices
• Premium build quality with satisfying case materials

Cons:

• Call quality is below Sony and Bose in noisy environments
• ANC is good but not class-leading
• Charging case is larger than necessary
• 7.5 hour battery per charge is average, not outstanding
• Premium pricing at $300 puts it above most competitors
• aptX Lossless requires a compatible source device to use

Who should buy the Sennheiser MOMENTUM TW4

Music listeners who prioritize sound quality over everything. If you can tell the difference between AAC and lossless, if you have opinions about bass texture and treble extension, these are your earbuds. Nothing else in the true wireless category sounds this good.

Android users with flagship phones. Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and newer support aptX Lossless natively. The codec pairing between a Samsung Galaxy S25 or Pixel 9 and the MOMENTUM TW4 delivers audio quality that iPhone users cannot access in true wireless form.

People upgrading from wired IEMs to wireless. If you have been holding off on true wireless because the sound quality gap was too large, this is the pair that closes it. Not all the way. Wired IEMs at this price still resolve more detail. But close enough that the convenience of wireless becomes worth the trade-off.

Home listeners who want earbuds for late-night sessions. The sound quality and comfort make these excellent for nighttime listening when you don't want to wear over-ear headphones in bed.

Who should skip

People who take lots of calls in noisy places. The call quality in background noise is the weakest link. If your earbuds are your primary work call device and you work from coffee shops or open offices, the Sony WF-1000XM5 handles calls better.

Noise cancelling maximizers. If blocking the most noise is the priority, the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds and Sony XM5 both suppress more ambient sound. The Sennheiser's ANC is good, but it does not compete with the best.

Casual listeners who want the best value. At $300, these are expensive. If you cannot tell the difference between AAC and lossless audio, you are paying for performance you will not perceive. The Sony WF-1000XM5 at $200 offers a more balanced package at a lower price.

iPhone users. Apple's Bluetooth stack does not support aptX codecs. You will be limited to AAC, which negates the MOMENTUM TW4's biggest audio advantage. The earbuds still sound good on AAC, but not $300-good when the AirPods Pro 2 exist at $180.

Verdict

The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 is the best-sounding true wireless earbud you can buy. It is not the best at noise cancelling. It is not the best at calls. It is not the best value. But it sounds like no other earbud on the market, and for the people who care about that, nothing else will do.

The aptX Lossless support, the 7mm driver, the parametric EQ. every design choice points in the same direction. These exist for people who love music and want to hear it properly, even through tiny speakers in their ears. If that is you, stop reading and buy them.

Rating: 8.5/10. The best ears in the true wireless game. Just not the best phone.

Decision checklist

• Is sound quality your top priority in earbuds? The MOMENTUM TW4 wins this category outright.
• Do you use an Android phone with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or newer? aptX Lossless makes a real difference.
• Are you on iPhone? The AirPods Pro 2 or Sony XM5 are better value without aptX support.
• Do you take lots of calls in noisy places? Consider the Sony XM5 instead.
• Can you hear the difference between compressed and lossless audio? If yes, these justify the price. If no, save $100 and buy the Sony.
• Do you need them for intense workouts? They stay in for gym use but the Bose QC Ultra has a more secure sport fit.

Sources

• Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 product specifications
• Qualcomm aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless technical documentation
• RTINGS in-ear measurement methodology for frequency response and noise isolation
• Sennheiser Smart Control app feature set and EQ specifications
• Two months of daily real-world testing across commuting, office, gym, and home use

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For the full roundup of top earbuds across all budgets, see our best true wireless earbuds 2026 guide. If over-ear is more your speed, check our Sony WH-1000XM6 review and the best noise cancelling headphones guide.