Sennheiser Momentum 5 headphones debut with better ANC and replaceable battery
▼ Summary
– Sennheiser announced the Momentum 5 Wireless headphones, available June 30th for $399.99, with a design similar to the Momentum 4 but featuring upgraded ANC and a user-replaceable battery.
– The Momentum 5 supports AptX Lossless for CD-quality audio streaming, but only from devices with a Qualcomm processor through Snapdragon Sound, excluding Samsung, Google, and Apple phones.
– The headphones double the microphone count to four per side, improving noise cancellation up to three times for reducing voice chatter and airplane drone, and enhancing call quality.
– Battery life is 57 hours, a slight decrease from the Momentum 4’s 60 hours, but nearly double the Sony WH-1000XM6’s 30 hours with ANC on.
– Upgrades include a 20 percent smaller carrying case, Dolby Atmos with spatial audio and head tracking, and a future firmware update for Bluetooth 6.0.
Nearly four years after the Momentum 4 brought a shift from retro styling to a sleeker, more ergonomic build, Sennheiser has officially unveiled the Momentum 5 Wireless headphones. On the surface, they look strikingly similar to their predecessor, with oversized ear cups and a design that blends into the premium headphone crowd. But inside, the company has made several meaningful upgrades, including improved active noise cancellation and, for the first time in the lineup, a user-replaceable battery that could dramatically extend the headphones’ lifespan.
Set to launch on June 30th at $399.99,a $50 increase over the Momentum 4,the new model retains the same 42mm drivers found in the Momentum 3 and 4. However, Sennheiser is now offering Hi-Res Audio certification and expanding Bluetooth codec support to include AptX Lossless. This enables 16-bit/44.1kHz CD-quality streaming, but only from devices with a Qualcomm processor that supports Snapdragon Sound. That means Sony and Motorola phones should work, while Samsung, Google, and Apple devices will not.
The number of microphones has doubled to four on each ear cup, boosting both ANC performance and call clarity. Sennheiser claims the new headphones are up to three times more effective at reducing background chatter and cabin drone. Those extra mics also improve voice pickup and make it easier to hear callers.
Battery life comes in at 57 hours, a slight dip from the Momentum 4’s 60 hours but still nearly double the 30 hours offered by the Sony WH-1000XM6 with ANC on. Other upgrades include a 20 percent smaller carrying case, support for Dolby Atmos and spatial audio with head tracking, and the ability to upgrade from Bluetooth 5.4 to Bluetooth 6.0 via a future firmware update,though Sennheiser hasn’t provided a timeline for that. The Momentum 5 Wireless will be available in black, white, and denim blue.
(Source: The Verge)
