Thank you! I gotta tell you, sometimes it’s hard to get those because I don’t want to bother people next to me (I realize how weird it looks shoving microphones into my headphones).
I’ve had a pair of these for about half a month now. Here is my experience so far. Here are my initial impressions. Sound: The momentum 4 have great sound quality the best I’ve used so far, the audio clarity is way better than the Sony XM5s, which sounded a little muddy to me. ANC: The ANC is pretty good, don’t expect it to mute the outside world but it does do a serviceable job getting rid of most noises. You can also double tap the right ear cup to toggle ANC on the fly which is nice. Being able to toggle the ANC is important because at least on my model the ANC had a really hard time trying to cancel the sound of my plane when it was taking off and ends up pulsing a loud static noise. I ended up turning ANC off until reaching cruising altitude at which point I turned it back on and it worked great at canceling the engine noise and people talking. I also own a pair of the Apple AirPod Pros gen1 and I would say that both the air pods and the momentum 4 have a similar level of anc. Everyday use/Comfort: These headphones are VERY comfortable. And while headphone comfort can be very subjective based on your ear size/shape, I will say that I’ve had issues with headphones in the past where after wearing them for a few hours my ears or head where the band sits would end up hurting or soar. So far that has not been the case on the Momentum 4s and the main reason I bought these was to block out the office noise at work while while also being comfortable to wear all day long, which they’ve been great for. Auto off and connectivity: So here’s the con for these headphones at least for me. The auto off and pairing on these headphones can be very buggy leading to quite a bit of frustration. You are supposed to be able to just take the headphones off and have them turn off but it feels lol it only works about half of the time. The worst side effect of this being almost every time I answer a phone call it automatically transfers the call to my headphones, which would be great except that my headphones are in their case in my lunch box in the back seat of my car or just sitting on my desk or sitting on the kitchen counter in their case. Which makes me wonder how often the headphones are off ever. A big feature of the headphones is the extremely long battery life, but if the headphones often end up being left on your losing some of that benefit. I’m at a point where I will probably be turning them off every time before I put them in my case. That last sentence sounds a bit funny all things considered but I’ve become accustomed to not having to worry about turning off audio devices lately so I will need to make a new habit of turning them off. Microphone: From what I can tell the microphone works pretty good on phone calls. If you plan on using these in an office/gaming setting with teams, discord, etc you will probably want to get a separate stand alone microphone, because windows really sucks at using anything other than a designated gaming headset. When connected to a windows 10 pc you have the option to use either Headphones(momentum 4 stereo) or Headset(momentum 4 Hands-free AG Audio). The problem being that while stereo sounds fantastic your microphone won’t work unless you switch to headset mode, which does enable the built in microphone, but degrades the audio quality horrendously. That being said this is more of a window’s problem, as the same can be said about every other non-gaming headset. To summarize everything here are my final thoughts on the Momentum 4 so far. Cons: •The buggy standby feature and auto connection can be annoying, but it is possible to work around it. It’s sad to see at this price tag, but I’ll take it in return for the better audio quality vs similar offerings. Hopefully this will get better over time with software updates, but I’m not holding my breath. •The touch controls work great, but they are sensitive and can be annoying at times. Ex. Adjusting your headphones on your head, leaning your head up against something or someone. This is technically my first rodeo with touch controls on headphones so maybe I just need to get used to it. •The functionality of the power button takes a bit of time to get used to as the audio queues it gives don’t really match up very well with the action you are trying to perform. You really do just need to memorize the number of seconds you need to press and do no more and no less. Pros: •Very comfortable for extended periods of time. •Fantastic Audio Quality. •Good ANC mostly on par with other offerings at this price tag •Great battery life. •Good microphone, except for on Windows. In conclusion if clear audio and all day comfort are important to you and these headphones fall within your budget, then from all of the headphones I’ve tested in this price range these are my favorites. Second runner up if I had to chose would be the Sony XM5 falling short due to the muddy audio and lower battery life in my opinion.
Thank you for ur review on these but ? Have u tried thr Bower amd Wilkin Px8? I'm between both of these now. I have an old pair of bose qc35 bass is distorted at high volume. I'm more of a music guy so I hear the M4 and Px8 are great. One guy said he loves px8 for music I listen to but I'm like is it worth paying double.
I had a similar problem with my Bose qc45 with Windows 10 that it won't work well with MS Teams and Zoom meetings. I decided to return it but found one trick that worked for me. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & other devices > Devices and Printer then right click your headphone under Devices. Click Services tab and UNCHECK Handsfree Telephony. Miraculously all problems in those programs were solved and i could use these for online meetings with "Headphone" sound and Mic. But I'm not 100% satisfied with Bose sound quality for music listening and ordered Momentum 4. Hopefully I can have better sound quality and those work for online meetings as well.
Wow, as a Momentum 4 user, this review is spot on! I’m not sure if this is true but I think Sennheiser changed the case at some point. On the mesh side inside the my case, there are two harder elastic bands which look like they lock down the headphones while in the case so that they don’t automatically turn on. I’ve never experienced the “accidental on inside the case” issue. For your touch pad comment, I’d say you’re pretty spot on even if it’s your first touch pad headphone. My previous XM4s cancel accidental touches better partly because of software and partly because the touchpad is smaller and doesn’t overlap with the area you’d normally touch to adjust the headphones.
@@miggyyusay Hi I'm considering buy Momentum 4 but I'm wondering about the sound leak. How is the sound leak in this head phone? can people around you hear what you are listening to?
@Norbreviews What you said is 100% true with the older models, I also had one last year and I returned it, but the newer models (with 2.13.28 firmware version and 4.0 hardware version) are improved and feel even better than XM5 headphones in the connectivity department, as soon as I take the headphones from the pouch they connect instantly whichever the devices they are paired with, and even the sound quality also gotten better with the newer ones. Please review the new version of Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones when you get a chance.
I have been a user of PXC 550-II and went with M4 Wireless as an upgrade. In short yhey are not as neutral sounding as PXC were, but still has that Sennheiser sound signature and much wider sound stage. Overall I am really liking them for the price (Focal Bathys are best but much costlier and bulkier), compared them to PX7/PX8, and ended up EQing with bass -1.5db, mids +1.0db and treble +1.5db. ANC were not priority for me, rather sound quality and transparency mode is really good and no bugs mentioned at my end. Good review mate!
This served me a lot. I was going to buy these but those bugs are bad for me. I listened to a lot of reviews and they all talk about the goods, and you are the first person that talked about these issues in detail. I mean, you made great, pro review. Thank you.
So a few notes: 1. They’ve fixed a lot of issues. The only big one that remains is the case issue. To fix that just Velcro the partition down and sort them ear pads up rather than down. 2. These remain my most recommended, but on a personal level, I’ve started to lean more toward the Px7 S2e. It’s a similar-enough sound, albeit a little warmer, and there aren’t as many EQ options. But I’ve found them to be very reliable because they’re largely manual. In the end, the fact remains that the M4 are probably my most recommended headphones to date behind the Bose QC Ultras. But I thin the sound on the Sennheiser is slightly better, more refined. Same with the S2e. Still, Whatever you end up with, I hope you get something that will keep you happy for a long time!
I have experience with both the Sennheiser momentum 3 and the Sennheiser momentum 4. I think the sound on the Sennheiser momentum 3 was much louder and as you said more detailed. But I really like the functionality of the Sennheiser momentum. 4 and the battery life. It is true that the Sennheiser momentum 4 does have certain connectivity issues. I haven't experienced the ones that you are talking about. But I can't say when trying to switch to another phone call the connecting noise is still going for about another 5 seconds even though you've already answered the call. That's bad. The app and the headphones do not connect automatically sometimes. I wish the noise cancellation was better but it's serviceable. I don't have too many issues with the transparency mode. They are the second most comfortable pair of headphones I've ever worn. And the call quality is much better.
Regarding volume, I went ahead and measured both side by side using a noise level meter (this was after the review, so not included), and they both hit about the same levels, lay least near max. I wonder if might just have to do with the frequencies you pick up better, given the M4’s push toward more bass. (I know that higher frequencies and clearer presentation tend to sound louder to me. I wonder if you’re similar.) Still, I’m glad you’re enjoying them, issues notwithstanding!
Norb that was a good review. I recently purchased the Momentum 4 and first off the best Pro is the sound quality was just absolutely phenomenal. However, I was on a plane, watching a movie and the sound just stopped about 6x for no reason, and I was definitely not moving my head. So I decided to test that at home watching a movie on my iMAC and yep, you guessed it, they just randomly stop play audio. However, on my SurfacePro8, the sound went back to speaker mode each of the 6 or more times and everyone could hear the loud movie I was playing. Purchased on 6/16/2023 and returned on 7/3/2023 - I could not take the buggy UI. P.S., that sound was better than Bose and Sony; I finally broke down and purchased (7/12/2023) the Sony XM5, delivery pending.
Thank you for the kind words! Best of luck with the Sony. If you haven’t yet, check out this video: ruclips.net/video/JqPn_S0nJ4s/видео.html - it gets the sound as close as you can get, I think, to the Sennheiser sound. You’re not going to get the detail, but that’s just something Sennheiser is good at. But it should get you a good way there. I *Would* boost the Clear Bass up, though, so that you can get close to the Sennheiser’s rumble. Best of luck! And sorry for the delay in my reply.
Thank you for the solid and clear review! I'm saddened that the move is away from switches for on and off and actual buttons for controls. I have an old set of Cowin headphones that have a switch to instantly and clearly turn them on and off. I love it. Unfortunately, even these have been "upgraded" to use a button that takes a while to activate. And now that headphones are moving away from actual buttons to capacitive touch for things like volume and play control (which is VERY easy to bump and do the wrong thing) it makes me even sadder. Why can't anyone make a SIMPLE Bluetooth headphone with buttons and switches that sound great. They're all getting too complex for their own good!
Thx. Very good detailed explanation. I didnt care for the M4 overall redesign. I too am a Senneheiser aficionado. However, being that said i never could find the excitement for the HD 600? The HD 660s is more to my likings..its just more lively, but too simular to initiate a purchase. The Momentum Line is where i found a home. Although, not all the "Momentum" nomenclature truly supports the namesake. Such as you took notice to here. Great reveiw!
Thank you! Funny you mention the 660s, I’m auditioning the HiFiMan Ananda now, and I keep wondering if I should just go for the Sennheiser, instead. Very different headphones, but I find Sennheiser’s sound signature just a bit warmer.
Great review! I can't wait to see your opinions on the Accentums. I loved Momentum 3s sound on that (I can't remember the name precisely) high quality tuning option but they were so uncomfortable to me that had to be sent back. I hope the accentums give a nice sounding experience as it does not break the bank that much and certainly prefer buttons over touch controls
NGL, I had not realized the Accentums came out until I read this and now I’m buying them. Thanks! And thank you for watching! As for the M3, what worked for me was getting ear covers and a headband cover. Here’s what I’ve used, but anything similar will work: Headband: amzn.to/46EAtT0 Ear covers: amzn.to/47137xu (you may want your go a size down if you want something more taught.) The only issue I had with the covers was that they sometimes covered the buttons if not positioned just right. As for the headphones themselves, battery itself of significantly shorter than their newer models. Best of luck, and thanks again for the heads up!
You know, I’ve had the PXC 550-II sitting here forever, and it was one of my first reviews, but I never released it. I didn’t think anyone would be interested, but I might actually do this. Thanks for the suggestion!
Just got these headphones, sound clarity is amazing. ANC is good enough for me. However my issue was the left side if the headphone was sounding quieter than the right and it was quite annoying. They seem to have a quality control issue since ny friend bought a pair and experienced the same thing. Ended up returning since i tried all the tips mentioned online but none worked. Shame actually, as i really like the comfort and sound of these over the XM5
Refrain from buying this headphone as they have lot of bugs - hissing sound with anc on, auto mute in the middle of a meeting. Sound quality is good but at this price point it should perform as an all rounder.
I literally bought them yesterday and i the only negative part i've experienced is that you (atleast for now) cannot turn off the side touch controls. I used them for overhead triceps exercises and just touching the touch area with my upper arm would, for example, pause music, or deactivate ANC and pause music as well. I've read online, that on the other Sennheiser Headphones it is indeed possible to turn those off, so its only a matter of time, atleast i hope so! Overall im very happy with the headphones, the sound is really great, i like it bass heavy, but that comes with compromises in the mid and higher sections, but not here, its still really crisp. For now I can recommend them!
Awesome! I’m glad to hear you’re happy. I don’t think I’d call them bad-as I kept saying, I love the direction they’re going! But I think they just need some refinement. I do wonder how much of this can be done via software updates, though (I suspect a lot.) Best of luck! And I hope you keep enjoying them!
yo dude how are they for the gym in general, do they fit tightly? I wanted to get these but from what I read most people recommended not to use them in the gym
@@jaaz1b I see no reason, why you shouldn't use them in a gym enviroment. they fit really tight, so i think you will be fine. The only issue i had is the one i described above. if you slightly touch the right side of the headphones, you will activate some kind of touch gesture. But in general i think its fine. They hopefully add a function to deactivate the side controls.
@@sweglord602 thanks man, i believe what i read was that they arent IP rated and so theres a chance sweat could damage the internal components of the headphones.
I used to have a lot of connectivity issues with the M3s, ie sudden disconnects, but lately they've been working really well. There have been phone/app updates since then, so that might explain it? Auto-off when I'm still wearing them is pretty common, especially when I first put them on, but a shake of the right cup usually does the trick (I'm guessing some type of analog level sensor?) I wear them more often now that the disconnects aren't happening anymore, and I love 'em!
Yeah, the updates have definitely helped things. I think their on-ear sensor is an issue, but this is something I've experienced with every Sennheiser headphone that has on-ear detection: PXC 550-II, Momentum 3, and Momentum 4. For me, it seems to be associated with wearing glasses.
Thanks for the review! I would love to hear your point of view on which headphones are better for listening to music at home, airplane usage and teams calls via USB-C: Sennheiser M4 or B&W PX7 s2e?
Hey, thanks for the kind words! I actually finished writing this review recently, and plan to record it soon (maybe next week), but had to pause things because of medical reasons. Of the two, I think the Momentum 4 is probably a better fit for your needs, mostly for one big reason: the ANC is better on the M4. Otherwise, they’re pretty close. I happen to like the sound of the S2e better, as I find the sound on the M4 a bit too exhausting at times, but that’s just a personal choice: they’re both excellent. There are other reasons I prefer the S2e, but none that I would say “this is objectively better.” The M4 can also be used passively, whereas the S2e can’t.
17 hours max with 13 hours w/ANC on? That’s not very good… Especially when now, 24 hours is the bare minimum. I love the M3, but battery is not its strong suit.
Two questions, how do you feel they compare to the M3 when wearing glasses? The M3s hold tight to your head but require adjusting your frame to not push into your head, as they'll dig into your skin during long sessions of wearing them. I'd hope that the M4s don't grip as tightly, or are at least more comfortable if everything else is designed to be much softer? Also, despite the sort of "squeeze" you get around your head on the M3s, the lack of locking on the band adjustment means the head band will slowly loosen and eventually cause them to fall off if you're walking around, or have long hair which increases movement. It's, unfortunately frustrating and I'd love to know if they've fixed that on the M4. Thank you for the incredibly through and well thought-out review, most other reviews of the M4 looked over most details that I wanted to know without being able to try them myself in person.
Hi Liv, thanks for your kind words. 1. I like these better than the M3 for glasses and most comfort issues: the pads are much softer, making them more comfortable. My only comfort concern with the M4 is that they produce a lot of ear heat for me, where as the M3 barely do. If the legs on your glasses are thin, it won’t make a difference, but if they’re thick or stick out a lot, then the M4 is WAY better. 2. I don’t think you’ll have the same band issues with the M4. Of course, I don’t have long hair, so I can’t speak to how well the M4 does there. The only time I’ve had issues with the M4 and movement is when I’m laying down with them. (I’ve never run with them, so whether that’s an issue, I can’t say.) FWIW, I’m traveling now and don’t have either on me, but if you have a specific question, let me know and I can test when I get back.
Hi! Overtime sennheiser fixed some bugs that you mentioned or the headphones still the same as the review? im looking for a pair of headphones and im between the momentum 4 and xm4 of sony, but im concerned about the bugs😢
They’ve fixed a lot of issues. Between the XM4 and M4, the M4 sound *MUCH* better, but the XM4 are definitely a sturdy pair. One of my first reviews was actually the XM4, and my biggest complaints were its muddy sound and lack of detail. You can fix the muddy sound with EQ, but detail and instrument separation remain weak. Still, I don’t think you can go wrong with either, but I tend to prefer the M4. Hope this helps!
I'm absolutely torn between the XM5 and the Momentum 4.They're both similarly priced in my region. My priorities are ANC and sound quality. After spending countless hours on researching them, common consensus seems to be XM5s' having the top-notch ANC and Momentum 4s' having much better sound quality. And so, I'm stuck. What would you recommend?
I agree with your research conclusions. Between the two, I *slightly* prefer the XM5 for a few reasons: 1. The ANC is significantly better 2. I find them more reliable 3. I find them more comfortable But when it comes to sound, there’s no comparison. With the EQ, the XM5 can be tuned to get close to the Momentum 4’s tuning. (I have a video on doing pretty much this, but also check the comments for alternative tunings.) But the Sennheiser is much better for sound, period. Obviously, it depends on taste (I’m a fan of Sennheiser’s tuning and have been using Sennheiser products for over 25 years), so caveat emptor. The thing with the sound quality is that, you’ll either love the XM5 or hate them. There’s no in between. (I hate the default Sony tuning.) The Sennheiser’s will sound pretty good to just about anyone, unless you reeeeally hate bass, but you can tune that down some. This is a tough question, I won’t lie. And I don’t think you can go wrong either way. But if you decide one thing is more important than the other, that’s your answer.
I did see your video beforehand on equalizing the xm5, along with other more eq profiles I found on Reddit. One thing I saw in the frequency response of the xm5 was a huge drop off right after 10khz. The upper treble response is by far the hardest part of a headphone to eq and is where a lot of technicalities lie. Can this after 10khz range be eq’d and salvaged enough to make it comparable to the mw4, in order to make the xm5s’ more breathable? Also, I understand the default tuning seems to be pretty muffled. Though, can the bass be eq’d enough so the mids don’t feel recessed? P.S. fortunately, I don’t hate bass.
thank you for the objective review! Which one would you recommend: Momentum 4 or XM5? Finally subscibed - you are amongst many that provide genuine reviews.
Thank you for the kind words and subscribing! So, I am *literally* working on that comparison now, so I can’t get into details without spoiling things, but I personally prefer the XM5. Both are fantastic, though, for different reasons. Let me ask, though, what are the 2-3 most important things to you? Maybe I can do better with my recommendation.
@@NorbReviews Hi, just want to ask for the recommendation: In my country in price, the difference is 20 bucks, senheiser cheaper. Is it worth picking the xm5?
Two VERY different devices! Honestly, I’d recommend both! But if I have to pick one, my AirPods Pro 2 all day long: great tuning, good features, and I can take them everywhere.
Not the connectivity issues when it comes to the case, but otherwise it seems that way. To get around the case issue though, it’s pretty easy: 1. Use Velcro to bring down the separator that’s in the case between the ear cups. 2. Put them in the case with the ear pads up instead of down. Doing this prevents them from connecting.
With either the M3 or M4, can the EQ be adjusted when using the USB-C mode (or only on Bluetooth)? *no ANC or pass-through "off" setting might be a deal breaker though, that seems odd!
Hey man thanks for the video, unfortunatly I ordered the momentum 4 and i thought I could turn of transparancy and noise cancelling off, It should be standard right ? I have chronicle ear disease and I really need this... so you're telling me that even with the app I can't turn them off ? they have to be on at any time? It's crazy...
Yeah, it seems the best you can do is put it in the middle and… hope for the best? I’m really not a fan of this. The Bose QC45 also does this, and it something that really bothered me. I haven’t found a way to turn it all off on these. In theory, putting them in the middle does this, but I didn’t feel it did.
Hi good review👍 the volume on the 3’s are they louder than the 4,s? I like loud music so that’s definitely a deal breaker for me plus how loud do the sony xm4 go compared to both these? Thanks🙂
A few points here: First, I made a mistake in the review at that part: the iPhone has a hearing safety feature that won't let you pull the volume up beyond a certain point. I'd put mine at 80dB, which explains why it didn't get too loud. It was entirely my fault, and I've removed that part from the review. Thank you for asking about that, and my apologies for the confusion. That said, I went ahead and tested out both the XM4 and the Momentum 4 (I'll test out the Momentum 3 as well). Both the XM4 and Momentum 4 got equally as loud. They're both plenty loud enough. Now, if I could make a recommendation? Use the Fletcher-Munson Curve to your advantage (more info here: ledgernote.com/columns/mixing-mastering/fletcher-munson-curve/) by using the EQ to boost the bass and treble more. That will make things SEEM louder than they actually are.
@@NorbReviews hi thanks for your reply hopefully the momentum 3 will be equally as loud as Sony an the 4’s with there better sound plus there cheaper than both others £ 239 on Amazon would you recommend the 3’s at that price? Thanks
@@anthonybarrett5434 - Alright, so I just tested the M3’s. The max volume is roughly the same on both, although the M4 registered as a few dB louder. Both were plenty loud, however. The thing is noise canceling: if you’re in a quiet environment, this won’t matter. If you’re somewhere loud, then better ANC will make it easier to hear your music at lower volumes. To that end, I’d recommend the M4 over the M3, because it has significantly better ANC. But if the ANC doesn’t matter all that much then the next thing you’re contending with is the kind of sound you like and music you listen to. If it’s bass heavy, stick with the M4. I didn’t mention this here (I will in a longer comparison), but the earpads on the M4 also contribute to the more bass-heavy sound. That’s also the case with the XM4. This all said, my sound preferences are M3 > M4 > XM4, with the Momentum’s both having significantly more detail than the Sone, and the XM3 having a more crisp sound.
@@NorbReviews thanks for your extra testing👍 I’m going to have to think I like some of what the 3’s offer an some what the 4’s offer! the Sonys are definitely out of running,thanks again for your advice👍
@@anthonybarrett5434 glad to be of help. I’ll be honest, I don’t think you can go wrong with either. The issues with the Momentum 4 feel more like growing pains than anything. (Sonova/Sennheiser got VERY ambitious with usability. It feels like they were trying to copy the functionality of the AirPods Max in a lot of ways.) Hopefully software updates will fix many of them. Still, it’s an overall improvement over the M3 in a lot of areas. If you can try them both out, that’ll hands down be your best guide. Best of luck! Let me know what you decide on!
Hi Brother, I want to ask you something about my Momentum Wireless 4 On Ear Headphones. The settings and graphics in the transparent and ANC mode section confused me a bit. Namely: I turn the transparent mode on all the way, everything is normal. As a result, it's not something I use much anyway. But if I set ANC to MAX, I hear a bottom sound resembling wind noise increasing. The same thing happens when I activate ADAPTIVE mode. The strange thing is that there is a long line up in the middle of the ANC and Transparent mode graph; if I move the cursor to that part, the wind noise I get decreases considerably; but if I move it to the left, that is, ANC, the bottom wind noise increases considerably and is very disturbing, especially in a quiet environment. What should I understand from this? So, is the ANC of this headset different from the ANC we know? A RUclipsr friend of mine tested this situation with a decibel meter and the strange thing repeats there too. A lot of people say they replaced or returned their headphones because of this. Do you have any knowledge about this topic ? Is this a possible thing for headphones with ANC ?
Hi and thanks for the question. Hmm… this is a tough one. Immediately, I’m wondering if what you’re hearing is the actual noise canceling “white noise”. ANC is supposed to use the microphones to analyze noise coming from the outside, then create an opposing sound wave that cancels that noise out. The higher it is, the stronger this will be. To stay “ready”, it automatically creates a low-level “hum” that tries to block out any low-level noises that *might* be there, sort of like wearing ear plugs. So if you’re in a quiet area, I’m wondering if you’re hearing the “hum” from this process, since there’s nothing for it to really counter, so you notice it way more. I have heard this with other headphones (most notably with the Bose QC45, but also with the Sennheiser HD450BT), but I never noticed it with the M4, at least not without really listening very closely in a quiet environment. If the noise is too loud, you might want to consider contacting Sennheiser to see what they might recommend. This is a good question, and I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer. Edit: I wonder if electrical noise from the microphone would be interpreted by the ANC as something to counter. You might not hear the noise from the mic, but you WOULD hear the noise created to counteract that noise, since that noise would be an overreaction. That’s just speculation, though.
@@NorbReviews Thank you very much for your answer, I think this is the natural sound of ANC, as you said. Since we did not turn off the ANC mode completely on the Sennheiser M4, we have to hear it in quiet environments. I probably didn't encounter this because I could turn it off completely on Sony.
I just grab mine yesterday. Have you faced any issues after upgrading the firmware? as some say that it might cause some glitches to the headphone. Do you think its safe?
Hi, really loved your review, I am curious to know what would you recommend as best anc headphones in the market currently, my frist priority is sound and anc .
Hi Aditya, thanks for the kind words. Best ANC for me has been the Sony XM5. I did a review here and you can hear ANC comparisons vs the XM4 ruclips.net/video/FQeEHAIA3H4/видео.html. If you go that route, you can also use these settings to get the best sound out of them: ruclips.net/video/JqPn_S0nJ4s/видео.html For the best sound, that very much depends on price, but pairing it with really great ANC… that’s tougher. AirPods Max, Bose QC45, XM5, Focal Bathys, Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 / PX8 all come to mind. If you want to stay around the same price as the Momentum 4, I’d say to consider the AirPods Max (if you can get a discount), the XM5, PX7 S2, QC45, or the Momentum 4. Of all of these, if ANC/Sound is the ONLY things you care about, your best value would probably be the Bose QC45. But this is HIGHLY personal, which is why I’m hesitant to clearly state one or another. A consideration might also be the SoundCore Space Q45, which is very decent for the price, but I’d still consider all of the above better.
@norBReviews one last question bro If i reduce base to minimum and increase higher frequency using EQ can i get similar sound quality (similar sound stage, etc) to Sennheiser 3 ?
I've had one pair & had to send them back bc o was getting a lot of weird noises from the left headphone after 6ish months. Now after 4 or 5ish months im getting the same thing but on the left headphone. Is this just a bug or is it the noise canceling (microphone) going bad ?
WOW! That stinks. Sennheiser does back their stuff with a 2 year warranty, so I’d contact them ASAP about this. It might be a software issue or a hardware issue, like a loose wire. In either case, I’d contact them soon.
Really really good review 🔥 Is these have much different between Momentum 4 with the Momentum True Wireless 3 like sound , anc and comfort?beside headphone and earbud. Thanks
These are way different. I’m going to have to go with the Momentum 4 in general because it has better battery and ANC, and the USB-C audio mode is fantastic. Comfort is an issue on both (I use a head cover with the H9, but the ear heat on the M4 is still a bother). I find the sound on the M4 to be a bit more saccharine than on the H9, which I find more refined, but they’re also WAY different here. If you have a specific need, let me know and I can give better guidance.
These compared to Bowers and Wilkins PX8 as far as sound, volume and noise cancelation. I listen to diff genres mostly NIN, Metallica, Alice in Chains Smashing pumpking and some rap and house. I kno the battery with the M4s kicks ass. I listen to music more than talk with headphones and def into sound quality as far as music goes and volume. Worth spending 700 for the PX8s or get M4s?
Unfortunately, I can’t speak for the PX8’s. I haven’t tried them yet. The comparisons I’ve heard put the PX8’s on par with the Focal Bathys, meaning clarity and a lighter bass than the M4’s. So the question is, do you like the rumble, or do you want clarity in each note? Given your music, I’m tempted to say just go for the M4’s. The fact is, I liked their sound. But again, I haven’t tried the PX8’s and can’t speak to this. My apologies.
@@NorbReviews ok I do like to hear my bass but not too loud where it's distorted lol but yea imba bass guy but I like clarity as well that's why I was like let me ask u if u tried both. Do u think u will do a video on thr px8 sometime really soon?
I've watched a few reviews now for the M4's.. and none of them mention the EQ section of the App. So if you tweak the sound with the EQ, do you get a better overall profile?
To an extent, yes, but that depends on what you define as better. The bass extension on these goes all the way and even gets a boost at the end, so I tend to lower it a bit. You can also boost the mids some and drop the highs to make the sound a little warmer. Is that what you’re looking for?
I've now watched and listened to some more reviews.. especially the ones where they use a pro binaural mic setup. The only cans I have are my studio ones [Senn. HD600].. and frankly, I really like the sound of the M4's! - even before any EQ adjustment. I will though back the bass down just a little to further balance the overall sound once I get my M4's. Thank you for your review... For my use, I don't need the absolute best cans for noise-reduction.. I'm mostly interested in the sound quality.. and IMHO, the M4's deliver.
When I’m using my 4’s in ANC and with nothing playing , I hear a ticking sound in the left side. It’s a very low ticking sound. I hear it now while I type.
Does it worth the update from HD450BT to Momentum 4? I generally use them for work meetings, movies and listen to music, I’ve had the HD450BT for about 3 years. By the way do you have some video where I can understand the difference betwen sennheiser product’s families?
Yes, it’s 100% worth the upgrade. It’s not even a comparison, the Momentum 4 is much better. And I don’t have a video like that, but if you ask here I might be able to answer.
@@NorbReviews Hey! First of all, thank you for your response. I believe it would be helpful to start by understanding the distinctions between the HD and Momentum families. Thank you in advance!
Depends. Momentum 4 is generally better, but the Q45 is 1/3 the price, and though it has fewer features, its features are solid. I like both, but I tend to use my Q45 a bit more: I find them a little more comfortable.
Based on my experience, yes: many of the issues I called out have improved, greatly, and I’ve enjoyed using them. (In fact, these are probably my most highly recommended headphones, when people ask me directly.) But I would always recommend buying somewhere with a good return policy, just in case, if you’re buying new.
I have used the PXC 550-ii for ages and love them but wanted a second pair and opted for the Momentum 4. Two weeks of use and they crashed even Sennheiser support said to send them back. Basically they wouldn't switch on, problem with connectivity, could only used wired which defeats the object. Overall disappointed with the experience but when they did work they were fantastic
Yeah, I’ve heard a few stories about quality issues with these. Heck, in my first pair, the power button died. Returned them, got a new pair, and no other major issues like that. I thought it was a fluke, which is why I didn’t really call it out. But more and more, I’m hearing about issues.
Some. The biggest one is the one with the case, but that’s easy to fix: 1. Velcro the middle partition down 2. Store them ear pads up instead of ear pads down in the case. Other than that, they’ve made a lot of improvements.
You know, I hadn't thought about that with these. I'll look into doing this. but it's certainly more limited with these, since the EQ is so limited (3 band + bass boost vs 6 band including bass with the XM5). Let me think about this and maybe I can put something together for them. The hardest part, I think, will be accounting for the ear pads. With the XM4, Sonova/Senneiser ended up really going for a more consumer-focused sound. The thicker pads make that even more evident. Thanks for the feedback, and I'll see about doing this.
They still have issues. They question is whether those issues matter. I test for all kinds of things, but you should only pay attention to the areas that are important to you. What’s most important?
Hi Susan, In theory, yes, updates could fix that. (To that end, you did answer your own question!) I hope they do, as the software functionality seemed to be the only real big knock on these headphones. Sennheiser has never been great about their software. I’d hoped that with Sonova taking over, this would change. Im still holding out hope.
What do you mean “sound difference”? You mean the imbalance issue? I haven’t experienced it in mine, but there is definitely a lot of mention of it online, and QC issues are definitely a concern with these. (Luckily, Sennheiser has a 2 year warranty on their products, although you have to pay shipping.) I don’t know how much stock to put to most of these complaints because I’ve to often seen that a lot of people like to jump on issues and make them far larger than they are, even when they haven’t experienced it themselves. (Especially In the audio community, I’ve seen people-even reviewers online-make proclamations about sets without having actually heard them, which seems to me to be there bare minimum standard for making any sort of proclamation.) Not saying they’re not true, just saying that I take it with a grain of salt and use my experience as a guide. But there are measurements out there that show this, so it’s not imaginary. But even those show a pretty minimal imbalance, and I don’t know of they tested 1 unit or 10, or whether there imbalance was consistent throughout tests.
Ratings, especially for comfort, are entirely subjective. 3 means I feel “it’s ok”, which it is, but I’m not a fan of the swamp ear it leaves me with. Same reason I don’t particularly like wearing the Sony XM4.
@@NorbReviews Besides that unbalanced hearing problem there is another problem When i listen to bass heavy songs like e40 baboo Sometimes it is all games and fun and the bass is clean and precise Sometimes i here horrible noises from left side nearly to damage my ears idk what’s the problem I just bought em in 11.11 for a discount 220$
Hi i got a last question, On momentum 4 if i reduce base and increase the high frequency bar then can sound quality(including clarity,sound stage) get very similar to momentum 3?
I’ll have to test this. The issue that I would see is that the Momentum 3’s earpads are more open than the 4’s, and that changes the sound. I’ll try to these this in the next day or so.
I haven’t experienced this, but I’ve heard a few people complaining about this. (Check Reddit, r/sennheiser.)I have complained about some QC issues (mostly the power button), and I wonder if this is one of them. How long ago did you buy them? Have you contacted Sennheiser?
Sound quality of the 4 is excellent, but bluetooth connectivity is a disaster, lots of disturbance in the sound, not always, but often enough to send them back. And then the app: you can easily go on holidays and on return it might have found the headphones.... Don't waste your money on them.
@audricwagey6815 I was going to ask about this. They updated the app and I think they work better now. Want to grab a pair as now seems the right time with bug fixes.
Depends. They both sound fantastic. I like the ANC on the M4 way better (no noticeable hissing). I like the comfort on the QC45 better, as it’s more useful in more situations (eg, gym, bed, work). but that is strictly personal preference. The M4 have better battery life and are ambitious about tech, where as the QC45 are very simple. Personally, I use my QC45’s more, but I do miss the battery and on-ear detection.
Why do RUclips reviewers dedicate such little time to the most important aspect of headphones, the sound quality? The features are nice, but if you're paying this much for headphones, you're doing it for the audio quality.
Hi Stewart, Thanks for the feedback. A couple of notes: (1) I disagree that the sound is the most important part. I'd argue the comfort is significantly more important: if it's not comfortable, the sound is irrelevant. Sound is secondary to that. And while I get your point about audio, in feature headphones, the features and how well they work are pretty important to the overall experience (and cost): it won't matter how great they sound, for example, if the on-ear detection keeps mistaking your glasses for having taken the headphones off, or if the advanced power management system fails to manage power and leaves you with dead headphones. That brings me to my second point: (2) If you've seen my other reviews, you know I'm focused on the overall user experience. Sound is a (big) part of that, but with feature headphones, a big part of what you pay for are... well, the features. For example, if you watch my review on the Focal Bathys, you see that while my section on sound is only about 30% of the video, I actually spend most of the video addressing how the different elements impact the sound, since that's the main purpose of those: other than ANC and access to the voice assistant, there's not much in the way of "features". With the Momentum 4, the features were a *HUGE* part of the update, especially since they tried to make it in to a bargain AirPods Max in a lot of ways. Since my background is heavily around the UX of product design, as well as music, I focus heavily on their interaction, including materials in the build and any "smart" components, like sound adaptations. I can't speak for other reviewers (I don't know any, personally), but if you want people whose primary focus is sound, there are plenty out there. (Some of my favorites are Crinacle, Resolve/Headphones.com, DMS, and Joshua Valour.) Clearly, that's what you value. That's great. Maybe I'm just not the reviewer for your needs, and that's OK. That said, do you have a specific question about the sound? I spent about 25% of the video on it, but if you want more info, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.
Both are fine choices. These sound significantly better, but the XM5 aren’t bad, and their ANC is freakishly good. From a technology standpoint, Sony is better and more reliable. The connection issues on the M4 have improved. If you decide to go with the XM5, I have a video on how to tune them for better sound. It gets close to the Sennheiser sound in tonality, but it still misses resonance and detail.
I have only owned the momentum true wireless 2's. Are these better in sound quality and bass heaviness? Are over the ear buds better and in the ear buds? Should I get the TW3'S over these TM4'S?
Hi Lucas, Haven’t used the Momentum 2, but knowing what I do of Sennheiser, this probably has (significantly) more bass. I can’t speak to the other questions, however: I haven’t tried the TW3’s and over vs in is a personal preference.
These are great headphones...if they haven't drained their battery while you were doing something else. I find them to be an expensive paperweight a good bit of the time. Also, I've no interest in learning a special sign language just to make my headphones work. I find the battery and interface review numbers of 5 of 5 to be ludicrous.
Sounds like you have a faulty unit. Mine literally lasts all week and I use it for hours at work every day. Contact Sennheiser and see if you can get a repair or replacement. They’re warrantied for 2 years. The interface score also considers the app, which is fantastic. And that score was 4 out of 5 because some of the touch controls, not 5 out of 5. Sounds like you might do better using something with buttons. I might recommend the Bose QC series.
@@NorbReviews Just for info Momentum 3 is using a shitty and bad and buggy 700mah battery which was heavy swollen in my M3 after 2 years. I had bad battery live since beginning and shoudl returned it at start. Got a repacement battery from Aliexpress for €10 with 1000mah and works like a charm now
Fabric on the headband comes out within months. Regret buying it now though the sound is good for a Bluetooth headset. Better to go for a wired studio headphone which costs way less like bayerdynamic of Sony 7506
If the headband came out like that, contact Sennheiser. They will either repair it or just give you a new one. Can’t speak for the Beyerdynamic, but as for the MDR-7506, it’s one I also very much enjoy. Very different sound, a little hot in the lower treble at times, but pair it with a solid DAC/Amp like the Qudelix 5K and that is a *fantastic* sounding set on the cheap.
@@NorbReviews I have DT770pro which I bought after the momentum 4 and I almost always use it except when I really need wireless. And for the fabric I found that some users were denied warranty as it is only aesthetic related. Anyways I will try my best
Yikes! That’s pretty awful! If you try a warranty claim, please let me know the result. I’ve been making notes of all the issues people are reporting and was planning to do a piece on it. I’d definitely be interested in hearing your experience. I had one experience with Sennheiser support. My HD 450BT had this electrical buzzing at low volumes (or just a high noise floor). I thought it was an issue, so sent it back. They sent me a new one. Same issue. Not sure I called it out in my initial review, as I don’t remember if I noticed it then, but it definitely is an issue if you listen at low volumes. And it’s definitely a design flaw with the units, not just with mine. So evidently there’s a history.
@@NorbReviews The problem was that I was trying to connect too many Bluetooth items to a single transmitter. Turned out my mini mac 5.0 Bluetooth under windows 10 could not handle, Bluetooth keyboard, mouse and headphone all at one time. Had to disconnect mouse and keyboard.
@@dfpolitowski2 oh, wow! Yeah, definitely an edge case, but you’re not the first person to mention issues with the Bluetooth on the Mac mini. At least with the 2020 model, a lot of people complained about that.
I took a risk going with Sennheiser instead of brands I’m used to, and I definitely regret that decision now that it disconnects every five minutes. Also, they’re just not great sound quality, even with precise equalizer adjustments. Live and learn I guess! 😂
@@NorbReviews I had a similar problem, the sound would drop out or become digitized when streaming movies. When I changed the Wi-Fi from 3.5 GHz to 5 GHz from the router, the problem went away. I did not have this problem with the Bose QuietComfort SE headphones streaming at 3.5 GHz. Not sure why that would effect Bluetooth. Also they would cut out constantly using Bluetooth on my Onkyo receiver, so I had to scrap that option.
I hit the like button for all the work you did on the review. The ANC test on the plane just showed the amount of commitment. Good job!
Thank you!
I gotta tell you, sometimes it’s hard to get those because I don’t want to bother people next to me (I realize how weird it looks shoving microphones into my headphones).
I’ve had a pair of these for about half a month now. Here is my experience so far.
Here are my initial impressions.
Sound:
The momentum 4 have great sound quality the best I’ve used so far, the audio clarity is way better than the Sony XM5s, which sounded a little muddy to me.
ANC:
The ANC is pretty good, don’t expect it to mute the outside world but it does do a serviceable job getting rid of most noises. You can also double tap the right ear cup to toggle ANC on the fly which is nice. Being able to toggle the ANC is important because at least on my model the ANC had a really hard time trying to cancel the sound of my plane when it was taking off and ends up pulsing a loud static noise. I ended up turning ANC off until reaching cruising altitude at which point I turned it back on and it worked great at canceling the engine noise and people talking.
I also own a pair of the Apple AirPod Pros gen1 and I would say that both the air pods and the momentum 4 have a similar level of anc.
Everyday use/Comfort:
These headphones are VERY comfortable.
And while headphone comfort can be very subjective based on your ear size/shape, I will say that I’ve had issues with headphones in the past where after wearing them for a few hours my ears or head where the band sits would end up hurting or soar. So far that has not been the case on the Momentum 4s and the main reason I bought these was to block out the office noise at work while while also being comfortable to wear all day long, which they’ve been great for.
Auto off and connectivity:
So here’s the con for these headphones at least for me. The auto off and pairing on these headphones can be very buggy leading to quite a bit of frustration. You are supposed to be able to just take the headphones off and have them turn off but it feels lol it only works about half of the time. The worst side effect of this being almost every time I answer a phone call it automatically transfers the call to my headphones, which would be great except that my headphones are in their case in my lunch box in the back seat of my car or just sitting on my desk or sitting on the kitchen counter in their case. Which makes me wonder how often the headphones are off ever. A big feature of the headphones is the extremely long battery life, but if the headphones often end up being left on your losing some of that benefit. I’m at a point where I will probably be turning them off every time before I put them in my case. That last sentence sounds a bit funny all things considered but I’ve become accustomed to not having to worry about turning off audio devices lately so I will need to make a new habit of turning them off.
Microphone:
From what I can tell the microphone works pretty good on phone calls. If you plan on using these in an office/gaming setting with teams, discord, etc you will probably want to get a separate stand alone microphone, because windows really sucks at using anything other than a designated gaming headset. When connected to a windows 10 pc you have the option to use either Headphones(momentum 4 stereo) or Headset(momentum 4 Hands-free AG Audio). The problem being that while stereo sounds fantastic your microphone won’t work unless you switch to headset mode, which does enable the built in microphone, but degrades the audio quality horrendously. That being said this is more of a window’s problem, as the same can be said about every other non-gaming headset.
To summarize everything here are my final thoughts on the Momentum 4 so far.
Cons:
•The buggy standby feature and auto connection can be annoying, but it is possible to work around it. It’s sad to see at this price tag, but I’ll take it in return for the better audio quality vs similar offerings. Hopefully this will get better over time with software updates, but I’m not holding my breath.
•The touch controls work great, but they are sensitive and can be annoying at times. Ex. Adjusting your headphones on your head, leaning your head up against something or someone. This is technically my first rodeo with touch controls on headphones so maybe I just need to get used to it.
•The functionality of the power button takes a bit of time to get used to as the audio queues it gives don’t really match up very well with the action you are trying to perform. You really do just need to memorize the number of seconds you need to press and do no more and no less.
Pros:
•Very comfortable for extended periods of time.
•Fantastic Audio Quality.
•Good ANC mostly on par with other offerings at this price tag
•Great battery life.
•Good microphone, except for on Windows.
In conclusion if clear audio and all day comfort are important to you and these headphones fall within your budget, then from all of the headphones I’ve tested in this price range these are my favorites.
Second runner up if I had to chose would be the Sony XM5 falling short due to the muddy audio and lower battery life in my opinion.
Good review!
Thank you for ur review on these but ? Have u tried thr Bower amd Wilkin Px8? I'm between both of these now. I have an old pair of bose qc35 bass is distorted at high volume. I'm more of a music guy so I hear the M4 and Px8 are great. One guy said he loves px8 for music I listen to but I'm like is it worth paying double.
I had a similar problem with my Bose qc45 with Windows 10 that it won't work well with MS Teams and Zoom meetings. I decided to return it but found one trick that worked for me. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & other devices > Devices and Printer then right click your headphone under Devices. Click Services tab and UNCHECK Handsfree Telephony. Miraculously all problems in those programs were solved and i could use these for online meetings with "Headphone" sound and Mic. But I'm not 100% satisfied with Bose sound quality for music listening and ordered Momentum 4. Hopefully I can have better sound quality and those work for online meetings as well.
Wow, as a Momentum 4 user, this review is spot on! I’m not sure if this is true but I think Sennheiser changed the case at some point. On the mesh side inside the my case, there are two harder elastic bands which look like they lock down the headphones while in the case so that they don’t automatically turn on. I’ve never experienced the “accidental on inside the case” issue.
For your touch pad comment, I’d say you’re pretty spot on even if it’s your first touch pad headphone. My previous XM4s cancel accidental touches better partly because of software and partly because the touchpad is smaller and doesn’t overlap with the area you’d normally touch to adjust the headphones.
@@miggyyusay Hi I'm considering buy Momentum 4 but I'm wondering about the sound leak. How is the sound leak in this head phone? can people around you hear what you are listening to?
@Norbreviews
What you said is 100% true with the older models, I also had one last year and I returned it, but the newer models (with 2.13.28 firmware version and 4.0 hardware version) are improved and feel even better than XM5 headphones in the connectivity department, as soon as I take the headphones from the pouch they connect instantly whichever the devices they are paired with, and even the sound quality also gotten better with the newer ones. Please review the new version of Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones when you get a chance.
I have been a user of PXC 550-II and went with M4 Wireless as an upgrade. In short yhey are not as neutral sounding as PXC were, but still has that Sennheiser sound signature and much wider sound stage. Overall I am really liking them for the price (Focal Bathys are best but much costlier and bulkier), compared them to PX7/PX8, and ended up EQing with bass -1.5db, mids +1.0db and treble +1.5db. ANC were not priority for me, rather sound quality and transparency mode is really good and no bugs mentioned at my end. Good review mate!
Do you prefer momentum 4 or px7 or PX8?
This served me a lot. I was going to buy these but those bugs are bad for me. I listened to a lot of reviews and they all talk about the goods, and you are the first person that talked about these issues in detail. I mean, you made great, pro review. Thank you.
So a few notes:
1. They’ve fixed a lot of issues. The only big one that remains is the case issue. To fix that just Velcro the partition down and sort them ear pads up rather than down.
2. These remain my most recommended, but on a personal level, I’ve started to lean more toward the Px7 S2e. It’s a similar-enough sound, albeit a little warmer, and there aren’t as many EQ options. But I’ve found them to be very reliable because they’re largely manual.
In the end, the fact remains that the M4 are probably my most recommended headphones to date behind the Bose QC Ultras. But I thin the sound on the Sennheiser is slightly better, more refined. Same with the S2e.
Still, Whatever you end up with, I hope you get something that will keep you happy for a long time!
@@NorbReviews Thank you!!
I have experience with both the Sennheiser momentum 3 and the Sennheiser momentum 4. I think the sound on the Sennheiser momentum 3 was much louder and as you said more detailed. But I really like the functionality of the Sennheiser momentum. 4 and the battery life. It is true that the Sennheiser momentum 4 does have certain connectivity issues. I haven't experienced the ones that you are talking about. But I can't say when trying to switch to another phone call the connecting noise is still going for about another 5 seconds even though you've already answered the call. That's bad. The app and the headphones do not connect automatically sometimes. I wish the noise cancellation was better but it's serviceable. I don't have too many issues with the transparency mode. They are the second most comfortable pair of headphones I've ever worn. And the call quality is much better.
Regarding volume, I went ahead and measured both side by side using a noise level meter (this was after the review, so not included), and they both hit about the same levels, lay least near max. I wonder if might just have to do with the frequencies you pick up better, given the M4’s push toward more bass. (I know that higher frequencies and clearer presentation tend to sound louder to me. I wonder if you’re similar.)
Still, I’m glad you’re enjoying them, issues notwithstanding!
I have 3 and love them. I took a good look at 4 and considered them but decided ultimately to pass and not upgrade at all
Norb that was a good review. I recently purchased the Momentum 4 and first off the best Pro is the sound quality was just absolutely phenomenal. However, I was on a plane, watching a movie and the sound just stopped about 6x for no reason, and I was definitely not moving my head. So I decided to test that at home watching a movie on my iMAC and yep, you guessed it, they just randomly stop play audio. However, on my SurfacePro8, the sound went back to speaker mode each of the 6 or more times and everyone could hear the loud movie I was playing. Purchased on 6/16/2023 and returned on 7/3/2023 - I could not take the buggy UI. P.S., that sound was better than Bose and Sony; I finally broke down and purchased (7/12/2023) the Sony XM5, delivery pending.
Thank you for the kind words!
Best of luck with the Sony. If you haven’t yet, check out this video: ruclips.net/video/JqPn_S0nJ4s/видео.html - it gets the sound as close as you can get, I think, to the Sennheiser sound. You’re not going to get the detail, but that’s just something Sennheiser is good at. But it should get you a good way there. I *Would* boost the Clear Bass up, though, so that you can get close to the Sennheiser’s rumble.
Best of luck! And sorry for the delay in my reply.
Thanks for the personal honest review! I was about to buy the M4's. But you made made me decide to look for other headphones. Take care! 🙂
Glad you found it useful. What others are you considering?
@@NorbReviews Maybe the Bowers and wilkins px7 s2. But next week I will visit hi-fi store and check everything out.
Very good and helpful video, sir. Video format is excelent!
Thank you!
Thank you for the solid and clear review! I'm saddened that the move is away from switches for on and off and actual buttons for controls. I have an old set of Cowin headphones that have a switch to instantly and clearly turn them on and off. I love it. Unfortunately, even these have been "upgraded" to use a button that takes a while to activate. And now that headphones are moving away from actual buttons to capacitive touch for things like volume and play control (which is VERY easy to bump and do the wrong thing) it makes me even sadder. Why can't anyone make a SIMPLE Bluetooth headphone with buttons and switches that sound great. They're all getting too complex for their own good!
Thanks for the kind words! Simplicity and great sound are two of the reasons I like the Bose QC45 and Master & Dynamic MW65 so much.
Keep going Norb you are doing great work
Thank you!
Thx. Very good detailed explanation.
I didnt care for the M4 overall redesign. I too am a Senneheiser aficionado. However, being that said i never could find the excitement for the HD 600? The HD 660s is more to my likings..its just more lively, but too simular to initiate a purchase.
The Momentum Line is where i found a home. Although, not all the "Momentum" nomenclature truly supports the namesake. Such as you took notice to here.
Great reveiw!
Thank you!
Funny you mention the 660s, I’m auditioning the HiFiMan Ananda now, and I keep wondering if I should just go for the Sennheiser, instead. Very different headphones, but I find Sennheiser’s sound signature just a bit warmer.
Great review! I can't wait to see your opinions on the Accentums. I loved Momentum 3s sound on that (I can't remember the name precisely) high quality tuning option but they were so uncomfortable to me that had to be sent back. I hope the accentums give a nice sounding experience as it does not break the bank that much and certainly prefer buttons over touch controls
NGL, I had not realized the Accentums came out until I read this and now I’m buying them. Thanks! And thank you for watching!
As for the M3, what worked for me was getting ear covers and a headband cover. Here’s what I’ve used, but anything similar will work:
Headband: amzn.to/46EAtT0
Ear covers: amzn.to/47137xu (you may want your go a size down if you want something more taught.)
The only issue I had with the covers was that they sometimes covered the buttons if not positioned just right. As for the headphones themselves, battery itself of significantly shorter than their newer models.
Best of luck, and thanks again for the heads up!
Great review! Would be super interested in a review of the PXC 550-ii or a similar comparison video.
You know, I’ve had the PXC 550-II sitting here forever, and it was one of my first reviews, but I never released it. I didn’t think anyone would be interested, but I might actually do this. Thanks for the suggestion!
Just got these headphones, sound clarity is amazing. ANC is good enough for me. However my issue was the left side if the headphone was sounding quieter than the right and it was quite annoying. They seem to have a quality control issue since ny friend bought a pair and experienced the same thing. Ended up returning since i tried all the tips mentioned online but none worked. Shame actually, as i really like the comfort and sound of these over the XM5
Agreed on the QC point. I’ve been hearing a lot of complaints. I hope this is something they address.
My friend had to return theirs twice because it was having the exact sound imbalance issues.
Refrain from buying this headphone as they have lot of bugs - hissing sound with anc on, auto mute in the middle of a meeting. Sound quality is good but at this price point it should perform as an all rounder.
Esp at $350 price tag, this is unacceptable.
I literally bought them yesterday and i the only negative part i've experienced is that you (atleast for now) cannot turn off the side touch controls. I used them for overhead triceps exercises and just touching the touch area with my upper arm would, for example, pause music, or deactivate ANC and pause music as well. I've read online, that on the other Sennheiser Headphones it is indeed possible to turn those off, so its only a matter of time, atleast i hope so!
Overall im very happy with the headphones, the sound is really great, i like it bass heavy, but that comes with compromises in the mid and higher sections, but not here, its still really crisp.
For now I can recommend them!
Awesome! I’m glad to hear you’re happy. I don’t think I’d call them bad-as I kept saying, I love the direction they’re going! But I think they just need some refinement. I do wonder how much of this can be done via software updates, though (I suspect a lot.)
Best of luck! And I hope you keep enjoying them!
yo dude how are they for the gym in general, do they fit tightly? I wanted to get these but from what I read most people recommended not to use them in the gym
@@jaaz1b I see no reason, why you shouldn't use them in a gym enviroment. they fit really tight, so i think you will be fine. The only issue i had is the one i described above. if you slightly touch the right side of the headphones, you will activate some kind of touch gesture. But in general i think its fine. They hopefully add a function to deactivate the side controls.
@@sweglord602 thanks man, i believe what i read was that they arent IP rated and so theres a chance sweat could damage the internal components of the headphones.
@@jaaz1b oh that might be right, but im bodybuilding and not sweating super hard
I used to have a lot of connectivity issues with the M3s, ie sudden disconnects, but lately they've been working really well.
There have been phone/app updates since then, so that might explain it?
Auto-off when I'm still wearing them is pretty common, especially when I first put them on, but a shake of the right cup usually does the trick (I'm guessing some type of analog level sensor?)
I wear them more often now that the disconnects aren't happening anymore, and I love 'em!
Yeah, the updates have definitely helped things. I think their on-ear sensor is an issue, but this is something I've experienced with every Sennheiser headphone that has on-ear detection: PXC 550-II, Momentum 3, and Momentum 4. For me, it seems to be associated with wearing glasses.
Nice review keep up the good work.. I'm torn between xm5 or momentum 4 . What's better between the two?
Thank you!
As for which is better, this depends. What are the 3 most important things to you, in order? And how will you use them?
Thanks . Bought the xm5. No regrets. . 😅 the NC is good. Cant find anything to complain about it. I think this will be with me for a long time.
Thanks for the review! I would love to hear your point of view on which headphones are better for listening to music at home, airplane usage and teams calls via USB-C: Sennheiser M4 or B&W PX7 s2e?
Hey, thanks for the kind words! I actually finished writing this review recently, and plan to record it soon (maybe next week), but had to pause things because of medical reasons.
Of the two, I think the Momentum 4 is probably a better fit for your needs, mostly for one big reason: the ANC is better on the M4. Otherwise, they’re pretty close. I happen to like the sound of the S2e better, as I find the sound on the M4 a bit too exhausting at times, but that’s just a personal choice: they’re both excellent. There are other reasons I prefer the S2e, but none that I would say “this is objectively better.”
The M4 can also be used passively, whereas the S2e can’t.
@@NorbReviews awesome, thanks! I have just ordered M4 and hoping for the best :D
Grest review! Thx!! Is the connectivity's bugs fixed ?
I have experienced fewer issues, but I’ve been testing other sets, so I can’t say with certainty that everything’s been fixed.
You only put 2/5 on battery for Momentum 3??? I only charge these headphones very few times per month. They have super good batterylife.
17 hours max with 13 hours w/ANC on? That’s not very good… Especially when now, 24 hours is the bare minimum.
I love the M3, but battery is not its strong suit.
@@NorbReviews not annoying to me luckily.
Two questions, how do you feel they compare to the M3 when wearing glasses? The M3s hold tight to your head but require adjusting your frame to not push into your head, as they'll dig into your skin during long sessions of wearing them. I'd hope that the M4s don't grip as tightly, or are at least more comfortable if everything else is designed to be much softer?
Also, despite the sort of "squeeze" you get around your head on the M3s, the lack of locking on the band adjustment means the head band will slowly loosen and eventually cause them to fall off if you're walking around, or have long hair which increases movement.
It's, unfortunately frustrating and I'd love to know if they've fixed that on the M4.
Thank you for the incredibly through and well thought-out review, most other reviews of the M4 looked over most details that I wanted to know without being able to try them myself in person.
Hi Liv, thanks for your kind words.
1. I like these better than the M3 for glasses and most comfort issues: the pads are much softer, making them more comfortable. My only comfort concern with the M4 is that they produce a lot of ear heat for me, where as the M3 barely do. If the legs on your glasses are thin, it won’t make a difference, but if they’re thick or stick out a lot, then the M4 is WAY better.
2. I don’t think you’ll have the same band issues with the M4. Of course, I don’t have long hair, so I can’t speak to how well the M4 does there. The only time I’ve had issues with the M4 and movement is when I’m laying down with them. (I’ve never run with them, so whether that’s an issue, I can’t say.)
FWIW, I’m traveling now and don’t have either on me, but if you have a specific question, let me know and I can test when I get back.
I have a review for your review... 5 out of 5!!! XD, really nice work here!!! I just saw your video and now I know what am I gonna do!!!
Thank you!!
Hi! Overtime sennheiser fixed some bugs that you mentioned or the headphones still the same as the review? im looking for a pair of headphones and im between the momentum 4 and xm4 of sony, but im concerned about the bugs😢
They’ve fixed a lot of issues.
Between the XM4 and M4, the M4 sound *MUCH* better, but the XM4 are definitely a sturdy pair. One of my first reviews was actually the XM4, and my biggest complaints were its muddy sound and lack of detail. You can fix the muddy sound with EQ, but detail and instrument separation remain weak.
Still, I don’t think you can go wrong with either, but I tend to prefer the M4.
Hope this helps!
I'm absolutely torn between the XM5 and the Momentum 4.They're both similarly priced in my region. My priorities are ANC and sound quality. After spending countless hours on researching them, common consensus seems to be XM5s' having the top-notch ANC and Momentum 4s' having much better sound quality. And so, I'm stuck. What would you recommend?
I agree with your research conclusions.
Between the two, I *slightly* prefer the XM5 for a few reasons:
1. The ANC is significantly better
2. I find them more reliable
3. I find them more comfortable
But when it comes to sound, there’s no comparison. With the EQ, the XM5 can be tuned to get close to the Momentum 4’s tuning. (I have a video on doing pretty much this, but also check the comments for alternative tunings.) But the Sennheiser is much better for sound, period. Obviously, it depends on taste (I’m a fan of Sennheiser’s tuning and have been using Sennheiser products for over 25 years), so caveat emptor.
The thing with the sound quality is that, you’ll either love the XM5 or hate them. There’s no in between. (I hate the default Sony tuning.) The Sennheiser’s will sound pretty good to just about anyone, unless you reeeeally hate bass, but you can tune that down some.
This is a tough question, I won’t lie. And I don’t think you can go wrong either way. But if you decide one thing is more important than the other, that’s your answer.
I did see your video beforehand on equalizing the xm5, along with other more eq profiles I found on Reddit.
One thing I saw in the frequency response of the xm5 was a huge drop off right after 10khz. The upper treble response is by far the hardest part of a headphone to eq and is where a lot of technicalities lie.
Can this after 10khz range be eq’d and salvaged enough to make it comparable to the mw4, in order to make the xm5s’ more breathable? Also, I understand the default tuning seems to be pretty muffled. Though, can the bass be eq’d enough so the mids don’t feel recessed?
P.S. fortunately, I don’t hate bass.
@@barleygraperagdid you get any new headphones ? I own both xm5s and momentum 4.
thank you for the objective review! Which one would you recommend: Momentum 4 or XM5? Finally subscibed - you are amongst many that provide genuine reviews.
Thank you for the kind words and subscribing!
So, I am *literally* working on that comparison now, so I can’t get into details without spoiling things, but I personally prefer the XM5. Both are fantastic, though, for different reasons.
Let me ask, though, what are the 2-3 most important things to you? Maybe I can do better with my recommendation.
@@NorbReviews Hi, just want to ask for the recommendation: In my country in price, the difference is 20 bucks, senheiser cheaper. Is it worth picking the xm5?
I have mine and no problem at all😊
That’s great!
hi :) awesome video! would you recommend the momentum 4 over the airpods pro gen 2? i’m stuck deciding!!
Two VERY different devices! Honestly, I’d recommend both! But if I have to pick one, my AirPods Pro 2 all day long: great tuning, good features, and I can take them everywhere.
@@NorbReviews thank you!! it’s difficult bc i’d love the headphones but they’re so clunky to travel with so i’ll most definitely
go for the airpods 💖💖
Have software updates alleviated the connectivity problems?
That's kinda the one deal breaker for me
Not the connectivity issues when it comes to the case, but otherwise it seems that way. To get around the case issue though, it’s pretty easy:
1. Use Velcro to bring down the separator that’s in the case between the ear cups.
2. Put them in the case with the ear pads up instead of down.
Doing this prevents them from connecting.
@@NorbReviews Oh, I meant Bluetooth connectivity issues
But thank you
With either the M3 or M4, can the EQ be adjusted when using the USB-C mode (or only on Bluetooth)? *no ANC or pass-through "off" setting might be a deal breaker though, that seems odd!
It will work with USB-C: in both, the BT connection remains paired while on USB-C mode.
Other then the beautiful unique design, one of the things I loved about the 3's the is physical buttons, still love mine
Same.
Hey man thanks for the video, unfortunatly I ordered the momentum 4 and i thought I could turn of transparancy and noise cancelling off, It should be standard right ? I have chronicle ear disease and I really need this... so you're telling me that even with the app I can't turn them off ? they have to be on at any time? It's crazy...
Yeah, it seems the best you can do is put it in the middle and… hope for the best? I’m really not a fan of this. The Bose QC45 also does this, and it something that really bothered me. I haven’t found a way to turn it all off on these. In theory, putting them in the middle does this, but I didn’t feel it did.
@@NorbReviews thanks for sharing, really hard to find direct answer - many other reviewers just ignore that question
Why do you need to turn of ANC because of your ear disaesie ?
Hi good review👍 the volume on the 3’s are they louder than the 4,s? I like loud music so that’s definitely a deal breaker for me plus how loud do the sony xm4 go compared to both these? Thanks🙂
A few points here:
First, I made a mistake in the review at that part: the iPhone has a hearing safety feature that won't let you pull the volume up beyond a certain point. I'd put mine at 80dB, which explains why it didn't get too loud. It was entirely my fault, and I've removed that part from the review. Thank you for asking about that, and my apologies for the confusion.
That said, I went ahead and tested out both the XM4 and the Momentum 4 (I'll test out the Momentum 3 as well). Both the XM4 and Momentum 4 got equally as loud. They're both plenty loud enough.
Now, if I could make a recommendation? Use the Fletcher-Munson Curve to your advantage (more info here: ledgernote.com/columns/mixing-mastering/fletcher-munson-curve/) by using the EQ to boost the bass and treble more. That will make things SEEM louder than they actually are.
@@NorbReviews hi thanks for your reply hopefully the momentum 3 will be equally as loud as Sony an the 4’s with there better sound plus there cheaper than both others £ 239 on Amazon would you recommend the 3’s at that price? Thanks
@@anthonybarrett5434 - Alright, so I just tested the M3’s. The max volume is roughly the same on both, although the M4 registered as a few dB louder. Both were plenty loud, however.
The thing is noise canceling: if you’re in a quiet environment, this won’t matter. If you’re somewhere loud, then better ANC will make it easier to hear your music at lower volumes. To that end, I’d recommend the M4 over the M3, because it has significantly better ANC. But if the ANC doesn’t matter all that much then the next thing you’re contending with is the kind of sound you like and music you listen to. If it’s bass heavy, stick with the M4. I didn’t mention this here (I will in a longer comparison), but the earpads on the M4 also contribute to the more bass-heavy sound. That’s also the case with the XM4.
This all said, my sound preferences are M3 > M4 > XM4, with the Momentum’s both having significantly more detail than the Sone, and the XM3 having a more crisp sound.
@@NorbReviews thanks for your extra testing👍 I’m going to have to think I like some of what the 3’s offer an some what the 4’s offer! the Sonys are definitely out of running,thanks again for your advice👍
@@anthonybarrett5434 glad to be of help. I’ll be honest, I don’t think you can go wrong with either. The issues with the Momentum 4 feel more like growing pains than anything. (Sonova/Sennheiser got VERY ambitious with usability. It feels like they were trying to copy the functionality of the AirPods Max in a lot of ways.) Hopefully software updates will fix many of them. Still, it’s an overall improvement over the M3 in a lot of areas. If you can try them both out, that’ll hands down be your best guide. Best of luck! Let me know what you decide on!
Hi Brother,
I want to ask you something about my Momentum Wireless 4 On Ear Headphones.
The settings and graphics in the transparent and ANC mode section confused me a bit. Namely: I turn the transparent mode on all the way, everything is normal. As a result, it's not something I use much anyway. But if I set ANC to MAX, I hear a bottom sound resembling wind noise increasing. The same thing happens when I activate ADAPTIVE mode. The strange thing is that there is a long line up in the middle of the ANC and Transparent mode graph; if I move the cursor to that part, the wind noise I get decreases considerably; but if I move it to the left, that is, ANC, the bottom wind noise increases considerably and is very disturbing, especially in a quiet environment. What should I understand from this? So, is the ANC of this headset different from the ANC we know? A RUclipsr friend of mine tested this situation with a decibel meter and the strange thing repeats there too. A lot of people say they replaced or returned their headphones because of this. Do you have any knowledge about this topic ?
Is this a possible thing for headphones with ANC ?
Hi and thanks for the question.
Hmm… this is a tough one. Immediately, I’m wondering if what you’re hearing is the actual noise canceling “white noise”. ANC is supposed to use the microphones to analyze noise coming from the outside, then create an opposing sound wave that cancels that noise out. The higher it is, the stronger this will be. To stay “ready”, it automatically creates a low-level “hum” that tries to block out any low-level noises that *might* be there, sort of like wearing ear plugs. So if you’re in a quiet area, I’m wondering if you’re hearing the “hum” from this process, since there’s nothing for it to really counter, so you notice it way more. I have heard this with other headphones (most notably with the Bose QC45, but also with the Sennheiser HD450BT), but I never noticed it with the M4, at least not without really listening very closely in a quiet environment.
If the noise is too loud, you might want to consider contacting Sennheiser to see what they might recommend.
This is a good question, and I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer.
Edit: I wonder if electrical noise from the microphone would be interpreted by the ANC as something to counter. You might not hear the noise from the mic, but you WOULD hear the noise created to counteract that noise, since that noise would be an overreaction.
That’s just speculation, though.
@@NorbReviews Thank you very much for your answer, I think this is the natural sound of ANC, as you said. Since we did not turn off the ANC mode completely on the Sennheiser M4, we have to hear it in quiet environments. I probably didn't encounter this because I could turn it off completely on Sony.
I just grab mine yesterday. Have you faced any issues after upgrading the firmware? as some say that it might cause some glitches to the headphone. Do you think its safe?
I can’t say I ever ran into any issues with the firmware. At least I didn’t notice any.
Hi,
really loved your review, I am curious to know what would you recommend as best anc headphones in the market currently, my frist priority is sound and anc .
Hi Aditya, thanks for the kind words.
Best ANC for me has been the Sony XM5. I did a review here and you can hear ANC comparisons vs the XM4
ruclips.net/video/FQeEHAIA3H4/видео.html. If you go that route, you can also use these settings to get the best sound out of them:
ruclips.net/video/JqPn_S0nJ4s/видео.html
For the best sound, that very much depends on price, but pairing it with really great ANC… that’s tougher. AirPods Max, Bose QC45, XM5, Focal Bathys, Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 / PX8 all come to mind. If you want to stay around the same price as the Momentum 4, I’d say to consider the AirPods Max (if you can get a discount), the XM5, PX7 S2, QC45, or the Momentum 4.
Of all of these, if ANC/Sound is the ONLY things you care about, your best value would probably be the Bose QC45. But this is HIGHLY personal, which is why I’m hesitant to clearly state one or another.
A consideration might also be the SoundCore Space Q45, which is very decent for the price, but I’d still consider all of the above better.
@@NorbReviews sure thanks a lot for your reply.
@norBReviews one last question bro
If i reduce base to minimum and increase higher frequency using EQ can i get similar sound quality (similar sound stage, etc) to Sennheiser 3 ?
I've had one pair & had to send them back bc o was getting a lot of weird noises from the left headphone after 6ish months. Now after 4 or 5ish months im getting the same thing but on the left headphone. Is this just a bug or is it the noise canceling (microphone) going bad ?
WOW! That stinks. Sennheiser does back their stuff with a 2 year warranty, so I’d contact them ASAP about this. It might be a software issue or a hardware issue, like a loose wire. In either case, I’d contact them soon.
Really really good review 🔥
Is these have much different between Momentum 4 with the Momentum True Wireless 3 like sound , anc and comfort?beside headphone and earbud.
Thanks
Thank you!
I haven’t used the Momentum TWS 3, so I can’t say. My apologies. (NGL, I really want to, but funds are an issue.)
Hey bro, H9 3rd gen or Momentum 4.
Which is better
These are way different. I’m going to have to go with the Momentum 4 in general because it has better battery and ANC, and the USB-C audio mode is fantastic. Comfort is an issue on both (I use a head cover with the H9, but the ear heat on the M4 is still a bother). I find the sound on the M4 to be a bit more saccharine than on the H9, which I find more refined, but they’re also WAY different here.
If you have a specific need, let me know and I can give better guidance.
They upgraded mine from a 3 to a 4 because the momentum 3s anc stopped working lol
Wow!
4 has tons of bugs 😊
@@houman2009CAP
These compared to Bowers and Wilkins PX8 as far as sound, volume and noise cancelation. I listen to diff genres mostly NIN, Metallica, Alice in Chains Smashing pumpking and some rap and house. I kno the battery with the M4s kicks ass. I listen to music more than talk with headphones and def into sound quality as far as music goes and volume. Worth spending 700 for the PX8s or get M4s?
Unfortunately, I can’t speak for the PX8’s. I haven’t tried them yet.
The comparisons I’ve heard put the PX8’s on par with the Focal Bathys, meaning clarity and a lighter bass than the M4’s. So the question is, do you like the rumble, or do you want clarity in each note?
Given your music, I’m tempted to say just go for the M4’s. The fact is, I liked their sound. But again, I haven’t tried the PX8’s and can’t speak to this. My apologies.
@@NorbReviews ok I do like to hear my bass but not too loud where it's distorted lol but yea imba bass guy but I like clarity as well that's why I was like let me ask u if u tried both. Do u think u will do a video on thr px8 sometime really soon?
I've watched a few reviews now for the M4's.. and none of them mention the EQ section of the App. So if you tweak the sound with the EQ, do you get a better overall profile?
To an extent, yes, but that depends on what you define as better.
The bass extension on these goes all the way and even gets a boost at the end, so I tend to lower it a bit. You can also boost the mids some and drop the highs to make the sound a little warmer.
Is that what you’re looking for?
I've now watched and listened to some more reviews.. especially the ones where they use a pro binaural mic setup. The only cans I have are my studio ones [Senn. HD600].. and frankly, I really like the sound of the M4's! - even before any EQ adjustment. I will though back the bass down just a little to further balance the overall sound once I get my M4's. Thank you for your review... For my use, I don't need the absolute best cans for noise-reduction.. I'm mostly interested in the sound quality.. and IMHO, the M4's deliver.
When I’m using my 4’s in ANC and with nothing playing , I hear a ticking sound in the left side. It’s a very low ticking sound. I hear it now while I type.
Is it JUST with these headphones?
I haven’t heard of this (and haven’t heard this on my own). It’s definitely strange.
Does it worth the update from HD450BT to Momentum 4? I generally use them for work meetings, movies and listen to music, I’ve had the HD450BT for about 3 years.
By the way do you have some video where I can understand the difference betwen sennheiser product’s families?
Yes, it’s 100% worth the upgrade. It’s not even a comparison, the Momentum 4 is much better.
And I don’t have a video like that, but if you ask here I might be able to answer.
@@NorbReviews Hey! First of all, thank you for your response. I believe it would be helpful to start by understanding the distinctions between the HD and Momentum families. Thank you in advance!
What is better, Sennheiser Momentum 4 or Soundcore Q45?
Depends. Momentum 4 is generally better, but the Q45 is 1/3 the price, and though it has fewer features, its features are solid. I like both, but I tend to use my Q45 a bit more: I find them a little more comfortable.
Does the Momentum 4 firmware updates help with the sound or bugs?
It did for me. I use them primarily with an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Have the bug situation improved?
Based on my experience, yes: many of the issues I called out have improved, greatly, and I’ve enjoyed using them. (In fact, these are probably my most highly recommended headphones, when people ask me directly.) But I would always recommend buying somewhere with a good return policy, just in case, if you’re buying new.
I have used the PXC 550-ii for ages and love them but wanted a second pair and opted for the Momentum 4. Two weeks of use and they crashed even Sennheiser support said to send them back. Basically they wouldn't switch on, problem with connectivity, could only used wired which defeats the object. Overall disappointed with the experience but when they did work they were fantastic
Yeah, I’ve heard a few stories about quality issues with these. Heck, in my first pair, the power button died. Returned them, got a new pair, and no other major issues like that. I thought it was a fluke, which is why I didn’t really call it out. But more and more, I’m hearing about issues.
Have u had any issues with the connectivity and swapping between devices with the xm4.
No, at least nothing outside the “acceptable” range. But I didn’t test this extensively on the XM4. In my tests, they were OK.
I wonder if there are still bugs now...
Some. The biggest one is the one with the case, but that’s easy to fix:
1. Velcro the middle partition down
2. Store them ear pads up instead of ear pads down in the case.
Other than that, they’ve made a lot of improvements.
I’m having a lot of audio problems at the moment. Why??
Hi Norb! Do you have an EQ using the app for these? Would you be able to share it like you did with the XM5/XM4 before? Thanks!
You know, I hadn't thought about that with these. I'll look into doing this. but it's certainly more limited with these, since the EQ is so limited (3 band + bass boost vs 6 band including bass with the XM5).
Let me think about this and maybe I can put something together for them. The hardest part, I think, will be accounting for the ear pads. With the XM4, Sonova/Senneiser ended up really going for a more consumer-focused sound. The thicker pads make that even more evident.
Thanks for the feedback, and I'll see about doing this.
@@NorbReviews I'm wondering about this too. There's a firmware update that provides a 5-band eq.
Did you use amplification when connected via headphone jack?
No. Just connected directly to my computer or phone. I do turn it on, though.
Do they still have issues now.I want to get them because there on sale for $60 off
They still have issues. They question is whether those issues matter. I test for all kinds of things, but you should only pay attention to the areas that are important to you. What’s most important?
anc/trans although a slider the effect is not gradual. at particular point of slider anc kicks in / out.
Are any of the connectivity and call issues things that can be remedied later by software/firmware updates?
Maybe answering my own question; I see now there's a piece of software called "Sennheiser Updater."
Hi Susan,
In theory, yes, updates could fix that. (To that end, you did answer your own question!) I hope they do, as the software functionality seemed to be the only real big knock on these headphones. Sennheiser has never been great about their software. I’d hoped that with Sonova taking over, this would change. Im still holding out hope.
@@NorbReviewsdid the latest firmwqre fix all the issues that people are experiencing? Im afraid to update. Should I update?
thx for the video :)
Thank you for watching!
Any other headphones you would advice in stead of this one for the same price range?
This depends. What things are most important to you?
@@NorbReviewssounds quality
I wonder if they have fixed the issue with the sound difference between the headphones does any one know ?
What do you mean “sound difference”? You mean the imbalance issue? I haven’t experienced it in mine, but there is definitely a lot of mention of it online, and QC issues are definitely a concern with these. (Luckily, Sennheiser has a 2 year warranty on their products, although you have to pay shipping.)
I don’t know how much stock to put to most of these complaints because I’ve to often seen that a lot of people like to jump on issues and make them far larger than they are, even when they haven’t experienced it themselves. (Especially In the audio community, I’ve seen people-even reviewers online-make proclamations about sets without having actually heard them, which seems to me to be there bare minimum standard for making any sort of proclamation.) Not saying they’re not true, just saying that I take it with a grain of salt and use my experience as a guide. But there are measurements out there that show this, so it’s not imaginary. But even those show a pretty minimal imbalance, and I don’t know of they tested 1 unit or 10, or whether there imbalance was consistent throughout tests.
@@NorbReviews thanks man I really appreciate the help as I've been struggling to choose a Pair of headphones
is earpads on 4 bigger than on 3?
They’re thicker and softer. The Momentum 4 is much more like the Sony XM4, so very wide and plush. The Momentum 3 are very open and stiffer.
I like buttons more than touch.
what's the sound quality compared to 650s
I can’t say, since I haven’t used the 650’s enough.
I'm torn between this and True Wireless 3. I'm going for the better sound quality. 😅
Unfortunately, I can't speak about the Momentum True Wireless 3 because I haven't tried them. My apologies.
I think the confort is better than 3/5
Ratings, especially for comfort, are entirely subjective. 3 means I feel “it’s ok”, which it is, but I’m not a fan of the swamp ear it leaves me with. Same reason I don’t particularly like wearing the Sony XM4.
Did anynone have unbalanced left
ight drivers ? So annoying
I haven’t experienced that, but you’re not the first person to mention it to me. Can you return them?
@@NorbReviews
Besides that unbalanced hearing problem there is another problem
When i listen to bass heavy songs like e40 baboo
Sometimes it is all games and fun and the bass is clean and precise
Sometimes i here horrible noises from left side nearly to damage my ears idk what’s the problem
I just bought em in 11.11 for a discount 220$
Hi i got a last question,
On momentum 4 if i reduce base and increase the high frequency bar then can sound quality(including clarity,sound stage) get very similar to momentum 3?
I’ll have to test this. The issue that I would see is that the Momentum 3’s earpads are more open than the 4’s, and that changes the sound. I’ll try to these this in the next day or so.
@@NorbReviews yes please! Will be waiting for your reply.
Does anyone have right/left imbalance issues. My right cups sound louder.
I haven’t experienced this, but I’ve heard a few people complaining about this. (Check Reddit, r/sennheiser.)I have complained about some QC issues (mostly the power button), and I wonder if this is one of them.
How long ago did you buy them? Have you contacted Sennheiser?
@@NorbReviews hey, it's resolved. Turns out it was a firmware issue. Running the latest firmware now 2.13.28.
Any1 use these for watching tv or firestick??
Not specifically on a fire stick but I do use them for watching TV, and I like them!
Never heard of Billi Eilish
For adhd the noice cancelling is great
100% agreed.
Sound quality of the 4 is excellent, but bluetooth connectivity is a disaster, lots of disturbance in the sound, not always, but often enough to send them back. And then the app: you can easily go on holidays and on return it might have found the headphones.... Don't waste your money on them.
So get the momentum 3 instead??
@@UNKNOWN-um6vv bought Soundcore 45, no problems
I just recently bought it, so far there has been no problem with it. Maybe they've made some upgrade?
@audricwagey6815 I was going to ask about this. They updated the app and I think they work better now. Want to grab a pair as now seems the right time with bug fixes.
@@NoBodyO2TheGjust got mine a week ago and can’t connect my headphones to the app at all😊
Are Bose 45 better or these
Depends. They both sound fantastic. I like the ANC on the M4 way better (no noticeable hissing). I like the comfort on the QC45 better, as it’s more useful in more situations (eg, gym, bed, work). but that is strictly personal preference. The M4 have better battery life and are ambitious about tech, where as the QC45 are very simple.
Personally, I use my QC45’s more, but I do miss the battery and on-ear detection.
Why do RUclips reviewers dedicate such little time to the most important aspect of headphones, the sound quality? The features are nice, but if you're paying this much for headphones, you're doing it for the audio quality.
Hi Stewart,
Thanks for the feedback. A couple of notes:
(1) I disagree that the sound is the most important part. I'd argue the comfort is significantly more important: if it's not comfortable, the sound is irrelevant. Sound is secondary to that. And while I get your point about audio, in feature headphones, the features and how well they work are pretty important to the overall experience (and cost): it won't matter how great they sound, for example, if the on-ear detection keeps mistaking your glasses for having taken the headphones off, or if the advanced power management system fails to manage power and leaves you with dead headphones. That brings me to my second point:
(2) If you've seen my other reviews, you know I'm focused on the overall user experience. Sound is a (big) part of that, but with feature headphones, a big part of what you pay for are... well, the features. For example, if you watch my review on the Focal Bathys, you see that while my section on sound is only about 30% of the video, I actually spend most of the video addressing how the different elements impact the sound, since that's the main purpose of those: other than ANC and access to the voice assistant, there's not much in the way of "features". With the Momentum 4, the features were a *HUGE* part of the update, especially since they tried to make it in to a bargain AirPods Max in a lot of ways.
Since my background is heavily around the UX of product design, as well as music, I focus heavily on their interaction, including materials in the build and any "smart" components, like sound adaptations.
I can't speak for other reviewers (I don't know any, personally), but if you want people whose primary focus is sound, there are plenty out there. (Some of my favorites are Crinacle, Resolve/Headphones.com, DMS, and Joshua Valour.) Clearly, that's what you value. That's great. Maybe I'm just not the reviewer for your needs, and that's OK.
That said, do you have a specific question about the sound? I spent about 25% of the video on it, but if you want more info, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have.
I'm torn between these and Sony XM5... The connectivity issues I read about M4 make me doubt buying these...
Both are fine choices. These sound significantly better, but the XM5 aren’t bad, and their ANC is freakishly good. From a technology standpoint, Sony is better and more reliable. The connection issues on the M4 have improved.
If you decide to go with the XM5, I have a video on how to tune them for better sound. It gets close to the Sennheiser sound in tonality, but it still misses resonance and detail.
I have only owned the momentum true wireless 2's. Are these better in sound quality and bass heaviness? Are over the ear buds better and in the ear buds? Should I get the TW3'S over these TM4'S?
Hi Lucas,
Haven’t used the Momentum 2, but knowing what I do of Sennheiser, this probably has (significantly) more bass. I can’t speak to the other questions, however: I haven’t tried the TW3’s and over vs in is a personal preference.
Great video. Definitely disuades me from purchasing these 😂 my search continues!
Thanks for the kind words, and best of luck on your search!
These are great headphones...if they haven't drained their battery while you were doing something else. I find them to be an expensive paperweight a good bit of the time. Also, I've no interest in learning a special sign language just to make my headphones work. I find the battery and interface review numbers of 5 of 5 to be ludicrous.
Sounds like you have a faulty unit. Mine literally lasts all week and I use it for hours at work every day.
Contact Sennheiser and see if you can get a repair or replacement. They’re warrantied for 2 years.
The interface score also considers the app, which is fantastic. And that score was 4 out of 5 because some of the touch controls, not 5 out of 5.
Sounds like you might do better using something with buttons. I might recommend the Bose QC series.
If only momentum 3’s had better noise cancellation and battery than it would be a killer headphones.
Absolutely.
@@NorbReviews Just for info Momentum 3 is using a shitty and bad and buggy 700mah battery which was heavy swollen in my M3 after 2 years. I had bad battery live since beginning and shoudl returned it at start. Got a repacement battery from Aliexpress for €10 with 1000mah and works like a charm now
Fabric on the headband comes out within months. Regret buying it now though the sound is good for a Bluetooth headset. Better to go for a wired studio headphone which costs way less like bayerdynamic of Sony 7506
If the headband came out like that, contact Sennheiser. They will either repair it or just give you a new one.
Can’t speak for the Beyerdynamic, but as for the MDR-7506, it’s one I also very much enjoy. Very different sound, a little hot in the lower treble at times, but pair it with a solid DAC/Amp like the Qudelix 5K and that is a *fantastic* sounding set on the cheap.
@@NorbReviews I have DT770pro which I bought after the momentum 4 and I almost always use it except when I really need wireless. And for the fabric I found that some users were denied warranty as it is only aesthetic related. Anyways I will try my best
Yikes! That’s pretty awful!
If you try a warranty claim, please let me know the result. I’ve been making notes of all the issues people are reporting and was planning to do a piece on it. I’d definitely be interested in hearing your experience.
I had one experience with Sennheiser support. My HD 450BT had this electrical buzzing at low volumes (or just a high noise floor). I thought it was an issue, so sent it back. They sent me a new one. Same issue. Not sure I called it out in my initial review, as I don’t remember if I noticed it then, but it definitely is an issue if you listen at low volumes. And it’s definitely a design flaw with the units, not just with mine. So evidently there’s a history.
@@NorbReviews Warranty update! They replaced my damaged M4 with brand new within 2 weeks. Really happy with their support.
Buggy? it won't even work. No sound, use to be sound but not anymore. I going to pick up a pair of MX5's tomorrow. only 400 dollar more to spend.
The Sennheiser’s have a 2 year warranty. Contact them first: they’ll repair or replace them.
@@NorbReviews The problem was that I was trying to connect too many Bluetooth items to a single transmitter. Turned out my mini mac 5.0 Bluetooth under windows 10 could not handle, Bluetooth keyboard, mouse and headphone all at one time. Had to disconnect mouse and keyboard.
@@dfpolitowski2 oh, wow! Yeah, definitely an edge case, but you’re not the first person to mention issues with the Bluetooth on the Mac mini. At least with the 2020 model, a lot of people complained about that.
They momentum line peaked in design at the Momentum 2
I have to say, I definitely miss the old design language.
Sorry but when it comes to sounding senn m4 is better than Sony XM 5
I agree.
Those flimsy plastic "sticks" in between the headband and the earcups look like massive weak points.
They may look that way, but they’re really not, though I wouldn’t go stressing these too much. I’m not a fan of how they flair out a bit, though.
Your hands need to chill. Professional speakers keep their elbows locked so their hands aren't distracting
No. But thanks for watching.
I took a risk going with Sennheiser instead of brands I’m used to, and I definitely regret that decision now that it disconnects every five minutes. Also, they’re just not great sound quality, even with precise equalizer adjustments. Live and learn I guess! 😂
How is it disconnecting? This seems odd. Is it just stopping the music, or does the Bluetooth actually drop?
@@NorbReviews I had a similar problem, the sound would drop out or become digitized when streaming movies. When I changed the Wi-Fi from 3.5 GHz to 5 GHz from the router, the problem went away. I did not have this problem with the Bose QuietComfort SE headphones streaming at 3.5 GHz. Not sure why that would effect Bluetooth. Also they would cut out constantly using Bluetooth on my Onkyo receiver, so I had to scrap that option.
@@samnewton5959 wow! This is definitely odd!
May be your cans have defect❤️👍
It would be the second pair that do. The first had the power button die. But I think this second set is just how they’re made.
party pooper!
That's how I roll.
Too much bass in the starting!
What can I say? I like bass!
Hi I am confused is there any difference in terms of sound with the momentum 4 vs momentum 4 Demin vs momentum 4 ccpper ?
Literally none, to my understanding. The changes are just cosmetic.
@NorbReviews Noted, Thank you. I am looking forward to more videos from your channel
Thank you!