The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless Headphones first generation and also that second generation were my absolute favorites for in-ear headphones. But in the meantime the field has become denser and I was very excited to see what new things Sennheiser would bring in the latest generation.
Good things take time?
Sennheiser has taken a long time to launch a new version of their cool headphones. As a gadget fanatic, this made me a little nervous and, of course, curious at the same time. What’s new, what have you integrated now?
In order not to appear clickbait: Yes, Sennheiser did a great job and yes, Sennheiser made painful mistakes once more. But let’s track it all down, step by step, as usual.
But I can already tell you that much. Finally, Sennheiser has listened to my request and both headphones can be used individually!
scope of delivery
- headphones
- Charging and Transport Case
- charging cable
- operation manual
- Additional silicone ear adapters (XS, S, M and L)
- Ear fin set (XS, S, M and L)
Packaging
The new headphones are packaged in a typical Sennheiser white cardboard box with a blue accent around the bottom. On the front you will not only find the headphones themselves and a slightly hinted, slimmer-looking charging case, but also the five main selling points that speak for the headphones. This includes:
- Sennheiser’s Signature Sound
- Adaptive Noise Cancellation
- High recording quality
- Wireless Charging-Fähgikeit
- IPX4 water splash protection
On the back, Sennheiser has left a somewhat more detailed text for each icon/point described above.
processing
Of course, the charging case from Sennheiser is double and sometimes even triple the size of that of the competition. However, I’m still a big fan of the way Sennheiser designs the charging case.
I like the fabric cover, the slightly more special color and of course its texture. This sets Sennheiser apart from all other manufacturers and the fabric cover is also much more valuable than many other solutions.
In the third edition, Sennheiser has diligently sanded the corners, the whole thing looks rounder and smoother. It’s not quite as long, but built a little deeper. The difference in weight is seven grams, so it’s hardly noticeable.
But what is striking is that Sennheiser has placed the charging port and the small USB LED on the front. But the clutch button has been lost.
I don’t miss this one, but it took me regarding two weeks to get used to it without having to turn the case around every time.
The headphones themselves have the Sennheiser logo prominently printed on them. But this time in a rather simpler form. The headphones also seem to have shrunk due to the new shape. In terms of weight, the two generations make no difference. In addition to the four different silicone ear molds, Sennheiser also supplies different ear fins. This should make the Knubbels stick to your ears more firmly and better.
You have to take a little time for this, but not only does the hold improve, it also allows the sound to develop better.
Comparison to the previous version
Momentum True Wireless 3: Waterproof?
No and yes, the headphones are splash-proof. IPX4 is the exact definition. That means yes, you can use them for sports, because the ear fins are also good because of the improved grip. The headphones don’t mind a little sweating, nor do the odd raindrop.
But if more water comes into play, you should put it in the charging case as soon as possible and then keep it well protected. Unlike the headphones, the charging case is not protected. This is not bad, but you should know.
battery pack
There is not really much to report regarding the battery, here I might write exactly the same as last time. Or easier, I’ll link you to the post, here to read.
In short, the battery lasts a pleasantly long time, so I only had the headphones in almost the entire way the last time I visited my mother. But not only do they last a long time, I might also bear them in my ears. No uncomfortable feeling of pressure or anything else unwell.
Bluetooth and the audio codecs
When connecting the Momentum True Wireless 3 headphones to your smartphone (or other Bluetooth-enabled devices), Sennheiser uses Bluetooth, the 5.2 standard. For the codecs, on the other hand:
And now also aptX adaptive supports. This happens with the help of a Qualcomm SoC, which offers a dynamic compression rate of 24 bits / 48 kHz at a data rate between 276 kbit/s and 420 kbit/s. All of this happens automatically without your intervention thanks to the system-on-a-chip.
Basically, I’m very happy with the connection. The whole thing runs smoothly through the entire apartment. I’ve had less great experiences with other headphones. But I also expect that from headphones in this price range.
Pairing the Momentum True Wireless 3 headphones for the first time
I described above that Sennheiser omitted the pairing button. So of course the first coupling has to be redesigned. The closed charging case must first be connected to electricity for at least 30 seconds. Then you take the two Knubbels in your hands and put them in your ears.
Then hold both touch surfaces for three seconds and wait for the voice that tells you that the headphones are ready for pairing.
Controlling the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
You come from one of the two previous models? Then you will quickly notice that the touch controls are basically the same, but mirrored. But that doesn’t really take any time to get used to, if you don’t like it, you can make the changes directly in the Sennheiser Smart Control customize app.
Since I also use the headphones individually and not so little, I have set the most important functions the same on both sides. I take care of the rest via the app. But you can also fundamentally deactivate the operation via touch if you don’t want that.
In the app you can switch between three different transparency modes and three adaptive noise cancellation modes.
Create sound zones
You can also add sound zones to the Smart Control app. A sound zone is a predefined area in which a certain sound profile is automatically addressed.
As soon as I get close to my office, I activate a classical music presset that suits me. When you leave the office, it is reset once more. You can define both in advance in the respective sound zone. This is of course practical if you use certain places with a profile that always remains the same.
Audio
At the beginning I mentioned that I was curious, but above all nervous. Since the predecessors were my absolute favourites, I was of course curious to see how the manufacturer had progressed. But that wouldn’t have been necessary.
The tone is balanced, everything sounds balanced and the sound bed is really very comfortable. But then there are the setting options in the app. You can get a lot more out of this.
But before you start, my tip, take a look at the Sound Check on. You need a good ear here, but the individual differences between the modes are very exciting.
Das Noise Cancelling
The noise canceling is very, very pleasant. This is somehow different than before, following I noticed that, I did some research and yes, Sennheiser revised the ANC in the longer time between the last model and today’s model.
On the predecessor, the active noise cancellation was great, it was just there. But with the Momentum True Wireless 3, the manufacturer relies on adaptive noise canceling. This means that the technology constantly pays attention to the environment and adapts accordingly. As before, you will notice something very discreetly, but this is very pleasant.
In addition, Sennheiser has given the whole thing an anti-wind function, which also does a good job as far as possible. I used this several times on the way home from the office.
The transparency mode
Sennheiser still has a few open points in the transparency mode that they might optimize. Yes, I can hear my surroundings with the transparency mode activated, but it doesn’t sound as pleasant as I’m used to with other headphones.
The background noise is audible here, but it is not actively annoying.
Technical details
| Momentum True Wireless 3 | |
|---|---|
| Size of the charging box | 78.6 x 45 x 35 mm |
| Weight Drawer box | 78 g |
| weight headphones | 6 g |
| speaker type | 7 mm, TrueResponse™ |
| Codecs | SBC, aptX, pptx latency reduction, AAC |
| Supported Profiles | A2DP, AVRCP, HSP, HFP |
| ANC support | And |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 |
| battery pack | Up to seven hours – with box up to 28 hours |
| Akku Details | 850-950 mAh 77 mAh |
| battery life | 7 hours (headphones) 28 hours (with charging case) |
| loading time | 1.5 hours for a full charge |
| microphones | 3 microphones |
| Waterproof | IPX4 |
Conclusion on the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
The new Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 headphones are convincing across the board. Sennheiser has screwed on the ANC, Sennheiser has created a great, new sound experience for my ears and I can only use them on the bed, not watching videos in the evening. Here I prefer to rely on the narrow ones from Huawei, or even better on mine Samsung beans.
In contrast to the last version, Sennheiser can still iron out the small errors via software update. But what I was most happy regarding was that I might finally use both headphones separately.
Above all, however, Sennheiser has aligned itself somewhat with its competitors in terms of price. While the predecessors were priced at a higher price level, the 3 series is available from CHF 250.00 (RRP). If you keep your eyes open, you can find offers starting at CHF 195.
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