Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless Review: Falling A Little Short Of Perfection

In recent months, the market has seen numerous high-end headphones released. One standout among them is Sennheiser's Momentum 5 Wireless, priced at RM1,999. Despite this premium price, the headphones boast impressive features that make them worth considering.

Upon first glance, those who own the Momentum 4 or HDB 630 should not expect drastic design changes. The Momentum 5 Wireless shares a similar appearance, albeit with minor internal upgrades. Essentially, it follows the "If it's not broken, don't fix it" philosophy.

The device features a plastic body with faux leather padding for the ear cups and headband cushioning, along with some cloth detailing that adds a touch of luxury. Connectivity is primarily touch-based, controlling volume, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and playback. A physical button powers the device on, and there's a 3.5mm audio jack for wired connectivity. All these features are located on the right earcup, while the left side remains bare.

Inside, the headphones house 42mm dynamic drivers and eight microphones for active noise cancellation. These can be adjusted through the Sennheiser Smart Control app, offering Bluetooth 5.3 with dual-device connectivity. The battery lasts up to 57 hours, even with ANC enabled.

One standout feature of the Momentum 5 Wireless is its noise cancellation capabilities, both passive and active. Upon putting on the headphones, they immediately reduce environmental noise, with the ANC mode virtually eliminating all background noise, even when playing music. The transparency mode is equally impressive, allowing outside sounds to flood in when needed, such as during normal conversations.

Despite the consistent design, the Momentum 5 Wireless delivers a richer bass than its audiophile counterpart, the HDB 630. This bass emphasis is most noticeable in songs like "The End" by Games We Play, "King" by Florence + The Machine, and "Gethsemane" by Sleep Token. The headphones strike a balance between bass and mids, with the vocal performances in tracks like "First Class Mage" by Evan Call and "The World Is Ugly" by My Chemical Romance sounding clear and uplifting.

A notable feature is the 8-band EQ setting, which allows users to customize their preferred sound profile. The app's Sound Personalisation feature, which includes a test to generate ideal sound settings, is particularly praised. Users can choose from a pre-generated setting or adjust the EQ to their liking, as demonstrated in the images provided.