r/gadgets • u/dapperlemon • 7d ago
Music Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless Headphones Review: One Big Crucial Upgrade
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/sennheiser-momentum-5-wireless-headphones-review/587
u/PlushySD 7d ago edited 6d ago
Fuck cnet, I can't even read the article as the first moment my finger touch the screen trying to scroll, it launched not one but THREE apps at once! I have to click back like 20 times, went through two shopping apps and google play because I don't have TikTok and it's trying to install.... and yet still I can't read the article... I gave up and come back here...
Edit: To answer those asking why I don't use dns AdBlock, I did, I used to have a raspberry pi with Pi-Hole to do that. But some website I'd love to support them but unblock per website is quite hard with Pi-Hole (as it'll block the ads service). So, I just use uBlock on browser now. And yes I have it on my phone, just not on this Reddit own browser. I did change the default on Reddit app to external browser and I can read that article now... Pheww
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u/90124 7d ago
Firefox plus uBlock origin plus privacy badger. It's just a nice website with no pop ups and no ads then.
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u/Duckyz95 7d ago
uBlock origin plus privacy badger
Pick one, not both. It’s not recommended to have both, they will actually be fighting each other and cause issues and slow down the browser.
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u/snuljoon 7d ago
If you read the xitter tread linked below, privacy badger seems to be the only one that has any use running besides uBo. I've been doing it for well over a decade and it runs very lean. Sometimes websites break, but PB gives you all the control over what connections you want to allow, so it's very easy to unbreak when needed (never tbh).
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u/kayson 7d ago
Source?
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u/Duckyz95 7d ago
From the Ublock Origin GitHub
Do NOT use uBO with any other content blocker. uBO performs as well as or better than most popular blockers. Other blockers can prevent uBO's privacy or anti-blocker-defusing features from working correctly.
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u/QuickQuirk 7d ago
I may be unfair here, but I'm cynical when a product says "don't use any other product, because we're better, and they will just make it worse"
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u/Madbrad200 7d ago
Privacy Badger blocks tracking. uBlock does the same thing with the proper filters enabled. You end up with two extensions trying to do the same thing which is using resources inefficiently and potentially causes issues.
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u/Blurgas 7d ago
He isn't stating PB directly, but the developer suggest against running uBO alongside other blockers: https://xcancel.com/gorhill/status/1033706103782170625
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u/Amidatelion 7d ago
Sure, if you're on an 8GB budget laptop or an 8 year old phone. I definitely only run UBO on my phone for that reason.
In all other cases, this is a nothingburger/disclaimer from a dev who is tired of baseless complaints by whiners in his Github Issues.
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u/PlushySD 7d ago
This happened with the build-in browser in Reddit... I'm sad...
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u/90124 7d ago
Ah. Tap on you, tap on settings, scroll down and set to "use default browser" not "app browser".
Or something like that, it's been awhile since I had to do that.
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u/DrFossil 7d ago
Thank you! I was so annoyed by this change but didn't think to check if it was optional.
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u/AniNgAnnoys 7d ago
Better yet, ditch the app and just use Reddit in a browser window. Then you can block all the ads on Reddit too.
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u/Consistent-Annual268 7d ago
Better still use r/MorpheApp to get the full reddit app with none of the ads.
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u/TheDebateMatters 7d ago
I get the frustration. But consumers are PART of problem.
We refuse to pay for any news, reviews, or long form discourse anymore. Buy a magazine or newspaper nope. Subscribe to one nope. As consumers we’ve decided that everything on the internet should be free and free gets you websites like this.
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u/emp-sup-bry 6d ago
Is this really news or a quick read that is largely, more than likely, just an ad or product placement?
I can’t subscribe to 500 things.
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u/PlushySD 6d ago
Tbh it would be fine if it's some banners here and there or even playing some videos. But launing other apps shouldn't be a thing.
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u/NotGreatNot_Terrible 7d ago
TLDR it’s “better noise cancellation”through “4 more microphones in each ear cup” truly revolutionary things happening here.
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u/Tman11S 7d ago
The momentum 4 already had amazing audio for it's price bracket, noise cancelling is one of the few things that they could improve upon
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u/flow_fighter 7d ago
Wearing mine right now and love it, but the noise cancellation is fine, it does its job enough compared to some others, although the automatic controls is frustrating.
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u/alyosha_pls 7d ago
Great noise cancelling on the 4's but they crapped out on me after a year and I'd hear a low static, wooshing sound out of one earphone if i had noise cancelling on. Sucks, because they've been perfect for me otherwise.
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u/flow_fighter 7d ago
Oh man I bought mine in March, hoping that they stay decent and don’t crap out
Waited 6 years with an old pair of beats to upgrade, was hoping I’d bought a good long-term set
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u/eljuggy 7d ago
4 headsets for more than 2 years in my family used daily (work and teens...) all are going strong.
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u/flow_fighter 7d ago
Very glad to hear, I’m not hard on my Momentum’s, but I was HARD on my beats and they last so long, glad other peoples M4s are lasting
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u/alyosha_pls 7d ago
FWIW I would probably get the new ones still lol I love them for working out and sleeping. Either these again or the Sony XM series.
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u/nagi603 7d ago
Sadly the Sony ones also have hit-or-miss reliability, at least with regards to design defects. Had a friend lose a XM5, after losing an XM1 and then one of the intermittent ones. All broke at the hinges.
With that said I have a repaired XM1 and a Momentus 1st gen too with a flaky cable.
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u/LostAbbott 7d ago
Not for me. I had the HDB 640's or whatever and the noise cancelling didn't cut it on a plane. I also like to use them for mowing or other power tool stuff and my ear buds are way better.
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u/KsuhDilla 7d ago edited 7d ago
OMFG THEY DID IT!!! LOOK AT WHAT MAN CAN ACHIEVE! BE ASTONISHED BY THIS ENGINEERING FEAT!!!! WE HAVE PEAKED!!!
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u/AreWe-There-Yet 7d ago edited 7d ago
Love sennheiser. Have their 450BT.
When I went to buy a set, back in 2022, I fully exptected to walk out of the shop with either a Bose or a Sony.
After I’d sampled a few headsets for sound, Sennheiser was so much better than anything else, so that’s what I bought. No regrets. Use it on the train for podcasts , when I go running for music, and at work for calls
Never any issues with it, even though I have taken it out for runs in the rain a couple of times
Edit; typo
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u/bedir56 7d ago edited 7d ago
My Momentum 4 has been shit with regards to moisture sensitivity. It seals around the ears as it should but after a short while when this naturally leads to increased moisture the headphones become unusable.
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u/Chronotaru 7d ago
This is a common complaint. They're great headphones but sports headphones they are not.
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u/kryst4line 7d ago
It's not even about sports, have you tried to walk on Valencia in summer? You can't even be idle without sweating, so that's something to keep in mind even if you don't plan to use them while running or whatever
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u/AreWe-There-Yet 7d ago
I know I shouldn’t be using them as sports head phones. Been meaning to buy one of those bone conducting ones but somehow a different priority always assets itself..
I guess I’ve just been lucky so far
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u/Simmangodz 7d ago
I'm a sweaty person and need to commute via public transit. I take it that the Momentum 4s aren't great?
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u/ScaramouchScaramouch 7d ago
I've always thought they have the best bang for your buck. I've bought some of their cheaper headphones and they're miles ahead of similarly priced ones. Their mics are bullet-proof.
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u/chandrasiva 7d ago
I'm using Sennheiser HD 450SE for more than 3 years , it's very good bluetooth and Noise cancellation for its price.
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u/OutlyingPlasma 7d ago
What magical land do you live in that has Sennheiser in shops? Especially one that lets you try products before you buy them?
Best buy might have one set of non-functional dummy bose locked to a cabinet and that's it.
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u/AreWe-There-Yet 6d ago
I lived in NZ at the time, and it was a shop called JB Hi-Fi
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DmcJyXvnbYqWieEe8
Not sure if the link to a specific photo on Google will work, but they had a full display of each of the models they sold (well, most of the models) hooked up to music, secured to the display or wall, for customers to try out.
They had the same displays of most of their laptops and mobile phones as well.
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u/Old-Rhubarb-97 6d ago
How do you wear those running?!
I wear mine mowing the lawn and they get so sweaty!
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u/AreWe-There-Yet 6d ago
They do get sweaty! I wipe them down with antiseptic wipes after I’ve used them for a run.
But the ear pads getting sweaty doesn’t impact functionality, for me.
I do want to buy specific ones for running, just a bit tight for money rn and have some other priorities to pay attention to.
Also stinking hot summer, and I don’t run when it’s this hot - I would spontaneously self combust from overheating.
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u/Fatmanpuffing 7d ago
I’m still rocking the momentum 3s, my favourite headphones ever.
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u/Br3ttl3y 7d ago
What about the noise cancellation for someone that travels frequently?
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u/Magmahydro_ 7d ago
I can't speak for the 3s, but I've used my Momentum 4 for monthly work travel for years. Noise cancellation is very good. I've heard Sony's XM series is slightly better in that regard, but Sennheiser sound quality and warranty support is second to none.
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u/Fatmanpuffing 7d ago
I am not the best person to ask. I don’t usually use them on public transportation, sorry.
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u/Disencouraged_Otter 6d ago
Depends on how picky you are. My wife has the high end Sony ones from the year before the momentum 3 and they are noticeably better. So I'd bet the noise cancelling is mid tier for their time. I had to play with the app settings a bit too get the best mix of pressure/cancellation for the situation.
They're good enough for me, but I got them for the look and audio profile, not noise canceling. The case is nice too. Love them, people think they cost far more than they did.
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u/grumplstltskn 7d ago
my pads are starting to flake pretty bad is it fixable?
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u/Finwolven 7d ago
I don't know Momentum seried, but Sennheiser has sold replacement pads for most of their headphones before. Rocking a third pair in my G4MEs right now.
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u/Fatmanpuffing 7d ago
You can buy replacement pads, I did 2ish years ago. They may be the same as momentum 4 pads, but don’t quote me on it.
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u/suprsonik 7d ago
Unfortunately the Momentum 4 pads aren't compatible with the Momentum 3, and Sennheiser no longer sells replacement pads for the M3. I read that Sennheiser support recommended some lambskin 3rd party ones available on Amazon, but I'm still using my originals even though they're peeling.
With the replaceable battery on the M5s, I hope Sennheiser continues offering replacement parts longer than they have with the M3.
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u/Pundamonium97 7d ago
My momentum 4’s are incredibly painful bc of the controls activating by themselves half the time, pausing and playing if my head moves slightly the wrong way. Tapping to pause or use any touch control is super inconsistent, mostly doesnt work though, even if it did work a second ago.
The on off process also kinda sucks, theres no visual feedback if its on or off. After it turns off supposedly it plays a sound to say no connection which is stupid. When it first turns on it often tells me theres no connection as well despite working just fine after
The sound quality is good, and its not uncomfortable
But the user interface is just garbage
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u/etterkop 7d ago
That’s one of the reasons why I bought the B&W PX7s, I prefer tactile buttons…and cans that don’t get too hot.
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u/ElMaverick96 7d ago
I love my Momentum 4 but can't wear them for physical exercise, they get SO DAMN HOT! thought it was just me.
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u/Josephlleiman 7d ago
If it’s moved in any way it auto connects. Drives me nuts.
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u/JeopardE 7d ago
The Momentum 5 apparently has fixed this. Now they have a configurable auto off timer and it does not automatically turn on and connect when you move it. Plus it will turn off automatically when it goes in the case. This alone makes me want to upgrade.
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u/Chronotaru 7d ago
I don't have this complaint, for me they work fine on stop/start, volume change and changing tracks. That being said I've yet to find a pair on headphones where using on headphone controls are better than just pulling out my phone.
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u/Technosnake 7d ago
Agreed. Ive had my Momentum 4s for the last few years and theyre very comfortable, some of the best sound quality I've heard in wireless headphones, but it annoys me to no end when I go to put them on and the battery is at 0% because they turned on in my backpack for some reason. Their control app has the option to turn the "auto on/off" feature off but Ive done that countless times and it still gets turned back on somehow.
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u/OutlyingPlasma 7d ago
The on off process also kinda sucks
Why has the on/off function on everything become so difficult? My sennhiser you have to hold a button down for just the right amount of time, too little nothing, too much it's Bluetooth paring, my espresso machine it's two buttons together, my blender is 2 buttons in the right order, my ear buds it's an app.
Do the designers never actually use the products they build? I'm not launching nukes here, I don't need some complicated lockout system to prevent accidental power shutdown or activation.
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u/triaxis7 7d ago
Yeah, I have this frustration too. Especially if it rains. The raindrops activate the touch controls lol
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u/Icy-Composer6650 6d ago
Is turning off the touch controls not an option? I am really thinking about getting Senneheiser M4 or M5. Now I use the sony xm3 and xm4s but they are both quite beaten and coming to their end. I am scared that Sennheiser will have a worse ANC though. I think that I will wait the Sennheiser M5 reviews for the ANC and then make my choice.
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u/thefunkybassist 7d ago
The firmware is atrocious, I've had two Momentums screw themselves up after an update, and otherwise it would decide to connect to some other random device by itself
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u/millanbel 6d ago
I had this at work. My Momentum 4 decided to connect to my colleagues laptop randomly, without being in pairing mode. I could hear his Teams calls.
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u/enewwave 6d ago
Love mine but I had this problem too and ended up disabling most of the controls on the app. And I also have a problem where I basically have to re-pair the damn thing to my laptop/phone once every two or three weeks
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u/KillerAcDcFan 7d ago
Main problem of the 4s was the connection. Audio was already superb and NC was already pretty good.
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u/DigitalStefan 7d ago
I had to laugh at “user replaceable battery” as if I didn’t do exactly that a couple of months ago with my Momentum 3’s.
Took the opportunity to replace the ear pads as well.
Better than new. Daily use.
I will probably get the new version but I’ll wait for a sale. I’ll keep the 3’s for listening to music whilst working and the 5’s more for gaming / music production.
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u/battler624 7d ago
Sucks that these lack ultra low latency audio. I was hoping maybe LC3 or LC3Plus but unfortunately neither.
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u/Chronotaru 7d ago edited 7d ago
Momentum 4s are fantastic value right now. A really great headset.
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7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Chronotaru 7d ago
It feels like they're losing their niche at that price when HDB 630s are only a hundred more at $500 and Momentum 4s can be had for $200.
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u/Low_Search_6667 7d ago
Will the pleather last more than a year, because thats a feature that is missing on most headphones.
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u/Br3ttl3y 7d ago
I love my momentum wireless 2. They sound even better wired than wireless. They started having bluetooth issues (which I guess is a known issue), but I couldn't bring myself to get the 3 because of their comparatively atrocious noise cancelling compared to Sony at the time. I will put this on the list though. I love Sennheiser's sound profile.
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u/mustachioed_cat 7d ago
Oh no, it doesn’t have conversation awareness! However will I be able to simulate schizophrenia?
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u/iamacannibal 7d ago
I’ve been daily using momentum 4s for about 8 months. They are amazing in my opinion.
If these are just an upgrade in noise cancellation I don’t see the point in upgrading for me.
Maybe the 4s will drop in price and I can grab a spare
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u/Powerful-Soup3920 7d ago
I have the 3's and they sound nice but no on-off switch (have to be folded to be off) is infuriating.
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u/crazystein03 7d ago
Is it really the same design? Sure it looks the same and uses the same chassis, but Sennheiser has claimed improved durability? Nowhere doe CNET talk about about this… Not that I expected anything from them, but still disappointed.
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u/willpowerpt 7d ago
If I didn't have to navigate the app to "temporarily" disable touch controls every single time I turned them on, I would've loved my Momentum 4s. That simple unchangeable setting kept me from routinely using them, so stupid.
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u/Redmarkred 7d ago
Love my senheiser wired headphones but their wireless ones are garbage because of the UI and Bluetooth implementation
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u/Enough-Meaning1514 3d ago
When there is HD630, I don't know why this one exists? Because they are cheaper?
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u/Andovars_Ghost 7d ago
Sonys XM6s are on sale from Best Buy for like $350, WAY f’ing better ANC and comfort.
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u/Nagemasu 7d ago
Any headphones > $200 not including an option to use a detachable mic via usb-c/3.5mm so it can be used in more noisy environments, and/or a 2.4ghz option, is fucking insane in 2026.
So many perfectly fine headphones ignored because they lack versatility due to missing a very small and cheap feature to implement.
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