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- Sennheiser has completely redesigned its flagship earbuds and charging case, with a smaller profile, finless fit and user-replaceable batteries.
- Battery life climbs to 12 hours with ANC switched off, 6 hours with it on and 40 hours with the case.
- Australian pricing is reported at AUD$499, with the MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 launching on 3 September.
The new MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 is what happens when Sennheiser starts paying attention to everything that made its previous earbuds feel a little underwhelming.
For its fifth generation, the brand redesigned the earbuds and charging case, added user-replaceable batteries, reworked the ANC and call hardware, and brought over features like Dolby Atmos head tracking from its latest over-ear headphones. Even the case has been slimmed down, making the whole package actually pocketable.
It’s no secret that I adore my Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 headphones, and while I’ve rarely had much trouble with how Sennheiser’s earbuds sound, it’s everything around that sound that’s kept them from becoming my daily driver. On paper, the MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 goes straight after those frustrations.
Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 Key Specs
- Price: AUD $499
- Colours: Graphite, Cream, Copper, Denim, Lavender
- Weight: 6.2g (per earbud), 66.4g (charging case)
- Drivers: 7mm TrueResponse dynamic drivers
- Noise control: Adaptive Hybrid ANC (with automatic anti-wind mode), Transparency mode
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 6.0, multipoint, USB-C (charging case)
- Battery life: Up to 12 hours with ANC off (40 hours total with case), up to 6 hours with ANC on
- Fast charging: 8-minute quick charge provides up to 1 hour of playback
- Compatibility: iOS & Android (Smart Control Plus app with 8-band EQ), Dolby Atmos with dynamic head tracking
- In the box: MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 earbuds, charging case, silicone ear tip sets (XS/S/M/L), USB-C charging cable, Quick Start guide
The most obvious change, before we get to the sound, is the shape of the MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 earbuds themselves. Sennheiser has ditched the chunkier, finned design of the previous generation for a smoother, finless housing developed using data from thousands of different ears. According to the brand, 73 per cent of testers found the new design more comfortable than the MOMENTUM True Wireless 4.
I’ll have to wait until I’ve tried them myself, but it’s encouraging to see Sennheiser treat comfort as something worth redesigning, not an afterthought. They’re also IP54-rated against dust, sweat and splashes, so gym sessions and rainy commutes shouldn’t be much of a concern.
The charging case also got a glow-up and is now noticeably slimmer, with a narrower profile designed to disappear into a pocket instead of announcing itself through your jeans. With enough devices already fighting for room in our bags and pockets, the less space another one takes up, the better.
Better still, Sennheiser has made the batteries inside both the earbuds and charging case user-replaceable. All you need is a small screwdriver to swap them out, which means a worn-out battery won’t necessarily send an otherwise functional pair of earbuds to the e-waste pile.
Replaceable batteries will help solve the long-term problem, but day-to-day endurance is a little disappointing. Overall, Sennheiser says the earbuds offer 12 hours of playback with ANC off and 40 hours with the case. With ANC, listening time is cut in half, with the earbuds managing only about six hours. Which is probably the one thing that will hold me back from making these my daily driver.
At least there’s the promise of eight-minute quick charging, which will get you another hour of listening when you’re caught short.
Even More Sound Tech Goodies
Sennheiser hasn’t messed with what it already gets right. The MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 still uses the brand’s 7mm TrueResponse dynamic driver, with aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless supporting higher-resolution Bluetooth audio up to 24-bit/96kHz on compatible devices.
With all that audio tech inside, the six-hour ANC figure makes a little more sense. The adaptive ANC has been reworked with redesigned ear tips and a dedicated four-microphone array, plus an automatic anti-wind mode designed to stop gusts from interfering with your listening.
Calls now use six microphones and two bone-conduction voice accelerometers, with AI speech extraction helping separate your voice from whatever’s happening around you.
There’s also Dolby Atmos head tracking, which keeps spatial audio anchored as you move your head, plus Bluetooth 6.0, multipoint and a new 8-band EQ in the Smart Control Plus app.
None of these features is revolutionary on its own, but together they make the MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 feel much closer to the complete pair of Sennheiser earbuds I’ve been waiting for.
1/4Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 Pricing and Availability
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 is priced at USD$299.95, with shipping beginning on 3 September. Local reports suggest they’ll cost AUD$499, with the earbuds launching through Sennheiser and JB Hi-Fi on the same date. They’ll be available in Graphite, Cream, Copper, Denim and Lavender.
At AUD$499, they’re firmly at the premium end of the market, which is exactly where Sennheiser should be. At that price, good sound isn’t enough on its own. The fit, ANC, calls, battery life, software and even the size of the case you carry around all day need to hold up too.
The six-hour battery life with ANC on still gives me pause, especially at AUD$499. Everything else, though, suggests Sennheiser has been paying attention to the parts of its earbuds that previously got in the way.
If they sound anything like I expect, the MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 could finally be the Sennheiser earbuds that stay in my pocket.
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