Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review: Lively sound and a focus on longevity

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 (MTW5) launched alongside the Momentum 5 headphones in India. Both products share the same audio philosophy, design approach, Smart Control Plus app features, and user-replaceable batteries. The latter was the one thing that intrigued me the most. Well, when I got the review unit from the brand, this was of course one thing I wanted to check, but there’s more to this true wireless earphone pair. At a flagship price of Rs 29,990, the expectations are high. Besides sounding great, Momentum TW 5 competes in a segment where buyers also expect effective noise cancellation, reliable controls, comfortable ergonomics, and clear call quality. The MTW5 gets some of these things right, but not all of them. Scroll on to find out.

Charming stemless design

The Momentum True Wireless 5 has a distinctive appearance. Our unit’s case is the Graphite variant with a powdery finish to the touch. The largely silver Sennheiser logo on top of the lid offers a nice contrast to the otherwise black colour. You can buy the MTW5 in four other colours.

The earbuds inside have a metallic finish that looks classy without being unnecessarily flashy. In fact, a few people who noticed me wearing the earbuds were curious about which model they were. So, there will be takers for the Momentum TW5’s premium look.

But the comfort and fit are more complicated. Despite using the alternate eartips, I feel less confident wearing them while travelling in the metro or walking on busy streets than I do with some stem-style earbuds. Not that they fall off easily in a head shake test. So, it is a matter of personal, subjective preference. This is not necessarily a problem for everyone, since ear shapes differ, but buyers should pay attention to the fit before purchasing them.

Again, the way the earbuds attach to the pogo pins in their respective charging case nests should have been firmer for a reassuring feeling. The case is relatively large, too, and it takes up more space in a pocket than I would prefer.

We will talk about the removable battery part in a later section, but that in itself is a big plus. The earbuds also have an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance. This provides some protection against sweat and light rain, although the charging case itself is not water-resistant.

Overall, I am charmed by MTW5’s finish but not so much with how it fits.

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Exciting sound signature

Sound quality is why one buys established brands like Sennheiser. The company has put in a 7mm TrueResponse dynamic drivers and the resulting sound is lively and engaging in the Neutral EQ profile. It does not sound excessively bass-heavy, nor does it adopt an overly analytical presentation that takes away from the enjoyment of music.

There is enough low-frequency presence to give bass elements in pop tracks like Hisaab by Aanchal Tyagi has ample weight and energy, but it does not dominate the vocals, instruments and the rest of the frequency range. The midrange also comes across well with good clarity. The voice of KK in tracks like Jaane Ye Kya Hua and Daayein Baayein sound intimate and retains a warm and breathy texture.

The experience with high notes, however, can sound clear and detailed in some tracks while shrill in others or certain portions of some tracks. Even KK’s vocals in Zindagi Do Pal Ki can seem metallic and sharp when he sings, ‘Intezaar kab tak hum karenge bala’. But it hits the high notes well.

So, the MTW5 sounds exciting and is suitable for different genres. The only catch is it can sound harsh sometimes. Still, I would pick this over a bass-dominated tuning any day.

There is also Dolby Atmos spatial audio with head tracking here.

The feature called Immersive Audio creates a wider soundscape, and with head tracking on, you get a sense of audio responding to your head movement. It is worth trying. But I did notice a slight reduction in perceived sound quality compared to regular sound. So, it is one of those nice-to-have features.

Decent noise handling with room for improvement

The noise cancellation is good, but it does not create the level of isolation I would expect from a flagship pair of earbuds costing close to Rs 30,000. It helps reduce environmental noise, but the overall treatment isn’t as effective as, say, AirPods Pro 3.

The transparency mode experience is somewhat similar. It is usable when I need to hear what is happening around me, but the sound has an unnatural, tunnel-like quality. Instead of making the earbuds feel as though they have disappeared from my ears, the processed ambient sound reminds me that I am listening through microphones.

So both these features are very much usable, but there is still room for refinement.

Adequate call quality

The MTW5 uses four microphones in each earbud, including a bone-conduction voice accelerometer, alongside AI-powered voice isolation and beamforming.

In my usage, I felt call quality is good enough for everyday conversations, but it could be clearer. During calls in an office environment, I noticed some white noise in the background. Occasionally, I found the other person’s voice slightly shrill. Still for routine calls and conversations, the performance is adequate.

Convenient app features, fiddly controls

The initial pairing process and subsequent connections were straightforward. However, every time I connect the earbuds to a device, they announce “No Connection”, which seems like a software bug. It is a minor annoyance, but one that I would expect Sennheiser to address.

The Smart Control Plus app has a clean interface and offers plenty of customisation. You can adjust the touch controls, use the 8-band equaliser and EQ presets, enable Smart Pause, change codec settings and manage other features. The controls themselves offer the usual options for playback, volume, calls and noise cancellation.

However, the touch controls are not always convenient to use. It is not that the capacitive sensors fail to respond, but the earbuds have a fairly large touch-sensitive surface, and I occasionally struggle to tap the right spot. This means I sometimes have to repeat a gesture to get the intended response.

More importantly, tapping the earbuds exerts slight pressure on the ear, which can become uncomfortable when adjusting playback repeatedly. I am also conscious of accidentally shifting the earbuds while interacting with them, which makes me less inclined to use the touch controls frequently.

This is not a deal-breaker, but I would have preferred a more precise and comfortable control surface.

Lasting battery life

Sennheiser claims up to 12 hours of playback from the earbuds with ANC disabled and up to six hours with ANC enabled. The charging case takes the combined playback time to as much as 40 hours.

In my battery test, I continuously played a FLAC audio file at 80% volume. The earbuds lasted 10 hours and 31 minutes before running out of charge. Mind you, this was with ANC on. So, I am impressed.

And to refill them, you get both USB Type-C and Qi wireless charging. Sennheiser claims that an eight-minute charge provides approximately one hour of playback.

That’s all the usual stuff. What’s really interesting about this Sennheiser Momentum TW 5 is that both the earbuds and charging case have user-replaceable batteries. The earbuds use 72mAh batteries, while the charging case has a 760mAh battery. You can replace these batteries using standard tools, including a Phillips PH000 screwdriver.

This is a meaningful addition. Battery degradation is one of the primary reasons people eventually replace otherwise functional wireless earbuds. Allowing users to replace the batteries could extend the useful life of the product and reduce electronic waste. I trust the spare batteries are readily available and I suggest you check local availability and price before buying the earbuds.

Should you buy the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5?

I enjoyed listening to the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5. The sound is lively, engaging and close to neutral, with decent bass and good midrange clarity. It is the kind of tuning I prefer over an overly bass-heavy sound signature. The battery life is another highlight, and the user-replaceable batteries make it more interesting from a long-term ownership perspective. I also like the way these earbuds look, although I am not entirely convinced about their fit.

But there are a few things that I expect to be better at this price. The ANC is passable, transparency mode sounds somewhat unnatural, and call quality could be clearer. The touch controls also need some getting used to. Immersive Audio is fine to try, but I don’t think it is a must-have.

So, at Rs 29,990, I would recommend the Momentum True Wireless 5 to those who prioritise sound quality, enjoy Sennheiser’s tuning and appreciate the idea of replacing batteries rather than the entire product. However, those who want stronger noise cancellation, better transparency, a more comfortable fit and easier-to-use controls may look at other options. The Momentum True Wireless 5 sounds good, has all the right ingredients, and enough character to stand out in a crowded premium earbuds market, but as a critic, I would’ve loved to see a more fuss-free experience from this flagship.

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