Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless
Sennheiser doesn’t need any ‘third time lucky’ well wishes for its third-generation Momentum Wireless noise-cancelling headphones. Both the original and second versions were instant knockouts when they arrived, the latter winning a What Hi-fi? Award just months after it came off the production line.
The flagship pairs in the now-iconic Momentum line have, alongside their extensive family of wired, over-ear, on-ear, in-ear and true wireless siblings, reflected the range’s ‘momentum’ moniker perfectly. Physics may tell you that momentum relies upon mass and velocity, but here it is maintained by a consistently strong and reliable reputation for great-value sound. And the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless are among the best wireless headphones we've tested in recent months.
Thoughtful design
The Sennheisers – which have sheepskin leather earpads and stainless steel sliders – are available in a black or ‘sandy white’ finish. The earcups have two volume buttons sandwiching a play/pause/skip button and collapse inwards to fit comfortably into a coat pocket or sit inside the supplied grey fabric case. They also have just the right amount of clamp pressure on your head and are amply supported by the well lined headband. When unfolded, the Momentums automatically power up and pair with a recognised source. And when they detect being removed from or put on a head, they automatically pause or resume playback as appropriate.
A press of a button on the right earcup activates your chosen voice assistant on the connected phone, whether that’s Siri, Google Assistant or the default Alexa.
Through the Sennheiser Smart Control app, you can switch between three noise-cancelling modes: the full-blown ‘Max’, ‘Anti-wind’ (which allows some surrounding noise in) and ‘Antipressure’, the least intensive. Also accessible from the app is a transparent hearing mode, an increasingly popular feature in premium noise-cancellers that amplifies your surroundings so you can hear train announcements or a conversation in the office.
In sync
In addition to aptx, AAC and SBC Bluetooth, the Sennheisers support aptx Low Latency, which aims to improve the synchronicity of audio (through the headphones) and video content (on your source’s screen) during, say, gaming or a Netflix binge.
Battery life is 17 hours – reasonably modest compared with the Bose QC 35 Mark II’S 20 hours and the Sony WH-1000XM3’S 30 hours.
The thick, leather earpads provide some isolation in themselves, which is handy if you’re trying to preserve battery life by turning the noise cancelling off. But with it turned on, you will get some real alone time with your playlist.
Traffic and office noise is almost entirely eradicated, as is the roar of planes flying above. The system is not as sophisticated or flexible in operation as the multi-step system inside the
Sonys, but it’s natural and effective in its own right.
The silence makes it even easier to appreciate the Sennheiser’s performance as we fire up Robert Wyatt’s Shipbuilding. The brief shimmer of cymbals that introduces the track is enough to hint at the subtlety of the headphones, and that’s confirmed as the rattle of drums and mournful double bass, piano and accented vocal come into play.
Each is textured – the bass wholesome and multi-noted, the piano keys consistently dynamic, and Wyatt’s lamentation heartfelt. It's all presented coherently, in a timely manner and on a well organised soundstage.
Sennheiser’s full-bodiedness is evident here, but a portion of that familiar richness is offset by a stark clarity (especially in the midrange) that has us questioning whether we’ve heard a rival that’s as insightful. The tonal balance is all the better for it, with these Momentums showing real talent where detail, bass depth and rhythmic cohesiveness are concerned.
Caravan Palace’s Supersonics offers a more lively listen, and the Momentums catch the infectious energy of the French ensemble’s jazz-inclined electro-swing. They eat up every element of the giddy melody and drive it forward in a dynamic, entertaining yet disciplined way.
This is an extraordinary effort by Sennheiser’s engineering team. It’s as if they’ve taken the class-leading clarity of the Sony WH-1000MX3S and the rhythmic aptitude of the B&W PX7S, thrown both into a cauldron and muttered a few magic words before out popped the Momentum Wirelesses. It's an intoxicating brew.