Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless

£350

Sennheiser doesn’t need any ‘third time lucky’ well wishes for its third-generation Momentum Wireless noise-cancelling headphones. Both the originals and second versions were instant knockouts and while physics may say that momentum relies upon mass and velocity, here the range is maintained by a consistently strong and reliable reputation for great-value sound.

Sennheiser decided not to overhaul the aesthetics drastically, with the Momentum 3 Wireless’s design still revolving around oval-shaped earcups, sheepskin leather earpads and stainless steel sliders. They are available in the all-black guise of our review sample, and a ‘sandy white’ finish too.

Acknowledging the need for premium wireless headphones to be as convenient as possible, Sennheiser has matured the Momentum Wireless’s feature set past simply Bluetooth and active noisecancelling. Now you don’t have to re-pair the headphones before every use, and there’s no fumbling around for your phone’s pause button when someone interrupts your music. When unfolded, the Momentums automatically power up and pair with a recognised source. When they detect being removed from or put on a head, they automatically pause or resume playback as appropriate.

Hands-free voice commands are supported, with a press of the button on the right ear cup activating your chosen voice assistant, whether that’s Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri. Through the Sennheiser Smart Control app, you can control EQ adjustment and view battery life. You can also switch between three noise-cancelling modes: ‘Max’, ‘Antiwind’ and ‘Anti-pressure’, the least intensive. Also accessible from the app is a transparent hearing mode that allows you to hear train announcements, say, or a conversation in the office.

In addition to aptx, AAC and SBC Bluetooth, the Sennheisers support aptx Low Latency, which aims to improve the synchronicity of audio and video content during, say, gaming or a Netflix binge.

Last but not least is an integrated Bluetooth tracker and support for Tile – which means you can locate your misplaced Sennheisers via the thirdparty Tile app. These features take a toll on battery life, which is a modest 17 hours, compared with the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700’s 20 hours and Sony WH-1000XM3’S 30 hours.

Comfortably cushioning

The other result of these features is an increase in earcup size. They collapse inwards to fit comfortably into a coat pocket or sit inside the supplied grey fabric case. Despite being heavier, they’re still comfortably cushioning with just the right amount of clamp and are amply supported by the well-lined headband.

Perhaps the biggest change to the Momentum’s design is in the on-cup controls. The volume toggle has been replaced by two volume buttons sandwiching a play/pause button that can also skip forward and back, end calls and read out battery status. The ridges between the trio of rubber buttons isn’t quite as telling as we’d like, often making us feel twice for the correct one.

Elsewhere, the toggle remains, controlling the noise-cancelling functions – push up to turn off, push down for transparent hearing.

The thick leather earpads provide some isolation in themselves, which is handy if you’re trying to preserve battery life. However, activating the noisecancelling feature will allow you some real alone time with your playlist.

Traffic and office noise is almost entirely eradicated, as is the roar of planes flying above. It’s not as sophisticated or flexible as the multistep system inside the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, but it’s natural and effective in its own right.

Silent appreciation

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 that familiar richness is offset by a clarity 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 offering a big improvement over their predecessors in terms of bass depth, detail and rhythmic cohesiveness.

This is an extraordinary effort by Sennheiser. It’s almost as though it has taken the clarity of the Sony WH1000MX3 and rhythmic aptitude of the B&W PX7, thrown both into a cauldron and uttered a few magic words before out popped the Momentum 3 Wireless. Sennheiser is no stranger to five-star reviews, and the company now has another one under its belt.