HeadphoneOverreview

Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 Wireless

Sennheiser finally fixed the noise cancelling and made the battery yours to replace. Whether it sounds right out of the box depends on who you ask — and whether they reached for the EQ.

30 sourcesUpdated
$400Typical US price

Score aggregates reviewer opinions across topics.

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Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 Wireless

The short version

What to know.

A 2026 over-ear wireless noise-canceller built on the MOMENTUM 4's 42 mm driver, retuned, with an eight-microphone hybrid ANC system and a user-replaceable battery. Sources agree that the noise cancelling is a clear step up on the MOMENTUM 4 while still trailing the Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) and AirPods Max 2; that ~57 hours with ANC on is roughly double those rivals; that the midrange and detail are its sonic strengths; and that it is comfortable for long sessions, though the cups are on the small, shallow side. Three measurement rigs agree on the shape: a sub-bass shelf about 10 dB up, a 2–3 kHz presence band several dB below an HD 600 on the same rig, and a deep notch near 10–12 kHz. How that sounds is where reviewers split — the bass is full and controlled to most and too much to the measurers; the treble is smooth to most, dull to some and sizzly to a few; and the stock tuning is either right out of the box or something to fix with the 8-band EQ. Soundstage, drive and value at $400 are contested too, and call quality draws opposite verdicts.

About this product

The over-ear wireless noise-cancelling headphone Sennheiser announced on 25 May 2026 and shipped on 16 June ($399.95 / £329, ~290 g; black, white and denim, later bronze and lavender): the MOMENTUM 4's 42 mm dynamic driver retuned, a new hybrid ANC system with eight microphones (four per cup, double the 4's), SBC / AAC / aptX / aptX HD / aptX Adaptive / aptX Lossless over Bluetooth 5.4 with multipoint, Dolby Atmos with head tracking (added by firmware), an 8-band graphic EQ, wired USB-C audio and a 2.5 mm analog input, up to 57 hours with ANC on — and a 700 mAh battery you can swap yourself behind four Phillips screws. Unlike the MOMENTUM 4, it will not play passively over the cable: it must be switched on. Not the 2022 MOMENTUM 4 Wireless, not the pricier HDB 630, and not the MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 earbuds.

Four years is a long gap in wireless headphones, and Sennheiser spent it on the MOMENTUM 4 Wireless's one glaring weakness: noise cancelling that trailed Sony, Bose and Apple. The MOMENTUM 5 keeps the 42 mm driver and the marathon battery, doubles the microphone count, and adds what repair-minded buyers have been asking every maker for — a battery you can swap with a Phillips screwdriver.

The mainstream press greeted it warmly, with awards and five-star sound verdicts. The reviewers who measure, and the ones who EQ everything they own, are cooler: three test rigs agree on a big sub-bass shelf, a sunken presence region and a notch in the top octave, and they hear a headphone that needs tuning before it shines. The noise cancelling, meanwhile, is better than the old model's by every account — and either nearly class-leading or still weak, depending on the reviewer.

A good fit for

  • Long-haul travellers and commuters — 57 hours with ANC on is roughly double what the flagships manage
  • Buy-it-for-life types: the battery and pads are replaceable
  • Midrange and vocal listeners, where the praise is most consistent
  • Listeners happy to tune their own sound — the 8-band EQ and Sound Personalization are what win over the critics
  • Android users with aptX Lossless, or anyone who'll listen over USB-C, for the cleanest signal

Think twice if

  • You need the strongest noise cancelling — Sony, Bose and Apple still block more
  • You want a tight, lean low end straight out of the box; the stock tuning carries a big sub-bass shelf
  • You're sensitive to treble quirks — some hear the top end as dull, a few as sizzly
  • You have large ears or run hot — the cups are small and shallow and the pleather pads trap heat
  • You take a lot of calls in noisy places — call quality is the most disputed feature
  • You want parametric EQ — that's reserved for the pricier HDB 630
  • A discounted MOMENTUM 4 is on your shortlist and ANC isn't the priority

The reviewer consensus

Agreement &
disagreement.

6 / 12topics divide opinion
midsimagingdetailcomfortisolationbuildbasstrebletonalitysoundstagedynamicsvalue
6 Mostly agree6 Divided opinions

Common ground10

  • Noise cancelling is a clear step up on the MOMENTUM 4 — eight microphones instead of four, and nearly every source hears the difference
  • It still trails the Sony WH-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) and AirPods Max 2 for outright noise blocking
  • Battery life is class-leading — around 57 hours with ANC on, roughly double the Sony and Bose flagships

Points of contention8

  • Bass: full and well controlled to most, too much sub-bass and loose to the reviewers who measure
  • Treble: smooth and fatigue-free, dull and short of air, or sizzly at the very top — three readings of one peak-and-notch response
  • Stock tuning: right out of the box for most of the press, a bass-heavy curve that needs EQ for the measurers

A closer listen.

12 topics · 6 divided
Left: criticalRight: positiveTighter lines: more agreement

Bass

Leans positiveDivided opinions
Reviewer sentiment20 supporting sources
CriticalNeutralPositive

Band: opinion spread · Dot: weighted average

Sources split on the same measured sub-bass shelf: most hear a full, well-controlled low end that never overwhelms, while the reviewers who measure — and some owners — find it too much, loose and boomy until it is EQ'd down.

Measured

Three squig rigs agree on a shelf of roughly +9.5 to +11.6 dB at 20 Hz and +9 to +10 dB at 40 Hz relative to 500 Hz (Super* Review's 711 clone, Earphones Archive's B&K 5128, DHRME), easing to about +2 dB by 100 Hz — where an HD 600 on the same rigs sits about 8 dB below 500 Hz at 20 Hz. SoundGuys measures the shelf peaking at +11 dB; RTINGS rates bass Emphasized (3 dB).

vs. listeners — The lift is concentrated below about 60 Hz, so listeners who judge mid-bass punch hear it as controlled while those who notice sub-bass rumble hear it as boomy. It also depends on the seal: headphones.com's Caleb Loo measured the deepest octave rolling off with his glasses on, and Headfonia warns that glasses and beards trim it. Resolve hears even more sub-bass than the MOMENTUM 4, while RTINGS' staff reply that the MOMENTUM 4 measured more.

Where it splits
full and well controlled — ample, punchy, never overblown62%

“serve up an ample amount of bass that’s well-defined and punchy”

David Carnoy, CNET
too much sub-bass — loose and boomy until you EQ it down38%

“The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 Wireless sounds decent, if a bit bass-heavy.”

Christian Thomas, SoundGuys
Link to this topic

The hardware

Specifications.

Checked

Design

Type
Closed-back over-ear
Drivers
1 × 42 mm dynamic
Microphone
Built-in

Electrical

Frequency response
6 Hz – 40 kHz

Connection

Cable
Detachable
Connector
2.5 mm
Plugs supplied
3.5 mm
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.4SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive
Noise cancelling
Yes
Battery
57 h
USB audio
Yes
Wired input
Yes

Physical

Weight
290 g

6 Hz–40 kHz is via USB and Bluetooth; the analog line-in is 6 Hz–22 kHz. The analog input is active only — the headphone has to be switched on to play over the cable. Manufacturer-published figures, not measurements · from us.sennheiser-hearing.com, support.sennheiser-hearing.com.

Follow the evidence

Sources 30

1–6 of 30 sources

Read with context

Limitations & method.

As of

What to keep in mind 6

  1. This is a read of where opinion lands in October 2026, about four months after launch — the picture is still settling, and firmware has already added head tracking, with Bluetooth 6.0 and LE Audio promised.

  2. Much of the sound debate is about the stock tuning. The 8-band EQ and Sound Personalization change it a lot, and most of the critical reviewers liked it far more after tuning it themselves.

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