For years Bose pretty much ruled the noise-canceling-headphones roost. Then Sony threw down an impressive gauntlet. And now Sennheiser is looking to challenge both with the launch of the Momentum 4 Wireless over-ears, which aim for the long haul with an impressive 60-hour battery life.
"Our Momentum range has always set the standard for sophisticated listening with superior sound," said the company's Christian Ern. "The new Momentum 4 Wireless once again raises the bar – delivering best-in-class sound quality with advanced Adaptive Noise Cancellation and exceptional comfort. Thanks to features including Transparency Mode, Built-in EQ and a new Sound Personalization feature, users can listen in their own customized way."
The headline features here is the extra long battery life, which could serve a user's mobile listening needs for up to 60 hours per charge with active noise cancellation (ANC) enabled. A full charge of the 700-mAh battery takes around 2 hours over USB-C, but if you only have time for a quick coffee at the train station cafe, a 10-minute fast charge will provide enough juice for 6 hours of wireless playback.
Next on the menu is adaptive noise cancellation, which means that the headphones can automatically adjust the level of isolation depending on what's happening in the world outside. There's also a touch-activated transparency mode included that deactivates the cone of silence and allows sounds from outside to leech in, which lets folks listen out for announcements at the transport hub or chat to friends without having to remove the headphones.
Sennheiser says that the Momentum 4 Wireless headphones are built around an "audiophile-inspired acoustic system" comprising 42-mm dynamic transducers for a wide frequency range of 6 Hz to 22 kHz, 106-dB sensitivity, less than 0.3% total harmonic distortion and a sound signature that promises "brilliant dynamics, clarity and musicality."
Wireless connectivity comes courtesy of Bluetooth 5.2 with support for the aptX Adaptive codec, and the headphones also play nice with aptX, AAC and SBC if your music source doesn't rock the latest high-quality codec. A companion mobile app can be used to tweak the EQ, activate sound modes and tap into a tool that assesses listening preferences and adjusts output accordingly.
On-headphone control is via touch-enabled right earcup, and the headphones feature a 2x2 beamforming microphone array with auto wind suppression for "incredibly natural and disturbance-free" interaction with callers or digital assistants.
On the comfort front, Sennheiser employs a lightweight padded headband, an adjustable low-friction hinge mechanism that caters for an optimum fit without pinching, and thick cushioned earpads. The earcups also fold flat against the body when worn around the neck.
The Momentum 4 Wireless ANC headphones are up for pre-order in black or white from today, and go on general sale on August 23 for a suggested retail price of US$349.95 – which makes them cheaper than their 2019 predecessors, a bit pricier than Bose's QuietComfort 45, around fifty bucks under what you'll pay for Sony's excellent WH-1000XM5 cans and a good deal less than Apple's funky AirPods Max.
Product page: Momentum 4 Wireless