Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless - the most annoying headphones in the world
14.2.2020
Translation: machine translated
The Sennheiser Momentum sounds so nice. They would make such good true wireless headphones. But they are useless - even more than a year after their release.
Almost every audio brand now offers a true wireless model. Sennheiser - as an established manufacturer, mind you - fails to do so. Its model, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless, is unusable. Although the sound is good. Very good, in fact. But that only makes it worse.
I've rarely been so annoyed by headphones. Because you can forget about listening to your music normally when you're on the move.
**@#ç% Connection problems
The following scenario: You're listening to a song you like. You walk through a crowd. For example, at Zurich main station. With your music in your ears, you feel a bit like you're in a film. Suddenly the music stops. Me too. Instinctively. The music resumes. I continue my rut as well, only to stop again because the music stops.
What the fuck?
With the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless, I no longer stop when the music stops: I've got used to these precarious circumstances. Sad, isn't it?
This stop-and-go from hell happens especially in places where many other connections meet the earphones. The interruptions, which last several seconds, occur again and again. When I walk through Zurich main station, I can forget about listening to music normally. Zurich's Hardbrücke is another place I would prefer to avoid with Sennheiser's True Wireless. And no matter what I do - resetting, updating, contacting Sennheiser: nothing helps.
Even if I hold the mobile in my hand, put it in my jacket instead of my pocket or hold it to my ear like a dead man's ear: The connection is still always lost.
As if all the connection problems weren't enough, the earphones have the problem that they discharge in the case. Discharges! If you want to prevent this, you have to switch off the earbuds manually in the app from Sennheiser in the settings. Sennheiser has added this "option" in one of its numerous updates. But who remembers to switch off the headphones in the app? I always notice when I'm left with dead earphones after a weekend.
It gets even better: the two earphones in my case are often not charged evenly. I'm often standing there with one earbud charged to 80 per cent and one that's discharged.
But the sound is so great
Many of the newer in-ear headphones have too much bass to my ears. The mids are drowned out. That's annoying. Because the mids are home to important things like piano and vocals. Just not with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless.
The sound of Sennheiser's Momentum is exceptionally well tuned. It simply fits. And voices come across beautifully clear. The sound is generally round, the highs don't stand out unpleasantly and the lows are powerful but don't take over.
The overall sound is warm yet precise - that's the kind of sound I like. And not sound with bass that is so strong that it pushes your brain out of your ears and nose and you can't hear the rest of the music at all.
If I didn't hate the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless, I would love it.
Solution? No way!
The earphones were launched in November 2018. Right from the start, they had a poor connection and battery problems. Many users have rightly complained and Sennheiser has promised and delivered updates, but this has absolutely not helped
Despite all the connection problems, I'm not ready to give up on the headphones. I like the sound too much for that. It's a love-hate relationship. When I'm out and about, I'd love to slam the expensive parts into the nearest bucket with all my might. At home and in the office, I love them.
After all this, I can only hope that Sennheiser will soon bring out a new model that works properly. One that sounds as great as the Momentum True Wireless, but without the current problems. <p
Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.
