Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless Review - Strong ANC headphones with good sound
With the Momentum 3 Wireless, Sennheiser has upgraded its premium wireless headphones, which do not have to forgo corded transmission, but also allow analog and digital transmission. The audio manufacturer from Wedemark relies on stainless steel and leather for the material selection and promises the highest sound quality.
Specifications
| Wearing style | Over-ear, closed |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, USB-C, mini-jack connector |
| Speakers | 42 mm driver, dynamic, 6 - 22,000 Hz |
| Audio codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Low Latency |
| Charging port | USB-C |
| Weight | 305 g |
| Microphones | 2 microphone for telephony, 4 microphones for ANC |
| Package contents | Headphones, carrying case, USB-C cable, Type-A to Type-C adapter, jack cable, documentation |
| Price (RRP) | 399,- EUR |
Workmanship and ergonomics - a visual and haptic highlight
The material selection of the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless is appealing and sets high-quality accents with genuine leather and stainless steel. The workmanship is impeccable and leaves a robust impression, even the matte plastic of the ear cups cannot spoil this.
The ear cushions are very soft and promise a high wearing comfort. The contact pressure is surprisingly low, yet the Sennheiser headphones demonstrate good passive shielding in everyday use.
The Momentum 3 Wireless is available in black and white
Equipment and operation - Sennheiser headphones without aptX HD
The Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless is very flexible in terms of connectivity and can not only be used wirelessly via Bluetooth, but also corded. This is by no means only intended as an emergency solution. The jack cable can be locked so that it cannot be pulled out accidentally, and even USB can be used as a feed. Exemplary
However, we would have liked to see at least aptX HD in the audio codecs for Bluetooth, so that the Sennheiser headphones can use their strong drivers even better. At least aptX Low Latency is a codec that ensures lip-synchronous transmission for movies and the like
The input elements on the right ear cup are easy to reach and can be easily differentiated haptically. The clear pressure point offers enough resistance to counteract accidental inputs. However, a short familiarization period is necessary, but the exact assignment can be looked up in the app at any time. Switching the headphones on and off is cleverly solved by folding and unfolding them
The free app is available for Android and iOS and is clearly designed. Not only can firmware updates be installed, but also Transparent Hearing and ANC can be controlled, and the equalizer can be adjusted
Sennheiser states a battery life of up to 17 hours with Bluetooth and ANC enabled. We tickled out almost 18 hours in the test, but without the active noise suppression; with ANC, the playtime is still reduced to a good 15 hours
Sound - Momentum 3 presents itself playfully
The Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless already shows a wide frequency response and low harmonic distortions on the spec sheet. This is also confirmed in the test and the headphones offer a wide sound stage with a lot of depth, convince with their playfulness and differentiated reproduction and are at home in all genres. Only friends of the linear sound will criticize the somewhat too powerful basses and the last bit of missing airiness in the trebles.
The sound output is good to very good via all inputs, only a slight background noise was audible in quiet moments with the jack. The USB-C port on the headphones does not always hold the cable tight enough, which is why there were occasional transmission dropouts in the test, but the interface was impeccable in terms of sound.
The active noise cancellation of the Sennheiser headphones muffles low background noise like road noise, refrigerator hum, engine noise and rolling noise very reliably. Nevertheless, the Momentum 3 Wireless does not take a top position in terms of ANC, but it does not have to hide from the competition from Sony and Bose either.
The voice quality is decent and the headphones can also be used well for telephony in quiet environments, even though their user always sounds a bit hollow. Ambient noise and especially voices are always recorded, and the microphones cannot compensate for very loud noise.
Verdict - Beautiful piece of technology from Sennheiser
The Momentum 3 Wireless is already visually appealing and also convinces with its long-lasting wearing comfort. The sound of the premium wireless headphones is also convincing, and only audiophiles will have any complaints in this respect.
However, it is a pity that Sennheiser does without a high-resolution Bluetooth codec. The German company is exemplary when it comes to the connectivity options, which include a jack and USB-C in addition to Bluetooth.
The Momentum 3 Wireless is not without its faults, but it is a soundful premium headphone with strong core competencies.
In addition to the great headphones, Sennheiser also includes a high-quality cloth case in the scope of delivery, which also accommodates a USB and jack connection cable. Thanks to their replaceable ear cushions, nothing stands in the way of a long service life, which is an additional reason to give the headphones a clear buy recommendation.
Price and availability
At 399 Euros, the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless is no bargain and is available in both color variants in the Sennheiser store. It is often cheaper in stores and the headphones are available for under 320 Dollars on Amazon, among others.
