Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 review

Being a set of premium wireless earbuds has never been tougher. Standing out from this packed crowd is like jostling for a place on a packed rush-hour tube train, with both the quality and quantity of the competition making it ever harder to show that you’ve got what it takes to be chosen for glory. Sony, Bose, Technics, JBL and many others are all jostling for position, and that’s before we even get to Apple and its colossal share of the in-ear market.

Into this fray steps the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 earbuds, the sequel to the headphone brand’s impressive – but not quite chart-topping – Momentum True Wireless 4 from 2024. The usual promises of acoustic upgrades and bolstered feature sets abound, but the Momentum TW 5 don’t just have to top what came before – they also need to compete with the vast array of high-class alternatives all vying for consumer attention.

Quite appropriately given its product naming conventions, Sennheiser does have one thing on its side: momentum. The recent over-ear HDB 630 and Momentum 5 Wireless have deservedly gained five-star plaudits, and if Sennheiser can translate that success to the earbuds market, then it might have found the key to standing out in this brimming, bustling crowd.

Price

The Momentum True Wireless 5 are undoubtedly premium earbuds. At £250 / $300 / AU$480, they sit alongside the five-star Technics EAH-AZ100 (£259 / $299 / AU$499) and the more recent Sony WF-1000XM6 (£250 / $330 / AU$500) in terms of their standard RRP.

That being said, more established alternatives are starting to drop in price as time wears on. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) started life at £299 / $299 / AU$450, but have sunk to around £229 / $249 / AU$349 at the time of writing.

Build & comfort

On the surface, Sennheiser has given its Momentum True Wireless 5 earbuds a subtle makeover to distinguish them from their five-star predecessors.

For a start, the buds’ shape has been tweaked, with Sennheiser opting for a rounder, more bean-like form tapering to a narrow nozzle on which a pair of silicone ear-tips sit. That’s a visible change from the more squared-off nature of the Momentum True Wireless 4, although in terms of size and weight, there’s not much of a noticeable difference.

The case has been updated, too, though whether you consider the new design an upgrade or a step backwards will likely depend on taste. The new case is taller and slimmer than its squatter, squarer predecessor, with Sennheiser ditching the textured fabric covering in favour of subtly speckled plastic.

Sennheiser claims that its new buds’ more rounded configuration and slightly tweaked ear tip shape have enhanced their comfort and security, although from our testing, there isn’t a huge difference from one generation to the next. That’s no disaster – the Momentum True Wireless 5 fit nicely without discomfort over long hours, just like their predecessors did.

Naturally, this depends on who you are and what you’re doing. For everyday use, we don’t have many instances of the flagship buds falling out entirely, though more strenuous activities – running, using an exercise bike, etc – may loosen the seal. The Momentum TW 5 don’t have the handy in-ear stability bands of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), so if you’ve got one eye on sporting endeavours, the Bose may be worth considering instead.

If you are struggling to find your perfect fit, Sennheiser does provide a simple ear-tip fit test via its companion app. The buds are furnished with a healthy array of ear-tip sizes – extra small, small, medium and large – though if we were being all Goldilocks about it, we’d maybe have liked an extra large option.

The Momentum True Wireless 5 also carry an IP54 rating for protection against dust and splashes of water, a certification which sees them get one over on the IPX4 ratings of their Sony WF-1000XM6, Technics EAH-AZ100 and Bose QC Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) rivals. From sweaty workouts to a brief trip out in the rain, we find that our test pair make good on their durability claims.

Touch capacitive sensors are located at the rounded tip of each bud, and during our test time, the Momentum TW 5’s touch controls are responsive to our commands. You can also customise your buds’ extensive touch functionalities via the accompanying app or, if you prefer, simply turn them off altogether.

Features

New features for the Momentum True Wireless 5 include spatial audio with Dolby Atmos support, which works well to create that more immersive audio signature on supported tracks such as Pearl Jam’s Future Days and Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. Head tracking is also convincingly rendered, keeping the audio fixed to a central point as we turn from side to side.

Battery life has been upped, with the TW 5 boasting 12 hours from the earbuds on a single charge, and a very impressive 40 hours in total with the charging case – this is with ANC turned off. Those figures will drop when ANC is back in play, however, to roughly six hours on the buds and a total of around 25 hours with the case.

Those numbers are still admirable, but not unbeatable. The Technics EAH-AZ100, for instance, will grant up to 10 hours on a single charge with ANC on and a total of 28 hours with the case, whereas the Sony WF-1000XM6 grant six hours from the earbuds and 24 hours in total under the same circumstances.

Away from battery figures, Sennheiser has one eye on sustainability, meaning that, with a standard screwdriver, you can open the earbuds and replace the batteries yourself. Sennheiser also offers a battery protection mode which limits the maximum charge level to roughly 80% in a bid to prolong the cells’ overall lifespan.

The Momentum TW 5 boast Bluetooth 6.0 for more efficient, low-latency transmission, while aptX Adaptive codec support is also on the menu.

On the subject of Bluetooth, we use the buds’ Multipoint capabilities to switch quickly and easily between two connected devices: our Lenovo work laptop and an iPhone 15. If you have a Google device, you can use Fast Pair for a near-instant connection, while Windows Swift Pair performs the same function for Windows sources.

Most of the aforementioned features can be accessed or toggled on or off via the in-depth and well-laid-out Sennheiser SmartPlus app. From its ample potential for customisation – be it changing your buds’ sonic tuning or dialling up/down your ANC levels – to its myriad helpful hints, it’s a strong app for getting the most out of your earbuds.

ANC & call quality

The Momentum True Wireless 5 pack in eight sensors in total, combining six microphones and two bone conduction voice sensors backed by AI-optimised voice processing for handling hands-free calls. The microphone plates and acoustic chamber are also configured to reduce the extent to which wind and general bluster intrude on your voice calls when you’re out and about.

When we test their active noise cancelling capabilities by standing in a busy street, we discover that voice calls are competently handled. The Sennheisers do well to dampen the clamour of whooshing cars and swirling winds, yet voices can sound a little muffled when compared with the natural clarity of the Sony WF-1000XM6.

Noise cancelling reaches a similarly decent level. The newly shaped eartips have been designed for better passive attenuation, working with each bud’s four-mic array to deliver impressive levels of sonic exclusion.

Noise cancelling feels powerful yet not overdone, and while the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) remain the gold standard if you’re looking for that all-encompassing vacuum effect, Sennheiser’s effort is a strong one if you prefer a more natural ANC experience.

We take the Momentum True Wireless 5 out and about in town, on the train and into the office, and find it tricky to expose any glaring blind spots. The shrillest highs and most booming lows will penetrate, but for softening or excluding most external sounds, from general chatter to humming air conditioning, they confidently make the grade.

Sound

To help them compete with the likes of Sony, Bose, and Technics, Sennheiser’s premium contenders come equipped with the brand’s signature 7mm TrueResponse dynamic drivers, designed to deliver both "remarkable detail" and "exceptional precision, clarity and dynamics".

Sonically, those promises ring true. The Sennheisers sparkle like a freshly waxed floor, with a sound so clean and unblemished that you’d be happy to eat your proverbial dinner off it. This is the same kind of balance we heard from the brand’s recent Momentum 5 Wireless over-ears, translated to its flagship wireless earbuds with remarkable precision.

Through the Sennheisers, Massive Attack’s Paradise Circus becomes a rich tapestry of interwoven textures as the flagship buds confidently track clacking drums, scattered hand claps and glassy synths. The Momentum True Wireless 4 were refined and detailed, but for instrumental insight and overall clarity, this latest generation puts them firmly in the shade.

Sennheiser’s recent Momentum 5 over-ears excelled in the midrange, a quality which has translated over to their in-ear counterparts. Listening to Paradise Circus spotlights this talent in the middle frequencies as the Momentum True Wireless 5 keenly unveil the breathy whispers of Hope Sandoval’s enchanting performance.

The Sennheisers have the instrumental chops to trouble the class leaders, but they’re also happy stepping away from the stage and wielding their baton at the front of the orchestra. Organisation and control come naturally to the premium buds, so that tricky compositions such as John Williams’ epic Duel Of The Fates and Ludwig Göransson’s eerie, panic attack-inducing Troy sound convincingly three-dimensional as opposed to flat or jumbled.

The Momentum True Wireless 5 take a precise approach to their presentation, but that’s not to say that they’re all facts and no feelings. The rival Sony WF-1000XM6 sound more textured and expressive, but the Sennheisers’ natural dynamic handling deserves adulation, evidenced by how they capture the mounting dread and terror of Troy’s inexorable crescendo.

Rhythms, too, are handled well. Again, the WF-1000XM6 are more expressive in how they keep the underlying pulse of Radiohead’s Burn The Witch ticking away, but the Sennheisers’ agile, nimble sound means that the track’s relentless sense of attack isn’t lost for a moment.

The flagship buds certainly draw the ear to their sparklingly clear midrange, but there's plenty of weight and precision in the bass, too. Switching on the ‘Bass’ boost toggle via the Sennheiser app will put more weight into the deeper frequencies, but it will come slightly at the expense of some low-end tautness, and isn't something we found was necessary during our testing.

They can also sound more etched than the Sony WF-1000XM6, especially at the highest of high frequencies. The Sony Award-winners sound more natural at those tricky upper reaches, whereas the True Wireless 5 can occasionally come across as slightly hard-edged when replicating crisp cymbal strikes or edgy, screeching strings.

We don’t find this to be a dealbreaker during our testing – and the effects can be negated via the in-app equaliser – but it’s worth noting if you find that particular sonic aspect usually grates on your ears.

Verdict

Sennheiser’s recent success in the over-ear headphones category has translated seamlessly to its latest pair of flagship wireless earbuds. If spaciousness, detail and precision are at the top of your sonic wishlist, the Momentum True Wireless 5 are a Christmas gift come early.

Review published: 24th September 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Features 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Sony WF-1000XM6

Also consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

Read our Technics EAH-AZ100

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