Sennheiser Momentum Sport Review: Good sound, comfort and fitness features
Sennheiser sets a new benchmark in the realm of sports-oriented wireless headphones with Sennheiser Momentum Sport. Эти наушники имеют advanced features such as temperature and heart rate measurement, specifically designed for athletes seeking premium audio performance.
In the competitive landscape of sport-focused audio devices, some manufacturers prioritize comfort, improved sealing, or enhanced support. However, Sennheiser distinguishes itself by pushing boundaries further. With the Momentum Sport headphones, the renowned German manufacturer joins the ranks of innovative products like the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 and the Amazfit PowerBuds Pro. Yet, Sennheiser promises a unique approach by seamlessly integrating temperature and heart rate monitoring while maintaining the exceptional sound quality synonymous with the brand.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Video Review
| Specs | Sennheiser Momentum Sport |
| Form Factor | In Ear |
| Connectivity Technology | Wireless |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Audio Resolution | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX adaptive |
| ANC | Hybrid Adaptive ANC |
| Speakers | dynamic, 10mm diameter |
| Supported Profiles | A2DP, AVRCP, HFP |
| Range | 40m – line of sight |
| Speaker frequency range | 15 Hz to 18 kHz |
| Microphone | 3 mics per earbud, beamforming for noise reduction |
| IP rating | Earbuds - IPx5; Charging case - IPx4 |
| APP | Sennheiser Smart Control app for iOS and Android |
| Battery lifespan | Up to 5.5 h earbuds; Up to 24 h charging case |
| Charging time | Approx. 1.5 h; After 10 min charging 45mins music playtime |
| Wireless charger | Yes - Qi charging |
| USB charging port | USB-C |
| Dimensions | 23.3 x 20.9 x 26.1 mm (earbuds), 67.7 x 64.8 x 30.0 mm (charging case) |
| Weight | 6.4 g (single earbud), 78.4 g (charging case) |
| Color | Graphite, Olive, Black |
Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Design
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport marks a departure from the brand’s typical square-shaped wireless headphone designs, opting instead for a more rounded profile. This shift aims to enhance comfort during physical activities, acknowledging the importance of a secure and ergonomic fit for active users. Drawing inspiration from models like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, these headphones feature a vent grille to alleviate any discomfort caused by prolonged wear, ensuring a more enjoyable experience even during intense workouts.
Comfort is further optimized with the inclusion of three pairs of interchangeable tips and fins, catering to various ear shapes and sizes. The transparent design of the tips not only facilitates customization but also enables the integration of heart rate monitoring functionality, adding a health-tracking dimension to the headphones’ utility.
Weighing a mere 6.4 grams each, the Momentum Sport headphones prioritize lightweight construction, minimizing distraction during physical exercises such as bench presses, HIIT, or interval training sessions. The accompanying charging case boasts a distinctive rubber-like coating, providing IP54 certification for protection against splashes, rain, and dust. This unconventional design choice, coupled with a flexible strap instead of a traditional metal hinge, reflects Sennheiser’s commitment to durability and practicality in outdoor and fitness environments.
Moreover, the inclusion of a flexible cover for the USB-C port and support for Qi wireless charging further enhances the case’s versatility and convenience. An LED indicator on the front offers clear visual feedback on the charging status of both the case and the headphones, ensuring users stay informed at a glance.
In terms of durability, the Momentum Sport headphones boast IP55 certification, making them resistant to water and sweat. Sennheiser’s implementation of a specialized coating provides additional protection against sweat, mitigating the corrosive effects of its salinity and prolonging the lifespan of the headphones.
Pairing and control
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport offers a streamlined and intuitive user experience, starting with its effortless pairing process. Unlike traditional Bluetooth devices equipped with a pairing button, these headphones simplify the connection process by automatically pairing with your smartphone upon the initial opening of the case. For subsequent pairings with other devices such as phones, computers, or smartwatches, a simple simultaneous press of both headphones initiates the pairing mode.
Enhancing user convenience, the Momentum Sport features tactile surfaces on its exterior, easier control access. However, rather than directly manipulating the headphones themselves, most controls are executed by tapping or pressing near the base of the tragus, ensuring minimal disruption to your listening experience.
The default controls cater to essential functions, allowing users to manage their music playback and adjust volume levels effortlessly:
- Double tap next to either earbud: Play/pause functionality.
- Triple tap next to the right earbud: Skip to the next track.
- Triple tap next to the left earbud: Activate noise control.
- Long press on the left earbud: Decrease volume.
- Long press on the right earbud: Increase volume.
Furthermore, Sennheiser provides customization options through its Smart Control application, empowering users to tailor control assignments according to their preferences. This flexibility enables adjustments such as assigning rewind to a triple press on the left earbud and assigning noise control to a double press on the right earbud.
APP
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport integrates seamlessly into your daily routine with the aid of the Sennheiser Smart Control app, available on both Android and iOS platforms.
First and foremost, the Smart Control app provides users with real-time updates on the charging status of both the headphones and the accompanying case. Beyond basic monitoring, users can delve deeper into a multitude of settings and features. For instance, the app enables management of connected devices, customization of controls, adjustment of the equalizer settings, and fine-tuning of noise reduction levels. Additionally, users can conduct port tests to ensure proper insertion of the earphones into the ear canal, optimizing comfort and audio performance.
One standout feature of the Smart Control app is its support for sound zones, which are predefined geographic areas where noise reduction settings can automatically adjust. However, access to this function requires a Sennheiser account.
Furthermore, the app offers extensive settings customization, including options to adjust audio transmission quality, select Bluetooth codecs, enable automatic pausing via port detection, activate standby mode after a specified period, and automatically answer calls upon earphone removal from the case.
The Momentum Sport distinguishes itself from its predecessors by its compatibility with the Health Thermometer Profile (HTP) and Heart Rate Profile (HRP) Bluetooth profiles. This functionality allows the headphones to transmit heart rate data to compatible devices, such as smartwatches or smartphone applications, eliminating the need for additional hardware. Sennheiser emphasizes its partnership with Polar and the Polar Flow app for heart rate monitoring, but the Momentum Sport can seamlessly connect with a wide range of devices and fitness apps, including Garmin, Suunto, Amazfit, Coros, Strava, Asics Runkeeper, Nike Run Club, and Adidas Runtastic.
When initiating a workout session using the Polar smartphone app, users can designate the Momentum Sport as their heart rate monitor, enabling the recording of heart rate data alongside body temperature measurements. This feature is particularly valuable for indoor activities, as external environmental factors can influence temperature readings. By providing insights into average, maximum, and minimum temperatures, the Momentum Sport enhances the accuracy and relevance of fitness tracking data, empowering users to make informed decisions about their health and performance.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport: ANC
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport introduces an adaptive active noise reduction feature, leveraging six microphones—three per earphone—to analyze and mitigate ambient noise. However, the effectiveness of the noise reduction is heavily influenced by the choice of eartips.
In practical testing, the noise reduction capabilities of the Momentum Sport vary depending on the selected eartip size. While medium-sized tips may not provide significant noise reduction, wider tips demonstrate more effective external noise isolation. Though not on par with industry benchmarks such as the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds or AirPods Pro 2, the Momentum Sport effectively diminishes ambient noise, making activities like running on sidewalks or engaging in podcasts more immersive and enjoyable. However, it’s important to note that noises like train or metro sounds may still be perceptible even with ANC enabled, albeit at reduced levels.
Sennheiser offers two distinct noise reduction modes: ANC and Anti-wind. The ANC mode utilizes microphones to actively reduce ambient noise, whereas Anti-wind mode employs passive isolation to counter bursts of wind from interfering with microphone functionality, making it particularly suitable for outdoor sports.
Additionally, the Momentum Sport features a Transparency mode, which enables external sounds to pass through despite passive isolation. This mode proves useful for maintaining awareness of surroundings and engaging in conversations while exercising outdoors, such as running alongside roads to hear approaching vehicles.
Users can customize the Transparency mode further by selecting from three levels—Low, Mid, and High—via the Smart Control app. Adjusting the transparency level regulates the volume of external sounds, providing greater flexibility in tailoring the listening experience to individual preferences.
Sound quality
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport doesn’t compromise on audio quality despite its primary focus on sporting functionality. Sennheiser has equipped each earphone with 10mm diameter transducers, enabling a broad frequency response ranging from 15 Hz in the bass to 18,000 Hz in the treble.
With support for AAC, SBC, aptX, and aptX Adaptive codecs, the Momentum Sport delivers a rich sound signature that emphasizes bass and midrange frequencies. This adds emphasis depth to music tracks and enhances vocal presence. However, some users may notice a slight peak in the midrange around 1200 Hz, which can lead to an overemphasis on midrange frequencies at the expense of treble clarity. While the headphones excel in bass reproduction, a touch more treble and a slight recess in the mids would contribute to a more balanced sound profile.
Fortunately, Sennheiser provides users with the means to fine-tune the audio experience through the built-in equalizer in the Smart Control app. Users can choose from preset options such as bass accent or podcast mode, or manually adjust five frequency bands to customize the sound according to personal preferences.
Calls
With three microphones per earphone, the headphones support active noise reduction during music playback and ensure clear voice capture during phone calls by minimizing ambient noise.
In quiet environments, the headphones offer effective voice pickup with slightly compressed voice quality but maintaining intelligibility. However, in noisy environments, the performance may be compromised, as the headphones prioritize noise reduction, resulting in reduced voice clarity and frequency loss.
Battery life
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport is equipped with 72mAh batteries in each earbud, while the charging case boasts an 800mAh battery capacity. According to Sennheiser’s specifications, this setup offers up to 5.5 hours of listening time with the headphones alone and up to 24 hours of listening time in total with the charging case.
In actual usage, I found that with noise reduction activated, volume set at 80%, and heart rate and temperature monitoring enabled, the headphones lasted for an impressive 6 hours and 45 minutes before requiring a recharge. Notably, the left earpiece, housing the heart rate monitor, depleted an hour earlier, lasting 5 hours and 51 minutes. Sennheiser’s stated battery life claims thus hold true, delivering reliable performance in real-world scenarios.
Charging the headphones in their case is a speedy affair. While Sennheiser advertises a full charge time of 1 hour 30 minutes, I observed that the headphones reached a full charge from 0% in just 59 minutes.
The charging case offers versatility in recharging options, featuring a USB-C port behind the cover on the front and support for wireless induction charging via the Qi protocol.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Conclusion
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport represents a commendable effort from the renowned audio brand, offering a compelling blend of features tailored for active lifestyles. While not without its flaws, the Momentum Sport manages to deliver a positive user experience, albeit at a premium price point.
Plus
- Effective Heart Rate Monitoring
- Comfortable Design
- Comprehensive App Functionality
- Convenient Wireless Charging
- Acceptable Sound Quality (after Equalization)
- Multipoint Bluetooth Compatibility.
Minus
- Inconsistent Heart Rate Monitoring
- Below-Average Battery Life
- Subpar Noise Reduction
- Massive Charging Case.
With a price tag exceeding $300, the Momentum Sport may be best suited for those with ample budgetary flexibility, considering the competition in the market offering similar features at lower price points.
You can also check out the best-selling Sport Earbud Headphones on Amazon:
