Despite best-in-class audio, frustrating touch controls, a puzzling Smart Pause feature and unreliable automatic shut-off keep it from being truly great. I don't want to have to look up how to put earbuds in pairing mode every time I switch devices. All that worked well as a practical matter. First, there are several actions that require multiple taps or a press and hold, both of which are difficult to master. For the record: You tap and hold on both earbuds for five seconds -- not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you're trying to access a basic feature. The case is charged via a USB Type-C socket on the rear. However, I do utterly love the respect the company has shown to its heritage here. They use 7mm dynamic drivers, clearly premium ones from Sennheiser which rates the playback frequency response at 5 to 21,000 hertz. There's a depth to the audio that gives the illusion of actually listening to a roomful of musicians rather than just instruments on a recording. These were the source of most of my frustration. Tchaikovsky’s Andante Cantabile for Cello & Orchestra, performed by Pieter Wispelwey and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, which I ripped from the CD layer of an audiophile SACD, was a delight to my ears. But they preserve the essential character of the old model. When faced with the choice, I’d take the Momentum True Wireless 2 Anniversary Edition, they look great, it’s a great tribute and of course, the sound is outstanding. Thankfully, the wait was mostly worth it. Sennheiser’s true wireless earbuds may sound the best of any we’ve tested, but frustrating controls and other annoyances hamper what could be an otherwise stellar product.
In addition to play/pause, answer/hang up and track skipping, the controls support volume up and down, noise cancellation on or off and ambient noise on or off. They have the same specifications, the same price, the same sound signature as the standard pair, and again, at $499 you’re going to really want to appreciate sound for the price.
Battery life is always a primary concern on devices like the Momentum True Wireless, but Sennheiser has done a solid job. With their low weight, I found that they stayed firmly in my ears without assistance, even when I went on bike rides. Since the multi-tap touch controls on the earbuds themselves were a source of great frustration for me, I found myself just using the app to turn that on when I needed it. This isn't too concerning, since I almost always used the Momentum True Wireless at full volume, which will certainly eat up the battery faster. It means the Momentum True Wireless 2 … The case is compact and, although it’s a hard case, it’s finished in a slightly tweedy cloth. Those drums and other sounds wouldn't come across nearly as well without proper equalizer settings. Second, double taps could be fairly well-spaced in time, and that made doing things like skipping track easy. There is a walkthrough in the companion app during the initial setup and a reference guide that's easy to find, but I had to consult it way too often. In terms of sound quality, Sennheiser has tuned the best-sounding true wireless earbuds I've tested. Again, yet another source of frustration. Third, a soft tone sounded to acknowledge each tap. It's so annoying that anytime I had to take both out, I just put them in the case to avoid the low, grungy hum of the Deftones while I was trying to chat with someone. If your case is completely dead, the buds won't turn off when you put them away. Next to that is a LED indicator and a little press button. There was none of the unnatural zing often delivered by earbuds, yet plenty of detail remained, with nice handling of cymbals. The buds snap nicely into place with a magnetic pull. The latter two allow higher quality with, respectively, iOS devices and higher-end Android devices. A good product that falls short of greatness. Sennheiser shows off its audio prowess with its first true wireless earbuds, but the Momentum True Wireless is hampered by a number of annoying issues. We want to hear what you think.
Ditto for treble.
Volume changes, for example, are done with a long press on the left earbud to turn down or on the right to turn up. Thankfully, the wait was mostly worth it. Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 Anniversary Edition Review: For the lover of Sennheiser, THE EFTM GARAGE: Mercedes Benz CLA 45 S 4Matic+, Netgear Orbi WiFi 6 Review – Outstanding performance fit for the future, Oculus Quest 2 VR headset announced with new games along for the ride, eSIM innovation in Australia is slow because the big Telcos fear disruption says Boost Mobile boss Peter Adderton. Well, the updated Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earphones now also have active noise cancellation. was at the correct level, rather than overblown in the manner of too many systems, and it was well extended, reaching down deeply and impressively. Sennheiser took its time entering the true wireless market, and the results are nothing less than what you’d expect from the storied audio brand. If you're listening to music when you nestle the Momentum True Wireless in its case, it will pause, but if you tap "play" on your phone, it will start right back up. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earphones are a pair of small Bluetooth buds that, of course, come with a charging, carry case. The Momentum True Wireless are plenty comfortable. When you put the buds in the case, they don't automatically turn off like they're supposed to. Finally, for each subsequent tap in a multi-tap sequence, the pitch of the tone went up. Sennheiser's model exhibits an openness to the sound that rivals over-ear headphones. Sennheiser’s second attempt at a pair of true wireless earbuds up the battery life, adds noise canceling, and keeps the great sound. I confess that I’m not keen on touch controls. Before now, the audio on Master & Dynamic's MW07 was top of my list, but the Momentum True Wireless has comfortably taken over. Bringing out an old logo for the case and each ear bud, as well as giving them a black finish instead of the silver facing out from the ear. Press the button and a colour code on the LED gives an indication of charge level. It also has a battery indicator beside the USB-C port, so you'll know if you're at zero percent, below 50 percent or above 50 percent battery level based on the color of the LED. That’s what I meant earlier about these earphones preserving the essential character of the older model. The original version arrived at the back end of 2018, delivering a balanced sound, a decent smattering of features and good battery life – … I’d guess most people would be happy with the default layout. For the Aussies, by Aussies. The Global Score is arrived at only after curating hundreds, sometimes thousands of weighted data points (such as critic and user reviews). Not every audio company was quick to jump on the true wireless bandwagon. This is thanks in part to a well-tuned EQ. I found the default tuning to sound better than any of the alternatives I tried. All rights reserved. They don't stick out quite as much as models from Bose, Sony and others, which means you look slightly less awkward when you wear them out in public. Personally, I like a lot of bass, and I was pretty happy with the sound out of the box. The real star is the audio quality: expressive, lush and enjoyable, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 are one of the best pairs on the market. And that's problematic for a set of $300 headphones. Post a quick review now to join the conversation! They have some of the best audio quality I've heard on a set of earbuds like these. By Engadget on March 19, 2020 85 Give me a lightly-sprung press-button any day. The controls are touch sensitive on the back of both earphones. The earbuds come with three sets of tips, or "ear adapters," as Sennheiser calls them, to help you find the coziest fit. I can tell when a tech or gadget company is spending big coin on... Lots of great political commentary today from across the interwebs calling the NBN’s announcement... For the man, by the man. There's plenty of bass and it's punchy too, but fans of hip-hop and other low-end-heavy styles may crave a smidge more. You can also toggle other features in the app, like access to a voice assistant or Smart Pause, which automatically pauses whatever you're listening to when you take one of the earbuds out of your ear. There aren't any wings or nubs to keep the buds in place during a workout, but I didn't have any trouble with them falling out at the gym. Sennheiser says the reason for my headaches is that the automatic shut-off feature only works when there's still battery left in the case. The Momentum True Wireless 2 Anniversary Edition headphones are a nod to the history, a tribute to the founder and his legacy. I say taking a look, because in reality, my review of the Momentum True Wireless 2 stands, with these as it did with the originals. You really get a sense of this on tracks like Nine Inch Nails' "Into The Void," Florence + The Machine's "What Kind Of Man" and Massive Attack's "Unfinished Sympathy.". The Engadget Score is a unique ranking of products based on extensive independent research and analysis by our expert editorial and research teams. The tonal balance was very accurate and very natural. After weeks of use, I still can't get the touch features to work on the first try for things that require multiple taps.