Sennheiser launches new high-quality wireless earbuds packed with next-generation technology, and a surprising pair of headphones
As much as we love the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds, time has moved on and many of the best wireless earbuds in the premium segment are now better. But Sennheiser has updated its Momentum buds to make them even better. And there are also new Accentum headphones and Momentum fitness buds.
Launched at CES 2024, the new Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds are “Sennheiser's most capable earbuds yet.” They're built around the Qualcomm S5 Sound Gen 2 platform and Snapdragon Sound, which means aptX lossless sound quality and exceptionally low latency. The Bluetooth version is 5.4 with Auracast (the first earbuds we know of with confirmed support) and an improved antenna for stronger connections. There's improved ANC, what Sennheiser calls 'evolved tuning', and improved batteries too. You can expect 7.5 hours of continuous high-quality audio from the earbuds, and the charging case features both Qi wireless technology and USB-C fast charging.
Qualcomm S5 Sound Gen 2 is going to be a really big deal in 2024: it's designed for incredibly fast and smooth audio performance, even when streaming at high resolution, and promises a latency of just 48ms between phone and earbuds. That's especially useful for gamers, for whom lag is as dangerous as any on-screen enemy, and it's a big improvement over the 68ms latency delivered by version 1 of the platform.
Pre-orders for the Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds will open on February 15 and the price will be $299.95 USD / €299.99.
Sennheiser's Accentum promises to be excellent
The Accentum headphone range has been updated with the new Accentum Plus, which is a surprise considering the original Accentum only came out a few months ago. It seems to us that Sennheiser runs the risk of annoying people who recently bought the previous headphones, although the Plus version has some higher connectivity for a higher price.
They are Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX Adaptive, 50 hours of listening time, adaptive ANC that analyzes the sound around you and adjusts noise cancellation accordingly, and an old-fashioned audio cable so you can listen to in-flight entertainment or other wired audio sources. The Accentum Plus goes on sale from February 20 with a price tag of $229.95 USD / €229.99, compared to $179 / £159 for the original.
Last but not least are the new Momentum Sport earbuds, which are designed for fitness use. The earbuds integrate both a photoplethysmography (PPG) heart rate sensor and a body temperature sensor to track your vital signs and send data to your Apple Watch or Health app, Garmin Watch/Connect, Strava, Peloton and other key apps, and – for the first time in a non-Polar product – with the Momentum Sport you have access to the full range of Polar tracking and analysis features.
The Momentum Sport is designed to reduce unwanted 'body distractions' like footsteps and breathing, and there are adjustable transparency modes, anti-wind mode and adaptive ANC to keep out unwanted noise without blocking out the things you want or need to hear. The casing is IP54 rated and the earbuds are IP55, and you can expect between 6 and 24 hours of playback depending on your ANC option. The Momentum Sport goes on sale on April 9 with a retail price of $329.95 / €329.99.