Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless Headphones Review

September 6, 2019 4:43 pm

Sennheiser just released their new Momentum headphones, which are wireless and noise cancelling. I absolutely loved the Momentum 2 headphones! I was super excited to give these a listen to see how they improved. So are these worth an upgrade from the Momentum 2, and how do they sound? Let’s take a closer look with this Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless Headphones review!

Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless Headphones Review

In the Box

-Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless Headphones

-aux cable with 3.5 mm connector

-USB-C to USB-C charging cable

-USB-C to USB-A adapter

-zipping carrying case

-documentation

Design

Look and Feel

The Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones have an attractive,new circular carrying case. Opening up the case and unfolding the headphones, it is clear that these have a classier and more modern look than its predecessor. With matte black metal ear cups and a steel, foldable headband, they seem durable and have weight in the hands. However, they seem to be a bit more reinforced than the Momentum 2. In fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say these are the most durable noise cancelling headphones I’ve ever felt. Lastly, the earcup has an intuitive button layout, with simple playback controls, noise cancellation controls, and phone assistant controls.

Comfort and Fit

Putting the Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones on my head, they have a light, yet secure clamping force on my relatively small head. I felt a little bit of pressure from the leather coated headband right at the top of the head. However, the headband actually has softer padding than the Momentum 2, making them more comfortable. Additionally, the earpads are coated in the same soft leather and fit completely over the ears. They keep the ear from touching the ear cup, and provide soft comfort.

Wireless Connection

The Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones are, of course, wireless. However, they can also be used with an analog aux cable for wired listening (in case the battery dies or you’re in a listening situation without Bluetooth). It connects to listening devices via Bluetooth 5.0 or NFC, and supports SBC & AAC, as well as aptX & aptX Low Latency codecs. Additionally, it has a 17 hour battery life, and charges via USB-C (which also comes with a USB-C to USB-A adapters for those that need it).

Noise Cancellation

The Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones, in addition to having a stronger noise cancellation than the Momentum 2, also have a tighter seal on the ear, and thus greater sound isolation. However, they also have three different noise cancellation modes.. When the noise cancellation is on Max mode, it reduces the maximum amount of background noise. This mode has a stronger level of cancellation from the Momentum 2. Next, Anti-Wind mode reduces noise slightly, focusing mostly on wind or “structure-borne noise”. Lastly, Anti-Pressure mode provides a comfortable level of cancellation, without such a strong feeling of pressure in the ears. This is not only optimized for plane rides, but was also my favorite noise cancelling mode because it reduced the noise, while maintaining a feeling of comfort and optimal sound quality.

While there is a switch on the headphones to control whether or not the noise cancellation is on, off, or in transparent hearing mode, the different levels of noise cancellation are choosable via the Sennheiser Smart Control App (for iOS and Android).

Sennheiser Smart Control App

The Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones have a smart design, because they pause when you take the headphones off, play when you put them back on, and power down when you fold the headphones (similar to the Sennheiser PXC 550). However, they also have lots of controls in the Sennheiser Smart Control App. In the app, one can change the level of noise cancellation, as well as the sound signature with an EQ. Additionally, one can turn on transparent hearing (also selectable on the earcup of the headphones). Transparent Hearing opens up the microphone to hear your surroundings so if someone is trying to get your attention, you don’t need to take the headphones off.

Sound

Low Frequencies

The low frequencies of the Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones have a sense of fullness, punchiness, control and warmth. They also have a subtle sense of extension. A boost around what sounded like 60 Hz brings the punch of kick drums, bass synths, and other low-frequency-rich instruments forward. Additionally, it is followed by small boost at what sounded like 100 Hz, which elevates the level of the lows in the mix. However, low frequency instruments maintain a sense of tightness and control, in addition to their warm tonality.

For example, when I was listening to the song Formation by Beyonce, the bass synth felt full and had subtle extension. Additionally, the kick was punchy with some extra level in the mix. Together, both felt warm, yet maintained a tight control.

Middle Frequencies

The midrange of the Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones feels full. Similar to the low-end, the middle frequencies had a sense of warmth and smoothness. Electric guitars, strings, pianos, horns, and bass guitars felt thick and smooth. A light cut at the base of the high-mids around what sounded like 1.5 kHz. As a result, I heard good separation between midrange heavy instruments from those with more high-mid information. However, only the instruments with the most high-mid info really found themselves engaging with that separation due to another cut at around what sounded like 4 kHz. This cut contributed to the overall feeling of warmth. However, some presence returned due to a slight boost around 5 kHz.

For example, when I was listening to the song Born of a Broken Man by Rage Against the Machine, the electric guitars and bass sounded nice and big with lots of fullness. However, the distortion of the guitars was smooth sounding. However, the vocal and snare drum had more presence and separation from the guitars.

High Frequencies

The high frequencies of the Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones have a slight feeling of specificity to their attacks. Additionally, they have a good, emphasized sense of texture. A light residual boost around 6 kHz provided presence to cymbal, string, and horn attacks. However, it was followed by a cut around 7 kHz which makes the highs as a whole sound a bit quieter in the mix. Additionally, it makes them lean upward. Another boost around what sounded like between 8-9 kHz provided texture to percussion, vocals, cymbals and strings. Finally, a boost around 12 kHz provided subtle lift and energy.

For example, when I was listening to the song Miles Runs the Voodoo Down by Miles Davis, the cymbals had a delicate accented attack and nice texture. As a result, they were able to maintain their own individual characters. Additionally, the shaker and snare brushes had great texture too. However, the cymbals and percussion sat slightly quieter in the mix. But, the upper octave boost gave them along with the horns and guitars a subtle sense of lift.

Soundstage

The soundstage of the Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones have a lot of solidity in the middle. While the depth is a little bit compressed sounding because of the noise cancellation, there is an impressive feeling of width and height. The fullness of the lows combined with the subtle extension in the highs gives a nice tall image of the sound although it is weighted toward the middle mids because of the warmth.

For example, when I was listening to the song Shout Mountain Music by Old Crow Medicine Show, the upright bass felt solidified the center. It acted as a center of gravity where all the other instruments felt drawn. However, the fiddles actually did a good job of flaring out to the sides, creating good emotional impact. Additionally, the height felt nice with the upright bass anchoring the mix downward, but with the vocal and hand claps extending it back upward. However, the majority of the mix sat in the middle part with the body of the fiddles, guitar, banjo, and higher frequencies of the upright bass. Lastly, while the depth was not particularly emphasized, room mics and reverbs helped to create a sense of depth, especially noticeable in the background vocals.

Overview

Overall, the Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones are a great headphone! They’re a great option for those nauseated by the super strong noise cancellation of Sony and Bose. Additionally, they are great for those that need super durable headphones that also has a great, warm sound!

The Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones’ incredible build quality and sound make it a top tier headphone worthy of the MajorHiFi Gold Award!