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Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3
The pressure is on when any company releases a new flagship product, and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 has a lot of expectations to live up to, from sound quality to active noise canceling (ANC). With an already strong lineup of wireless earbuds and headphones, Sennheiser adds a bunch of extras to bolster the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3. We tested the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 for about a week, so here’s the rundown.
Editor’s note: this Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 review was updated on August 27, 2024, to include new Smart Control App features and a comparison section to the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4.
People with money to burn will enjoy the good sound and customization in the Sennheiser Smart Control app. Consumers who want all of the conveniences of wireless earbuds will like the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3.
What’s it like to use the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3?
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 (or MTW3) represents an iterative update to the MOMENTUM True Wireless 2. It comes in a tweed-covered case with a USB-C charging connection (and USB-C cable), and four sets of silicone ear tips, which range from 10-15mm in diameter. Like the popular Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen), the MTW3 ships with three sets of silicone wings that wrap around the outer edges of the buds to lock in the fit. I use the 11mm (size small) set of ear tips and the largest stabilizers. Pleasingly, the ear tips are the most hassle-free to swap out I’ve ever experienced: they just fit over the 7mm earbud nozzles. You don’t have to exert any force trying to get them on. The same goes for the stabilizers.
The MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 is a bit chunky and the case is a bit heavier than it looks, but I suppose that’s to accommodate the thick earbuds. Everything feels solid, from the satisfying magnetic click of the buds fitting into the case, to the snap that emanates when the clamshell lid shuts. The MTW3 has a IPX4 certification, meaning you have some waterproofing. While the buds stay in my ears reasonably well, I wouldn’t go for a jog with them—they don’t quite fit well enough for that.
Fortunately, the touchpad is obviously on the flat exterior of the housing, and this makes adjustments easy and mostly free of misfires. After two hours my ears experience some discomfort from fatigue. For daily use, like going for walks, commuting, or performing office work the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 has a good enough in-ear fit.
Unlike the pair-and-go earbuds out there the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 requires some of your time to set up. Sennheiser advises performing a quick 30-second charge when you open the box to pair. Yours may require a firmware update too. This is very much designed for people who like to tinker with apps and adjust fit.
You get some new features like Sound Zones (covered more in the Software section). This allows you to set up listening preferences depending on your geographic location. You can make your office a zone where the buds automatically turn on ANC and podcast EQ, for instance. I find this handy when I’m working from home, and I have ANC on, but when I leave the buds in to walk the dog, it switches to Transparency Mode automatically. You also get conveniences like wireless charging, and a quality build.
How do you control the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3?
In an everyday capacity, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 has the right amount of touch sensitivity (Samsung, please take note.) The only time I experience misfires is when I remove the buds and have them in my hands—usually, it amounts to making paused audio start playing again. You can turn off the touch controls completely in the Smart Control app, but you lose out on some of the key features if you do that.
| SINGLE TAP | DOUBLE TAP | TRIPLE TAP | HOLD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
LEFT EARBUD | SINGLE TAP Transparency mode or answer / end call | DOUBLE TAP Skip to previous track | TRIPLE TAP Active noise cancellation (ANC) | HOLD Volume down |
RIGHT EARBUD | SINGLE TAP Play/pause or answer / end call | DOUBLE TAP Skip to next track | TRIPLE TAP Voice assistant | HOLD Volume up |
Should you download the Smart Control app?
As mentioned already the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 requires some set up time. Sennheiser includes a QR code, or you can go to the Google Play Store or Apple Store to download the Smart Control app. Our test set immediately required a 21-minute firmware update (we’re reviewing version 2.3.9). So, yes, you should download the Smart Control app at the very least for updates.
In the app, you’ll see tiles pertaining to different options: your connected devices list, five-band equalizer, Sound Check (which lets you test custom EQ presets), Transparency Mode settings, Adaptive Noise Cancellation, “Sound Zones,” and Touch Controls. You can also tap the Settings tab to reorganize the tiles as you like—a very nice touch.
A post-launch firmware update in 2023 brought a host of new features to the app including an interactive Sound Personalization mode which calibrates a custom listening profile based on a hearing test. The update also added an ear tip fit test, and performance improvements for faster device connection and quicker firmware updates.
At launch, the equalizer only had three bands, but a firmware update expanded it to five. You get Low, Low-Mid, Mid, High-Mid, and High controls, but the app doesn’t say exactly which frequencies you are adjusting.
Adaptive Noise Cancelling
Sennheiser equips the MTW3 with a form of active noise canceling (ANC) that turns on and off, as well as an Anti Wind mode. Anecdotally, the Anti Wind mode works quite well compared to just having the Adaptive Noise Canceling turned on during those windy days.
This feature is still pretty self-explanatory, but it does more than just turn off and on. Unlike a basic transparency mode, the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 lets you turn it off, on with music, and on when you pause music. It also supplies a slider to finesse how much environmental sound to let it. The discerning listener will like this feature.
What are Sound Zones?
“Sound Zones” is one of the more interesting features in the app. Equipped with a map you can customize locations you frequent, like your home, or workplace and save preferred ANC and EQ settings. Once you enter the radius—as set by you on the location map—your settings will automatically change to the saved setting for that Sound Zone. You also set what happens when you leave a zone. Either the settings stay as is until you enter another Sound Zone with different ANC and EQ, or they automatically switch to your saved preferences when you leave a determined zone.
You get notifications when you enter a new Sound Zone so you shouldn’t be surprised when the settings change either. To access these settings you have to create an account (or sign in, if you have an account with Sennheiser already), and consent to more data collection, specifically location-related data. It’s a novel use of location tracking and works well.
How does the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 connect?
Sennheiser kits out the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 with a suite of codecs: aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC, and SBC. In the Smart Control app under “Settings,” you’ll see which codec your device uses. Our tests were all done with aptX, which yields the highest potential quality audio the MTW3 can offer. aptX Adaptive is a nice option for folks using Android devices that watch many videos or deal with patchy internet connections. This is because while aptX has the higher potential data transfer and generally low latency that’s good for video, aptX Adaptive adjusts the audio quality to prioritize low latency and maintain a strong Bluetooth connection. Without altering any settings, the earbuds default to aptX with my Samsung phone.
If you’re part of the Apple ecosystem, the aptX inclusion is a moot point, as you’ll only be using the AAC codec. However, if like a lot of people you have a Windows machine and an iPhone, you may still benefit from aptX if your PC is capable.
The connection is mostly stable over aptX to a distance of about eight meters, after which the buds began to experience connection issues. A couple connection drops can occur no more than one meter away too, which is surprising. It should not pose a problem for most users, but it’s also not as stable as it should be.
On November 2, 2022, Sennheiser released an update allowing 24-bit/96kHz streaming to the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3. This “Hi-Res” mode in the app only works with aptX Adaptive and increases the bitrate to 420kbps. To get this feature, you must update the buds’ firmware to 2.10.19 or later and the app must run version 4.1.5 or later.
The MTW3 should automatically enter pairing mode when you remove both buds, indicated by a flashing red and blue LED. If this doesn’t happen automatically, place both buds in your ears and hold down on each touchpad for 3 seconds to trigger pairing mode. In use, it links back to your device very quickly after being disconnected.
How long does the battery last on the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3?
According to our standardized battery testing the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 lasts 5 hours, 33 minutes on a single charge. This result is reasonably good, and the charging case has an additional three charges totaling 22 hours of battery. You can also use a wireless Qi charging pad to keep the case topped up, or the included USB-C cable.
A 10-minute quick charge provides 60 minutes of playtime to the buds.
Is the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 noise canceling any good?
Secure yourself a good in-ear fit and the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 is very capable of canceling noise. Passive isolation is impressive, managing to reach over 45dB of attenuation around 10kHz. Although, that looks good on a chart, more impressive is how comprehensive the isolation is, particularly around 1kHz (where a lot of environmental sounds are), down into the lows. Low sounds are usually the area of struggle for passive isolation, with some earbuds blocking zero lows, but not here.
Active noise canceling (ANC), which Sennheiser labels as “Adaptive Noise Cancelling” in the Smart Control app, is very good too. Besides a narrow band at 400Hz where both isolation and ANC dip down to just above 10dB of attenuation, from 1000Hz and below the ANC mainly hovers between 20dB and 30dB of cancellation. This is more than sufficient for your commute or your office to focus, or alternately, zone out. Anecdotally, it successfully mutes my very vocal cat.
How does the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 sound?
On the whole, the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 has a very pleasant frequency response, though treble takes a backseat to bass and midrange sound. Compared to our headphone preference curve, the MTW3 only really deviates significantly in the highs.
From 2.5-10kHz in the treble region, there is under-emphasis relative to our preference of anywhere from a couple of decibels down to almost 10dB. Generally, this leads to hearing everything in the lows and mids very well. You may be tempted to turn up your volume, because treble might be just that bit too quiet, but please don’t do that. On the flip side, it also means you won’t experience ear fatigue from too much treble. Here’s where one can suggest using the included equalizer to turn up those frequencies, but the Smart Control app doesn’t tell you which frequencies you can adjust. Even so, you can play with it to your liking, or go with a third party equalizer.
Lows, mids, and highs
Sennheiser’s sound works with a variety of music genres. The frequency response highlights the disco-inspired bassline in the song Negroni Summer by Donny Benét, and Benét’s airy voice is audible, if just a touch too quiet. During the bridge beginning at 2:25, the saxophone solo plays in excellent comparative volume with the kick and bass. Throughout most of the track, the relative volume of keys sounds just a bit too quiet but not egregiously so.
It’s not altogether unpleasant and for some tracks, it works better than on others. Girl and the Sea by The Presets sounds just about perfect. Low vocals sit at the right volume, while bubbly sequenced synths in the intro and verse are easy to hear too. The high-pitched synths and heavily processed rhythm guitar at the chorus are tamed to the right volume, while the driving bass and kick provide a satisfying groove.
Using the limited equalizer in the app, you can crank the treble slider up by 6dB (though I tend to leave it more around +2dB most of the time). Doing that with the Donny Benét song reveals more detail in the vocals and the muted guitar in the verse than before. The drum machine’s hi-hats come through much more obviously too.
However, I don’t think this EQ fully resolves the frequency response under-emphasis in the highs. The equalizer is too limited to make informed adjustments. Sure, a lot of people don’t know which frequencies apply to which sounds, but Sennheiser could easily label a slider “treble” and the frequency affected.
Can you use the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 for phone calls?
You can use the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 for calls, although it’s mostly just okay. Voices are captured with some under-emphasis in both the highs and lows. When taking a call in less than ideal conditions, say in a noisy office or on the street, the MTW3 filters out the lows heavily. Your voice will still be audible, but any noises in the highs will still come through too in a kind of noise haze—think keystrokes and car sounds.
Take a listen and let us know what you think.
Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 microphone demo (Ideal conditions):
Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 microphone demo (Street conditions):
Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 microphone demo (Office conditions):
How does the microphone sound to you?
Should you buy the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3?
Sennheiser is really aiming for the top tier with the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3, in price and specs. For people who just want basics like good sound and serviceable ANC, this might be kind of expensive. With that said, the noise canceling is rather good, with upgraded features like anti-wind for noise canceling, and the sound is solid too.
While the connection of our test unit isn’t always totally steady, it’s possible another update could resolve that. All the touch controls work effortlessly, as does in-ear detection. People who don’t want to sign over data like location tracking will miss out on the novel Sound Zones feature, which might mean it’s not the right choice for you. Sennheiser could take some cues from Shure or JBL and implement a more comprehensive equalizer at this tier.
By and large, the sturdy build of the case and buds, the IPX4 rating, and the two-year warranty greatly allay any durability worries. Skipping allegiances to any OS doesn’t go without saying these days as the brand specific earbuds wars continue, let’s express gratitude for Sennheiser making a product that works with Apple and Android. If you don’t want to compromise while looking for true wireless earbuds, you won’t have to make many with the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3.
What’s the difference between the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 and MOMENTUM True Wireless 4?
In 2024, Sennheiser released the MOMENTUM True Wireless 4, $269.95 at Amazon. The successor to the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 brings some performance improvements, but you will also need to pay a lot more to get the latest model. Primary improvements include longer battery life and the latest Bluetooth technology. In terms of sound quality and noise canceling, there isn’t much difference, as the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 was already a great performer. If you don’t need the latest and greatest, you will probably be fine with the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3.
Should you get the Sony WF-1000XM4 or Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3?
Both the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 are top-tier earbuds. Both will make most listeners very happy but take slightly different approaches. You get some high-quality codecs with either pair of earphones. The MTW3 uses aptX and aptX Adaptive (and AAC and SBC), as opposed to the WF-1000XM4, which has LDAC (as well as AAC and SBC). We’ll give Sennheiser the edge here, but most listeners won’t notice much difference.
Sony pushes ahead with a greater battery life per charge. The WF-1000XM4 lasts 7 hours, 43 minutes, compared to 5 hours, 33 minutes with the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3. Sony also has a more detailed equalizer in the app. However, the UI/UX on the app is notably clunkier than the Sennheiser app, which could otherwise benefit from a more granular equalizer function.
It’s safe to say that both earbuds do a great job of muting your environment. The WF-1000XM4 relies heavily on a good in-ear fit to deliver better isolation than the MTW3, but Sennheiser manages to outdo the Sony below 400Hz in ANC performance. Particularly, the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 really quiets sub-bass noise and noises around 900Hz compared to the WF-1000XM4. Even so, isolation on the Sony WF-1000XM4 will go a long way in dampening high-pitched sounds.
Neither set of earbuds sounds perfect, but they each sound good and follow our target curve reasonably well, especially in the mids and bass. Both Sony and Sennheiser under-emphasize treble, although the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 holistically reaches closer to our ideal in the highs. Fortunately, you can amend these deviations in the frequency response to some extent with the in-app EQ Sony and Sennheiser provide.
Sony might have the upper hand for folks who want surround sound, with its 360 Reality Audio, although its implementation is still quite limited. In this price range, both sets are winners. You can find the Sony WF-1000XM4 for $278 at Amazon.
What should you get instead of the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3?
Check out the Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless if you want very good ANC and sound without extras like Sound Zones. It has a similar shape as the MTW3 and a similar frequency response at a cheaper price. It also uses the aptX codec and AAC, so you need not compromise. It’s a wise choice, if not the most decked-out set, and costs $89 at Amazon.
Sportier listeners may instead opt for the Sennheiser Sport True Wireless which includes wing sleeves and a slightly different design. You don’t get ANC on the Sport True Wireless which is a “pro” for some and a “con” for others. The Sport True Wireless will run you $99 at Amazon.
In addition to the Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds, the Sony LinkBuds S is a bit of a sleeper hit. With an understated style, the matte textured buds stick to stay in-ears without using a stabilizer. Plus, if spatial audio is important to you, the Sony buds are capable of delivering. Like Sennheiser, Sony doesn’t pressure users to pick an OS, so the AAC and LDAC compatible LinkBuds S work regardless of whether you’re an Apple or Android fan. In action, both earbuds have similar battery capacities, and pretty close to the same noise canceling capabilities as well. The buds even sound rather alike, with the MTW3 having more volume above 7kHz. It’s a tight race, but if Sony is more your style pick up the LinkBuds S for $148 at Amazon.
Alternatives for exclusively Android or Apple
Android users, particularly Samsung phone owners, may want to save a few bucks with the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, which lacks stabilizers and Sound Zones, but feels good to wear. Its frequency response boosts more bass and treble than Sennheiser’s buds. Paired with a Samsung device, you can use the Samsung Seamless Codec and the Android-exclusive Galaxy Wearable app. Its ANC is among the best out there currently, but the battery life is a touch shorter. You only get EQ presets on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. The Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro go for ($179 at Amazon).
For productivity minded folks the Google Pixel Buds Pro has a few tricks up its sleeve, such as automatic translation. Rather than concentrating on codecs, Google gave the Pixel Buds Pro simply AAC and SBC, so you won’t get that “Hi-Res” audio present on the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3. Instead, the buds are smaller, lighter, and more comfortable (albeit, less secure). When paired with a Google Pixel device you can use spatial audio with head tracking. With very good ANC in addition to a greater battery life, the Pixel Buds Pro might fit your life better if you have a Pixel device; it sells for $199 at Amazon.
Consider matching your iPhone with the new Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation), which has a pretty similar frequency response as the Sennheiser buds. The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) has a slightly longer battery life than the MTW3, and noise canceling is not so different either. Because it uses AAC and SBC codecs with Apple OS-specific features, only buy the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) to pair with an iOS device. The stemmed design is polarizing and may catch on face masks, but the sliding gesture for volume is neat. You’ll pay $239 at Amazon for these Apple earbuds.
Frequently asked questions about the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3
As of November 2, 2022, the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 does support multipoint connectivity. To access this, the earbuds must run firmware 2.10.19 or higher, and the Smart Control App must be version 4.1.5 or higher. Multipoint switching is works over any mutually supported Bluetooth codec.
Yes, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 works in mono mode with either left or right earbud.
We recommend Samsung and Apple’s earbuds over the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II for now because the QC Earbuds II cannot disable ANC and has a wonky default frequency response. Bose and Apple’s noise canceling earphones share a stem-like design, but Bose’s is more expensive at $249 at Amazon. Unlike the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and AirPods Pro (2nd gen), the Bose QC Earbuds II case lacks wireless charging. If you’re willing to throw down $200 USD or more on wireless earbuds, there are better options.