Sennheiser

Momentum True Wireless 3

£219.99

Sennheiser dipped its toes in the true wireless earbud market early in the game. Launched as early as 2017, the original Momentum Wireless had its battery and gadgetry contained within its neckband – as was the trend at the time. Once it finally broke free of the wires and became a true wireless product, it sounded superb. Still, it had a few technical niggles that were understandable for a first-generation release.

Now though, we are on to round three. Not only has Sennheiser progressed through two iterations of its flagship product, but it has had plenty of true wireless experience with releases such as the CX and CX plus models. So is the company 'third time lucky' with this flagship, or will some of the old issues of the previous releases haunt it too?

UP CLOSE

One consistency between all Momentum products is an excellent standard of fit and finish, and here the TW3 does not disappoint. The usual cross-stitch textured case returns, but with the USB-C port now on the front. This threw me off initially, but I found this placement to be more intuitive than the rear. The smaller, new 'squircle' shape of the earbud means that a lot of the external fat has been trimmed from the enclosures, making for the best-fitting Momentum True Wireless release to date. Weight is down to 5.8 grams, from 6g.

These differences may seem minor, but they add up when you're dealing with technology this small, especially if you're planning to go for a run in these things – which I did successfully. Mid-run readjustments were minimal, and with the correct seal, the TW3 stays put – a testament to the lightweight and balanced weight distribution.

This doesn't translate to a lesser battery experience, however. The upgraded SoC dishes out 6 to 8 hours of battery life to our testing, with another three refills available in the case. The latter charges equally as fast as the older model too, so this is a cut-and-dry upgrade. The case also now supports wireless charging, which means that it now roughly matches the feature set of the original AirPods Pro. When you're out of time and juice, a quick ten-minute zap will give you an hour of playback time when plugged in.

There are some enhancements under the hood, too. Bluetooth 5.2 is now standard, with aptX Adaptive support, which means all the best aptX varieties in one neat little codec package. These also support Multipoint connection, a rare but wonderful thing to see in this market segment. All this upgraded gadgetry, as well as classic Sennheiser tuning, leads to an excellent listening experience…

THE LISTENING

Black Balloon Reprise by Flying Lotus reveals a warm, detailed bassline and punchy vocals. The delicate, recessed details at the start of the track are easily discernible and have plenty of detail without any ringing or painful sibilance. It's a typically tricky balance to strike, and hard to find a headphone that's bright enough to bring out these moments but not so bright that it hurts.

The Momentum True Wireless 3 shows its impressive dynamic range when listening to Invisible - Piano Version by NTO. The low end has just enough wallop and presence to be felt but never overshadows the piano notes drifting through the mix. It's not a cold, analytical sound that the TW3 produces, but rather a fun, warm and detailed one. This signature is easily tweaked through the three-band EQ, although I'd love to see a five-band one in a future update.

The noise cancelling has seen some drastic improvements, too. It's not as world-ending as Sony's XM4 or Apple's AirPods Pro, but it is up to the task. While testing on a busy tram, I could drown out the outside world with adequate satisfaction. There's also a specific setting for eliminating wind noise, which works surprisingly well. Call quality garnered no complaints from either end of the phone, which is a big improvement on the original.

THE VERDICT

The Momentum True Wireless 3 is an excellent third release from Sennheiser. With fantastic sound, extensive customisation options, improved comfort, an enhanced SoC, and impressive battery life, there's much to like. It shows that the company knows precisely what it is doing. If you're looking for a true wireless product with outstanding performance and more customisation options than the norm, then here it is.

For more information visit Sennheiser