Acclaimed audio company Sennheiser has returned with its third generation of flagship wireless noise-cancelling earbuds, Momentum True Wireless 3.
I’ve been testing them out every day for almost a month now and rate them as alongside Sony’s WF1000XM4 as the best in-ear Bluetooth headphones you can buy.
Design, build and comfort
Momentum True Wireless 3 have a set of rubber stabiliser wings that come in three sizes. These help them stay snugly in place, even during exercise.
They also come with four sets of silicone ear tips, which range from 10mm to 15mm in diameter.
Both the ear tips and stabilisers are easy to swap out and I would encourage you to try them all to find your perfect fit as this can greatly impact the quality of both noise cancellation and audio.
The buds are light but feel well built, and have an IPX4 rating for splash resistance. This means they should be fine to use in the rain or during workouts. The X, incidentally, means that they have not been tested for dust resistance.
They are comfortable to wear for several hours continuously.
The earbuds clip magnetically into their stylish fabric-covered charging case.
It is larger than average but still fits into most pockets and like the buds it feels like robustly made.
Audio quality
One of the key features of Momentum True Wireless 3, for me, is the support for the latest Qualcomm audio codec aptX Adaptive.
This means if you have a compatible smartphone such as OnePlus 10 Pro that you can access compressed transmission of up to 24-bit music files with lower latency.
It also means there are fewer dropouts – for example when you are taking your phone out of your pocket or bag.
The buds also support the universal SBC and AAC audio codecs.
Obviously, you will get a superior audio experience using wired earphones but the level of performance from true wireless earbuds has improved greatly in recent years.
And on these earbuds, you will get as sophisticated a sonic experience as you are going to get with wireless earphones, especially when using aptX Adaptive.
The levels of clarity, detail, depth, separation, resolution are all among the best you can get. These earphones sound so refined.
I’ve tested them on a range of musical styles from many eras along with repeated comparisons using a reference playlist I try out on every set of earphones I review. I’ve been impressed with all of the results.
There is plenty of bottom end; it’s punchy but well controlled and I rarely felt the urge to use the bass boost function.
Mid-range tones and the top end are both clearly defined and well balanced.
Remember, audio quality is always better when noise cancellation is not in use and this is the case on almost all ANC earphones and headphones that I have tested.
ANC
Momentum True Wireless 3 have most effective active noise cancellation.
It is capable of reducing most low-end rumbles, fan noise and road noise by adjusting the level of noise suppression automatically to the environment.
Its wind noise reduction setting is excellent and the ambient awareness mode is decent too.
Overall they come closest to matching the ANC on Sony’s market-leading WF-1000XM4.
And, like all in-ear headphones, the ANC is not as effective as it is in noise-cancelling over-ear headphones.
Controls
The Sennheiser logo on the earbuds is a touchpad for a full set of customisable controls including volume and noise-cancelling modes.
The touchpad is flat and works reliably: adjustments are intuitive and easy.
Sennheiser Connect is a free app on Android and iOS that enables you to tweak the settings, the equaliser and the noise cancelling modes.
It is a full equaliser and you have the option to create a custom profile using a short listening test.
The firm has promised to add a full sound personalisation setting in a future update, incidentally.
You can also automatically create Sound Zones that automatically change things based on your location, such as turning on noise cancelling when you leave the home, and switching it off when you return.
Or you can enable a more bass heavy sound profile to activate when you enter your gym.
Sound Zones works effectively: I’m a fan.
Another neat feature is that the Transparency mode can be activated while your music is playing or paused, so you can have a conversation over your music as well as silence.
The buds have automatic in-ear detection, a crucial feature that’s all earphones should have.
What this means is a sensor on the outside of the buds detects when they are removed from your ear and pauses the audio content. And when you put the buds back in, your content resumes playback.
Battery life
This is above average while not quite being the best in class.
You get seven hours of endurance from the earbuds and 28 hours when combined with the charging case.
Obviously battery stamina depends on factors such as volume level so these figures can vary depending on use.
The charging case charges via USB-C and the port is located on the front. Qi wireless charging is supported.
A 10 minute fast wired charge will give you an hour’s playback and it takes 90 minutes to fully recharge the earbuds.
Calls
My voice sounded clear even when speaking in loud environments, as the buds suppress background noise sufficiently.
The earbuds can be used independently of each other, which is handy for phone calls.
Other features
The earbuds support standard Bluetooth 5.2 and the connection to a range of phones, tablets and computers in tests was rock solid.
They currently only connect to one device at a time but the firm has promised an update to support connecting to two devices simultaneously.
The aforementioned aptX Adaptive audio codec results in lower latency which is particularly beneficial when gaming.
Verdict
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 are a stunning pair of earphones worthy of a five star rating.
They are a brilliant buy that offer superb sound quality and great features along with decent noise cancellation, above average battery life, user-friendly personalisation options and support for the latest aptX Adaptive audio format – all at an attractive price.
Momentum True Wireless 3 key specifications
Earbud weight: 6g each
Charging case weight: 66g
Audio driver size: 7mm
Water resistance: IPX4 (splash)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.2, SBC, AAC, aptX adaptive
Battery life: Seven hours, up to 28 hours with case
Case charging: USB-C, Qi wireless charging
