SENNHEISER Momentum 3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones with Alexa, Auto On/Off, Smart Pause Functionality and Smart Control App, Black

Even though I love music and have several pair of headphones, I probably fall short of being called an audiophile as I don’t know most of the technical terms related to headphones. So here’s my decidedly layman’s review: Received these today. Been listening to these off-and-on since. Even compared them to three of my other headphones (Beats Studio Wireless, Beats Studio Wired, and B&O H4 Wireless). This certainly outperforms all three (plus my Wireless Parrots) in almost and maybe every way. So far, I can confidently say these are the best headphones I’ve ever owned. Sound - best sounding headphones I’ve ever owned with the most accuracy of sound. I used to really like headphones that emphasized the bass (thus the previous Bests headphones), but now I lean toward more accuracy of sound. The bass is still there, but it’s not overpowering. ANC - these are the first headphones I’ve owned where I think I actually prefer to listen in Noise Cancelling mode. Usually I find ANC to flatten the sound, but here I find it actually results in slightly more depth and breadth of the sound field. So far, I seem to gravitate to the Anti-Wind setting which equates to the medium ANC setting. Battery Life - they arrived out of the box with 20% battery life. After playing with them a bit, I decided I better get them to a full charge. Probably because I kept checking on them, it seemed like they might not ever get past 60%, but after leaving them alone longer they reached 100%. They dipped down to 80% earlier but another charge and they were pretty quickly back to 100%. So far, much better than my Parrots which had the worst battery life of any wireless headphones I’ve ever owned. I also like that by pressing the middle button on the right cup, it verbally tells you the remaining battery life. In addition, you can see the battery life on the app on your phone as well as on the battery section on your iPhone itself. Been listening you them over an hour since last full charge and they’re still at 100%. Controls - I find them pretty intuitive. Phone paired pretty easily with my iPhone. It took a little more persistence to pair it with the Bluetooth adapter attached to my old school home stereo system, but that probably has more to do with my adapter and my own learning curve (adapter is new too). The top button is for turning ANC on or off as well turning Transparent Hearing on or off. So far, I like ANC on and Transparent Hearing turned off. That may change once I can travel (fly) for work again. Apps - the primary app is pretty cool. There are three ANC settings - Max, Anti Wind (medium), and Anti Pressure (low). So far, I find I like the aural soundscape of Anti Wind the best. It also tells you if you have Transparent Hearing turned on or off. You can also turn TH on/off via the app. There also is an equalizer but as opposed to my B&Os, so far I find I find I like it better if I leave it alone. As noted above it also tells you your remaining battery life. There is also a separate Tile app available you can use to locate your headphones. Through the app, you can see how close you are to your headphones as well “find” them by causing them to vibrate and emit a signal. Useful for sure, but I wish they emitted a louder sound. Not sure I’d hear them if there was any other sound around like in a loud airport. A little about how I’ve used them today and what I’ve listened to: Listened to a lot of Madonna today. Ray of Light album was first thing I tried out via my iPhone (Apple Music) as it has a pretty ambient soundscape. I wasn’t quite as blown away as I had hoped, but headphones did a very good job. This might be one where tampering with equalizer might be useful. I also listened to soundtrack for movie W.E. Wow. Sounded just phenomenal. Also listened to Sinead O’Connor’s Lion and the Cobra on vinyl via Bluetooth adapter connected to old school sound system. Overall, it did a good job given I was listening via pieced together technology. I’ll probably go back to just listening to vinyl on speakers, but still need to try it out with CD player. After, I did listen to Sinead’s I Want Your (Hands on Me) on my iPhone (Apple Music) and it sounded great although I did detect a bit of white noise hiss, but I attribute that more to it being an analog recording that likely hasn’t been digitally remastered. Also, some Ben Platt (also Apple Music on iPhone). Sounds great. Now listening to Madonna Madame X (Apple Music on iPhone). Sounds pretty phenomenal and I’m finding it a bit of fun to tamper with the equalizer on this one. Also, since I have an iPhone, I didn’t bother messing with setting up Alexa as my assistant. I’ll stick with Siri. For three years, I’ve known my next headphones would probably either be Sennheiser or Master & Dynamic. After doing a lot of research again recently before purchasing these, I think I made the right choice. Update: Day 2 Woke up late this morning and grabbed my headphones which have been charging overnight. Soon as I put them on, they automatically paired with my iPhone and started playing Lucky Star which I had started before I went to bed last night. I listened to rest of Madonna’s debut album as well. Her debut isn’t the most aurally nuanced (which is one of its charms). I’ve also listened to this album a ton since it came out in 1983 so wasn’t expecting any major surprises. However, I noticed certain elements that haven’t been as prominent to me before like certain percussion elements (Borderline) or saxophone riffs (I Know It) or synthesizer flourishes (Holiday/Think of Me). I do notice the headphones being a little more “touchy” as far as turning off/pausing if I touch them or turn so one of the cups touches a pillow. Not too annoying though. Just tried to recreate making it pause with those same motions and it didn’t do it now. Also sometimes when I put them around my neck or put them down, they automatically quit playing but often I have to put them in folded up position to turn them off although using middle button on right cup also seems to work. I don’t find (as some users have) that the phones are super sensitive to how they’re folded to be turned off so I like that. As long as they’re folded, they turn off. Wireless reach - I forgot to mention that when I listened to vinyl last night, the stereo is on second floor and I was in living room and I had no loss of signal so that was good. Loudness - phones do get plenty loud (certainly loud enough). Do I wish they got a bit louder? Sure, but they get quite loud for wireless headphones and it’s probably a good thing for my hearing they don’t get louder. Another Update: I don’t really use headphones for phone calls so can’t comment on that. Case - I actually like it. Much better than no case (I had to order a third party for my B&O headphones) or just a cloth bag. I know some would prefer a harder outer shell to the case and are worried their headphones will get damaged in their bag through the case, but it’s not like I’m gonna be packing ginsu knives in my totes or duffels. The cloth case will actually help it take up less room in my bag. I also like the inner pouch to hold the charging cable and cord for wired listening. I agree the equalizer could be a little more well designed (I actually like the equalizer on the B&O app), but I’m having more fun playing with it.

I was really surprised by how awesome these sounded! I bought them with the idea that I was going to use them with the wire rather than wireless. Wired headphones usually sound better. But wow! I downloaded the app to my phone. I charged up the headphones. And then in the app, I turned on the high end sound setting. And I turned off the noise canceling, because I had heard that the noise canceling made the bass sound boomier and I was looking for neutral. By the way, you gotta turn the volume low on your phone when you open the headphone and put it on your head. And then turn the volume up on the headphone itself to get the desired volume. After that, you can control volume with your phone up and down. 1. Comfort - I have medium size ears and I thought the leather ear cushions were very comfortable. The experience was like sitting back on a cushy leather sofa. Thumbs up. 2. Build Quality - very well built. Nothing on it looks like it would be easy to break, unless you threw it against the wall. 3. Style- I bought the white and gray headphones, I think they’re very stylish. Kind of a retro look, but I like that. 4. Portability. These are the biggest Sennheiser momentums ever made. But they fold up. The soft zipped case that they come with has a a carabiner, so you can hook it onto a carry-on bag. 5. Noise cancelling. The noise canceling is pretty good, but not outstanding. Certainly not as strong as the Bose 700 or the Sony XM4s. Even my little AirPod Pros are better at noise canceling. But the sound quality of the AirPod pros is nowhere near as good as the Sennheiser. 6. Sound Quality. These are amazing! As I said, I had the high end setting on within the app and noise canceling turned off. I was amazed at the clarity of the midrange, that was the first thing I noticed, the smoothness of the sound was the next thing I noticed. The clarity of the treble is also very pleasant, without even the tiniest bit of piercing brightness. I tried using it with the wire, it was very good, but this headphone sounds better wireless! Crazy! I had the noise cancelling off. When I turned on the noise canceling, it did give the bass a bit of extra boom and impact. Some will like that! I would characterize the overall sound as clear, vibrant, and balanced. By comparison, I thought the Sony XM4 sounded more V shaped and boomy. And the Bose QC35 was nowhere near as awesome sounding as the Momentum 3. I own all three over ear Momentum headphones, and this one is by far the best. I like the Over ear Momentum 2 wired’s sound, but the mid range was a little muffled, the mid range of the Momentum 3 is clear as can be. I would say the weakest thing about this headphone is the firmware, it takes getting used to, it took a while for me to figure out that you should control the volume on the headset first and then turn it up on the phone. I’m not 100% sure about the battery life because I usually put it back on the charger before it goes dead. Maybe I shouldn’t do that? I own a Hifiman Ananda, the Sennheiser 650 and 600 and 58X, and I’ve owned most of the open back Sennheisers south of the 700. I personally prefer this M3 more than any of the other Sennheisers for sound quality. And if you can get it for $250 or $270, you got a slam dunk of a deal, unless you need something with the most noise canceling. For me, I was in it for the sound quality, for that smooth Sennheiser sound that I love.

Let me first say that I am neurodivergent with noise sensitivity so I wear my headphones near constantly, 12 hours a day or more. My priorities are comfort and noise canceling first, though sound quality is also very important. Positives: I bought these two years ago as of this review, so I can speak to the durability of these headphones. I had perviously had problems with headphone bands snapping, and these have held up great. The only sign of wear and tear on any part of the headphones is a little peeling of the material inside the ear cups. Comfort wise these are amazing, the ear cups are the most comfortable I have found, I can wear them all day with minimal discomfort. The headband is ok, not the best, but not uncomfortable. They are breathable enough to remain comfortable in hot weather, and are good insulation in cold weather too. The battery life is also very good, I can use them for about two days without needing to charge them. Sound quality is good, they have good bass and balance the vocals and instrumentals well, I haven't had a song that doesn't sound great in these headphones. Negatives: It is a little annoying that these appear to have a normal USBc port, but only charge with their charger. Not exactly a huge issue, but still a gripe. The noise canceling is fine for relatively quiet environments, but for a volume level like a busy street or a bus, they fail. They lower the noise, but are unable to block it out, and I usually still have to raise my volume to be able to hear my music. The positioning for the headphones can't be secured in place. They slide to make the size adjustable, but I have found no way to keep them from continuing to slide around, which makes them basically unusable for wearing while exercising, since they will very easily fall off. The microphone is not great, it won't pick up your voice unless you speak pretty loudly, and the quality isn't great. I don't find it worth using. Limited button controls for such an expensive pair of headphones. There is volume and pause, noise canceling controls, and bluetooth controls, but no ability to skip tracks, which I've seen on headphones far less expensive. The auto-pause has issues. The sensor for whether it's on your head is only on the right ear, which is fine. The issue is that it will randomly become very sensitive, to the point that turning your head or chewing will make it to pause what you're listening to. This has to be fixed by turning off the headphones and letting them stay off for a while before you use them again. Overall, I really like these headphones, but I'm coming back to write this review because they've started having an issue where they randomly cut out and refuse to play sound until I turn them off and on again, and I am considering replacing them.

The Sennheiser Momentum 3's are above average in most categories, and the best in one (my opinion). Noise canceling is pretty good, though nowhere near the Sony XM4, Bose NC 700 and AirPods Max. They also fall short of the B&W PX7's. However, for me, they do knock out enough of the noise that it is acceptable. It is not adjustable, but you can select a couple different noise canceling modes through the app. Comfort - The ear cups are leather and very comfortable. They do not heat up and I barely notice they are there. The headband, however, is noticeable to me. Not painfully so, but I do have to adjust every so often. Controls - The buttons work pretty well. I wish the center media button was a little more pronounced as I sometimes hit the volume up or down buttons when I mean to do something else. The B&W PX7's and AirPods Max have the better pushbutton controls (love the Max crown), while the Sony X4 and Bose NC 700 use more of the touch controls (this can be good and bad). Transparency Mode - This works really well, though I wish it automatically reduced the audio volume slightly if you have it set to continue playing. You can also set it up in the app to mute the music when you put it into transparency mode, but for some reason it does not pause the music like the MTW2 earbuds do. So you put it into transparency mode, have a conversation, come back to the music and a new song may be playing. Not a big deal but a little annoying. AirPods Max still takes the cake for transparency mode. Sony XM4 ambient mode works well, but it always seems to lose my setting every so often and I have to go into the app and adjust. The Bose NC 700 is really nice with adjustable noise canceling as well as going all the way to transparency mode. Battery - Battery life is not great, but sufficient for my use. I feel like battery life should be at least 20 hours these days, with ANC on. Bose NC 700 and AirPods Max hit it right on. Sony and B&W PX7 blow past it. My use with these headphones tends to be a few hours at a time and mostly in my house, so it is not an issue. However, I certainly hope that the Momentum 4's address this issue whenever they come out. Connections - Pairing between two devices is easy, reliable and it will switch between the sources very quickly. App - The app is just ok. It always seems to take a couple tries to connect when I open it. Sony is more reliable. Bose is even more reliable and faster. I do like the EQ and being able to tweak the sound, though I do tend to listen in Neutral. You can also change noise canceling levels between Max, Anti-Wind and Anti-Pressure. My biggest complaint about this is that I have to go into the app to do it. You can turn off the noise canceling by pushing a button on the headphones, but you cannot switch between modes without opening the app. Call quality - I am told that call quality is pretty good. People can understand me clearly and I can hear them very well. Better than the Sony XM4. Much better than the B&W PX7. Not as good as the Bose NC 700 or the AirPods Max (and Airpods Pro for that matter) As I said, the Momentum 3's do all of the above very well, but there is usually one other headset that can do it better (though not always the same one). What does it do best? Sound. These things sound awesome! I know this is very subjective, but to me, the sound stage is wide, I can hear everything crisply and clearly, and the bass is noticeable but not overwhelming. I am not an audiophile, but I do really enjoy these.

I’ll probably update this review over time. It was at two stars, now down to one... maybe they’ll work their way up to two again. [*update after about 6 months at the bottom] I have since gotten a pair of Shure Aonic 50s, which are outstanding... That’s a lotta money tied up in headphones! I probably should’ve just bought the new Apple cans instead. In the meanwhile, I’ve exchanged dozens upon dozens of emails with Sennheiser about the myriad issues I’ve had with these. It all began with an apparently-software and/or firmware-related problem, which developed into further problems (Note: the app is pretty jank too, and none of the updates entirely stopped it from glitching and losing connection, etc. But, it’s a requisite in order to adjust EQ or ANC, et al.). Before I could even manage to get all of the software/firmware/app nonsense worked out, a more serious hardware problem developed. To wit: the headphones seem to believe that they are still plugged in via the (annoyingly proprietary) 3.5-2.5mm cord, which I did only a few times. As a result, they’ll no longer let me pair with anything. This is apparently a common problem people have “fixed” in various ways (“raking the pins,” etc.), many of which I’ve tried to no avail. How ridiculous: a $350 gadget with a terminally faulty switch/sensor? Please. My old school Sony Studio Monitors last a decade, even treated more carelessly. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF ITSELF. They’re dismissive, misleading, often give incorrect information, don’t listen carefully to questions (instead generally replying with a prescribed response referring you to something that doesn’t work or isn’t even applicable); and I could go on. Just the other day I got a sarcastic reply from one of their people, who was actually supposed to have called me more than two weeks ago. I wrote (paraphrasing): “Hello again _____, I’ve now contacted you twice since you were supposed to call me on the telephone, but have heard nothing. Are you, or are you not, going to contact me. Please advise. Respectfully, ____” She replied, “You’re very welcome.” I thought this might have been sent to me by mistake, so I followed up... she very brusquely replied that my issue would better be handled by yet another department (the 4th so far I think). The above rude transaction took place as I’m simply trying to send them in for warranty repair given the development of this issue that is clearly a hardware problem. To be clear, I treat all my A/V gear like it’s made of antique glass (Another note: the case these come with is a joke; if you do buy them, get an actual hard case to protect your investment.). Trying to send them in has even become a rigamarole. I’m almost 2 months into that fiasco now, having sent proof of purchase, serial number, their form, etc. I don’t even have specific instructions or a shipping box yet. By the way, it appears they expect YOU to pay for the shipping to get their bunk product repaired, in England, I believe. Another slap in the face. This may explain part of my delays here as I flat out refused to do that. But, at this rate, they’ll be out of warranty before I have even sent them off... and I imagine it will take months in turnaround time too. I realize this review is darn salty; but generally, I try to be very convivial with folks. Sugar works better than vinegar and all that. This has worn me down though. If you don’t have the patience for this type of thing, don’t buy these. As others have commented, the sound quality is exceptional. Virtually everything else is a train wreck. What a shame. Sennheiser has always been so top notch in my experience. Perhaps they’re better off sticking with the old-school tech. * Update: I HAVE NEVER DEALT WITH SUCH GARBAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Due to a lack of response to repeated email attempts (customer service department, warranty department, sales department), I finally wrote an actual physical USPS letter on letterhead and sent it via priority mail... BEGGING them to stand behind their product. Not once have I been angry with a representative, used foul language, or anything of that sort. But I honestly wonder if they have blacklisted me, or if they have just turned into a horrible company. Do not buy any Sennheiser products if you expect any type of support or for them to stand by a clearly faulty product. Gosh I wish Amazon had 0 stars as an option.

June 2020 (purchased these November 2019). Would I buy these again? Yes. Sound quality and build quality are great. ANC is okay -- not best-in-class, but that wasn't my priority with these. Comfort: I wear glasses and have long hair. No issue with these and glasses (thin frames), but hair needs to be tied up, otherwise it gets instantly caught in the sliders. I can wear these for ~5 hours straight. More than that and the tips of my ears start to hurt/they weigh on my head too much. I've worn then more (closer to the 5 hours) because my SO and I are both WFH due to COVID, but usually I'd only wear them a couple hours at a time. Intermittent issues with Bluetooth and my work computer (MacBook Pro). Ie, works perfectly for weeks at a time, then I'll randomly have to power cycle/re-pair/etc. No issues with connecting to my phone (Pixel 3) at all though. Battery life isn't actually that much of a negative. I charge them overnight occasionally, and have only run out of battery once. Plugged them in to my computer and continued to use them while they charged. --- Only issues: Relatively short battery life, as compared to other similar headphones. I haven't really had issues with battery life though -- generally just plug them in after work and they're obviously fully charged the next morning. Will only charge with included cable... My phone and work computer both charge with usb-c, so I thought it would be convenient to have headphones that also charged with a usb-c cord. Well, these headphones input seem to charge with the included cable. Any wall plug is fine though. I've had some issues connecting via bluetooth to my work computer (2016 Macbook Pro). Usually this is seamless and doesn't require me to do anything but sometimes I'll have to manually click "connect" in the Bluetooth options. Terrible first world problem, I know. Last dislike: these are pretty expensive, honestly. But you get what you pay for, and I wanted headphones that would last me a long time. -------- Overall, sound quality is good, noise cancelling is good (don't expect 110% silence though, from these or any other headphones), transparent hearing is actually a really cool feature, and being about to connect to multiple devices fairly seamlessly without an app is really nice. I picked these over the sony and bose headphones these are often compared against because my priorities were build and sound quality. ANC and battery life were important, but ultimately things that mattered less to me than build/sound quality. I use these for work and gaming. I work from home, but travel in to the office frequently. These fit my needs really well.

My review after two months of weekly usage! Cons: Bluetooth implementation seems flawed and noice cancellation is just okay. Comparing to my other wireless active noise cancelling headsets that I've tried such as the Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC, a couple Jabras, and the Sony XM3, my Momentum 3 unit has a noticeably raised noise floor. Thankfully I do not hear any noise during actual playback. But for sure during gaps between songs / videos, I can hear a high pitched hum, or varying pops/clicks. I only ever really noticed it in a quiet home environment vs commuting on the train. Also, there is just noticeable audio-video desync when paired with my Apple iphone or iPad, which I have never experienced with any other wireless headphones. As for the noise cancellation, it was just an added bonus for me but when I am looking for it, it could stand to be stronger or support varying toggleable levels. Battery life is average. I've been able to get through hours long Zoom calls on the Lagoon but the Sennheiser starts to run low under similar conditions. I think the battery readout is also too vague. "More than 40% battery left" - Does that mean 59%, or 41%? The hinge on/off mechanic is gimmicky and can actually be painful! Literally on day 2 of ownership I was a little careless and gave myself a nasty pinch on the webbing between my left thumb and forefinger. There is also the concern that when "off" (hold the multifunction button while opening the hinge and the voice tells you Power Off), that it is actually still passively draining the battery. The Beyer with its physical on/off switch instills more confidence. Unlike the Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC, one cannot turn it on and simultaneously use the 3.5mm jack. I want to take advantage of active noice cancelling while still opting for the better sound quality by going wired, but in my tests the sound output level is extremely low and dead sounding when trying to do both at the same time. I was worried I was somehow going to break something so I stopped trying. Pros: Comfort is very good. I usually prefer headphones with larger drivers as the cups/pads tend to be larger too. I do not experience temple or jaw fatigue w headphones (so far), but rather ear-clamp fatigue. I returned the Momentum 2 because the pinch was just too distracting. The M3 cups feel more plush and overall have more surface area contacting the head so less of a gripping sensation on the actual ears. Overall build quality is pretty solid. Less creaky compared to the Beyerdynamic Lagoon. Minimal microphonics with the included 3.5mm cable. Sound is great. For a closed-back headphone targeting the market for mobility + intimacy, the bass has plenty of body but is not overpoweringly rumbling, which is my preference. I found the instrument separation to be excellent and on par with some of the more expensive audiophile grade headphones I've demoed. The Transparent Hearing feature opens up the soundstage even more, even though there is some trickery involved there. I feel like no frequencies in the mix are getting lost here. If I had to nitpick, on more vocal forward genres such as Hip-Hop I found certain voices a tad shouty, or certain piano tones a little sharp. I am more attuned to V-shaped profiles so take with a grain of salt. Attenuating the 1k-2k range with EQ fixed it for me. Overall, a fine, comfortable headphone for casual listening with the added convenience of decent enough wireless capability, but definitely with its quirks.

Absolutely adore these things. My previous pair of headphones were Sony WHXB900N - I thought I liked those, but they broke in a bit over a year and I was pretty ticked about that. These Sennies blow them outta the water: •Better build by far. These are probably the most premium feeling things I think I've owned (you don't understand how much nicer even the plastic feels compared to my sony pair) and a metal band as opposed to the crappy plastic ones that always break for me and anyone else with a big head. •Physical buttons instead of awful touch controls. Seriously, touch controls have gotta be the stupidest trend in over-ear headphones by FAR. •Better Sound, s'not even close here. •Better ANC. I've heard the WH-1000XM4 has probably best in class ANC, but since I've never owned those I can't compare. Better than WHXB900N atleast. •Better looking. Obviously preferential, but I prefer this look over modern plastic bs by sooooo much. My only downsides so far: •Turned off the auto stop/start feature. It's waaaaay too sensitive and would stop my music even just by me shifting my glasses a bit. •App support not *quite* as good as Sony's. I know it's probably silly but I do miss the Virtual Soundstage settings, I think they're called? •Give me three more buttons please - a proper on/off switch, and a playlist forward/playlist back. The double/triple tap of the play/pause button to skip/rewind is not very intuitive, even holding down volume up/down would have been better IMO. •Battery is a little short. I have to charge these every night as opposed to every other with my old sony's. Not the biggest deal, but worth noting. I think it does make these things a lot lighter though. Absolutely great headphones that I've had no issues with in the four months I've had them. If I ever have any real issues I'll come back and update obviously, but right now these are probably the best headphones I own by far.