The Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds are an thrilling addition to the world of exercise headphones, providing the wonderful sound high quality you count on from Sennheiser’s Momentum line and well being monitoring within the type of coronary heart fee and physique temperature monitoring.
They’re superb headphones that I vastly loved testing, however they’ve a number of flaws that imply I don’t fee them as extremely because the finest exercise headphones. The worth can be eye-wateringly excessive, even in contrast with the highest buds from Apple, Bose and Beats, so except you might be useless set on having that Sennheiser sound to your exercises, there are better-value choices obtainable.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Value And Availability
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones had been introduced at CES 2024 and went on sale in April 2024. They price $329.95 within the US and £259.95 within the UK, placing them among the many most costly sports activities buds I’ve ever examined. Even the Apple AirPods Professional 2 and Bose QC Earbuds II are cheaper, whereas the Jabra Elite 8 Lively are considerably much less. There are three colours obtainable: Polar Black, Burned Olive and Metallic Graphite.
How I Examined These Headphones
I used the Sennheiser Momentum Sport buds for a number of weeks, carrying them to run most days in addition to when working and touring. I additionally did yoga and power exercises with the buds. I’ve examined the Sennheiser Sport True Wi-fi headphones, in addition to a variety of the very best exercise headphones from different manufacturers.
Design And Match
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport are fairly giant in-ear headphones secured by one of many three units of wings they arrive with. You can too use the buds with none wings, which is extra comfy if carrying them for lengthy stretches at work, however throughout exercises I wanted the wings to carry them in place.
Whereas they did keep put throughout runs and vigorous exercises, the wings usually are not that comfy, and I’d have soreness after I took the headphones out on the finish of longer runs. The wings additionally transfer round on the buds when taking them out and in of their case, and it’s annoying to need to readjust them repeatedly in order that they’re in the appropriate spot.
The headphones are IP55 rated, in order that they’ll stand up to sweat and rain with none issues even when they’re not totally waterproof. The case is IP54 rated, which implies it’s high quality to place right into a working belt or shorts pocket the place it’d get sweaty. It’s not a small case, however fairly flat and simple to slide right into a pocket.
There are contact controls on the skin of every bud, they usually have a coronary heart fee sensor and physique temperature sensor on board too. You possibly can hyperlink the buds with any watch and app to trace coronary heart fee, whereas physique temperature is tracked utilizing Polar tech and solely exhibits within the Polar and Sennheiser apps.
Controls
Together with touching the sensor on every earbud, you’ll be able to management the Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones by tapping your cheek. You possibly can customise the controls within the companion app and use them to modify between sound modes in addition to to regulate playback and quantity.
You can too set the sensitivity of the contact panels, which is lucky as a result of to start with the wind saved setting off the controls throughout runs. On one run it saved biking between the buds’ ANC, wind discount and transparency modes in an infuriating method, however since turning down the sensitivity this hasn’t occurred once more.
This will likely clarify why I discovered the controls a little bit hit-and-miss, and it took a pair faucets on both my cheek or the contact panel earlier than my makes an attempt registered. A profitable faucet is indicated by a beep, which is useful since some actions require three faucets.
Coronary heart Charge And Physique Temperature Monitoring
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport paired simply with a number of totally different watches and apps to broadcast coronary heart fee, performing like every other exterior coronary heart fee sensor. The physique temperature sensor works solely with the Polar app and watches. You possibly can’t present temperature on a Polar watch stay throughout exercises but, however that’s coming and would be the best solution to preserve tabs on the information—I had to take a look at the Sennheiser app on my telephone to see the data throughout runs and different exercises.
The physique temperature monitoring was attention-grabbing at first, however I used to be coaching throughout a gentle spring within the UK and had no actual have to test my temperature stats. It is going to be of extra curiosity when coaching in scorching climates, particularly throughout lengthy exercises while you’re at extra danger of overheating.
I discovered that the center fee monitoring accuracy was fairly poor on the headphones. When evaluating their readings to that of a Polar H10 chest strap, the headphones had been typically flawed, particularly within the second half of exercises. On runs they typically locked on to my cadence (steps per minute) fairly than coronary heart fee, and even now as I sit at a desk and write this the center fee studying is clearly too excessive compared with a chest strap monitor.
If you happen to’re somebody who wears a chest strap or armband coronary heart fee sensor and headphones, and had been hoping to consolidate these two units into one, I believe you’ll be disenchanted as a result of the Sennheiser Momentum Sport usually are not reliably correct.
Sound High quality
Regardless of being in-ear buds, the Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones have a semi-open design that doesn’t block out your environment as a lot as different in-ear headphones. This reduces the inner thudding you get when working or strolling with some in-ear buds, and offers a little bit extra consciousness of your environment, although you continue to want to make use of the transparency mode to essentially hear what’s occurring round you.
There’s a 10mm driver on board to energy the sound, and the buds do sound glorious. The vocals and different devices come by with crystal readability and listening to a variety of music genres throughout and outdoors of exercises was a pleasure. Sennheiser’s headphones have a extra pure sound to them and aren’t as heavy on the bass because the likes of Beats, however you continue to get loads of energy on the decrease finish. You possibly can alter the EQ within the companion app and use a bass booster mode if you happen to do need extra bass.
I haven’t come throughout any sports activities headphones that sound higher than the Momentum Sport—they definitely stay as much as the requirements of the famend Momentum line.
ANC And Transparency Modes
There are three sound modes on the Sennheiser Momentum Sport: ANC, transparency and an anti-wind mode. I discovered the latter very helpful throughout runs, particularly at windy working tracks, when many buds seize a variety of wind noise in ANC or transparency modes.
The ANC filters out most exterior sounds properly when touring, although it’s not fairly as spectacular on this entrance because the Bose QC Earbuds II or Apple AirPods Professional 2. The transparency mode is helpful at instances and you’ll alter the quantity of exterior noise you need to hear, however whereas working it does sound very windy at instances, to the purpose the place you’ll be able to’t hear issues like site visitors round you, negating the purpose of utilizing the mode.
Battery Life
The battery lifetime of the buds is listed as as much as six hours, with one other 18 hours of cost held within the case. These figures are based mostly on a mid-level of quantity with the ANC on, and the center fee and physique temperature sensors energetic. I discovered that the battery drained a little bit quicker than that for me even after I had the headphones at a reasonably low quantity, however they had been nonetheless on monitor to final over 5 hours.
A fast-charge function on the headphones delivers one hour of playback from 10 minutes of charging, and it takes round 90 minutes to totally cost the buds from empty. The battery life is neither a power or a weak spot for the Sennheiser Momentum Sport. They’re about par with different prime buds, although they do supply much less battery life than the Jabra Elite 8 Lively.
Are The Sennheiser Momentum Sport Headphones Value It?
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport are nice sports activities headphones that excel on sound high quality, however a number of irritating flaws make them a tough promote on the sky-high worth. The match is safe, however not that comfy, and the wings are a bit awkward to take care of. I wasn’t impressed with the center fee monitoring both, and the physique temperature sensor might be helpful for some individuals, however I’d wager it’s irrelevant information for many.
You will get the Apple AirPods Professional 2 or Bose QC Earbuds II for much less, and they’re excellent cross-over sports activities/way of life headphones that provide glorious sound high quality. The Jabra Elite 8 Lively headphones don’t sound nearly as good because the Sennheiser Momentum Sport, however they nonetheless sound nice they usually’re so much cheaper, plus the match is extra comfy.