Sennheiser announced the Momentum 5 Wireless Headphones in May 2026, after a four-year hiatus. The new model looks similar to its predecessor, but it packs a bunch of meaningful upgrades under the hood. You get a user-replaceable battery, improved ANC performance and exceptional comfort, paired with the signature Sennheiser sound. But is that enough to take on top-of-the-line models from Sony and Bose?

I’ve been wearing the new Sennheiser headphones for a week, and these might just be the pair of ANC cans neutral-sound fans have been waiting for.

Starting with the exterior, the Momentum 5 are made out of plastic, cloth and leather. They weigh 290 grams, which is a considerable difference when compared to the Sony WH-1000XM6 (254 grams) and the 2nd-generation Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones (250 grams). The earcups don’t fold inwards, but turn flat to fit inside the new, slimmer and more premium case.

The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless Headphones have cushioned earpads (they feel roomier than before) and a padded headband, which has just the right amount of clamping force to not feel too tight for all-day listening. They are delightfully comfortable to wear. I’d rate them above the Sony flagship and on par with my current-favorite Bose model (which looks the most premium out of these three).

You get the same controls as previous-gen Sennheiser headphones. This means media, ANC, calls, and volume are managed by touch, while power and Bluetooth connections are taken care of by a physical button.

I had no problem with these controls, but I like having buttons on my headphones and wouldn’t mind if the German company added another button for ANC controls. However, I especially like the five-segment LED battery meter. It allows you to gauge the battery status with a glance, instead of looking at your phone.

The biggest design upgrade comes in the form of repairability. The fifth-gen. Momentum Headphones model has a user-replaceable battery. Theoretically, you can take off the left ear cushion, grab a small screwdriver and replace the battery by yourself. I haven’t tried it yet, but this is good news for the longevity of these headphones.

The Momentum 5 also have wear detection, so the music automatically turns off when you take the device off your head. They also feature automatic power off (the duration can be adjusted through Sennheiser’s companion Smart Control Plus app). You can either power them off through the physical button or set them up to automatically shut down after 15, 30 or 60 minutes.

Sennheiser says the Momentum 5 Wireless Headphones are Bluetooth 6.0-ready (firmware update required), but ship with Bluetooth 5.4. There’s no Auracast support, so you can’t share the device’s audio with another person. Both Sony and Bose have this feature on their flagship headphones (Bose added it with a recent update).

The Momentum 5 support “lossless” Bluetooth streaming up to 24-bit/96kHz through the in-box dongle. Under the hood lie the same 42-millimeter drivers as the Momentum 4, which were already great and are claimed to deliver a “slightly warm and immersive” sound. You can always fine-tune the sound to your liking through the eight-band EQ or by selecting one of the presets, but I didn’t need to.

The Momentum 5 Wireless sound pleasing to my ears. They offer warm mids with excellent vocal clarity, a well-defined bass and sparkly highs, which never sound shrill. Long-time Momentum 4 users might notice a slight shift from the total neutral sound, but it is still on the neutral side as compared to Sony and Bose. I enjoyed listening to pop and rock songs as much as acoustic music or classical tracks.

Even better, there was no listening fatigue over longer listening sessions (you might get more of these, thanks to the 50 hours+ battery life). You also get a Dolby Atmos mode, which makes the movie-watching experience more immersive.

Another big jump comes in the form of active noise cancellation, thanks to the addition of eight microphones (four in each earcup), as opposed to four in total on the Momentum 4. While the previous model was considerably weaker than its Sony and Bose rivals, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless compare well against the new-gen. flagship headphones.

The Momentum 5 can dampen airplane noise as well as the humming of engines on a commute. I’d still rate the XM6 and QC Ultra 2 headphones over the Momentum 5 in ANC performance, but Sennheiser has bridged the gap this year. The company has also improved the transparency mode, which sounds considerably better than the last-gen. model. Talking to someone while wearing the Momentum 5 sounds more natural in comparison. I had no issues with voice call clarity either.

The fifth generation of Sennheiser Momentum Wireless Headphones combine great sound with improved ANC performance and better repairability. On top of this, they’re delightfully comfortable to wear for long durations and last quite a while on a single charge.

At $400 / INR 39,900, they also undercut the Sony and Bose rivals (both cost $450), but in my opinion, Sennheiser needs a better price separation to make them more compelling. Both the XM6 and QC Ultra 2 models have better ANC performance, Auracast support, and the Bose looks more premium, too. That said, the Momentum 5 Wireless are a big upgrade over the Momentum 4 and stand their ground against their pricier rivals.