Hi guys! I’ve been watching a ton of M4 videos and I must say yours is the most comprehensive and informative, and the only channel that compared the wireless vs wired audio quality. Thank you both for such a complete review, definitely checking back for any future tech purchases.
Great review! It's basically impossible to assign a "best" of the group because the audio sample test really exposes the fact that it depends on what the listener prefers and what kind of music they'll be used for. If I was only ever going to listen to classical, I'd probably lean toward the Bose. If it was EDM all the time, I'd probably go for the AirPods Max. For loudness and fullness with enough clarity, I'd lean Sony. For all around sound details and clarity and bass, I'd go Sennheiser, even given the lack of loudness in the mids/highs (which is where I think I fall). The Technics are obviously quite capable, but apparently they aren't the best at any one thing, so they're last on the list by default.
So for trance music airpod max or m4 please? (I hate sonys now and love jbl/soundcore harmon target curve based sound signatures) but looking for wired anc..
@@robert3994 Yup, I were able to drill down a lot, but still strugling between Momentum 4 and MX5. He probably meant he hate Sony's MX5 Sound Signature. Honestly I just wanted Sony would've given two shits about the design, which is actually way to simple for me. Honestly I prefer MX5's sound way more than Momentum 4 - which doesn't have many EQ options, so, while Sony audio can be deeply customized (which I probably wouldn't do as I'm a basshead), Momentum 4's sound is less flexible, which scares me a but as I'd want to bass it up a bit. Will try other song samples to try to convince myself haha
@@rnathanielryaan2034 I like mid clarity in the music I listen so my preferred EQ from low to high is -2.9, -1.7, 0, -1.7, -3.2. I know most people probably prefer a bit more low end but I really like leaving room for clarity of vocals in what I listen to.
I’ve been using the Momentum 4s for the past 3 months and I tell you the sound quality is on a whole new level. I also have the XM5 for about 2 weeks now and have played around with the EQ and it’s significantly better, but still not close to the sound produced by the M4. I travel often so wanted to see the difference in NC between the two. XM5 does have slightly better noise cancelling I must admit. I am really enjoying it now because of that. The fit and comfort is also excellent. Although I can’t say it’s better than the M4 because the M4 has significantly loosened out now after using it and is just as comfortable. I’ve no issues with it. Aside from the sound signature on the M4, I love everything else about it too. The build quality is more solid than the Sony. Honestly in my experience with having these 2 cans, I still prefer the M4 as daily drivers for listening to music. Otherwise the XM5 may be better for travelling. You won’t go wrong with either one.
I wanted to go for the m4s but I was worried about the after care/customer service and how long until the updates stop for the app? So going after the xm5s as I know from personal experience their customer care is good.
@@harshdeepbhatia9620 I would give the M4 a solid 9/10 for audio quality and the Sony 8/10. Although the M4 is cleaner I think the XM5 still produces excellent sound when correctly tuned.
@@NoBodyO2TheG so far I’ve not had any issues with the XM5’s. They work perfectly everytime. Solid on their reliability. The M4 on the other hand sometimes misbehaves. The touch controls seldomly don’t work like they should and is either delayed in response to gestures or just doesn’t work at all. I hope a software update fixes this. Other than that I have no other issues.
How are the m4s for connection consistency? Using Samsung note ultra 20 and s7 plus tablet with bose nc700s makes me want to throw the bose out of an airplane
These will be great when Sennheiser adds "High-End Sound Tuning" like they did for Momentum 3. With this setting on the latter sound pretty neutral while keeping outstanding clarity and detail.
I agree! I recently compared the M3 and M4 (along with the B&W PX7 S2), and with High-End Sound Tuning, the mids were a lot flatter and more natural without any resonance on the M3, which made them sound even better than the M4. Comparing the M4 to the PX7 S2, I liked the bass on the M4 better (cleaner, less bloating into the mids, but better low bass extension and tightness and still more energy), but the mids were more pleasant on the PX7 S2 (the M4 have a boosted area which can show as a resonance in some tracks, the PX7 S2 however can be a little bit too polite there). I still just ordered the M4 because of all the other good stuff they offer.
@@VeitLehmann for trance music it might be the politeness I'm looking for like anker q20 but they don't support anc over wired mode or Airpod max's sparkly treble..confused between px7 s2, m4 and airpod max..any advice? (I will blind buy and return if its not ideal) but want to ideally not have to go through the notion and expect which ever one I pick to be comfortable sound signature wise (kinda sensitive to piercing highs but sony xm3/,xm4 too grainy/boomy/distorted not hugg res at all and bass is punchy and has texture kinda prefer soundcore/jbl harmon target curve bass/sub bass with thump)
As always, one more excellent review. Could you please compare the sizes of the ear cups? Even better if you could give dimensions. Strangely, the makers dont make this info easily available.
. . . If Only The Sound Was . . . Get The SoundCore Space Q45 I Really Enjoy It And Think You Will Too . I Listened To My Space Q45 Wired Passively Powered Off With No Issue At All As Soon As I Got Them And The Sound Is Amazing Wired Powered Off . . . . . SoundCore Space Q45 My Take For Wired Passive Listening I'm Using ZFold3 To Hidizs S9 Pro DAC AMP DONGLE To Space Q45 And WOW AweSomeNess PerSoNiFied . The Q45 ANC is really good SoundCores best yet Right Up There With My XM3s . The Space Q45 sound while punchy is not as punchy as the Soundcore Life Q35 In The Bass Department . The Bass Up Feature can't currently be used with Custom EQs So it's Pointless for my Uses Because I Use My Own In App Custom EQs . We Can Listen To These Wired Passively (Powered Off) And The Q45s Sound Absolutely Amazing This Way . The LDAC Sounds Really Good And Gives Wired Listening A Run For It's Money . We Lose Some Features Of The Life Q35 With The Space Q45 . Hopefully A Firmware Update(s) Will Give These Lost Functions To The Q45 . The Q45s Are Heavier With Much Less Cushioning On The Top Where As The Q35 Are Lighter With More Cushioning On Top So Comfort Goes To Q35 . I've Never Had Any Pain To To Top Of My Head Though Despite The Q45 Having Less Cushioning So No Complaints There . Both Q35 And Q45 Have Excellent Sound With The Q45 Punching Hard And The Q35 Punching Harder . I Enjoy Them Both . Amazon Had Q35 111 Dollars With Discounts And Q45 129 dollars With Discounts . Not Sure If Discounts Still Active Now But $149.00 For Q45 Is Still A Bargain For Such An AweSomeNess PerSoNiFied Headphone . You Can Turn Up The Q45s Bass Using Custom EQs But Nothing I've Done Has Made The Q45s As Punchy As The Q35s . For Most I Think You'll Be More Than Happy With The Q45s Bass . I Know I Am . A Blue Variant And A White Variant Are Said To Be Forthcoming So I'll Most Def Be Snagging Them In White .
I've sennheiser 4.40 bt, the headset have really annoying issue, when I volume up or down from macbook it makes continuous beeps for seconds . Does Momentum 4 have the same problem?? I really want to buy Momentum 4 but I'm afraid to buy another headset with the same annoying problem. Thanks! appreciate your efforts, no one reviews headphones like you guys do ❤
This was, I think, a 15th review I watched and only first i decided to put my comment to. Great job guys, love it. Over past two days I am going through the selection process between XM5 and these. And i believe Momentum is what i will end up with. Thanks.
Hello friends, I just saw your channel. I was just between the headphones in this video, I watched your video, but I'm still not sure. Actually, I liked the Sony xm5 model very much, but I heard that the sound level of the sennheiser m4 is much better. At this point, the ANC feature appealed to me, do you think Sony for ANC Is the XM5 worth it?
I think DHRME has "stage setup" during noisy condition mic test for Sony XM5. I think all the vehicles on the road are all fully electric operate during the stage. LOL!
It must be said that Smart control app for these is terrible. Too many people have issues with disconnecting even after firmware updates. It makes it hard to stay on top of EQ settings when you can't control the app
Thanks so much for the comparison, and for including the Technics into the mix! This time, I listened with the Beyerdynamic DT 880 600 Ohm, not the PXC 550 that I used before. And I'm shocked how much influence the headphones used for listening has on the results! The Technics often sound so mid-centric, without any sub bass rumble, but wooly upper bass instead. Also a bit shy in the treble and presence area. Still a lot of detail, soundstage and imaging. But all in all, I'm not sure if I prefer them over e. g. the AirPods Max anymore. The XM5 sound nice and enjoyable in any genre, but I'm often missing detail. Frequency response is quite nice, but a bit too warm for my taste. The Bose 700 again have the Bose sound that I don't like - artificial presence area, hollow mids, shy bass and no sparkle in the treble. Still piercing in e. g. the Rock example, because of missing oomph. The AirPods don't sound as shrill on the DT 880, but still show those scooped mids that ruin the Rock example. Details and soundstage are nice. The Sennheisers are again my favourites. Now the DT 880 can reproduce the sub bass much better than the PXC 550 could, and I'm shocked again! What is that!? In the Rock and EDM examples, they rattle my head like crazy! I'd have to tune it down so it doesn't overshadow the energy of the guitars, but still, it's fun! And despite all that bass, everything above stays clean and detailed and retains a natural timbre. However, I found them to be a bit underwhelming for the Classical example, not sure what was missing. It sounded somehow flat. So I don't have a clear ranking now. I only know that I won't ever like Bose, and that I dig the new Sennheisers. All the others have their strengths and weaknesses, with the Sonys being the most consistent as they don't do anything really wrong, but they aren't the best anywhere either.
@@DHRME I don't hate Sony, I have always tried to love them but for some reason the sound is too screeching for my ears, WH-XB900N, XM3, XM4, I don't know why the Sony's are the only ones that cause me severe ringing in my ears after listening maybe for 5 minutes.
I just received XM5 to compare with Momentum 4, when I'll receive them (on preorded) to decide which may suit me better. Meanwhile I tested them with my current M3. M3 for me lack of comfort, battery life and don't like fisical buttons and was looking for upgrade. XM5 very comfy and nice design, plenty of extra futures, but I was surprised how dull they sound compared to M3, which was released by the end of 2019. There's no need to wait till M4 arrive, XM5 will be send back. In my opinion Bowers & Wilkins PX7 also sound better than XM5, which I had a chance to own.
@@DenisasPupkevicius I also listened to the M3 and found them to sound awesome. Only a bit too bass heavy, but this was easy to adjust. However, I also found their comfort not too good. The earpads were just a bit too small for me. And the ANC was also too weak in comparison. The sound is very different from the PX7, which I also tried, and I liked the M3 way better. The PX7 sounded good, very detailed and wide on many songs, but on some, they showed a nasty peak in the presence area which was not easy to fix. On that same day, I compared them with the Technics EAH-A800, which I liked almost as much as the M3. But as I stated above, the Technics disappointed me quite a bit in this comparison. So my hopes are very high for the M4! I just wished Sennheiser would have kept some of the unique look of the M3. The B&W PX7 S2 however look and sound awesome and also fit very nice on my head. But they also cost quite a bit more.
Sound is so subjective. Not only does everyone hear differently, but both of your ears hear differently as well. For my needs, I don't need perfect noise-cancelling.. I prefer good quality sound. As such, I will be buying the Sennheiser's. Thank you for a great and thorough review!
The design on the momentum 3 were really good looking, but I wouldn't wear those in public, now this, they still made them weird but way way lower profile than the 3s.
@Ali B I bought the two of them along with the B&O HX and B&W Px7 S2. For everything they do the Sony still came out on top for me. Only thing the Momentum 4 slightly beat them in was Bass but the clarity, separation, and vocals were still better on the Sony (post EQ). The Sennheiser sounds good and I'd be happy with them but Sony still came out on top, plus Sony's call quality was better. HX sounds good but not as good as Sony and the PX7 S2 sounds overall 2nd best to the Sony in my opinion but none of them handle phonecalls as well as the Sony can. Recently I've purchased the B&W PX8, B&O H95, M&D MW75, and Focal Bathys to see how they are. The PX8 I just didn't love and personally still found the Sony's sound quality to be more pleasing plus the phone calls, ANC, and transparency were all still better. The only pairs that sounded better from the ones I tried were the MW75, Bathys, and H95 and I gotta say I absolutely loved all three of them, but again they were the ONLY ones that beat the Sony in sound and its not by a very big margin. MW75 had the clearest vocals, Bathys had the widest soundstage, and H95 sounded the most cinematic, but I was honestly expecting a much bigger difference and there wasn't one. All my testing was on Spotify, RU-vid HD vids, and direct streaming from my TV. I really loved the MW75 and the H95 the most tbh and I spent the most time on them cause at the end of the day if they sounded like they were blowing the Sony out of the water then I was gonna keep one regardless of the $600 or $900 price tag. I just wanted the best, but my problem was I couldn't find a big enough difference in sound quality between the Sony, M&D, Focal, or B&O to justify the price differences. They were better but nowhere near 2x or 3x better unlike the price. The only thing I've found to sound quite a bit better is the wired headphone/dac/amp combo which is something I haven't found any bluetooth headphone can match yet. My only complaint about the Sony is the 4" charge cable they give you which is trash. There's not a single outlet in my house where I can use it but that's the only thing. At the end of the day I kept the Sonys and I pretty much love them.
This was the best review video of S M4 I have seen on RU-vid. Thanks for detailing and making my decision easy. The best part of the video was the call quality test - Pop..Pop.. Posicle.. Ice.. Ice.. Icicle.. Test test... not "icle" but TestING (lol) ..:P . Thanks again.
I have sony xm3 and bought sennheiser momentum 4. But i keep xm3 cause the function to change between concert, arena and so on is so much fun.. and when it comes to bass... sony are better
For the same price, XM5 or M4? I am looking for comfort and sound fun, ANC is not very important. DHRME= Dos Hombres Reseñando Muchos Electronicos. Greatings from México !
Wow that's tough! I think the Sony is marginally more comfortable! Sennheiser has more oomph on the bass and more battery life, can pay audio over Type C.
I have the NC700 and I’ve never been a fan of the sound, they’re just too sharp for my ears. I tested some Momentum 4’s in the shop and they sounded amazing and not sharp at all. I ordered some on the Black Friday sale and they should be here tomorrow. Can’t wait.
@@The.JZA. if I deduct the 70 NZD and exchange the rest into Euro then I end up with 231 euro. Now that's a really good price!! At amazon Germany they sell it for 300 Euro with big "black Friday" logo 😂😂😂. That means my feeling was correct that they are offered for a way too high price
The bass focus disappoints me. They lose their signature sound. Senheiser should put it on the EQ setting like Samsung: senheiser classic, neutral like reference headphone, dynamic with bass boost, acoustic (vocal focus), instrument focus. That would fit everyone taste and retains senheiser signature.
Would you recommend upgrading from the xm3's to these? Mine just broke, and I'm out of warranty, so I might as well get new headphones for the repair price xD
in india we can get XM4 for $240 and M4 for $425. i'm confused, does $185 difference justify the premium sound of M4 over sony ? Appreciate your help 💜
Sir I am thinking about buying senheiser momentum 4 headphone but I've a question about it,I am a calisthenic practitioner i perform various movements of it,will it fall off during workout, please help me with that!
Nice job. I just subscribed to your channel. I have the Bose 700 and bought the momentum 4’s to try out. To my ear, they sound much better. In terms of noise cancellation, I live in the Boston area, and the momentum’s do fine in the subway. They even cancelled out the noise of my house alarm when I accidentally forgot to turn it off yesterday! I don’t expect the best sound quality from bluetooth headphones. For home listening I prefer my Focal Clears. When I’m out and about, though, the convenience of BT headphones is hard to beat. Wandering around noisy metro Boston area, I just find the momentums’ to be a more engaging listen.
As someone who owned the last two generation of momentums i think i will pass this time. I love how my momentum 3 sounds but that classical sample was really a no go for me. I own an Iphone so this time I might get an airpods max or sony wh1000xm5 for the superior call quality.
I am impressed with the audio quality of the technics a800. I priced the Yamaha yh e700a because it was the best wireless headphones (better than airpods max) and according to my tests no headphones reached apple except yamh Except that for 350 euros I have certainly never heard such good headphones (on the consumer market) so the initial competitors are Sony and bose. This technics sounds great. Little tips for To recognize excellent headphones, the voices must stand out, this is a big major point of audiophile headphones, my Yamaha stands out the voices and the airpods max. This technics a800 does not detached Both the voices but he is the only one (vs Sony and bose not apple) who had an almost natural voice rendering, it just lacked the treble which is too little present on the headphones for a flattering rendering And bassy. It's an incredible helmet, I recommend it directly. Why not the yamaha?It sounds better than these 2 headphones yes, but it requires great care, the pads are very fragile on the Yamaha, they don't wear out because they are still extremely premium, but they can mark Mark, break, come off for nothing, just put your fingers too much and it comes off, the attachment system of the earpieces (detachable like apple But not with magnets...) Can be very easily broken and the interior of the helmet with the magnificent driver which is not protected at all so you must never remove your earphones and especially not to Touch the driver because it will break it. It's a helmet for people in the know. But for the sound I Yamaha is the best classical music (the airpods max is amazing too) on edm, jazz and Pop. The airpods max is slightly lower on the overly algorithmic bass and the mids a little less spaced out, the soundstage is wider and fuller on the Yamaha and the natural too. My But these are differences you will only hear with perfect or trained pitch. The airpods max is also medium level practicality and its 20h battery... But there it is more ergonomics. For me headphone ranking is as follows, if you have money and like sound quality airpods max audio. If tou have "only 300$" take the technics a800 it's the little "airpods max". If you Want the best sound, Fake the Yamaha yh e700a (or l700a) but i Recommended to listen the Yamaha before (because the sound is special, it seems bassy but the spectrum is so detached and detailed in the end it makes the sound even better and fuller, but it's a matter of taste, the sound is also super controlled on the treble so it will never hurt your ears, NEVER it's crazy enough and it's maybe the only headphone I've listened to in the world to have such a particular signature but which in the end makes the emotion mudic music even more intense and the audio quality just as precise. but it's effects that don't work on everyone, on the other hand, when wired, the headphones become hyper neutral, which will suit the sound engineers of a big budget because buying a Focal clear mg pro is sure not cheap). but the fragility of the helmet and its defects on the pads mean that I recommend it to you only if you are warned and and know Yamaha well. otherwise, take the technics or airpods max.
After watching many reviews including this one I went for momentum 4 headphones, no regrets at all Sound quality is the best and that's the only reason I bought Few problems- bluetooth gets disconnected frequently Right ear cup has all controls but all of a sudden touch controls don't operate Have to take them off and put over again it works
I want the wired connection because there's no other option out there for wired ANC. I have the Bose 700 and often use them with the audio cable but the battery will run out during the day and there's no way to keep using them while recharging.
I got them 1 day before release date, more than a year later I can say they became my number 1 daily drivers, they are comfortable enough, controls are great, ANC is not God tier but really good and no cabin pressure, after the update, with the 5 band EQ I finnaly made them sound like the QC45 but with 4 times the bass, no regrets getting them.
You guys are great reviewers of headphones. I have no idea how I didn't stumble across your channel earlier. The sound comparison is interesting. I don't know if it's the way my current headphones are playing the samples but the Momentums sounded a little grainy and less resolved/detailed to my ears. Having said that, they sounded much better with Hard Rock and Dance. The Technics feel like they did more of the genres well. Am I hearing that right?
@@olhungers I came to the same conclusion. Though using my bose qc 35's I can't tell if it was my head phones making the distinction or if it was something else
Help ,, i just updated the firmware on momentum 4 and ANC is very bad is almost not cancelling barely any noise... how is this possible? firmware is 2.9.12
I actually just got the Momentum 3! On crazy discounts now, got them for 230 euro new. Better sound, foldable, worse noise canceling and battery life. I’m happy!
sorry i'm commenting all over this like someone gives a damn lol, listening to the sennheiser's on the highs, i'm kinda bummed out, they are so muted- like guys have stated though, the base really comes in HEAVY, which i look forward to. Really shocked by how much the treble get's cut back though
Forty Four Minutes of Totally Awesome Relevant Commentary and Samples! Them Vaukman(men) don't know the Dutch plural 'Done Gone N Done Guuuuud! Seriously, way to go Guys.
Swipe for phone calls makes sense to me. With PXC550 it happened that I've accidently finished call with single tap or answered and finished call immediately by tapping twice in thinking that my first tap was not registered by phone or headphone due to random delay. Swipe is less accidental gesture.
![[Review + Samples] | Sennheiser Momentum 4 (ft. Sony XM5, Bose 700, AirPods Max)](/img/logo.svg){kind=logo}
