Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless Review 

These recently got a 'High end sound tuning' option with the Smart Control app update, and it basically undoes the V-shape. With a simple toggle switch they now sound *a lot* more neutral than they do by default.

I am very confused by this review, because you seem to know what you are talking about in general, but it is like you have a different set of Momentum 3 than the rest of us. These sound better than pretty much every wireless headset I have tested (I haven't tried the Pandas, but those are also more money, less features, and if the M3 are 2nd best that ain't bad). The M3 sound deep, warm, wide, detailed, etc. They are one of the only pairs that have been able to give me a balanced, natural-leaning sound (after lowering bass in EQ) while also still giving me that goosebumps feeling in my music. As others have said, I'm wondering if you accidentally did your sound tests while ANC was enabled? Otherwise I just don't understand how you can say these headphones don't sound good, especially compared to the competition. In terms of being for "audiophile" types (which you say they are not), they are also one of the only ones in their class that not only allow 3.5mm jack connection, but also USB-C, and moreso the EQ settings actually save into the internal DSP and can be used while plugged in with 3.5mm jack, AND you can even power them off when using them wired to completely bypass the DSP and get a more flat, neutral sound. Curious if you tested or knew that. Compared to the XM3/4, which you can't even use them with 3.5mm jack because they are stuck in their overblown, muddy bass settings. I'm also confused how you can say the XM4 have less of a nasty V shape than these out of the box... that is literally not the case. The Xm4 are borderline unusable out of the box. Also just wondering if you got a bad pair or something, because your review honestly doesn't make sense or jive with what the vast majority of the audio/headphones community has experienced with these. Curious, outside of the Pandas, what do you think sounds better? CERTAINLY not the XM3/4 or anything else in the price range. Only thing I can think of is if you want a TRUE natural sound, you could get the much cheaper ATH-SR50BT, but as a general headphone they don't compare at all with the M3.

The color grading is different. I'm so used to the soft contrasty dark-ish vibe. Now it's more greeny/yellow-ish skin tones and a little flatter color profile overall. Still high class b-roll and camera work tho. Cheers!

I'm also confused as to the assessment of these headphones. I understand that Joshua might have a lot of experience looking at higher end headphones and it might make it harder to go back and test headphones that are not intended for that high of an audiophile range, but it seems to me that the detail, separation and response of these headphones are better than what he stated, at least based on how he compares them to other offerings. When the bass is eq'd down it really makes a difference in the tuning of these headphones, and I would have liked to hear him talk about this setting particularly. I noticed he was plugging in the jack to them, and they really sound terrible through this connection since it seems it's not enough to really power the headphone's drivers. If anything, they're much more detailed than the XM4 which I have also tried, and I have also tested the pandas and certainly have a better midrange as he states but with the eq and especially when wired, they are much more competitive compared to them when comparing detail and dynamics. I think that the biggest question is if he tried them through USB-C since they do sound much more detailed and it really makes for a much more enjoyable listening experience. Yes, wiring wireless headphones is a self-defeating method but it is certainly worth mentioning when discussing sound quality. Just some thoughts, hope you see this Joshua!

I had the xm4s and the sennheiser’s but ultimately decided to return the xm4s because I thought they were incredibly muddy sounding in comparison to the senns. I did get the Senns for 299 which is pretty good.

I don't know how you can dislike these so much. You got a bad pair or just heard them through aux cable. The detail and instrument separation is pretty impressive, and taming the bass a little on the app gives a lot of quality. Maybe not compared to other 400 usd headphones, but a competitive 200 usd cabled plastic sound with bluetooth, anc and metal and leather construction.

Literally just got these yesterday as an upgrade from the momentum 2s...incredible, best pair of headphones in the price range.. blah blah others do anc better.. im in it for that sennheiser audio quality...great construction and sheep skin leather 👌 😍 😎

Gotta disagree on the sound profile, mate. The bass is powerful but nowhere as muddy here as in the XM4, and can be easily adjusted by the EQ app. Overall sound profile is authoritative, and I found these to be very much at par with the much-beloved-by-audiophiles HD58X. While the 58X is open-backed and therefore naturally sounds a bit, well, open and a bit less bass-heavy, I find the sound signature on both to be pretty close. But yes, the 350 bucks does seem to be on the higher side, even though these are infinitely better built than the XM3/4s. $300 is about ideal for these, and that's what I got 'em for around Black Friday.

I’m sorry but are we taking about the same headphones? I have had pleasure to listen to most headphones in this price bracket ( xm4, Bose 700, mw65, b&w px7 ) and have to say that these sound the best to me. I understand sound is very personal but I have to point that whoever watches this review before you make purchase decision go and listen for yourself.

so DMS must've done a review on this recently? edit: yep, see you all in 5 months at Z's review

Dear Joshua - nice video. Which is currently the best audiophile blue tooth headphones under £1000? Panda thx are not freely available. I am not concerned about noise cancellation etc, only the sound quality. Please advise, much appreciated

I would really love to have you go through a list of songs that you use to test headphones.

Wow!! I guess sound is subjective...imo these are amazing!!

This SENNHEISER MOMENTUM 3 is better than AIRPODS MAX when it comes to SOUNDING 👍😅

I like your reviews keep doing the good work! Would you please recommend an audiophile grade(ish) wireless headphones, not looking for any ANC or features but good audiophile sounding BT over-ear headphones.

I seriously suspect you only listened with the ANC on or in passive wired mode or something. Otherwise, I am truly baffled. Are we even listening to the same headphone? The only thing I agree with you is the overblown bass which can be easily tamed using the app provided. Btw the eq profile is stored in the headphones so you only need to set it on one device and it applies to all, even ones which do not support the app.

Thanks for reviewing these. I have used them and found the sound to be the most "silky" among the XM4 and B&W PX7 but they need to be driven near max vol for the bass response to really thump. I love the bass output on these. I understand how you may not like it but for us plebians, it is probably the best bass emphasised headphone comparing to the Sony , Bose and B&W.

Josh - Use the EQ to bring these down -6db on the bass, then put on Strive or Down Home or anything from "Sessions from the 17th Ward" by Amber Rubarth and tell me these are not impressive headphones. With this EQ they are sonically competitive with anything in the price range for this type, and the soundstage kills the competition. It honestly rivals some of my open back headphones for soundstage.

The review I was waiting for ... but ... I'm already listening with them :)

I received these as a Christmas gift. I already had the Sony XM4. I use both regularly. I likely wouldn't have pursued these on my own. I prefer wired headphones and actually have a few pairs of Sennheisers. I mainly use Bluetooth where convenience is the priority. One thing I absolutely despise on my Sony's is the touch controls because I unintentionally pause or change tracks. However, I've tried disabling the touch control but when connected to my laptop, I didn't like not being able to adjust my volume if I was a few feet away. The Sennheiser Momentum has some software quirks that are outright annoying. One is the active noise canceling. It will cycle to a lower setting if there's a period of inactivity, and then re-engage when media begins to play. The other issue occurs when connected to two devices simultaneously. I will use these connected to my tablet while on my treadmill. They are also connected to my phone, which is in my pocket. If I receive a push notification on my phone, the video playing on my tablet will pause and this can interrupt my workout. These two things are what I consider to be significant software problems. There needs to be an update so you can turn these features off for future use.

For anyone reading here regarding build quality of sennheiser momentum. I have the very first generation of sennheiser over-ear headphones and they have been everywhere... trains, flights... long office hours... stuffed in bags without its included case... still works super fine. Even the original cable it came with with in-line controles. Even the left/right height adjustment as it was the day i got them. I dropped them on hard floor several times... Still no cracks, no nothing.. Build quality is 10/10 with sennheiser momentum.

The "v-shape" thing is what I don't get here this time as the measurements that I have seen so far (rtings e.g.) are not that v-shaped! The Momentum 3 definitely have quite a boosted bass in their stock EQ setting but the highs are not particularly raised at all if you look at their frequency response graph while the mids are fairly flat. rtings also measured: Bass Amount: 2.01db Treble Amount: -1.27db My EQ settings in the Sennheiser app are: -2db on bass 0db on mids and even +1db in the highs

Would be curious to see your opinion on the PCX 550 ii. Which is considered the most neutral wireless headphone and good sound quality. Yet I never hear mentioned or compared probably because it's half the price lol.

Quick question, so what’s your recommendation for a budget of $300-500 USD in terms of best Noise canceling and sound quality for over the eat wireless headphones? I feel I like the features that you like as well. Thanks for sharing!

Hey Joshua i’ve been waiting for this review from you for a while, and i’m glad it’s finally here. I’m wondering for how long did you let these headphones burn in? I have these headphones and i can say at first they were kinda unusable; after about 10 minutes it was too fatiguing to continue listening. The bass was super over-bloated and the highs were tingly. Regarding your comment: “out of the box this thing is just terribly V-shaped” and the other various similar comments throughout the video it seems accurate of the headphones before they’ve properly been burned in (for me like 30 hours). After that period they opened up quite a bit and have better resolution. Also for me i feel they are a vocal-forward headphone, rather than a V-shape. I just wanted to let you know so you can give them another chance for a more accurate assessment, that is, if you didn’t let them burn in. Anyway thanks and keep up the awesome work. (10/10 cinematography, as usual)

How do you compare with beyerdynamic dt 770 pro and HiFiman Deva? Which one What you pick for studio?

Better than crossfade 2 wireless?

Good review. What do you think about the nura phones? I’ve got a pair and a pair of B and 0 H8 which I gave away after purchasing the Nuraphones but I kind of feel like I made a mistake.

Hi Yamaha yh-e700a or Sennheiser MOMENTUM 3 Wireless - which headphones to choose that will have a better deeper, more juicy bass, suitable for gaming and TV viewing. How Yamaha YH-E700 fares in general ?

What camera are you using now? A7Siii?

Hello Joshua, I was sold on these for movies but after watching this review I am second guessing my choice. Still have not purchased and wanted to see what you recommend for Bluetooth headphones used for movie watching on an iPad Pro? Great video content and thank you.

You didn't talk about the controls on the side, comfort, ear cups, design or connectivity... you briefly mentioned a few of these. Would have been nice to get your thoughts on these.

I kinda agree with the initial impressions, then the update came with high-end sound tuning and these became my go to headphones. My HD650 and Audeze LCD2 (Bamboo) are more resolving and have more finesse, but I cannot take any of them to the beach, or camping without brining a bunch of other gears, laptop, DAC AMP etc. so for the everyday person, I think these sound just fine, but aesthetically, I find them beautiful to look at.

Well that's strange. Usually i tend to agree with your appreciation Josh but i perceive theses phones quite a bit different. I bought mine a year ago, at the time the competition at the store where the sony xm3 and the bose that came before the 700, back then i tried them all and considered the momentum 3 had them both beat on instrument separation and resolution. That been said I agree the default bass response is over blown and muddy, even with the saturated bass i wouldn't call them V Shaped though, voices are still pushed forward over the treble, it just so happens that the bass veils them. Once they added the band equaliser i found that subtracting 1 on the low and adding 1 on the highs grants quite a bit of soundstage, I encourage you to give it a try if you still have them around. My biggest complain with them is that for me the headband creates a hotspot rather quick. So, i too am somewhat disappointed by them but even then i think they still have better technical performance than the sony and bose, don't know about the pandas. What i find rather interesting about these is that Sennheiser prioritised giving them aptx low latency over HD, which in turn makes me wonder if the default sound signature was tailored towards watching movies

this video ended more abruptly than the relationship with my dad. nice video anyways

Which camera? 🤔 I've always loved this design. One of my friends had a wired pair and I tried to steal them a good few times. I always found them to be really comfortable for long listening sessions.

Great review! Curious to know, when comparing sound to the XM4’s; are you referring to sound via LDAC? Or any standard codec? As I feel there’s a world of difference between the two and that distinction should be measured or made on that particular comparison. Fwiw, I have both (though the older gen of the MW) so I don’t have a dog in the fight, just curious if reviewers are referring to LDAC when making XM4 comparisons, because if so, that gives a lot of information. Thank you!!

Any comparisons between these and the pcx 550 ii?

Still have my 6/7 Year old Momentum 1 till this day and use them daily butnever got myself to get this never model and go to bluetooth on the cost of sound quality and they still hold up, thanks for the review, I like your generell take on it If you'd ever do a like ´retro´review of the momentum 1 i'd think i'll like it still amazed on how good these old cans (not just them but in generel [HD600])hold up and how cheap they get

I bought these around 2-3 months ago. I really like the sound and the looks. If im just sitting around the comfort for me is also great but personaly the clamping force is not high enough. If i am doing something like picking up stuff or sitting up to fast i get worried that they are gonna slide off never happened to me before but the feeling is there. There is just one thing that drives me insane, if i have ANC disabled and i stop the music i hear a tiny little squeaky noise in the right cup, bottom right, like a sensor adjusting, dont know what it is, cant find it online maybe i just had bad luck with the unit (Problem is gone when i turn on ANC). Overall i really like them. Got them for 270 on Sale

Did Sennheiser not stroke him enough? Did he forget to turn it on? LOL xm4 and bose sounds better? Well the Bose does have good spatial audio and instrument separation. But more narrow in sound stage buddy.

Hello, are the sweating proof...?.thanks

As an owner of the drop pandas.. i love almost everything about the pandas except for the headband. After 1-2 hours they kinda start getting really uncomfortable. Is there any generic leather headband on the market that could be attached to them?

what do you think about the sony m4 compared to this? I have the seinheiser guy but i had two headphones break on me, i'm starting to question seinheiser quality. I had the Sennheiser PXC 450 and Sennheiser PXC 550 that broke which i love.

How do you like the sound when it is wired to say android, iPhone or computer?

One of the stills shows them plugged in with the 3.5mm audio cable. This might explain why you disliked their sound (for the price). Did you plug them into an amp when using them like that? If not, you definitely should have, the impedance is a bit too high to achieve full quality straight from the audio source.

Well which headphones do you recommend for listening on the go? I don’t like in ears and I’ve listened to the Sony’s , which I didn’t like either.

There must be some affect of difference in connections, build consistency or seal because the reviews for these are so mixed. I find it was the opposite where the detail, soundstage and imaging were better than XM4, superior to the NC700 which I found to be very 2D and low Res. The Momentum was not far off the 58X in an A B comparison. I'm blaming build consistency cause I normally find all the reviewers I've seen to be very reliable. Then again that really doesn't help Sennheisers case if they can only make some of them good lol.

I am sorry but I do have both Sony and momentum’s and did listen to Bose and I cannot disagree more with what you said. Momentum do stuffer from too much base ( by a lot) , but with simple EQ tweak they sound fun, engaging but super coherent for NC headphones. In comparison Sony sound dull and very artificial to my ears

It's very weird to hear this, and as I've got both these and the Pandas, and the two are very close to each other in the way that they are both very much clearer than the XM4 - 700 counterparts, which I also happen to own Between the M3 and Panda, while the Panda ends up producing slightly more detail and clarity and also having more of a flat sound, the M3 has a wider soundstage and more punch in the bass department, however I wouldn't call it bleedlike or muddy in any way so I'll have to disagree with you there

Was looking forward to this review. Are you going to review the momentum true wireless 2 ?

What's the tune at the start of the video?? Sounds sick!!!

Hi Joshua and all the amazing people here ! I really need your advice guys. I am m3's user and I really love them, I only reduced the bass on them cause it felt bit too much. I also Have ATH SR50BT, which are decent bt headphones; and I kinda like ATH's mid and high ranges more; but here what I really wanna know, what would be most accurate EQ setup to get best sound of these headphones. Also what I noticed was the advanced sound EQ, which you can toggle and headphones correct sound itself worked really well with some songs, not for all ofc... So in the end reducing treble and bass would make them sound bit better, right? Would appreciate your advices.

What is the new camera?

What's the headphone stand you are using?

They say you have to listen to with cable like traditional headphone to really appreciate them. Did you try that?

I got these and my Drops, I like the Momentums for working out and doing stuff around the house. The signal strength seems to be stronger and the hold on my head feels more secure. If I'm just sitting at my desk doing some light work, the Drop Pandas come on.

your B-roll is god level my guy

Really appreciate the time that you put into this video. Of note though, there are no knowledgeable audiophiles giving credence to Bose, Sony and especially not Apple with all of one “entry” of any note in the field. Drop panda is higher caliber. Really wish they had noise cancellation. But most audiophiles gravitate towards Bang and Olufsen, Bower and Wilkins, Shure, and if you’re on a budget, Sennheiser is great if you know your way around an EQ. Thank you and best of luck to your channel.

You said that about how it sounds, and i respect you as an audiophile, but basically every other reviewer (general tech reviewer or an audio reviewer) said that this have the best sound(soundstage, how it tuned, etc) compared to the other consumer grade premium headphones including the Airpods max ...

My first proper headphone was a Sennheiser mid range open back bought in 1990 with typical all plastic construction. I didn't baby it, I got it when I was 18 and it survived daily use during my slightly wild 20s with just one cable replacement. All plastic doesn't mean cheap, many see a little bit of leather or a metal detail and think it means quality, the "premium" effect can be cheaply achieved by manufacturers.

Honestly the momentum3 is better than the sony xm3/xm4 😯 I have/had the qc35/xm3/momentum3/px7/h9i. Sound wise the momentum px7 and b&o are a class above xm3 and qc3 but the xm3 and bose are more practical to use all around. Also all the above mentioned are not what you call flat HP except bose but they can sound really boring sometimes. Depends what you like for on the go i guess

Are they suitable for a small head? Cause I didn't want that metal thingy on my neck lol

Does the Drop Panda feature APTX Low Latency over bluetooth? Cuz the Momentums do.

Please take a look at the Shure's new wireless headphones. Against the Panda's...

Question. Any suggestion for a headphone that might fulfill the following. I can spend about $1000 USD. Highest fidelity headphones that also have Bluetooth - so I’m not always cable bound. I also do field recordings of nature - streams, storms, birds etc so I need a reference type headphone in terms of mixing my nature sound field recordings back in my studio. It would be great if possible to also use to monitor my audio recordings out in nature. I also have a pair of Sony MDR7506 which I currently use for monitoring my audio when I’m outside recording - so it’s not end of the world if I have to give up that aspect to get the best headphones. I love audiophile type audio - flatter purer sound instead of fun sounding headphones. I know I’m asking a lot but I’m really trying to find one headphone to do a few things

I have heard that they sound better with usb-type-c is that true? correct me if im wrong but i think dms said something like this

There was a fuller sound in the final portion of the video when he was wearing the polo shirt. Guessing there was a mic change. Josh,what about the new HD560s, would that not be a better buy than the Momentums??

These vs Drop Pandas. Which is better? Go.

What mic would you guys suggest for my SHP9600’s ? It came with a NeeGo mic but it does not have noise canceling and it has problems inside games. I need a decent one with noise canceling and better quality, with a jack that connects directly to the headphones ..

FUCK. I heard this the other day and was BLOWN AWAY, never heard something as detailed in every single aspect as this. I can't even imagine how the crazy $500+ headphones and amps you normally try must sound

Hey Josh, can you review the Dali IO-6 wireless headphones and compare them to the Sony, Bose and Sennheiser ones? I've heard a few positive things from the reviewers but the reviewer pool is much smaller comparing to those major players in the market. Thanks and looking forward to it.

6:06 Is that a FortNine video I see :D

Colour grading leans towards the green end of the spectrum, but I do not mind it. What ya using? A sony? Haha. That said, feels more vibrant! But dang, the detail and sharpness are noticeable Josh! Bokeh looking great also. I watched this at 1440p. Great review. I'm looking for an outdoor walkaround overhear headphones. Drop Panda you say eh.

Also review *Shure Aonic 50 wireless* which has all high end codecs.. LDAC, AptX HD & AptX.. and BT 5.0. many said it has almost a sort of reference 🎧 sound to it. *Dali IO6* BT 5.0, AptX HD & different driver than many BT headphones.. a paper fiber cone driver with a neodymium magnet just like their speakers. *Audeze Mobius* BT 5.0, Planar drivers with LDAC. *Bang & Olufsen H95* Amazing luxury design with cool dial controls, BT 5.0 & AptX Adaptive codec.

I have the pandas and love them ..but I guess I'm weird because I really like the xm4's too. I don't see the Panda's and the Xm4 approaching the same purpose. The xm4 for the right purpose has no equal to it while the Panda's for the right purpose has not equal. So my question ...what is better ...xm4 vs momentum 3 in sound quality based on what they were meant for

Anybody that equates the Sony Xm4 and Bose 700 to the Sennheiser for sound quality has no ear for music and is just spouting his own preferences.

My momentum 2 AEBT were fantastically built and handsome. I liked the features and sound quality. I couldn't wear them for long though due to the hot, small, closed earcups and the criminally under padded headband.

that intro was SICK!! also, what audio track was that?

A quick question for owners of these headphones: do you get noise while plugging a wire in it (even without connecting the headphones to a device)?

These good for gaming ?

We need to see an audiophile level wireless headphone that still has those feature sets. I feel that the market is too orientated towards bass, but if they pushed for a more flat soundstage and just made the sound quality better im sure it would drag people in. I have nothing wrong with bass, if its done right. But if it becomes too V shaped, you lose that immersion and miss out on the experience of feeling like your in the room with the artist

Could you maybe look into a video about audiophile headphones that are great for movies? That is basically the main thing I have been looking for in a set of headphones for a while and I don't notice many reviewers talking about that aspect of headphone use. Thanks for your reviews, I really appreciate your professional presentation and thoughtful insight.

I don't get it. Sony and Sennheiser make FANTASTIC headphones in terms of sound. So do plenty of other companies. But there really aren't good wireless headphones in terms of sound. Look I'm just a guy and I'm sure those companies have done market research, but I'm almost certain if sennheiser made a headphone that even got close to the HD 58X or 6XX, but closed back and with ANC, they would be a MASSIVE market threat. People think they like bloated bassy headphones because they've never heard better and mainstream wireless headphones just keep going with it.

Are they better than the Sony 1000mx4?

You're the first reviewer to compare the sound quality to audiophile headphones Thank you

What are the most expensive headphones that sound the best for their price? I mean even for a high price

How do these and the xm4s compare to Hifiman Devas? I get that they have different target audiences, strictly sound quality wise tho.

Can u plz review Audeze Penrose? 🙏

Hi Joshua, very good video as always. If you have the opportunity I recommend you to try the Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC. I have them and I can say that at the sound level they are more interesting than the Sennheiser and Sony, even the Bose. They are very spacious, the sound is not as encapsulated as it can be in the Bose, I have the QC35 II as well. At the ANC level they may not be as good as the XM4, but it is not bad at all. When I acquired them my main purchase decision was their sound and they have not disappointed me at all. Hopefully you can try them.

Regarding Drop + Pandas: unless style is a factor, I don't see why most people wouldn't just go for Audio-Technica M50xBTs if they don't need ANC. They sound ten times better than most Bluetooth headphones (including Sony's flagships) and can be had all day for $100-150 on eBay. The worst thing I can say about them is the headband vinyl wears out and is difficult to replace, but that's true of all but the most utilitarian of studio headphones (i.e. HD 280s and DT 770s).

They look great in my opinion. Especially in White.

Good for the gym?

I got mine a couple of days ago. I can't complain really with anything from built quality, connectivity and most of all, sound quality. One let down for me is in sound quality. The tremble is dark. Hardly hear it. Even when i use the EQ on both on the app or the phone's still the tremble sounds like the tremble is coming from a mile back behind the rest of the band playing right in from you. That's my opinion thanks

If you could get these for $218, would you? It would be my only over-ear Bluetooth headset. Also have Sennheiser 598se wired & Jabra elite active75t.

These looks v spicy. Love the Drop Pandas too, but they’re a bit too heavy on the mids for me (although those mids are soooo clean). Looking forward to their EQ app dropping soon. Currently watching this w/ my ATH-M50xbt.

I bought momentum 3 two weeks back for 350 and actually dont know how xm4 sounds like Should i exchange momentum 3 with xm4 ??

Hey Fortnine, Love to see other youtuber also enjoys his video.

Thank you for your periodic reviews. Since you asked for feedback. I would prefer if you would leave out your 'sort of', 'kind of' and 'reasonable' references. More specific and precise terminology would be preferable for me.

I did a "after 6 months" review on my channel. I love these headphones!