Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless range of headphones has been fantastic since they were first introduced in 2018, and the latest generation of the flagship earbuds brings them up to date with modern standards, and they’re available at a far more affordable price than the last two generations. They’re still expensive, but they’re $50 less than the first two generations were at $250 / £219.

These new earbuds feature a refined design with a sleeker look than the last-gen, these introduce wireless charging, and there are various other improvements. It’s hard not to be effusive about these headphones, but while you read this review, bear in mind that they have an exceptionally high price, so they won’t be everyone.

Design, hardware, what's in the box

You'll know the general design if you've seen a pair of Momentum True Wireless earbuds before. These are two small earbuds that sit in a large charging case. The earbuds themselves feel premium, and they're small without being easy to lose. The design is refined for this generation, but it's mainly similar to the first two generations.

I found these comfortable for my ears, and I could wear these for hours upon hours without any issues. They're remarkably light, too. After a few hours of wearing, you may find some slight discomfort, but this is one of the most comfortable experiences I've ever found from true wireless earbuds. Older Sennheiser headphones can be uncomfortable for those with smaller ears, so you may want to bear that in mind.

Compared to the last generation, the charging case has shrunk, but it's still remarkably large and won't be to everyone's taste. It's much wider than the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro charging case, and it's bigger than the case on the Sony WF-1000XM4s too. This doesn't fit as easily in a pocket as some true wireless cases. It will fit in larger pockets, and it's not too large to fit into a handbag, but these aren't as easily transportable as a pair of AirPods.

The case has a textile feel reminiscent of Google's Pixel fabric cases. This gives it an odd texture compared to rivals, but I like this unique feel. The Sennheiser logo is emblazoned on the top of the charging case, and the front edge features a USB-C charging port. Magnets ensure the case snaps shut and your earbuds are kept in place. Plus, this case works with wireless charging, an improvement over past Sennheiser buds.

These headphones aren't explicitly designed for workouts (they're only IPX4 rated), but if you want to take these on exercise routines, you'll find the splash resistance will be enough to guard against sweat. I'd suggest using the ear fins to ensure a better fit and ensure they don't fly out when you're wearing them, though.

Touch controls on the Momentum True Wireless 3 aren't particularly remarkable, but they do the job if you only need basic controls. You can tap to pause the music, plus you've got all the standard features like answering calls. If you long-press on the left earbud, the volume will decrease, and the opposite happens for the right earbud. I found these controls easy enough to follow, but you can always switch them up in the Sennheiser app if you don't like them.

You'll find the earbuds themselves packed inside the charging case in the box. There's also a small USB-C cable, but you won't get a wall adapter with these headphones. Then you'll get the ear adapters that come in extra small, small, medium, or large, plus ear fins in small, medium, or large. There's also all the documentation you'd expect, including a booklet of instructions on using the headphones.

Sound and features

Sound quality has always been where Sennheiser's Momentum series excels, and that remains the case with this latest pair of earbuds. There are improvements over the last-gen product, but it's still a compliment to say that the sound quality here is the same as we saw on the True Wireless 2.

The 7mm drivers here do fantastic work. I found the sound to be clear and balanced, and it has excellent richness. Throughout various genres, I found the detail to be strong in the earbuds, and they consistently impressed me with how alive the bass was. The default mode works well, but the app includes an equalizer if you want to play around with the settings for specific genres or your overall listening.

Active Noise Cancellation returns here, and again, it's extremely effective at quieting the world. I regularly used this feature, and while I haven't been using it on trains as much as I did in a pre-pandemic world, I found this to be remarkably strong. Sennheiser's change for 2022 is the introduction of adaptive ANC. The idea here is that it'll increase the noise cancellation when you're in a busy environment and decrease it when you're not surrounded by noise. It isn't a particularly noticeable feature, but I always found it helpful knowing it was there. Noise cancellation won't rival a good set of ANC headphones like the WH-1000XM4, but it's among the best for earbuds.

A transparency mode allows you to listen to the world around you without taking out earbuds. It's okay, but the audio ends up too tinny. You can edit the feature, so it pauses your music, or you can have it, so it just decreases volume.

I've found the earbuds to have robust connectivity throughout my usage with zero audiovisual latency throughout my testing time. These work with Bluetooth 5.2, and paired with a variety of Android phones, I didn't find any connectivity issues. There isn't multipoint support at launch, so you'll only be able to pair with one device at a time. Sennheiser says it will include the feature at a future date, but we've yet to hear an exact release window. I hope it's included sooner rather than later.

Call quality was also strong, with the microphones picking me up well for everyone else at the end of the call. There are six microphones on these to ensure clear call quality, and it works. Sennheiser's codec support includes aptX Adaptive, aptX, AAC, and SBC, which is pretty extensive for a pair of earbuds.

The Sennheiser Smart Control app helps play around with additional changes you'd like to make with the headphones. Here, you can use the Equalizer mode, play around with Transparency Mode, choose different Touch controls, and more. I didn't find this was necessary to start with, but you may want to look at what the app has to offer before you even play around with the headphones.

Battery

Battery life is strong on these headphones, but there isn't a remarkable change from the last gen. You'll get just under seven hours of listening from a single charge with ANC turned on, and I found Sennheiser's estimation accurate during my testing time. I could get through most of a workday while wearing the headphones before being notified that I needed to recharge.

The charging case offers an extra 21 hours of juice, and it's likely rare you'll find yourself listening to the headphones for over that seven-hour mark without reinserting them into the case. Ten minutes inside the case will give the earbuds around an hour of listening time. That should be around three total charges from the charging case, too.

There's a USB-C port on the front of the case for recharging at the impressive speeds above, but you have a new option in the latest Sennheiser buds. If you don't need the fastest recharge possible, you can simply place the case on any Qi wireless pad, and it'll start charging.

Should you buy them?

Yes, if you're willing to spend a lot for a comprehensive audio experience. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 is among the very best true wireless earbuds money can buy, with rich sound, excellent active noise cancellation, and impressive battery life. This is a premium choice for earbuds, and even if similarly priced over-ears would sound better, you can't beat true wireless buds for portability.

However, the price is so high it won't make sense for everyone. Plus, the charging case's design may be too large for some people. Still, with a lower price than the 2020 Sennheisers, you'll find these are a top choice for discerning ears.

Buy it if...

• Your want top-quality sound from a pair of true wireless headphones
• You need long last battery life, or wireless charging

Don't buy it if...

• Your budget doesn't stretch this high
• You think the charging case may be too big for your needs