Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds have a fresh design and better ANC

Since the original pair’s debut in 2018, Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless earbuds have received high praise for their sound quality. After releasing a sequel in 2020, Sennheiser is today announcing the third product in the series – and this time they’ve gotten a significant redesign. They will be available May 10 in black, graphite and white for $249.95.

The Momentum True Wireless 3 buttons are more similar to the CX and CX Plus True Wireless than their direct predecessors. It’s clear that Sennheiser has opted for some sort of universal design language for its range of earbuds, and that’s reflected here. The Momentums give a slimmer and more premium impression than the company’s cheaper buds.

Image: Sennheiser

The fabric-covered case is similar in shape and size to previous versions, although Sennheiser has moved the USB-C charging port forward. This is becoming more common and companies like Jabra have recently made the same change. It looks a bit strange at first, but could be more convenient in some charging scenarios. This new case also supports wireless charging, a feature that previous models lacked – and hard to accept given the asking price.

Aside from the revamped style, Sennheiser says the latest earbuds offer improvements in comfort, active noise cancellation, and call quality. But in two key areas — sound quality and battery life — they aren’t major upgrades. The Momentum True Wireless 3s will continue to use the company’s German-made 7-millimeter drivers. Sennheiser’s mobile app now lets you do a listening test to better personalize the bass, mids, and treble, but judging by the press release, I’d expect the overall sound profile to be similar. The True Wireless 3s supports AAC, SBC and aptX Adaptive Bluetooth codecs. The latter should reduce any discernible latency when using the buttons with devices that also use aptX Adaptive, while also achieving higher bitrates than AAC.

Sennheiser has implemented adaptive noise cancellation, which allows the Momentum True Wireless 3s to automatically adjust how much noise cancellation is applied based on your changing environment. The company says its “system continuously observes ambient noise to suppress it in real time,” though users still have the option to manually adjust it to their preference.

Each of the two earbuds now includes three microphones, which Sennheiser says has resulted in noticeable improvements and “crystal clear quality” for both voice and video calls. Battery life continues for seven hours of continuous playback with the charging case lasting an additional 21 hours. The Momentum True Wireless 3s are IPX4 certified for water resistance, making them suitable for workouts and light rain.

Aside from a revamped look, Sennheiser isn’t making any radical changes with the Momentum True Wireless 3s. For example, they still lack Bluetooth multipoint. It seems the company is confident that these will appeal to the same market as previous models in the series: people who put sound quality above all else.

Image: Sennheiser

Sennheiser also recently introduced the $199.95 Sport True Wireless earbuds to compete with Beats Fit Pros. The unique aspect of the Sport earplugs is that Sennheiser includes both open and closed earplugs, so owners can switch between the two depending on the activity and how aware they need to be about their surroundings. The open adapters reduce the intensity of body sounds such as breathing and footsteps, while the closed tips give you more insulation. The Sport True Wireless also adds dust resistance to the equation, with an IP54 rating.