Sennheiser’s Momentum 5 headphones have upgraded ANC and a replaceable battery

Nearly four years after the last release of Sennheiser’s Momentum headphones debut with a redesign Replacing the outdated aesthetic with a more modern and comfortable design, the company announced its Momentum 5 wireless headphones. They look very similar to their predecessors Momentum 4With large ear cups and a design that doesn’t exactly stand out from the competition. But under the hood, there are welcome upgrades, including improved active noise cancellation (ANC) and, for the first time, a user-replaceable battery to extend its life.

The Momentum 5 Wireless will be available starting June 30 for $399.99, a $50 increase over the Momentum 4. The headphones feature the same 42mm drivers as the Momentum 3 and 4 models, but Sennheiser is introducing “High-Res Audio Certification” and expanding support for the Momentum 5’s Bluetooth codec to include AptX Lossless. This allows the headphones to stream CD-quality 16-bit/44.1kHz audio, but only from devices equipped with a Qualcomm processor that supports this codec through the Snapdragon Sound platform. Sony and Motorola smartphones should be compatible, but Samsung, Google, and Apple devices will not.

Sennheiser has also doubled the number of microphones on the Momentum 5, now featuring four on each side for improved noise cancellation. The company claims that its latest headphones are up to three times more effective at reducing the sound of voice chatter and drones in aircraft cabins. Upgraded active noise cancellation (ANC) technology and added microphones also help improve call quality, both when it comes to picking up your voice and ensuring you hear the person you’re talking to.

The Momentum 5’s battery life lasts up to 57 hours. It’s a small score from the 60 hours of Momentum 4, but it’s still almost double what you’ll get from Sony WH-1000XM6which can muster up to 30 hours just with ANC on. Other Momentum 5 upgrades include a new carrying case that’s 20 percent smaller, support for Dolby Atmos and spatial audio with head tracking, and the ability to upgrade from Bluetooth 5.4 to Bluetooth 6.0 with a future firmware update, though Sennheiser didn’t share a timeline for that.