Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 review: A useful update
A TEST REPORT from David Haydl 
on May 04, 2020, 10:30 p.m. | 🔥 popular | 2 comments
Already the first generation of wireless Sennheiser in-ears left a lasting impression on me. Among other things, I really liked the sound. Can the manufacturer build on the success with the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 2?
The True Wireless 2 come with two decisive innovations. First of all, there is noise canceling, which is supposed to effectively block out outside noise. Then the ear pieces are now a little smaller, which should make them sit more comfortably in the ear. But how do these things improve the user experience. I've taken a closer look at that in the last four weeks.
Jump to section
Unboxing and initial setup
There is no news on the packaging, however. The box is basically white with a subtle blue stripe on the bottom. On this you will find a logo, the name of the manufacturer, the name of the Products, a Product picture and several small inscriptions. The box can be opened by lifting it. Inside are the two earbuds, the charging and carrying case, a charging cable (which could clearly be a bit longer), different sized earbuds and instructions.
A quick look inside the packaging. (Picture: TechnikNews)
To set it up, you plug in the charging box and place the two in-ears in it. This Prozess starts the MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 and puts it into pairing mode. At the same time, the headphones should then already appear in the Bluetooth settings of his smartphone, tablet or laptop. Alternatively, you can get help with the pairing in the Sennheiser app. The whole thing is very quick and very easy.
For optimal wearing comfort and sound, it is also advisable to spend a few minutes in the Probeer of the various silicone plugs.
Design, workmanship and comfort
At first glance, nothing has changed in the design of the in-ears and the transport case compared to the predecessor. The case is still covered with fabric and still has a subtle logo of the manufacturer on the top, while the plug itself still has the familiar globular shape. Although, the whole thing is not that simple after all, there are some changes that only become visible on closer inspection and research.
Let's start with the charging box. This is the same size as the first generation, but the fabric is now much darker, which in my opinion looks a bit better. The folding mechanism has also been visibly strengthened, which you can see on the back because the hinge is now wider, and you can also feel it. It is also charged via the USB-C connector. What is new is the second color variant, namely Sandstone, which is a shade of beige. However, one point of criticism remains, namely the size of the case. Compared to competitionproducts, it doesn't easily fit in a trouser pocket. In addition, the shape is clearly visible from the outside.
-
- The charging case is relatively large. (Picture: TechnikNews)
-
- Charging continues via USB-C. (Picture: TechnikNews)
The in-ear headphones themselves look pretty much the same as the first MOMENTUM True Wireless. The only exception is that they are slightly smaller. The size was also a point of criticism of the predecessor on my part - after a while, this always made itself felt very unpleasantly. It's not so bad now. They now sit more comfortably in the ear and do not fall out during sports. This is thanks to the various attachments, some of which also passively shield outside noise. That ProThe problem that the in-ear headphones can seem a bit big in some ears is still there despite the smaller housing.
Furthermore, the surfaces on the in-ears side are once again capacitive, which means that you can control the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 with swiping gestures. These can be freely configured in the app, which I will get to in detail later. Unfortunately, the volume cannot be controlled via the sides - a shame. The microphone for Active Noise Canceling is also new - more on this shortly. As usual, on the other hand, pausing playback works when you take a plug out of your ear.
-
- The earplugs are a little smaller compared to the predecessor. (Picture: TechnikNews)
-
- Picture: TechnikNews
The earplugs themselves are made of plastic, the side plate of thin aluminum. The workmanship made a similarly good impression on me as that of the first generation. The headphones have also received IPX4 certification, which means that they are protected against water and sweat.
Specifications, battery life and sound quality
The total battery life of the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 is 28 hours. You can enjoy music or other media for 7 hours continuously before you have to put them back in the charging case. In my test, I did not quite, but almost reached this value. For comparison: mine AirPods Pro or mine Libratone Track Air + last an average of “only” 24 hours. According to Sennheiser, charging takes 1,5 hoursprozess, I can confirm that too. However, after 10 minutes of charging, the MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 can be used again for 1,5 hours. The reliable Bluetooth 5.1 is available for connecting to the smartphone or other devices. ProThere were never any problems with the connection in my test.
The sound quality again completely satisfied me this time. The sound is very balanced - high, medium and low tones are not neglected. And the sound is also very detailed. Sometimes you hear tones that you couldn't hear with other headphones. The in-house 7-millimeter drivers make it possible. A new feature is Active Noise Canceling, also known as ANC for short, which actively suppresses noise. Even if the first MOMENTUM True Wireless shielded outside noise well, the noise canceling is a nice bonus. In my experience, it was able to provide more peace and quiet when enjoying music, but in my opinion it is not as effective as with other true wireless in-ears. In order to be able to briefly fade in the surroundings, the manufacturer has integrated the "Transparent Hearing" feature, which passes the outside noise through.
Sennheiser Smart Control app
Like most other SennheiserProproducts, the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 are again compatible with the Smart Control app. These are available for free in the Play Store and the App Store. I got it half a year ago MOMENTUM 3 tested, and nothing has changed in the app since then.
The start page still looks tidy. There you can see a picture of the in-ears, the current charge level and the menu items for the equalizer and the "Transparent Hearing" function. The settings can be reached via the icon at the top right. In my opinion, the point for the "Transparent Hearing" is a little out of place, because personally I would never go into the app just to briefly fade in the outside noise. It is much more practical to activate the feature via the touch surfaces of the in-ear headphones. This and other gestures can be configured individually in the settings.
And this is what the Smart Control app looks like. (Screenshots: TechnikNews)
The equalizer once again made a good impression. In my opinion, this is understandable even for audio laypeople, as it is clearly shown visually how regulations change the sound. Example: If you drag the point up, the blue line moves down, which means that the low notes are amplified. Personally, however, I always left the controller in a neutral position.
Prices and availability
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 2 is available from Sennheiser and Amazon. The RRP is 299 euros. If you own the first generation and send it to Sennheiser, you even get a discount of 75 euros.
Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 2: Conclusion
I already really liked the first MOMENTUM True Wireless and it's nice to see that Sennheiser improved a few things on the second attempt - including some that I also criticized.
I really like the new colors of the charging box. It's also good that it's a little more stable now, because you don't get the feeling that it's going to fall apart at any moment. Due to the smaller size, the in-ears now sit a little more comfortably in the ear and the noise canceling keeps all external noise away sufficiently well. The sound, which is probably the most important thing about headphones, is also very good. And the battery life is even longer than some of the competitionproducts. For the next time I would still wish that the design is a little more compact. Because that still exists Proproblem that the plugs stick out conspicuously on smaller ears. I would also appreciate it if the charging cable were a little longer. If the ANC were a bit more effective and the case wasn't that big, I would finally have no more points of criticism.
All in all, I think that Sennheiser has taken the next logical step with the new MOMENTUM True Wireless 2. So they now offer similar features as the competition. Still, I don't think it's worth upgrading if you're a first-generation owner.
Thank you for providing the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 2.
A rating on Amazon at the top unsettles me: Noise suppression (ANC) barely noticeable
Is that really true? In your test, the ANC does well. Would you underline the rating? And are there often promotions for the headphones? Because they are quite expensive ...
Can the Libratone Track Air + keep up because they're cheaper?
Hi Jan,
Sound and the perception of the ANC are two very subjective things.
As I wrote, the ANC does its job (I stand by that statement), but in my opinion it's not quite as effective as other competitorsproproducts (Apple, Libratone, Sony, ...).
If you do not attach great importance to crystal clear sound, I can warmly recommend the Track Air + (here the noise canceling is even a little better). I can't tell you anything about possible promotions because the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless are still very new.
I hope I was able to answer all of your questions!
Regards
David from TechnikNews