Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 in review: Always a little bit better
A TEST REPORT from David Haydl 
on May 18, 2022, 14:56 am | Write a comment
With the new Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3, the manufacturer once again wants to offer premium sound for on the go. I was able to test whether this works.
Not long ago I could Sennheiser CX True Wireless and CX Plus True Wireless offprobeer These are in the entry-level to mid-range range, but for the price I liked the sound better than I had expected. However, there are even better options when you look around at Sennheiser - I mean the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3, of course.
Sennheiser introduced this headphone series at IFA 2018. While the last two generations were able to score points with many things, there were always some points of criticism. The MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 now do away with many of these and at the same time come with a new design and new color options. In addition, the wearing comfort has been improved and the case has been reduced in size. Let's take a look at how this total package fares in everyday use.
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Unboxing and initial setup
The packaging has not changed visually compared to the last generation. The box has some blue and white accents, an image of the product is shown on the front, and logos, the product name, and badges for the integrated features and technologies have been printed on it. If you remove the plastic seals and take off the lid, you can access the contents of the packaging. This includes the in-ears in their case, a quick start guide, a USB-C cable, additional silicone rings, the functionality of which I will explain later, and additional attachments. The cable is now a little longer, which gives you a lot more flexibility.
Picture: TechnikNews
The setup is done very quickly as usual. You put the headphones in the case and connect it to the power supply. This wakes them up. Then you have to put them in your ear and put your fingers on both side surfaces. This initiates the pairing mode, which is also confirmed by a voice. The headphones can now be paired via the Bluetooth settings of a device. If you have a guided facilityprozess, it is available in the Sennheiser app.
Design, workmanship and comfort
Compared to the predecessor, a lot has changed in terms of look and feel. We now get a refreshed, more compact design, the charging case isn't as clunky, and there's an updated choice of colors. Now you have the option to choose between black, white and graphite, where previously only black was available.
The case is now largely made of aluminum, which looks a lot more elegant. The sides are mostly blank, here you will only find a Sennheiser logo and two microphones. The surfaces are touch-sensitive, and you can use them to control playback, noise cancellation and a few other things. Now let's go back to the previously mentionedprosmall silicone rings. These are placed around the in-ears, which means they can wedge themselves better in the auricle. This has the great advantage that the housing can be smaller and still hold it well in the ear. One thing only bothers me, and that's sensors installed on the inside that recognize whether the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 are being worn and pause and continue playback accordingly. Unfortunately, it was not uncommon for this to be triggered when placing a card on a table.
The appearance changed significantly in this generation. (Picture: TechnikNews)
The case has once again been given a fabric cover, which I was impressed with when I first saw it at the IFA four years ago. It is smaller than its predecessor, which makes it a little more comfortable to store in your pocket. The case for the AirPods Pro or the Libratone AIR+ takes up even less space. The USB-C port is now on the front, as there would have been no room for it at the back. This may seem a little strange at first, but over time you will actually be able to hold the case in your hand to open it.
The magnet that holds the earplugs in the case isn't as strong anymore, which makes it noticeably easier to remove and insert. Nevertheless, they do not fly out even with strong shaking, in addition, the flap is very strong. What is new is that wireless charging is supported. All you have to do is place the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 on a charging station and the battery will be pumped full again - all new headphones should have this feature.
The revised design makes them much more comfortable to wear. The CX True Wireless and previous MOMENTUM True Wireless had the problem that they would press uncomfortably after a while. Thanks to the new silicone rings and the resulting smaller housing, this is no longer the case. The large selection of silicone attachments also makes it difficult for the in-ears to fall out and supports the passive suppression of outside noise. I would just like it if Sennheiser included memory foam tips.
Battery life
The manufacturer states that the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 lasts 28 hours on one battery charge. You should be able to listen for seven hours at a time without recharging in the case. In my opinion, Sennheiser can keep its promise quite well. In my everyday use, the battery lasted several days and even after a three-and-a-half hour train ride with a few listening breaks, the earbuds still had 60 percent battery.
As already mentioned, you now have two options for charging. Either via USB-C or wirelessly, both of which are pleasantly fast.
The case can now be charged wirelessly. (Picture: TechnikNews)
Klang
The MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 is powered by the in-house TrueResponse converter with seven millimeters. This delivers "overwhelming stereo sound with powerful bass, natural mids and detailed highs". Or in other words: it is the same as in the ones I tested IE 600. This is supported by all modern codecs designed to ensure lossless Bluetooth transmission, namely AAC, SBC and aptX. On top of that, Sennheiser gave the headphones adaptive noise cancellation. Here, microphones analyze the environment and adjust the noise suppression accordingly. A one-level transparency mode is also on board.
Sound is known to be something subjective, which is why I would like to describe it as clearly as possible using a few test songs, starting with Snap by Rosa Linn. Here the instruments are very realistic at the beginning and the voice is much more real and softer than with other in-ears. at INDUSTRY BABY by Lil Nas X, the bass comes through powerfully, while the vocals are still very clear and natural. at touch by Amber van Day there are several sound effects in the background, of which even small details are clearly audible. Here you notice particularly well how mature the sound actually is, since this is a fairly "mixed" song and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 still reproduce many details well.
And now a few words about the ANC. Here, Sennheiser definitely plays with the best. Even without music playing, you can hear with the noise canceling switched on nothing more. And even with the music turned down, I couldn't hear my girlfriend while I was working, even though she spoke loudly to me several times - without any additional sources of noise. This is therefore a clear improvement on the predecessor, where I found that the effect is less noticeable in contrast to the competition.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 are therefore suitable for many genres and once again offer what is probably the best sound quality in this price range. Another positive factor is that the active noise canceling now really ensures absolute silence.
Revised Smart Control App
The Smart Control app from Sennheiser is the control center for the headphones on the smartphone. The app is available for free on the Play Store for Android and the App Store for iOS.
You should immediately notice that it received a completely new coat of paint. All menus and buttons have been restructured and all buttons have been rounded, giving the entire app a more modern look.
At the beginning, you will now see a list of all the Sennheiser headphones you own. Simply tapping on an entry forces the connection to this product. Alternatively, you can use the guided setup from this view.procall zess. It is a pity that the current battery status cannot be viewed.
If a device is connected, tapping takes you to the view with all settings. At the top you can see the "Connections" menu, which can be used to quickly connect to another device that is already paired. Unfortunately, this didn't always work accurately for me - the connection setup always took a while, especially if it was first established via the app and then initiated in the normal way. Next we have an equalizer that can also be used to save personalized presets. There are also some pre-installed templates included. You can also do a "sound check" here, with the apps creating presets for different genres based on your own taste. The sound zones are also new. You can use this to link different locations with specific settings. For example, the app is able to determine when you are at work and can then activate the ANC.
This is what the redesigned Smart Control app looks like. (screen shots: TechnikNews)
You now also have the option to create a Sennheiser account. However, I couldn't find out why that's supposed to be good. There is no function where it is mentioned and there is no specific information about it in the introduction either.
Prices and availability
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3 are included for an RRP of 249 euros Sennheiser and Amazon .
Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 3: Conclusion
With the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3, Sennheiser is once again going a little more in the right direction. Many criticisms of the predecessor have been corrected, there are nice innovations such as wireless charging, the sound is probably the best in this price range and they play well to old strengths, such as the battery life. I probably have the most complaints about the Sennheiser app. I would have liked to see a more detailed description of how the Sennheiser account works and a battery life indicator. Otherwise I have hardly any complaints, only the transparency mode could be a little more natural.
So who should buy this product? Especially those who are willing to spend so much money on good sound and prefer the freedom of wireless headphones to a solution like the IE 600.
Thank you to Sennheiser for providing the MOMENTUM True Wireless 3.