Best Sennheiser Headphones

Fantastic bang for buck (by adding a few things) – The Sennheiser IE 200 is a wired in-ear bud. It is categorised as an audiophile headphone by Sennheiser and it holds true to that description. For… Read more

$179 (reduced from $239) it is a phenomenal high-fidelity performer for the price. The sound separation and clarity is really noticeable. I have used $1000 triple-driver moulded ear pieces for the past two years and these ear-buds, to my ears, are just as good.

Now.... here's the catch, I did cheat a little to improve the sound. Out of the box and plugged into your phone they are OK.... but if you *really* want to hear their capability you need to connect them to a decent digital to analog converter (DAC). The DAC plugs into the USB-C interface on your phone and there is a 3.5mm jack to connect the ear-buds.

I recommend using the IBASSO DC05 (the photos shows DC03 but DC05 is the current model), for around $80 it will totally make the sound pop through the ear buds.

The second improvement is to use a quality set of silicon ear-tip rather than the ones that comes with the buds. I used the Spinfit W1 for around $30 from Amazon.

The bass, mid-range and highs come through as if you are wearing over the ear headphones. So, by spending another $100 for the DAC and ear-tips you'll get a really great performing pair of ear buds.

Back Story: Having been a fan of the Sennheiser HD 650, as part of my wired headphone collection, I have been avidly reading and watching reviews of… Read more

Sennheiser’s most recent release, the HDB 630 wireless headphones.

Reviews have been mixed, with some saying the overall sound is fairly flat and dull compared to the lively Sennheiser Momentum 4. Others have said it is a masterpiece of engineering, with the ability to be EQ’d to the same spec as a Momentum 4, if that is your preference.

Me, I prefer to put them on my head, EQ them and work it out from there and that’s what this review is about.

A Shout Out to JB Hi-Fi Ringwood:

These are currently retailing for $999.00 AUD. So, with a little bit of Internet research and a couple of gift vouchers, the lovely staff at JB Hi-Fi in Ringwood managed to reduce the price to just over $700.00.

It pays to do your research and find another Australian based retailer, so you can price match.

Unboxing:

Well, this is a bit of a masterclass in how you should get your headphones (apart from a silk-lined wooden box!).

The headphones come packed in their hard-shell case, complete with accessories:

• Airplane 2-prong cable adapter

• Bluetooth dongle (for higher res throughput)

• RCA cable

• Guide booklet

• USB charging cable

The case has a velvet lining, to keep everything protected.

Sennheiser HDB 630 Looks and build:

These are ‘closed-back’ headphones, as opposed to ‘open-back’, which are generally known to keep the sound more internalised within the earcups.

The overall aesthetic of these headphones is understated class, with satin looking black coloured earcups, black leather headband and a silver coloured brushed/textured aluminium cup swivel hinge and lower headband arm.

The earpads are black coloured luxuriously soft leatherette, with each cup labelled ‘L’ and ‘R’, with the right cup lettering stating ‘42MM DYNAMIC DRIVER, FROM IRELAND’. The left cup lettering says ‘SENNHEISER, HDB 630’.

The headphones are relatively light, weighing in at 311g (without cable).

Adjusting the arms to your head is a silent and smooth affair, whereas other brands choose a ratchet system, with numbered markings on the metal arm. This is more sophisticated, where you make the adjustment and the arms are simply held firmly in place.

Buttons:

There is only one button, on the bottom of the right earcup, for on / off.

When putting the HDB 630’s on, I found the earcups to be a tight fit, in comparison to the Soundpeats Cove Pro. I found myself jiggling a fair bit with the left cup, trying to get the right position inside the earpad.

Once fitted, the ear seal is excellent but interestingly, they don’t feel at ultimately comfortable as the Soundpeats Cove Pro or the Bose QC Ultra Gen 2, as the clamp force of the HDB 630’s is noticeably greater. The Cove Pro and Bose QC Ultra Gen 2 earpad hole is a tiny bit bigger and the clamp force doesn’t feel it is even there when you have them on your head. The Cove Pro is a real contender with a Bose headphone in fit and comfort.

The new Bose Ultra second gen also has a similar build to the Cove Pro and is instantly comfortable, with just slightly more room inside the earcups.

Setting up:

When you turn the HDB 630’s on, it apparently measures your ears (inner ear) for the best ANC and sound experience.

The internal voice tells you they are on and you then go to your phones Bluetooth settings and find the Sennheiser HDB 630 in the device list.

Once you have paired the headphones to your phone, as I did with my Galaxy S25 Ultra, I then used the Sennheiser Smart Control app to find the headphones and then continue to set up the headphones via EQ.

Note: at this point I tested the ANC settings: Noise Cancelling, Normal and Transparent.

Nosie cancelling added about another 5% noise cancelling, blocking out a little more of the music from my computer, comparable to Bose standard.

I set the headphones to my go to settings: ‘Noise Control: Custom ANC at 100%, Crossfeed: High, Anti-wind: on and set the graphic or parametric EQ to taste for the best possible resolution and best ANC.

Soft Touch Controls - Right Earcup:

With a few hours of practice, you can easily navigate the touch controls on the right earcup touch pad:

• 1-tap for stop start music

• 2-taps for transparency mode with no music and then again to return to music with ANC

• Swipe forward-back to move the track forwards / backwards

• Swipe up/down for volume

• Call Control:

o Swipe forward to answer call

o Swipe back to end call

o Hold 1-finger for 2-seconds to stop call

o Tap 1-finger twice to answer call

o Tap finger twice to switch between 2 calls

o Press the button near the earcup hinge to mute or unmute the call

o 2-fingers stretch outwards (at the same time) for adaptive noise cancellation

o 2-fingers stretch inwards (at the same time) for transparency mode

• Press the upper button near the hinge once for voice assistant

Sound test:

At 50% volume on my Samsung S25 Ultra and using Spotify lossless and Tidal, I played a variety of tracks.

Due to the excellent ANC, background is black and assists immensely in hearing the frequency range of the tracks.

Jazz tracks just simply pop, with trumpet well separated from drums and bass.

Electronic tracks are punchy and fully enveloping. The sub-bass the often wells up in these tracks is visceral and grabs you in your stomach, as much as an audio experience, as one you can feel.

Soundstage on some tracks like Hotel California – Live is sublime, with the slow drum beat really catching you and the Spanish style guitar weaving in and out.

Lionel Richie is well separated from the instruments in the All Night Long track.

The sheer body to Sara K’s track, All Your Love is compelling. Her vocals are so well rendered and are a contrast to the acoustic guitars.

Watermelon Man by Herbie Hancock is an audio experience, with the calling bird sounds at the start of the track.

The guitars at the start of Grown Folks by Snarky Puppy are so well rounded in space, you can grab each note as it is strummed.

Unfinished Symphony by Massive Attack delivers the gravity of that sub-bass, rendering it so well from the vocals. All throughout the track the bass has a shimmering-reverberation effect. This caught my attention, as I typed these words that I had to stop and listen.

Outside Ambient Street Test:

Walking the dogs on the footpath by the road and then into the park is a real experience. The ANC is so good, you barely hear anything outside the earcups, the envelope is about 99%, with occasional noise filtering in.

There was appoint where I was looking down and didn’t hear a large SUV approach me until I saw the shape of the car right next to me. The entire sound from the vehicle was blocked completely.

In my office I ran a YouTube Airplane white noise video quite loud, on my PC 7.2 surround sound Denon amplifier. I could not hear the plane sound at all except when you stopped playing music. You could hear it, as if it was coming from a long distance away.

I then played a restaurant ambience YouTube video. Again, no sound filtered in, and only filtered in from a distance, when you stopped playing music through the headphones.

Sitting next to a room fan (moving fan head test): I could not hear anything.

Call tests:

I recorded the following via calling myself on my own phone and listening to the calls on my message bank.

• Caller’s voice: Good but sounded a bit electronic.

• In Office: Excellent.

• Fan-Wind: Can hear a bit of wind noise.

• Plane sound via PC (YouTube): Can hear a slight rushing sound.

• Restaurant sound via PC (YouTube): Can hear a slightly garbled background sound.

Interestingly: the call tests on the Sennheiser HDB 630 did not do anywhere as well as the sub $70.00 AUD Soundpeats Cove Pro. Considering the HDB 630 is more than ten times the price, it is a good demonstration of how companies implement their technology differently.

Train travel:

I will be travelling by train again, in the next few weeks so this review will receive an update regarding how well these headphones do with blocking out the noise of the announcements from the train cars and the general ambient sound of the people on the train and the train wheels rolling on the tracks.

Battery Test:

For real world use I would only use the settings I mentioned for maximum sound quality:

Sennheiser indicates battery life with Bluetooth and ANC on is up to 60 hours. In my book, that is nearly five weeks of train journeys for work.

Thoughts:

For sound, I would give an A+++. Excellent sound quality combined with excellent ANC brings out the overall sonic range of these headphones. It also assists with soundstage and tonal balance.

For comfort and fit, I would give an A ++ (almost as good as the Soundpeats Cove Pro and the Bose QC Ultra 2). I think it is because of the weight difference:

• Sennheiser HDB 630 is 311g

• Bose QC Ultra 2 is 263-265g

• Soundpeats Cove Pro is 250g

For the ability to EQ: A+++. This works as good as most of the current proprietary company apps.

If I were to sum up the sound signature: a high-end hi-fi type of sound signature, with the ability to play all genres. The app has the ability to EQ the sound signature to taste, and you can save your EQs in the app.

Last Word:

For the price point of RRP $999.00 AUD, you absolutely get top tier sound, build, comfort and ANC. I strongly suggest like me, you do a bit of research and get a better price match.

As it compares to the Bose QC Ultra 2, another top tier example: the Sennheiser is only really separated by:

• The Sennheiser being heavier, about 45 grams.

• The Sennheiser uses touch controls on the flat of the earcup, which I really like and find really useable.

• The Sennheiser earcup pads are slightly smaller / tighter fitting (which I finally fixed by the time I finished this review, by stretching them out a bit).

These could be your final headphones, for home, work and travel. It can do it all.

The software app is excellent and very usable, from initial setup to fine tweaking.

If I were to score the Sennheiser out of 100, I would give it 99.

The ANC, like with the Bose is almost 100% perfect, but occasionally some noise outside just gets in. Yes, it is that good that I have to get that picky!

The weight, comfort and fit are comparable, with a little bit of adjusting (but you can feel the weight difference when you A and B test the Bose and the Sennheiser directly, one after the other).

The only difference regarding my first impressions when I put on the Sennheiser HDB 630, was that I said, ‘Wow!’, whereas when I put on the Bose QC Ultra Gen 2, I said, ‘OMG!’

I think I was expecting the Sennheiser’s to sound more ‘hi-fi’ like – like a good set of high-end speakers but I didn’t think the Bose were going to be as comparable, so I was a bit more surprised, as the Bose QC Ultra Gen 2 is a massive leap forward from my Bose QC 25’s, which I have travelled with, on off planes and was my ‘daily driver’ for train trips to work and back.

This has been another Ant review, the second for 2026.

I hope you have enjoyed reading it, as much as I have had in compiling it.

Top tier headphones for a good price – Great headphones for a good price. Very comfortable for long use, the sound quality is great and has a wide soundstage. Just remember that these are… Read more

open back though so if you are in a noisy environment or don't want people to hear the audio leaking from the headphones this may not be ideal.

I can get carried away watching YouTube music videos like the artist Weeknd on my LG 75 inch TV 2021 model and Apple Iphone 16e using Bluetooth with… Read more

the wireless headphones, and whenever I want to go to the bathroom downstairs while wearing the headphones, it sounds like I got a home theatre stereo system with me anywhere in the 2-storey rented house. I don't use the app, I just simply increase the volume that gives a balanced treble and bass sound without that earthquake-like rumble shaking noise. It's no wonder the portable CD I had for several years has become old technology because Bluetooth technology gives you freedom to roam the house without cables. A friend bought the headphones as a gift to me

Back Story: So, it’s here, the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless Headphones! I was looking forward to buying and reviewing this wireless set of… Read more

headphones, after experiencing the Sennheiser HDB 630.

They have been my morning daily driver for the past few weeks and I haven’t been disappointed. Not that I can say that for the earbud version of the Momentum 5, which is the subject of my last review, here on Product Review.

I was hoping the Momentum 5 was going to be a wireless version of the Sennheiser HD 650 wired headphones and I was not far wrong.

JB Hi-Fi Ringwood Strikes Again:

As promised, I again thank Alina at JB Hi-Fi Ringwood Eastland store for a great deal on the Momentum 5, which I got with the earbud version.

Unboxing:

The Momentum 5 came well packaged in a relatively slimline box, which has a nice picture and is made of slim but rather stiff cardboard.

Inside the box, you will find the Momentum 5 inside their dark grey material case, with a welcome card sitting on top.

Once you take the case out of the box, you find the welcome documents pack underneath, neatly inserted in a false base.

The case:

Compared to the HDB 630 case, the Momentum 5 case is the same shape but half as thick. It also has a well thought out hand grip indentation in the rear of the case, making it easy to pick the case up.

Opening the Case:

Opening the case is a bit of an event with items on both the top and bottom of the case.

On the lid you have the USB C cable neatly wound and inserted in its own elasticated band. Below that you have a webbed pocket that houses the quick start guide.

On the base you have the headphones and the analog audio Cable: A 3.5mm to 2.5mm jack audio cable for wired listening or connecting to in-flight entertainment systems.

Taking the Momentum 5 Out of the case:

The Momentum 5 is not a foldable set of headphones, like their big brother, the HDB 630 and taking the Momentum 5 out of the case reveals a nice-looking set. I have the black version. There are the same metal machined logos at the end of each side of the headband, near each ear cup.

There are also shiny silver metal accents, with the ‘MOMENTUM 5’ name on the bottom-front of the left ear cup and the ‘SENNHEISER’ name on the bottom-front of the right ear cup, each next to a microphone.

There are silver-coloured accented microphones on the rear and top of each ear cup.

Each ear cup is clearly marked ‘L’ and ‘R’.

The Materials Feel Nice:

The Momentum 5 are built primarily from lightweight, high-quality synthetic materials and the look is refined and minimalist.

Material Breakdown

• Earcups & Frame: Constructed from high-quality ABS plastic with a matte finish and subtle metal accents. This keeps the headphones lightweight at approximately 290 grams.

• Headband Top: Clad in a premium, textured fabric-woven material.

• Headband Cushion: The underside utilizes a soft silicone layer to reduce top-of-head pressure.

• Earpads: Made from plush memory foam wrapped in soft synthetic leather (pleather) for a comfortable, isolating seal around the ears.

The Ear Cup Pads:

The ear cup pads are lovely to touch and feel amazing when you put the headphones on. The only thing, like with the HDB 630, is that I had to stretch them out a bit, as the inner part of the pad is a bit tight against my ears. Once they have stretched a bit they fit perfectly and give a much better seal for passive and ANC noise reduction but also keeps the sound in the ear cups better.

Textured Fabric Woven Material:

I am in two minds regarding the textured material on the top of the headband and the outside of the case. It is nice but over time will get bally/furry, stain and discolour but for now, it feels quite luxurious.

Setting Up via the Sennheiser App:

As with the HDB 630, setting up the Momentum 5 was easy via the dedicated Sennheiser app.

I checked out the stock tuning and then set my own EQ via the 8-band EQ.

Controls on the Momentum 5:

The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 Wireless headphones utilise a combination of a capacitive touch pad on the right ear cup for fluid, gesture-based actions and a multi-function physical button for fundamental power and pairing tasks.

Touch Pad Gestures (Right Ear Cup)

The flat outer surface of the right ear cup registers multi-directional swipes and multi-finger pinches:

• Media Playback:

o Play / Pause: Tap once.

o Next Track: Swipe forward.

o Previous Track: Swipe backward.

o Fast-Forward / Rewind: Swipe forward or backward and hold.

• Volume Adjustment:

o Volume Up: Swipe up.

o Volume Down: Swipe down.

• Noise Control (ANC & Transparency):

o Toggle ANC / Transparency Mode: Double-tap.

o Adjust Transparency Levels: Pinch your fingers together to decrease ambient sound, or spread them apart to let more of the environment in.

My experience with the right ear cup control touch pad has been simply great. I really enjoy using the controls and they never jump too loud or too soft in the volume and always move one track forward and back when swiped. It is a well-refined touch pad. • Call Management:

o Accept / End Call: Swipe forward to accept or tap once to handle call states. Swipe backward to end an active call.

o Reject Call: Press and hold.

Physical Multi-Function Button

A physical button handles utility operations:

• Power On / Off: Press and hold for 3 seconds.

• Bluetooth Pairing: Press and hold for 5 seconds from a powered state.

• Voice Assistant: Tap once while connected to activate your smartphone's default assistant.

Smart Automation & Companion App

• Smart Pause: Built-in optical sensors detect when you take the headphones off your ears to automatically freeze playback, immediately resuming when you put them back on.

• Customisation: Through the Sennheiser Smart Control Plus App, you can remap specific gestures, tweak the intensity of the touch sensitivity, or disable touch inputs entirely to avoid accidental adjustments.

A Breakdown of What the Momentum 5 Sound Like:

The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 Wireless headphones deliver a warm, rich, and highly musical sound signature. Instead of a strictly flat studio reference tuning, they are engineered for long, fatigue-free consumer listening with an emphasized low-end and clear vocals.

The sound profile breaks down across frequencies as follows:

The Low-End (Bass)

• Sub-Bass Shelf: The sub-bass is deeply extended and heavily elevated (featuring a distinct shelf). This creates a fun, physical rumble that gives electronic tracks, modern pop, and movies a massive sense of scale.

• Mid-Bass Character: The mid-bass provides a thick, warm punch. While this gives acoustic instruments a satisfying body, audio purists note that it can occasionally cross into being slightly "boomy" or bleeding marginally into the lower mids.

The Mid-Range (Vocals & Instruments)

• Warm and Fulfilling: The lower mid-range inherits the low-end warmth, making male vocals, acoustic guitars, and cellos sound rich and dense.

• Upper-Mids Attack: There is a slight push forward in the upper mid-range (around 2–3 kHz). This helps female vocals and lead instruments cut through the thick bass, ensuring they remain prominent rather than buried.

The High-End (Treble)

• Smooth and Relaxed: The treble response is safe, smooth, and deliberately rolled back to avoid sharpness.

• Zero Fatigue: This dark, consumer-friendly treble means you can listen for hours at higher volumes without suffering from the ear-piercing fatigue caused by cymbals or sharp "S" sounds. However, it does trade away some micro-detail and "sparkle".

Technical Presentation

• Soundstage: Because of the closed-back design and active digital processing, the soundstage feels intimate and well-contained rather than massive or wide open.

• Instrument Separation: Despite the heavy bass, the 42mm dynamic drivers do a commendable job of separating complex rock or classical tracks without allowing the audio to turn into a muddy sludge.

• Codec & Source Impact: If you pair them with a Snapdragon Sound device using aptX Lossless, or listen wired via USB-C, the texture and overall audio resolution noticeably tighten up compared to listening via standard Bluetooth on an iPhone (AAC).

Customisation Tool

If the stock sound is too bass-heavy or dark for your taste, the companion app features a custom 8-band graphic EQ. This gives you the flexibility to easily dial down the bass shelf or push up the treble sliders to achieve a sharper, more analytical balance.

The Big Selling Point: User-Replaceable Battery:

One of the most praised design choices for the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless is its user-replaceable battery. This sets it apart from major flagships like Sony, Bose, or Apple, whose sealed batteries effectively make the headphones disposable once the cell degrades.

Key Battery Specs & Longevity

• Capacity & Lifespan: The headphones use a 700 mAh rechargeable battery (Official part: Sennheiser BA 500).

• Run Time: It delivers up to 57 hours of playback with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) turned on.

• No Adhesive: Unlike many modern electronics, Sennheiser designed this model without heavy glue inside the ear cup, ensuring a clean and eco-friendly swap.

How the Replacement Works

You do not need to send the headphones to a specialized repair centre. The replacement process is intentionally user-friendly and takes just a few minutes:

1. Location: The battery is housed inside the left ear cup.

2. Access: You pull off the magnetic/snap-on ear pad with a firm tug.

3. Unscrew: Use a standard Phillips PH0 screwdriver to remove four small screws holding down the driver baffle.

4. Swap: Gently lift the baffle assembly, unplug the old battery connector, slide the old cell out, and plug the new BA 500 battery in.

Daily Use:

Putting the Momentum 5 in and out of the case for daily use is simply great. The case unzips easily and the headphones lift out easily. You then turn them on via the ear cup button, extend each ear cup arm from the headband and put them on.

I find I don’t need to adjust them at all once on. They make a great seal every time. All is left; is to hit play of your music source.

Call tests:

I recorded the following via calling myself on my own phone.

• In Office: Excellent. Very black background. Voice very clear. • Fan-Wind: Voice sound relatively clear. Can hear a bit of wind noise by way of a low hiss sound. • Walking into a head wind: Can hear the wind move around the outer shell of the ear cups but not loud. • Plane sound via PC (YouTube): Voice is relatively clear, slightly weaker than the office test with a slightly garbled trailing edge of the voice. • Restaurant sound via PC (YouTube): Can hear a slight garbled hiss background sound when the person speaks but is completely silent between words. • Road Traffic Noise: Voice is lower and quite garbled. Road noise is a low hiss. The sound is silent between speech.

Train travel:

I’ve been using the Momentum 5 on the train for the past few weeks and have grown to like them. They don’t have Bose or Sony standard ANC, but they are quite close and for some reason, have a got a little better as time has gone on. I think this may be due to the ear pads settling around my ears better.

The musicality of these headphones comes through during train travel and with a combination of good ear seal and passive noise cancellation, ANC and a very nice sound signature, they are very pleasurable to travel with.

Weight-wise:

Part of the overall comfort of the Momentum 5 is its well-balanced weight. They sit in the lighter end of my headphones:

• Sennheiser Momentum 5: 290 grams • Sennheiser HDB 630: 311 grams • Bose QC Ultra 2: 263-265 grams • Soundpeats Cove Pro: 250 grams

Thoughts:

There is a lot to like about the Sennheiser Momentum 5.

They are a nice, solid allrounder of a wireless headphone that you can take and do all the things you need to do, wired or wirelessly.

They do well playing all genres and if you find them a little too much in the bass or the highs, you can EQ them to taste.

The sound signature is what I expected, and I would put these headphones down as a classic Sennheiser.

Last Word:

For the average price point of RRP $749.00 AUD, you get a decent set of headphones. However, I think a better deal for 100-200 dollars would sit these headphones as a great buy, with Amazon currently selling them at $674.00 AUD.

These could be a nice daily driver set of headphones, for home, work and travel.

The software app is very good and very usable, from initial setup to EQ-ing.

If I were to score the Sennheiser Momentum 5 out of 100, I would give it 90.

These are not audiophile headphones; they are just good and solid at most of what they do and nice to use and handle doing it.

There is no ‘Wow’ factor here but an appreciation of a set of modern wireless headphones that can pretty much do it all and in a bit of comfort and style.

This has been another Ant review.

I hope you have enjoyed reading it, as much as I have had in compiling it.

Back Story: The Sennheiser brand of headphones have always been a bit of favourite of mine, from a set of wireless headphones for the hi-fi system,… Read more

to the wired HD650 and recently the wireless HDB 630.

I didn’t intend to buy or review the MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 earbuds (5’s), as I was intending to just get the wireless headphone version only.

Another Great JB Deal:

My thanks go to Alina at JB Hi-Fi, in Ringwood, who got me a great deal on both at the same time. Again, Alina at JB helped me save a very good amount off the RRP.

Sennheiser Momentum Information and Specs:

Core Specifications

• Audio Transducer: 7mm TrueResponse dynamic transducers

• Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth 6.0 with multipoint connectivity, Google Fast Pair, and Microsoft Swift Pair

• Audio Codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, and aptX Lossless (24-bit/96kHz) via Snapdragon Sound

• Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Hybrid/Adaptive ANC with automatic wind-noise suppression and real-time transparency mode

• Call Quality: 6-microphone array combined with bone-conduction voice accelerometers and AI-powered voice isolation

• Spatial Audio: 3D Dolby Atmos with integrated head-tracking

• Water & Dust Rating: IP54 dust and splash resistance

• App Support: Sennheiser Smart Control Plus App featuring an 8-band graphic EQ and sound personalization

Battery Life & Charging

• Earbud Battery Life: Up to 12 hours of playback per charge

• Total Battery Life: Up to 40 hours total with the slim wireless and USB-C charging case

• Quick Charge: 8-minute charge yields approximately 1 hour of playback

Unboxing:

The 5’s are packaged very efficiently, in a relatively small rectangle box, with a very nice photo and wording on the front of the box.

Once you remove the lid, you have the quick guide document sitting above the earbud case and earbud tips. The tips are large, small and extra small, as the mediums are fitted to the 5’s in the charging case.

There is a cardboard tab at the bottom of the box with a black coloured arrow pointing up and when you pull it, it reveals the USB C to USB C cable, with the other three documents packaged below, in the base of the box.

The Charging Case:

The charging case is not wrapped in plastic, as in most wireless earbud cases. It looks black and serene, just sitting in the box with a silver-grey trim, between the top and bottom of the case. Taking it out of the box, the case reveals itself as a bit of a thing of beauty. It is about medium sized for an earbud case but feels solid and just a little weighty. It is quite narrow. The first thing that strikes you is the shiny silver-coloured machined Sennheiser badge with the black coloured ‘S’ in the rectangle. It looks and feels premium.

The charging case stand relatively tall, with the LED indicator in the middle of the front of the base. Looking underneath, you will find the USB C charging port, to the edge of the left-hand side.

This has been engineered, to allow for the base plate to be removed via the single small Phillips head screw to the far right, so you can replace the battery. The Big Selling Point (Replaceable Battery):

The ‘big’ selling point for the new Sennheiser 5’s, is that both the earbuds and headphones have replaceable batteries, that can be done by the owner. If your battery wears out, you simply order a new one, get your small Phillips head screwdriver and swap them over.

Back to the Case and Earbuds:

When you open the charging case lid, you notice that the 5’s sit quite high on the top of the base. For an earbud, they are quite small, and a bit coffee bean shaped. The metallic silver coloured upper part of the earbud shell looks very premium, with the Sennheiser logo.

You also notice the ‘SENNHEISER’ name in black on the underneath of the case lid, which is a nice touch.

Out of the Box:

When you take the 5’s out of the charging case, you notice how small they really are. The earbud tips are very close to the body, which for me has turned out to be a bit of an issue, which I will discuss shortly.

The base of the 5’s is black coloured plastic, with them clearly marked ‘L’ and ‘R’ in white. There are four spaced copper-coloured contacts.

Even though they are small, the 5’s have a little bit of weight to them and are really nice to handle.

Setting Up:

As I already had the Sennheiser app on my phone, setting up the 5’s was a simple affair.

Connectivity is rock solid and moving through and tweaking the app settings is also easy, except for one, which I’ll get to.

Noise control is separated into three parts, ANC, Transparency and Off, with an extra option of wind reduction.

There is Immersive audio, if you want to watch media with stereo and Dolby Atmos content, which I don’t use for general music.

There is an EQ section called ‘My sound’, which comes with some ready-made EQ settings, such as Neutral, Speech Clarity, sound Personalization, Rock, Pop, Dance, Hip-Hop, Classical, Movie and Jazz.

I always have a listen to the stock setting first before setting my own EQ.

There is a section for Sound zones, where you sign in and register places you want to have a particular sound.

There is a Controls section, which you can disable, which allows you to set the earbud controls.

I recently found that unlike other brands, you cannot completely prescribe your preferred touch controls. The main issue is that the volume up and down controls are done via touching one or other earbud which makes the volume move continually up or continually down, so there is no singular touch granular control, if you want to go one or two notches higher or lower in volume. I end up just using my phone’s volume control, as that does both.

There is a Fit test section, where the earbuds will test the earbud fit in your ear and tell you if everything is okay.

There is an Explore features section, for Ear tips, Noise control, Controls, EQ presets and Name earbuds.

Lastly there is a section to allow you to control what tile controls you see in the app.

Graphic EQ:

I found the 8-point Graphic EQ very useful in creating my own personalised. The EQ points are in Hz: 40, 125, 325, 750, 1.5k, 3k, 6k and 15k

Ear Tip Seal and ANC (The Issue):

Having recently bought and reviewed the Bowers and Wilkins Pi8, I have discovered something interesting about the 5’s.

Since I bought the 5’s, I have found it hit-and-miss with ear tip seal and with getting good ANC. I have changed the tips to and from medium to large several times and eventually realised the tips are not the issue.

The Bowers and Wilkins Pi8 are a similar design, with a round solid main body and a protruding neck with the earbud tip. In the case of the 5’s the neck from the main body to the ear tip are a lot shorter than the Pi8 and therefore the tips of the 5’s do not go into my ear canal, as far as the Pi8.

There are times when I am still in the office or the train when the 5’s do get the full seal but walking or movement simply allows a gap between the tip and the ear canal, whereas, the Pi8 go into my ear canal just a little bit further and constantly maintain a full seal.

Sound Quality:

Regardless of the issues with ear seal and ANC, I very much like the Sennheiser tuning of these earbuds.

It is in line with their wired headphones and makes me think of vintage full frequency speakers.

I don’t find the sound spacious, nor do I find in enclosing or the sound pushing into my head. These are very musical, enjoyable earbuds.

The stereo imaging is very good and I often find myself picking up on effects in some tracks that just sound good.

I do find I have to turn the 5's up a fair bit to get a decent level of volume, well above halfway.

Call experience:

I tested the 5’s, with the following results:

• Quiet office: Relatively clear, with the trailing edge of words sounding slightly garbled.

• Simulated plane sound: Not good at all, voice dropped in and out. Did this test a second time which was only a little bit better.

• Simulated noisy restaurant: Quite clear voice. A bit garbled at the end of words but nil background noise at all.

• Wind test (in front of a large fan): Big drop out of voice. Hardly audible. Not good.

• Road traffic noise: Nil road traffic noise.

In summary: the 5’s have the worst call experience of all my wireless earbuds.

Value Proposition:

I have found the 5’s to be a very average set of earbuds.

The build quality and aesthetics are excellent except for the lack of neck, to allow for a proper ear seal and for the ANC to work in all situations.

The case and the buds are lovely to handle and use.

The sound quality is good and enjoyable.

I don’t think the value proposition is there with the 5’s, because, for me, it doesn’t have it where it needs it: ear seal, ANC and excellent sound quality.

I will, however, try out some alternative tips, to see if that helps resolve the ear seal and ANC issues.

The app does not allow you to set the controls exactly how you like, which you can do on pretty much any other brand, costing many times less.

Final thoughts:

If you want an average mainstream type of earbud these would be okay.

If you have small ear canals, they would probably be perfect for you.

Future Development:

Sennheiser needs to make these with a longer neck, to ensure ear seal or have other earbud tips that are a bit longer. It’s like they made these earbuds for little people.

Last Words:

I do actually like these earbuds, I just wished they fitted better. This is the first set of earbuds that has not.

For scoring:

• For build quality and material, I would score these 100 out of 100.

• For ergonomics, in handling the case and the buds 100 out of 100.

• For ergonomics for actual use of the buds in the ear, I would score these 50 out of 100.

• For call quality I would score these 40 out of 100.

• For music and sound quality I would score these 80 out of 100.

Therefore, overall, I would score these 70 out of 100.

My Next Review:

My next review is going to be the headphone version of the Sennheiser Momentum 5’s. Fortunately, I have better things to say about these.

This has been another Ant review.

I hope you have enjoyed reading it, as much as I have had compiling it.

Post Review Earbud Tip Swap:

Yes, I thought it would help: Earbud tips from Amazon have saved the day!

I swapped the Sennheiser tips for a set I got from Amazon a few months ago. These tips are also silicone and are compatible with the Sony WF-1000XM6. They have a long tubular outer shell and a nice thick inner sleeve. The Sennheiser tips are more bulbous and round, rather than tube-like, like these Amazon ones.

Not only do the Amazon tips provide a better ear seal, they improve the ANC and sound quality. Music is clearer, more open and airy.

The feel of the earbuds is also improved, feeling like you have less pushing against the wall of the ear canals, giving a much light, natural feel.

I will continue testing them for the next few weeks and if there is any change, I will update this review but for now, with these Amazon tips, I would update my overall score to 80 out of 100.

Again, the call quality definitely needs a lot of work.

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are so small that you need to take them off to use them. And the main battery sits right in the middle, so it's always falling to one side and making the earbuds fall out. I also have a pair of Beats earphones that were cheaper, but perfectly designed. Someone from Sennheiser should go to the shops, buy a pair of Beats and copy them.

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peer product. But only can check real time reading can't record the history . What I was struggling with the product is the earbud auto pause the music every few minutes when running . So I have to switch off all touch control feature to remedy the issue . Maybe my ear tragus is too strong that squeeze the earbud button. Overall it worth the discounted price.