In short: if you want premium ANC headphones that will comfortably outlast a working week on one charge — and that you'll still be able to use in five years thanks to a swappable battery — the Momentum 5 is hard to beat on value. Just don't expect Sony- or Bose-level noise cancellation; reviewers are genuinely split on how big a gap that is. Here's the detail behind that verdict, section by section.
What's good
- Outstanding 57-hour battery life with ANC on — nearly double what the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) manage
- A genuinely user-replaceable battery, swappable with a small screwdriver — a repairability feature none of the class-leading rivals offer
- Rich, detailed and unusually natural midrange sound that holds up well against pricier rivals
- Comfortable for long sessions, and noticeably cheaper than the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) at launch
Worth knowing
- Noise cancellation is improved over the previous Momentum but still trails the class leaders — Tom's Guide rated it 'pretty poor' for anyone prioritising ANC above all else
- Earcups feel a little plasticky despite the premium fabric headband, and they don't fold flat for travel like the Sony or Bose
- Dolby Atmos support is unfinished — head tracking hasn't shipped yet, and testers found the current Atmos mode can make vocals recede rather than improve the mix
- At 290g, noticeably heavier than the Sony WH-1000XM6's 254g
A closer look, category by category
Sound quality
Both What Hi-Fi? and Engadget's testers singled out the Momentum 5's midrange as its standout quality — What Hi-Fi? called it 'a real highlight... offering a naturalness and insight that gives even more premium alternatives a run for their money', while Engadget praised the 42mm drivers (which share their design lineage with Sennheiser's open-back HD 600 series) for clear separation between instruments. The trade-off both agree on: bass is tuned rich rather than tight, so tracks with a driving low-end rhythm can feel less urgent than on the pricier Sony WH-1000XM6. Dolby Atmos is available via software but not yet fully realised — head-tracking is due in a later firmware update, and Engadget found the current Atmos mode actually pulled vocals back in the mix rather than improving it, so it's worth trying both settings and sticking with whichever sounds better to you rather than assuming Atmos is automatically the upgrade.
Noise cancellation & calls
This is where reviewers genuinely disagree, and it's worth knowing before you buy. Sennheiser doubled the microphone count to eight (four per ear cup) and claims three times better mid-frequency noise cancellation than the previous Momentum. What Hi-Fi? and Engadget both found ANC clearly improved over the outgoing model and good enough for commuting, gyms and open-plan offices, though still a notch behind the class-leading Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) at blocking sustained noise like traffic hum. Tom's Guide was considerably more critical, rating the ANC 'pretty poor' and steering buyers who prioritise noise cancellation above all else toward the Bose or Sony instead. Call quality fared better across the board — testers described voices as clear and natural, with automatic sidetone (hearing your own voice while you talk) working well without needing to raise your voice.
Battery & build
Battery life is a genuine strength: 57 hours with ANC on, roughly double the ~30 hours Sony's WH-1000XM6 and Bose's QC Ultra (2nd Gen) manage. More unusually, the battery itself is user-replaceable — Engadget's reviewer noted you can swap it with a small Phillips screwdriver after removing four screws behind the left ear pad, a repairability feature none of the class-leading rivals offer, and one that could meaningfully extend how long the headphones stay useful. Build quality is a little more mixed: What Hi-Fi? liked the fabric-wrapped headband but found the earcups 'feel just a little cheap and plasticky to the touch', and unlike the Sony or Bose, the Momentum 5 doesn't fold flat for storage. At 290g they're heavier than the 254g Sony WH-1000XM6, though testers didn't report discomfort even during hour-plus sessions.
Features & software
The Smart Control Plus app carries an 8-band EQ, adjustable ANC and transparency levels, customisable home-screen shortcuts and location-based 'sound zones' that switch settings automatically when you arrive somewhere familiar. Bluetooth multipoint (pairing to two devices at once) worked reliably in testing, and codec support is broad — SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive are all onboard, with a promised firmware update to Bluetooth 6.0 and LE Audio still to come. Worth flagging if you're upgrading from the previous Momentum 4: this is a genuinely new-generation feature set rather than an iterative update, which goes some way to explaining the roughly £40 price increase Engadget noted over the outgoing model's launch price.
Price
The Momentum 5 Wireless launched at £329.90 in June 2026 and What Hi-Fi? tested it at the same price. That comfortably undercuts the Sony WH-1000XM6 (£400) and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, 2nd Gen (£449 at launch, though it often drops to around £349 in UK sales) — worth checking current retailer pricing before you buy, since premium headphones are frequently discounted within months of launch.
Buy it if…
- You want the longest battery life going in a premium ANC headphone, plus the reassurance of a user-replaceable battery for the long term
- You value natural, detailed midrange sound over the deepest possible noise cancellation
- You're shopping this price bracket on value — the Momentum 5 undercuts the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) at launch price
Skip it if…
- Best-in-class noise cancellation is your top priority — go for the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Bose QC Ultra (2nd Gen) instead
- You want headphones that fold flat for travel
- You want fully working Dolby Atmos with head tracking today rather than in a future update
Real-world use cases
All-day wear and long commutes
This is the Momentum 5's strongest use case — 57 hours of playback plus genuinely comfortable long-session fit means you can go the best part of a working week without reaching for a charging cable.
Critical, detail-focused listening
The natural, insightful midrange makes these a strong pick for vocal-led and acoustic music in particular, even next to some pricier rivals.
Noise-cancelling on flights or in loud open offices
This is where they're less ideal — reviewers agree the ANC is a step behind Sony and Bose, and Tom's Guide found it notably weaker still, so buyers whose main need is blocking out sustained noise may prefer a class-leading rival.
Where it sits in the market
The Momentum 5 arrives into a crowded premium ANC field: the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) remain the noise-cancellation benchmarks, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 and Apple AirPods Max 2 sit at similar or higher prices with their own sonic strengths, and Sennheiser's own pricier HDB 630 offers a further step up in outright sound quality for anyone who wants to spend more. Where the Momentum 5 carves out its own space is value and longevity — cheaper than the class leaders at launch, with far longer battery life and a battery you can actually replace yourself. The trade-off is noise cancellation that's good rather than best-in-class. A full head-to-head against the Sony and Bose will be covered in our Compare section once it's live.
How we reached this verdict
Battery life, microphone count and sound-signature findings above are corroborated across What Hi-Fi?'s and Engadget's independently conducted hands-on reviews — both outlets tested review units over an extended listening period rather than relying on Sennheiser's marketing claims alone. Specific figures (57-hour battery, 290g weight, 42mm driver size, Bluetooth 5.4) are drawn directly from What Hi-Fi?'s published spec sheet and Engadget's own testing notes. The noise-cancellation verdict is where sources genuinely diverge: What Hi-Fi? and Engadget both call ANC 'improved but not class-leading', while Tom's Guide rates it considerably more harshly — we've reported both positions rather than picking one, since it's a real difference of opinion between experienced reviewers rather than a factual disagreement. UK pricing checked via What Hi-Fi?'s published test price, July 2026.