Sennheiser Momentum 4 or Sony WH-1000XM5

Freddie1980

Freddie1980

Freddie1980

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I'm currently using a set of Sennheiser HD515's which I bought long time ago (before I joined these forums) and have been pretty happy with them, using them solely with my PC. However I would like to something I can take with me when I travel that's both wireless and has noise cancellation and after a lot of reading and searching I've identified the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Sennheiser Momentum 4 as being suitable for my needs. So if I go ahead and purchase one of these

a) Will there be a noticeable improvement/reduction in audio quality compared to my HD515's?
b) These headphones are required for all round use (PC gaming, music from my phone, noise cancelling, wireless) so should I be considering any other options?

My budget is flexible but I'm looking in and around the £300 level.
 
I have both at home and between the two I prefer the XM5. It's slightly more bassy whereas the Sennheiser sounds a bit clearer, but in terms of noise cancellation, the XM5 is much better. Since I use mine for work, I prefer the XM5. It's also slightly more comfortable.
 
I recently bought the M4 and please with the sound, look and feel. Read a lot of direct comparison posts and the consensus is M4 for sound and XM5 for noise cancellation.

Also, the M4 earcups fold in and out, the XM5 only fold out, could be an issue if you wear around your neck. The XM5 also seem to have weak point with the hinge snapping and the carry case is larger. The Sony app also has too many settings, which I know I'll forever be tweaking and never settle.

My computer desk headphone is a Senn HD600 and I have a pair of HD25, different sounds and uses but I still enjoy the M4.
 
So I watched a few reviews where these have been compared and the consensus is the XM5's have a better ANC and mic whereas the M4's have better audio quality and battery life and are generally a bit cheaper.

At this point I'm leaning towards the XM5's although I'd probably be happy with either. The only thing that's putting me of the M4's is the choice of materials as the the thin plastic body doesn't look that durable and looks like they might fall apart after a few years.
 
Freddie1980 said:
So I watched a few reviews where these have been compared and the consensus is the XM5's have a better ANC and mic whereas the M4's have better audio quality and battery life and are generally a bit cheaper.

At this point I'm leaning towards the XM5's although I'd probably be happy with either. The only thing that's putting me of the M4's is the choice of materials as the the thin plastic body doesn't look that durable and looks like they might fall apart after a few years.
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I have just picked up the XM5s. My first impression of them regarding music is that they sound superb. However, I want to use them as my headset for work, so they'll be used primarily for Teams calls. The background noise that people will be able to hear is really poor, considering they advertise the below. I tested being in a call with my wife talking in the background, and the team's narrator started writing down what she was saying and me! This is one of the reasons I chose them. I'm tempted to take them back.

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Andybtsn said:
I have just picked up the XM5s. My first impression of them regarding music is that they sound superb. However, I want to use them as my headset for work, so they'll be used primarily for Teams calls. The background noise that people will be able to hear is really poor, considering they advertise the below. I tested being in a call with my wife talking in the background, and the team's narrator started writing down what she was saying and me! This is one of the reasons I chose them. I'm tempted to take them back.

1725537928677.png
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Thanks for the feedback, I probably wouldn't use these for work unless it was an emergency but that's good to know about the background noise.
 
Freddie1980 said:
So I watched a few reviews where these have been compared and the consensus is the XM5's have a better ANC and mic whereas the M4's have better audio quality and battery life and are generally a bit cheaper.

At this point I'm leaning towards the XM5's although I'd probably be happy with either. The only thing that's putting me of the M4's is the choice of materials as the the thin plastic body doesn't look that durable and looks like they might fall apart after a few years.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't personally buy another set of Sennheiser Momentum wireless unless you see them as a disposable short term purchase. Sennheiser won't repair them outside of warranty and won't even sell a replacement battery after the warranty expires...
 
Andybtsn said:
I have just picked up the XM5s. My first impression of them regarding music is that they sound superb. However, I want to use them as my headset for work, so they'll be used primarily for Teams calls. The background noise that people will be able to hear is really poor, considering they advertise the below. I tested being in a call with my wife talking in the background, and the team's narrator started writing down what she was saying and me! This is one of the reasons I chose them. I'm tempted to take them back.

1725537928677.png
Click to expand...
Yeah this is my experience of them too. My other half has a pair and occasionally I've borrowed them for work calls in office etc.
 
Dazzy said:
I wouldn't personally buy another set of Sennheiser Momentum wireless unless you see them as a disposable short term purchase. Sennheiser won't repair them outside of warranty and won't even sell a replacement battery after the warranty expires...
Click to expand...
For what it's worth, you can buy momentum 2 batteries on eBay (it's just a particular model of battery applicable to a few things, I think), and the fitting looks pretty straight-forward. I've also had my momentum 2s for 6 years and they're still going strong on the original battery.
 
I found my XM5s very uncomfortable, the pads are by far the weakest and thinnest things I have ever tried. Even a pair off £20 hps had more comfort.

Its fixable with Wc and lamb skin or 3rd party pads though.

Also sweat was a real issue with those stock sony pads.

I found the music was fun and good, very large sound stage which at first I thought was awesome and it still is but when I used other hps ie B&W PX7s and Px8s, Zen Hybrids and few others I noticed that large sound stage takes away from the vocals, so the vocals are more silent and laid back due to the large soundstage. With the other hps its a smaller soundstage and so the vocals are more clear and detailed.

Great anc naturally. Terrible BT connectivity to TV/other devices, there clearly designed for mobile phones or a good BT dongle in the PC with the Alternative A2DP Driver drive tweaked on PC.

I wouldn't recommend them for TV/Movies due to ldac high latency.

I didnt try the Sennheisers but heard they have good bass and detail.
 
The one thing I'd love to change about the momentum 2 is the headband puts pressure on the top of my head and can be painful after a while. I haven't seen any decent mods around either.
 
I have the Momentum 4's for work. I find they're perfect for music and calls.

Only issue I have is achy sweaty ears after a few hours, but that goes for basically all closed-back headphones.
 
Karl said:
For what it's worth, you can buy momentum 2 batteries on eBay (it's just a particular model of battery applicable to a few things, I think), and the fitting looks pretty straight-forward. I've also had my momentum 2s for 6 years and they're still going strong on the original battery.
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I also looked into this and yes it seems really easy to change the battery. However, i'm not that sure about using random branded batteries from third party sellers (especially right next to your head). It's such a simple thing that the manufacturer should sell so you know it's reliable.
 
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