Sennheiser might have simply trotted out a set of wi-fi earbuds that have been rated IP55 and known as it the Momentum Sport ($330), nevertheless it went additional, including heart-rate and body-temperature sensors to the made-for-exercise earbuds. These additions offer you extra perception into exercises, but in addition feed information to your present third-party exercise apps. Of course, the Momentum Sport additionally has to excel on the regular earbud stuff, and provide an ergonomic design, energetic noise cancellation (ANC), contact controls and different widespread options. Sennheiser has a strong observe report with sound high quality, however now it has to steadiness that with the expanded capabilities of the Momentum Sport.
Sennheiser
While the Momentum Sport has a greater design than the Momentum 4, it struggles in key areas. The biometric sensors work nicely, however sound high quality is inconsistent and on-board controls are irritating.
- Improved design over Momentum 4
- Reliable heart-rate and body-temperature readings
- Full set of earbud options
- Added bass is sweet for exercises
- Pricey
- ANC struggles at occasions
- Inconsistent sound high quality
- Touch controls want an overhaul
$330 at Amazon
What’s good in regards to the Sennheiser Momentum Sport
The Momentum Sport’s general form is what I want Sennheiser used for the Momentum True Wireless 4. The former’s rounder profile suits my ears higher and feels extra snug despite the fact that they’re barely bigger. Without the match wing, the Sport model nonetheless rests properly in my ears, although that additional half positively helps preserve them in place throughout exercises. Simply put, this design feels extra refined and I’d like to see the corporate take an identical route on its flagship mannequin.
Sennheiser says it aimed for “vivid sound and impressive bass” that would assist amp up a exercise and it delivered. The inventory tuning has noticeably extra low-end thump on Justice’s Hyperdrama, bracing the digital tunes with a thicker layer of tone. That’s positively one thing that assists together with your power ranges throughout bodily exercise. But, as I’ll focus on later, the additional bass isn’t all the time a superb factor.
The Momentum Sport’s marquee options, that are heart-rate and body-temperature monitoring, work nicely. Thanks to the earbuds’ safe match, you may get fixed, reliable readings in Sennheiser’s Smart Control app. Heart charge figures matched these on my Apple Watch, and I confirmed my temperatures with a brow scan. The Momentum Sport’s readings have been in step with the opposite gadgets each time, which suggests the earbuds are as dependable as different at-home options.
What’s extra, there’s tight integration with apps like Polar, Peloton, Strava and Zwift, so you should use the Momentum Sport with their gadgets and never simply Sennheier’s app, which is usually designed to tweak settings. However, solely Polar’s Flow helps the Momentum Sport’s body-temperature monitoring. Sennheiser says it’s because Polar is the one firm with an ecosystem that retains tabs on that metric and helps the suitable sensors. No matter which third-party app you like, you’ll in all probability need to sync the Momentum Sport to one among them, for the reason that Smart Control software program solely shows real-time readings and received’t preserve tabs on tendencies or monitor stats throughout exercises.
Although it has to energy extra sensors, the Momentum Sport nonetheless delivers strong battery life. Sennheiser says a single cost affords 5 and a half hours of playback, and that declare holds up. I didn’t have any points hitting that determine throughout my testing of looping audio at about 65-70 p.c quantity. That’s with ANC on regular mode and heart-rate and physique temperature sensors energetic. The firm says you may lengthen the battery on the Momentum Sport by half-hour should you allow Eco Mode in its app. This function disables aptX audio and each of the body-tracking sensors.
What’s not so good on the Momentum Sport
The Momentum Sport enables you to faucet your cheek for playback and name controls. This is handy when operating, for instance, because you don’t have to seek out the precise location of the contact panel whereas on the transfer or should you’re sporting gloves. The draw back is that it may be activated by chewing. It is very annoying. During my exams, chewing gum or meals often triggered the controls.
Sennheiser says it’s because I’ve sturdy jaw muscle tissue (yay?) in shut proximity to the sensor, however that doesn’t make it any much less maddening. I chew gum throughout each runs and lifting classes, so this can be a dealbreaker. Just clenching my jaw did not set off it, so no less than there’s that. The solely technique to treatment the problem is to show off the onboard controls completely, which disables each the cheek tapping and extra widespread earbud tapping gestures.
The Momentum True Wireless 4’s ANC efficiency is strong however not wonderful and that holds true on the Momentum Sport. Both units of earbuds carry out equally with fixed noise sources, reducing the quantity of the exterior roar reasonably than blocking it utterly. Like numerous the competitors (and the True Wireless 4), the Momentum Sport struggles with human voices. Overall, neither of them provide the sort of strong, world-silencing energy that Bose and Sony muster.
Transparency mode on the Momentum Sport is serviceable, nevertheless it’s removed from nice. The earbuds let in your environment nicely, however don’t pipe in sufficient of your voice and I discovered myself getting shouty throughout a number of calls. There’s additionally an anti-wind mode that turns out to be useful throughout out of doors exercises, nevertheless it’s a device almost all new earbuds are geared up with nowadays.
Unfortunately, good audio efficiency isn’t common on the Momentum Sport. While some albums are detailed and crisp regardless of the added bass, others are lacking punchy highs and a robust mid vary. The sound profile compresses issues like grungy, distorted guitars and bass traces. Vocals persistently reduce by, however the extra outstanding kick drum in songs like Knocked Loose’s chaotic “Suffocate” relegates guitars to the backseat. In reality, guitars throughout a variety of types – together with different, rock and nation – lack the depth and element the Momentum 4 present. By dialing up the low-end tone, Sennheiser has sacrificed a few of the dynamics that often give its earbuds such nice audio. And in a set of earbuds that price over $300, that’s a disgrace.
Lastly, let’s focus on the case, which is much less refined than Sennheiser’s earlier designs. These earbuds price $330 and the charging case shouldn’t really feel this flimsy. The lid closes securely more often than not, however the hinge is only a piece of rubber so the case doesn’t keep open except you lay all of it the way in which flat. The soft-touch coating feels good, however in comparison with the equipment that include the Momentum line, this case is what I’d count on with a set of earbuds that price half as a lot. The excellent news is, there may be wi-fi charging assist and the case is rated IPX4, so it’s not all a loss.
Wrap-up
The Momentum Sport presents a dichotomy. On one hand, they’re glorious exercise earbuds that reliably observe biometric stats for an inside take a look at your coaching regime. On the opposite, they lack the general sound high quality I’ve come to count on from Sennheiser’s Momentum lineup and the overly delicate controls are an excessive nuisance. The earbuds might enhance with some software program fine-tuning, however for now, they’re too costly to purchase only for exercises and don’t even carry out persistently sufficient to be your go-to set.
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