Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH 1000XM4: Which is Better?
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.
In this article, I'm going to share my HONEST experience with the Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH 1000XM4 in detail, after personally owning both products. I have thoroughly tested each of these headphones for hundreds of hours, and aim to offer a critical opinion from the perspective of an audiophile and professional music producer.
I'll be comparing these two head to head on categories like price, comfort, features, battery life, noise cancelling, and sound quality.
Then at the end, I'll share which is the better overall value for the money, and my overall recommendation on which you should buy.
I've also conducted a separate Sennheiser Momentum 4 Review and Sony WH-1000XM4 review, for those who are interested in reading more detailed thoughts about each headphone after.
Key Takeaways
Sennheiser Momentum 4 has superior sound quality and battery life to the Sony WH-1000XM4.
Both Momentum 4 and WH-1000XM4 have similarly good active noise cancelling performance.
Sony WH-1000XM4 is slightly more comfortable and lighter than Momentum 4.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH-1000XM4 Price Compared
Overall, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is $12 cheaper than the Sennheiser Momentum 4 at current market prices for brand new. This translates to the Sony's being 4% less expensive than the Sennheisers. They are very close in price depending on whether there is a sale or not.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Prices
Retail: $379.95
New: $290.11
Used: $193 (save up to $97)
Sony WH-1000XM4 Prices
Retail: $348.00
New: $278
Renewed: $215 (save up to $63)
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE
(Do NOT pay retail):
Save up to $97 on Sennheiser Momentum 4 with Used below:
Save up to $63 on Sony WH-1000XM4 with Renewed below:
Disclosure: These links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to run the website 🙂
Comfort
When it comes to comfort, both the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and Sony WH-1000XM4 are quite comfortable.
On my scale, the Sony's are 41.3 grams lighter than the Sennheisers:
Sennheiser Momentum 4 weight: 292.9 grams
Sony WH-1000XM4 weight: 251.6 grams
So, the Sennheisers are 16% heavier than the Sony's, but how does that translate to comfort?
I'll say that the Sony's feel exceptionally light when worn, but the Sennheisers don't feel heavy at all, unlike the AirPods Max.
Overall, the Sony WH-1000XM4 is slightly more comfortable than the Sennheiser Momentum 4 due to a plusher headband that creates less top-of-head pressure.
I also prefer the clamping force of the Sony's which seems to be slightly less than the Sennheisers.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Comfort: 4.0 out of 5
Sony WH-1000XM4 Comfort: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Sony WH-1000XM4
Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 was released in 2022, and is just under 2 years newer than the Sony's which released in 2020.
That said, they are nearly equal when it comes to the usual smattering of features for modern Bluetooth wireless, noise cancelling headphones.
The one feature that the Sennheisers has that the Sony's don't is Dolby Atmos support.
Outside of that, both have dedicated smartphone apps that are quite helpful with customizable EQ and noise cancelling to transparency mode settings.
Looks
I've critiqued the rather cumbersome and blocky design of the Sony's in my individual review of the WH-1000XM4, thus I prefer the sleeker design of the Sennheisers.
Neither headphone is particularly offensive or interesting from a design standpoint, but I prefer a smaller footprint that doesn't look awkward when worn.
I think the Sony's large earcups look more awkward when wearing, while the Sennheisers blend in more.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH-1000XM4 Battery Life Compared
The Momentum 4's advertised battery life is twice that of the Sony WH-1000XM4, a massive improvement of 30 additional hours more.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Battery Life: Up to 60 hours
Sony WH-1000XM4 Battery Life: Up to 30 hours
In my testing, I have found the battery life claims to be accurate and rarely need to charge the Momentum 4 more than once a month.
60 hours on a single charge is a seriously impressive feat, which makes the Sony's 30 hours pale in comparison.
In all honesty, 30 hours is still very good, and would only need charging about once per week.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling: Which is better?
Despite the Momentum 4 being almost 2 years newer, I find the noise cancelling performance to be about equal to the Sony WH-1000XM4, which is to say that they are both very good by today's standards.
Either headphone is more than adequate for airplane travel, and even moreso for less noisy environments like an office or coffeeshop.
Both have the ability to customize the mix between noise cancelling and transparency mode via their respective smartphone apps, although one gripe I have about the Momentum 4 is not being able to fully turn "OFF" the noise cancelling or transparency mode.
The only better headphones for noise cancelling performance would be Bose or the newer Sony XM5, the successor to the XM4 we are reviewing today.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 out of 5
Sony WH-1000XM4 Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Tie
Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs Sony WH-1000XM4 Sound Quality Comparison
When it comes to sound quality, both the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and Sony WH-1000XM4 share a similar consumer-friendly sound signature.
Both have an emphasis on the bass and treble, creating a fun, "exciting" sound that most people would enjoy for casual music listening.
Now that is where the similarities end.
Between the two, I personally think the Sennheiser Momentum 4 is in a tier above the Sony's when it comes to sound quality for a few reasons:
First, the Momentum 4 has superior bass response to the WH-1000XM4, particularly in the sub-bass region. The Sony's emphasize the upper bass, but is not as impactful as the Sennheisers in the sub-bass.
Second, the Sennheisers are clearer with more resolution, especially in the treble. Vocals and instruments are more detailed, while maintaining a more natural and realistic timbre.
Third, the Momentum 4 has a bigger soundstage than the WH-1000XM4, which has a more intimate and "in your face" sound.
Simply put, I think the Sennheiser Momentum 4 beats the Sony's at their own game since they have similar sound signatures aimed at consumers.
Don't get me wrong, the WH-1000XM4 is still a great-sounding headphone as far as wireless headphones go, but the Momentum 4 is so good that it starts to delve into audiophile territory.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Sound Quality: 8.3 out of 10
Sony WH-1000XM4 Sound Quality: 7.9 out of 10
Winner: Sennheiser Momentum 4
Value
At the time of this writing, both headphones can be found for under $300, with the Sennheisers being slightly more expensive than the older Sony's.
Actually, the Sony WH-1000XM4 can still go for as high as $348 if there is no sale, which is almost $50 more expensive than the Momentum 4.
Either way, for the sake of this comparison, they are pretty much equal in price.
With that in mind, the Momentum 4 represents a slightly better value due to its superior sound quality and twice the battery life.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Value: 4.5 out of 5
Sony WH-1000XM4 Value: 4.0 out of 5
Winner: Sennheiser Momentum 4
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Overall Rating: 8.5 / 10
Sound Quality: 8.3 / 10
Comfort: 4.0 / 5
Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 / 5
Value: 4.5 / 5
Total: 21.3 / 25
Sony WH-1000XM4 Overall Rating: 8.4 / 10
Sound Quality: 7.9 / 10
Comfort: 4.5 / 5
Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 / 5
Value: 4.0 / 5
Total: 20.9 / 25
Overall Winner: Sennheiser Momentum 4
Now this was one of the closest comparisons we've done!
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 barely edges out the Sony WH-1000XM4 head-to-head, winning on account of superior sound quality, double the battery life, and a slightly better value at roughly the same price.
The Sony's edged out the Sennheisers when it comes to comfort due to its lighter weight, plusher headband, and lighter clamping force.
Both are about equal in noise cancelling, which is to say they're both very good, just under world-class.
Depending on which headphone you can find on sale, it's hard to go wrong with either of these choices for under $300.
If sound quality is your top priority, I highly recommend the Momentum 4 over the WH-1000XM4.
At the $300 and under price point, the best alternatives would be the Beats Studio Pro, Apple AirPods Pro 2, both of which I've reviewed quite favorably.
I recommend you check those individual reviews out if you're shopping for new headphones.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE
(Do NOT pay retail):
Save up to $97 on Sennheiser Momentum 4 with Used below:
Save up to $63 on Sony WH-1000XM4 with Renewed below:
Disclosure: These links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to run the website 🙂
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sennheiser Momentum 4 sound better wired?
Yes, the sound quality of the Sennheiser Momentum 4 improves when using a wired cable over Bluetooth, with increased clarity, resolution, and openness. This is most likely due to lossless audio as opposed to compressed audio over Bluetooth.
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
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Apple AirPods Max Review (2024)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 vs AirPods Max: Owner Comparison (2024)
Beats Studio Pro vs Sony WH 1000XM4: Comparison in 2024
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Review (2024)
Sony WH 1000XM4 Review: WORTH IT in 2024?
Bose QuietComfort 35 II (QC35 II) Review: WORTH IT in 2024?
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.