Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds comparison, as someone who has purchased both pairs of earbuds with my own money.
I’ve conducted thorough testing of both wireless earbuds, and I will break down a winner for each category including:
- Comfort and Fit
- Features
- Battery Life
- Microphone Quality
- Noise Cancelling Performance
- Sound Quality
- Value
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist. I also run the RecordingNOW YouTube channel with over 18,000+ subscribers and over 4 million+ views, where you can watch the video versions of all of our reviews and comparisons.
Let’s dive right in!
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Sony WF-1000XM5 Comparison in Short
Although the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds wins on sound quality by a slight margin, the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds is the better all-arounder when factoring in its superior noise cancelling, comfort, and mic quality.
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Comfort, Features, Microphone Quality, and Battery Life
Comfort
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 comes with 4 pairs of silicone eartips, along with 3 sizes of fins to help lock in the fit in the outer ear.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 comes with 4 pairs of memory foam eartips.
Overall, I prefer the comfort and fit of the smaller Sony WF-1000XM5 over the bulkier Sennheiser MTW4. The Sennheisers always remind you they’re there while you’re wearing them.
I’m not a fan of the shape of the Sennheisers which is boxier and not as ergonomic as the more comfortably earbuds in the class.
If for whatever reason the stock eartips aren’t to your liking, I’ve really enjoyed using these aftermarket ones I tested from SpinFit (note that this entire review is using the stock eartips):
Features
The Sony WF-1000XM5 and Sennheiser MTW4 are fairly tied when it comes to features.
First off, both have native app support on iOS and Android devices for full customization, management, and firmware updates.
Secondly, both support high-res codecs for the audiophiles, with the XM5 supporting Sony’s LDAC and the Sennheisers supporting aptX Adaptive.
One advantage of the Sennheiser MTW4 is better dust and water resistance at an IP54 rating (dust ingress and splashes of water), while the XM5 is rated at a lower IPX4 (sweat, light splashes of water).
Microphone Quality
One area where the Sony WF-1000XM5 has a clear advantage over the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 is microphone quality.
The XM5 earbuds improved upon the XM4 by introducing bone conduction sensors, which are largely responsible for the XM5’s above-average mic quality.
I’d say the mic quality is arguably one of the weakest points of the Sennheiser MTW4, and noticeably inferior to the XM5 earbuds.
Battery Life
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Battery Life
- With ANC on: 7 hours of battery life on a single charge / 30 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 7.5 hours on a single charge / 30 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 8 minutes = 1 hour of playback
Sony WF-1000XM5 Battery Life
- With ANC on: 8 hours of battery life on a single charge / 24 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 12 hours on a single charge / 36 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 3 minutes = 1 hour of playback
The Sony WF-1000XM5 has a slight battery life advantage over the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, especially with ANC off.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Score: 8.0 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 9.0 out of 10
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 vs Sony WF-1000XM5 Noise Cancelling Performance Compared
Believe it or not, but I still find the Sony XM5 earbuds to have some of the best noise cancelling performance in the wireless earbud class today, despite its age.
Unfortunately for the Sennheiser MTW4, its noise cancelling performance is relatively average for the class.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 has stronger noise cancelling effectiveness at blocking out both high and low frequencies compared to the Sennheisers.
For comparing Transparency Modes, the Sennheiser MTW4 performs better relative to its ANC.
I actually slightly prefer the Transparency Mode on the Sennheisers as the XM5 earbuds have a slight hiss to them.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Score: 7.5 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 8.5 out of 10
Winner: Sony WF-1000XM5
Sound Quality
Although these two earbuds are a bit older, they’re some of the more “audiophile-ish” options compared to the mainstream brands like Apple AirPods and Samsung Galaxy Buds.
Let’s start with the high-res codec support of LDAC in the Sony WF-1000XM5 and aptX in the Sennheiser MTW4.
Having LDAC and aptX support means transmitting higher resolution music to begin with, typically resulting in slightly more clarity and sound quality.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock LDAC and aptX support:
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support aptX codecs, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the only one of its kind that supports both, to my knowledge.
Sound Profiles
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 is the more tonally-balanced compared to the Sony XM5, but still leans slightly consumer-friendly.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 has a fun, energetic sound quality that leans more “V-shaped” consumer-friendly than the Sennheisers.
I enjoy the stock tuning on both earbuds, and they have a refined sound to them that is enjoyable even as an audiophile.
Bass
Both earbuds have noticeable bass response, but I slightly prefer the Sennheiser MTW4 that has a deeper sub-bass and is a bit cleaner.
The Sony XM5’s bass is punchy, especially in the mid-bass region, but doesn’t seem to go as low in the sub-bass as the Sennheisers.
Mids
I prefer the mids on the Sennheisers that are fuller, since the V-shaped sound profile of the XM5 emphasizes bass and treble instead.
Vocals are more detailed and have a more realistic timbre on the Sennheiser MTW4.
Vocals on the XM5 sound quite detailed and sparkly, but lack the warm realistic timbre on the Sennheisers.
Treble
Both earbuds have fairly detailed treble, but they also have their slight differences.
I like the excitement and treble-forward nature of the XM5, while the Sennheisers are smoother and less sibilant.
Overall
Overall, it’s close. I think these earbuds are very competitive with each other in the sound quality department.
While I don’t put either earbud in the true “audiophile” tier of the wireless earbud class, they’re at the top of the “mainstream” popular earbuds for sound quality.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Score: 8.2 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM5 Score: 8.1 out of 10
Winner: Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
Value
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 retails at $299.95 USD, but can be found on sale between $199 to $269.
The Sony WF-1000XM5 has now been replaced by the newer WF-1000XM6, but it has a retail price of $329.99 USD and a typical market price of $248.
I’m expecting the XM5’s market price to continue to fall as the newer XM6 starts to take over.
When the Sennheiser MTW4 is available for under $200, it makes for an interesting value due to its great sound quality.
But I also think the XM5 justifies its price premium due to having superior comfort, noise cancelling performance, and mic quality.
Overall, both are fairly priced for what you’re getting, especially when on sale.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Value Score: 8.0 out of 10
Sony WF-1000XM5 Value Score: 8.0 out of 10
Winner: Tie
Overall Scoring Breakdown
- Audiophile-friendly sound quality
- aptX Lossless and Adaptive support
- Decent noise cancelling performance
- Decent value
- Mediocre microphone quality
- There’s better noise cancelling performance
- There’s better pure sound quality options
- Elite noise cancelling performance
- One of the best mic quality
- Audiophile-friendly tuning
- Still a bit pricy for its age
- There’s better pure sound quality options
Our Verdict: Sony WF-1000XM5
Although the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 wins on sound quality by a slight margin, the Sony WF-1000XM5 is the better all-arounder when factoring in its superior noise cancelling, comfort, and mic quality.
When the Sennheiser MTW4 is on sale for under $200, it makes for a more compelling value against the XM5 earbuds.
These are two of the best-sounding “mainstream” earbuds when compared to the likes of Apple AirPods, Samsung, etc.
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
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.
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