Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 / Sony WH-1000XM4

Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4: MOMENTUM True Wireless 4 (2024); Black Graphite 700365, White Silver 700366, Black Copper 700367 (Denim and Gold were added later). The over-ear MOMENTUM 4 Wireless and the in-ear MOMENTUM True Wireless 3/5 are separate models.

Sony WH-1000XM4: WH-1000XM4 closed over-ear wireless headphones; Black, Platinum Silver and Blue. The WH-1000XM3 (previous) and WH-1000XM5 and XM6 (later) generations are separate models.

SpecificationSennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4Sony WH-1000XM4
Release year20242020
TypeTrue wireless stereo in-ear earbuds; ear-canal fit with ear fins

The box includes four sets of ear tips (XS/S/M/L) and three sets of ear fins (S/M/L).

Sennheiser		—
DriverTrueResponse dynamic, 7 mm; 5 Hz–21 kHz; 107 dB SPL (1 kHz / 1 mW)

According to Sennheiser, audio resolution up to 24-bit/96 kHz is supported with a compatible source.

Sennheiser		—
Noise cancellationHybrid ANC, adaptive to surroundings; Transparency Mode

Adaptive mode sets the cancellation level automatically for the surrounding noise; Transparency Mode lets outside sound in without removing the earbuds.

Sennheiser		—
Bluetooth and codecsBluetooth 5.4 (Classic and LE Audio); SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive/Lossless, LC3; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, TMAP, PBP

aptX Lossless needs a Snapdragon Sound phone that supports it; an iPhone uses AAC. According to Sennheiser, Auracast broadcast listening only arrives through a firmware update. Multipoint lets it switch between two devices.

Sennheiser		Bluetooth 5.0; A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP; SBC, AAC, LDAC; about 10 m range

LDAC enables up to 990 kbps with compatible Android phones; iPhones use AAC.

Sony
Microphones3 MEMS microphones per earbud (6 in total), beamforming noise reduction; 100 Hz–10 kHz SennheiserFive microphones for Precise Voice Pickup Sony
BatteryUp to 7.5 hours per charge (ANC off) / up to 7 hours (ANC on); up to 30 hours total with the case; lithium-ion, 75 mAh per earbud, 820 mAh case

Times were measured with an iPhone at medium volume (85 dB). According to Sennheiser, 8 minutes of charging gives about 1 hour of playback; the battery protect mode in the app slows charging and slightly lowers maximum capacity to extend battery lifespan.

Sennheiser		—
ChargingUSB-C socket on the case (5 V, 1,000 mA max) and Qi wireless charging

A USB-C cable is in the box; there is no adapter.

Sennheiser		—
DurabilityIP54 dust and splash resistance (earbuds only)

The charging case is not covered by the IP rating.

Sennheiser		—
Weight and sizeSingle earbud 6.2 g; case 66.4 g; total 72.4 g; 70.1 × 44.6 × 34.8 mm with the case Sennheiser—
AppSennheiser Smart Control for iOS and Android: 5-band EQ, Sound Personalization, Sound Zones, touch control settings

Sound Personalization was developed with Fraunhofer IDMT and builds a sound profile from the user’s reactions to sample sounds.

Sennheiser		—
Operating conditionsOperating 0 to +40 °C; charging 5 to 35 °C Sennheiser—
Noise cancelling—HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1; two noise-sensing microphones per cup; adaptive sound control

QN1 works with a new Bluetooth audio chip to sample ambient noise many times a second and cancel it with an inverse signal.

Sony
Driver and frequency—40 mm dome-type driver (CCAW voice coil, aluminium-coated LCP diaphragm); wired 4–40,000 Hz; Bluetooth 20–20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz), with LDAC 20–40,000 Hz (96 kHz, 990 kbps) Sony
Multipoint—Simultaneous connection to two Bluetooth devices with switching between them

For example, you can switch between a phone and a laptop without re-pairing.

Sony
Battery and charging—Up to 30 hours with NC on, 38 hours off; full charge in about 3 hours over USB-C; about 5 hours of playback from 10 minutes

The 5-hours-from-10-minutes figure is given with the optional AC adaptor.

Sony
Wired use—Detachable cable of about 1.2 m with OFC strands and gold-plated 3.5 mm plug Sony
Smart features—Wear detection sensor; Speak-to-Chat; DSEE Extreme

The wear sensor pauses music when the headphones come off. Speak-to-Chat stops music and lets in ambient sound when you start talking. DSEE Extreme tries to upscale compressed files in real time with AI.

Sony
Design—Closed dynamic, circumaural; cups swivel inward to fold into the carry case Sony