Sennheiser might have simply trotted out a set of wi-fi earbuds that have been rated IP55 and referred to as it the Momentum Sport ($330), but it surely went additional, including heart-rate and body-temperature sensors to the made-for-exercise earbuds. These additions offer you extra perception into exercises, but additionally feed knowledge to your current third-party exercise apps. In fact, the Momentum Sport additionally has to excel on the regular earbud stuff, and supply an ergonomic design, lively noise cancellation (ANC), contact controls and different frequent options. Sennheiser has a strong observe report with sound high quality, however now it has to stability that with the expanded capabilities of the Momentum Sport.
Sennheiser
Whereas the Momentum Sport has a greater design than the Momentum 4, it struggles in key areas. The biometric sensors work properly, however sound high quality is inconsistent and on-board controls are irritating.
- Improved design over Momentum 4
- Dependable heart-rate and body-temperature readings
- Full set of earbud options
- Added bass is sweet for exercises
- Expensive
- ANC struggles at occasions
- Inconsistent sound high quality
- Contact controls want an overhaul
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 previous’s rounder profile matches my ears higher and feels extra comfy although they’re barely bigger. With out the match wing, the Sport model nonetheless rests properly in my ears, although that further half undoubtedly helps hold them in place throughout exercises. Merely put, this design feels extra refined and I’d like to see the corporate take an identical course on its flagship mannequin.
Sennheiser says it aimed for “vivid sound and spectacular bass” that might 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 undoubtedly one thing that assists along with your vitality ranges throughout bodily exercise. However, as I’ll focus on later, the additional bass isn’t at all times a very good factor.
The Momentum Sport’s marquee options, that are heart-rate and body-temperature monitoring, work properly. Due to the earbuds’ safe match, you will get fixed, reliable readings in Sennheiser’s Sensible Management app. Coronary heart price figures matched these on my Apple Watch, and I confirmed my temperatures with a brow scan. The Momentum Sport’s readings have been in keeping with the opposite gadgets each time, which suggests the earbuds are as dependable as different at-home alternate options.
What’s extra, there’s tight integration with apps like Polar, Peloton, Strava and Zwift, so you need to use the Momentum Sport with their gadgets and never simply Sennheier’s app, which is generally designed to tweak settings. Nonetheless, solely Polar’s Stream helps the Momentum Sport’s body-temperature monitoring. Sennheiser says it is because Polar is the one firm with an ecosystem that retains tabs on that metric and helps the suitable sensors. Regardless of which third-party app you like, you’ll in all probability need to sync the Momentum Sport to considered one of them, because the Sensible Management software program solely shows real-time readings and gained’t hold tabs on tendencies or monitor stats throughout exercises.
Though it has to energy extra sensors, the Momentum Sport nonetheless delivers strong battery life. Sennheiser says a single cost gives 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 % quantity. That’s with ANC on regular mode and heart-rate and physique temperature sensors lively. The corporate says you may lengthen the battery on the Momentum Sport by half-hour when 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 allows you to faucet your cheek for playback and name controls. That is handy when operating, for instance, because you don’t have to search out the precise location of the contact panel whereas on the transfer or when you’re sporting gloves. The draw back is that it may be activated by chewing. It’s intensely annoying. Throughout my assessments, chewing gum or meals ceaselessly triggered the controls.
Sennheiser says it is because I’ve sturdy jaw muscle mass (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 periods, so this can be a dealbreaker. Simply clenching my jaw did not set off it, so not less than there’s that. The one strategy to treatment the difficulty is to show off the onboard controls totally, which disables each the cheek tapping and extra frequent earbud tapping gestures.
The Momentum True Wi-fi 4’s ANC efficiency is strong however not superb and that holds true on the Momentum Sport. Each units of earbuds carry out equally with fixed noise sources, reducing the amount of the exterior roar slightly than blocking it fully. Like loads of the competitors (and the True Wi-fi 4), the Momentum Sport struggles with human voices. General, neither of them supply the sort of strong, world-silencing energy that Bose and Sony muster.
Transparency mode on the Momentum Sport is serviceable, but it surely’s removed from nice. The earbuds let in your environment properly, however don’t pipe in sufficient of your voice and I discovered myself getting shouty throughout just a few calls. There’s additionally an anti-wind mode that is useful throughout out of doors exercises, but it surely’s a device practically all new earbuds are outfitted with nowadays.
Sadly, good audio efficiency isn’t common on the Momentum Sport. Whereas some albums are detailed and crisp regardless of the added bass, others are lacking punchy highs and a powerful mid vary. The sound profile compresses issues like grungy, distorted guitars and bass traces. Vocals persistently lower by means of, however the extra distinguished kick drum in songs like Knocked Free’s chaotic “Suffocate” relegates guitars to the backseat. In reality, guitars throughout a variety of kinds – 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 value over $300, that’s a disgrace.
Lastly, let’s focus on the case, which is much less subtle than Sennheiser’s earlier designs. These earbuds value $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 until you lay all of it the best way 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 value 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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