Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 Review: Great Features, Awkward Fit for Me
Replaceable batteries and sound customization make these $299.95 earbuds appealing, but their fit and touch controls leave me reaching for stems.
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 have features that could make them easy to keep for years, including user-replaceable batteries, customizable sound and active noise cancellation. But daily comfort is personal, and these earbuds kept reminding me they were in my ears. Their stemless shape and touch controls don’t suit the way I adjust and use earbuds, even though another listener may find the fit works well.
Fit is the first hurdle
My trouble started at the charging case. The earbuds’ smooth, bean-shaped housings were slippery enough that I often fumbled while taking them out. Once I got them in, I had to twist each one into place to find a secure fit. That fit didn’t last: the earbuds gradually shifted during the day, and changing tip sizes didn’t solve the problem for me.
Version 5.0 is here.
That experience won’t match everyone’s. My colleague Christian found a comfortable fit in our full review. But the design asks the ear tip and the larger outer housing to sit comfortably at the same time. For me, getting a good seal in the ear canal while keeping the housing settled in the outer ear proved difficult.
A shifting seal affects more than comfort. It can weaken bass, reduce isolation and make ANC less consistent. When I’m repeatedly nudging earbuds back into position, it’s hard to appreciate what they do well. My commute made that especially clear: in a long underpass, I became more aware of my footsteps and breathing than of the traffic nearby. Even with transparency mode turned up, I couldn’t shake the plugged-up sensation.
The MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 use shallow nozzles and a stemless design.
Touch controls get in the way of adjustments
The controls add another small but frequent annoyance. The touch-sensitive areas sit where my fingers naturally land when I try to rotate the earbuds into place. I’ve paused music by accident while reaching for a better fit, and brushing the transparency microphones can produce a clicking or rubbing sound.
Even intentional taps aren’t my preferred way to control earbuds. Touching the side of something seated in my ear feels awkward, especially when I’m already trying to keep it from shifting. This is where stems make a practical difference for me: they offer a distinct place to hold the earbuds when I insert, remove or adjust them, away from the controls and the sensitive part of my ear.
I also find pinch-and-swipe controls on a stem easier to use without disturbing the fit. That may sound like a minor preference, but earbuds are handled throughout the day. Small design choices become hard to ignore when they affect every adjustment.
Turns out, I’m a stem guy.
The right pair has to work across the day
I test plenty of earbuds for work, but for my own use I want one pair to cover a commute, bike rides, gym sessions, meetings and flights. I’m willing to spend $300 on earbuds that fit that routine, and once I find a pair that works, I tend to keep using it. The MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 didn’t give me the unobtrusive fit I want from an all-day pair.
Pausing music and switching on transparency helps, but it doesn’t always make a conversation feel natural. During my walk home, I wanted to take the earbuds out just to hear and speak comfortably. A stem design can’t guarantee a better seal or more natural transparency, of course. It simply tends to work better for my ears: I can handle the earbuds more easily without trying to fit a large housing into my outer ear.
The AirPods Pro 3 are a good example of that fit-and-handling combination for me. I’ve also enjoyed the Nothing Ear (3), while Samsung users may want to consider the Galaxy Buds4 Pro. Those are personal comparisons, not a claim that one shape will suit every listener. The practical lesson is to pay attention to how a design feels after repeated adjustments, as well as how it sounds during a quick first try.
The batteries are proprietary, but should be much cheaper than buying a new product if yours give up the ghost.
Strong long-term features need a comfortable fit
I don’t think Sennheiser made bad earbuds. Their replaceable batteries make a persuasive case for keeping them in service longer, and the sound customization and ANC add useful flexibility. Those features are especially appealing in a pair I’d hope to use for years. As my colleague Adam Birney argues, the batteries are a notable reason to consider them for long-term use.
Still, longevity only matters if the fit works in the first place. When I’m constantly adjusting the earbuds, accidentally triggering controls or wanting to take them out, their strong feature set can’t make the daily experience right for me. The MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 are listed at an MSRP of $299.95, so buyers should give the fit and handling close attention before committing to that price.
My takeaway is simple: I’ve learned that stem-style earbuds generally suit my ears and habits better. Sennheiser’s next model could address that preference with a stem option; until then, the True Wireless 5 look best for listeners who can get a stable fit and are comfortable with a stemless design.
- Sound quality
- Noise cancelation
- User-replaceable battery
- Shareable EQ presets
The Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 is the company's latest top-end earbuds, now with a user-replaceable battery.
