Just saw that in their e-mail newsletter. Soo, what do we think? ;)

NM25 OSSUARY SILVER EDITION

INTRO

So, I’m usually more of a headphone type of guy, but I still own or have owned various IEMs over the years, like Sennheiser’s IE 200, 300, 600 and 900 lineup, as well as a couple of Meze IEMs (Rai Solo, Rai Penta, Alba) and a few others, like the Beyerdynamic Xelento 2, the Moondrop Variations or the Hisenior Mega5-EST.

A while ago, I was approached by NF ACOUS and kindly asked whether I was interested to take a look at their new “Ossuary Silver Edition” of their “NM25” IEM which has already been on the market in its standard silver looking form for quite a bit and I agreed. I was not paid by them and there were also no other instructions or anything like that.

So, these are my honest and unbiased findings and this is my personal review for the NM25 in its limited “Ossuary Silver Edition”.

First of all, before this IEM, I had not heard of Ossuary before who seem to be an independent handmade silver accessory studio / boutique with a quite special gothic, skull, dark-jewelry and silverwork aesthetic which is not usually my personal style but I can nonetheless appreciate great craftmanship and, well, art basically. 

https://preview.redd.it/69c58kv3yz8h1.jpg?width=3141&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2839918697ff9b68526fcf0e22cef753a3313c9

And we are truly talking art here. The IEMs are made of a single piece of aviation aluminum with a high-quality texture while maintaining a very light weight. Add the 925 silver faceplates and you truly have a very unique looking IEM!

I mean, just look at this thing: 

Lovely craftmanship!

NF ACOUS positions them in their “Professional Series” just like the regular – and 100€ cheaper - NM25 which are the exact same IEM but just made out of aluminum and without the special silver treatment and design from Ossuary. So, basically the additional cost comes from “just” that special collaboration and design but, again, it really looks and feels great and a bit like IEM jewelry in the hands. 

Anyway, aesthetics aside, you get a nice fitting and good quality cable, 4 sizes of “high quality” silicone ear tips as well as compact hard-shell case to protect your IEMs. The cable is terminated in a 3.5 mm jack but there is an adapter to 6.3 mm in the box – which is a nice touch. On the IEM side, the NM25 use QDC-style 2-pin 0.78 mm connector. 

UNBOXING

The whole unboxing experience and presentation was very nice and well thought out, I have to admit. I would have liked to not see the red accents on the case, though, but rather color-matched details in silver and gold colors but may be me nitpicking here. Still, this is a very design-oriented special edition of the NM25 – so even small details matter in the end. 

The IEMs themselves are presented in what almost looks a compact disc and we find the lovely cable, the ear tips, the case, the adapter and the user guide booklet in the box - all of them nicely presented as well. 

https://preview.redd.it/dne73m3azz8h1.jpg?width=2974&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=408281637327e0db27e24140a51094b12d0eaa33

FIT & COMFORT

The IEM is on the smaller side and more comfortable of things and very ergonomically shaped. It fits my ears almost perfectly – very securely, stable and without any wearing fatigue during longer listening sessions. That’s very good! 

I’m usually not too big a fan of pre-formed ear hooks, but they are quite flexible and work well here. So, high marks across the board for fit and comfort for me. The cable also has a nice little metal chin slider that works well and also adds to overall comfort. 

They are very comfortable!

DESIGN

Design is obviously a very subjective thing – especially if we’re talking a design like this one here. The NM25 Ossuary Edition is definitely not trying to look subtle - and honestly, that’s kind of the point here. 

In my opinion, the whole design has this kind of antique, almost gothic jewelry vibe to it, with the skull centerpiece and the heavily sculpted faceplate giving it a very distinct “collector’s piece” sort of look rather than just looking like another generic metal IEM.

We’re talking more “ancient relic found in a fantasy RPG” here than “sleek tech product” here. 

That said, that is exactly what makes the design interesting. In person, it has a lot of personality, and whether you love or hate the skull aesthetic, it certainly doesn’t look boring – that’s for sure! 

The shells themselves also look (and feel) quite premium, with the brushed silver body, recessed 2-pin sockets, small vent, little details and the gold accents around the nozzle and faceplate. It has a nice mix of flashy, extravagant and refined if you ask me. 

The body looks and feels premium

ISOLATION / TIP ROLLING

Isolation is good – at least with the right tips, insertion depth and the right seal in your ear – but this is usually true for most IEMS of course. 

In my case, and as described already, the fit of the NM25 is very good and the shells sit securely in my ear and therefore already block a decent amount of outside noise on their own. We’re obviously not talking ANC levels of isolation here but, still, I’m happy with the attenuation of outside noises, generally speaking. 

When it comes to getting the best level of isolation, I nevertheless had to do quite a bit of tip rolling and finally ended up not using the provided stock tips (even though they are fine) but instead switched between Final Audio Type E silicone tips and Sennheiser foam tips which are provided in their IE 600 / 900 models of IEMs. 

Not just for isolation-related reasons, but more on that later…

https://preview.redd.it/edcitc9xzz8h1.jpg?width=2779&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=eea3b3906b897c086a5ead6e56134f3dd9d0a1ff

DRIVEABILITY / SOURCE GEAR

The NM25 are ridiculously easy to drive and extremely sensitive IEMS – almost to the point of too easy and too sensitive, if you ask me. The good thing about this is that you can easily drive them from absolutely and literally everything. However, the NM25 react strongly to volume changes and can make the usable volume range on more powerful sources feel a bit narrow. 

For example, when using them directly connected to my MacBook Pro (M1 Pro) but also connected to my iPhone both via the FiiO KA11 and iFi Go Link 2 Max dongles, I almost felt like I couldn’t go much higher than roughly 35% volume or so before blasting my ears with dangerously loud volume levels. 

This may be seen as positive for people loving these volume levels – or professionals live on stage or so (please take care of your ears, folks!) - but I personally prefer slightly harder to drive IEMs and more actual volume headroom to play with. 

https://preview.redd.it/0zkr17r6009h1.jpg?width=2916&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=88d4ee13083522752cead30ec3528f9e43381028

SOUND (SIGNATURE) & GENRE MATCHING

This might be the most controversial section of this review.

I should probably directly remind everyone that these are actually supposed to be a “professional” or “monitor-style” IEM intended for (live) stage, monitoring, reference and professional-use which might explain some of what’s to follow here: 

NFACOUS themselves describe the sound as “reference class” and “a smoother listening experience with powerful sound and rich details.” They also talk about “meticulous details with high resolution.“

In my opinion, and from my personal listening experiences with the NM25 Ossuary Edition, this is an extremelybrightly tuned IEM and I think that this is not a good match or choice for people who want a relaxed, warm, dark, bassy or even smooth long-session IEM e.g. 

Measurements courtesy of “ToneDeafMonk” over at squig.link

The identity here definitely is “analytical clarity and details first and everything else second” and indeed clarity, perceived details and separation are the name of game here!

Now, to be fair, I’m a bit of a treble sensitive guy myself, so I may be harsher towards tunings like this one than others but “harsh” is actually what I feel like the NM25 often sound to me. In other words: aggressive, energetic, intense, highly resolving but also sharp, fatiguing and even sibilant. Again: To me!

This kind of tuning was the other reason for switching the ear tips which I talked about earlier. With the Final Type E tips and especially with the foam tips, I managed to somewhat reduce the treble-forwardness of this IEM which made it all better and easier to listen to for me. 

Bass is very good, though, and rather controlled and tight than elevated with very good low-end extension. Lower mids are slightly recessed which sometimes made the sound a bit lean but always clean and spacious for me. 

Intended use cases aside, a (absolutely deliberate) tuning like this obviously works better for some musical genres than it does for others. Listening to warmer and smoother recordings like the “Pacific Standard Time” album from “Poolside” e.g. the clarity, details and separation worked extremely well. 

Another great album, “Welcome to the Mood” by the band “LEISURE” sounded fantastic with the NM25. It’s a very mellow, rich, well-textured and equally well-recorded album and the NM25 can really shine here, quite literally so. 

Things are much more problematic for me as soon as we are talking about genres like EDM, aggressively recoded electronic music – especially with female vocals – but also house music and lots of other more “modern” or contemporary music. 

The solution for me, apart from using the aforementioned foam tips, was using quite a bit of EQ to reduce the upper mids and that piercing treble which admittedly helped a lot and made the NM25 much more enjoyable for me personally. 

I needed foam tips (and some EQ)

Now, all of that said, if you are seeking details, lots of treble, clarity, crisp and sharp transients and don’t mind a more forward and leaner presentation, are not very treble sensitive or if you want to dissect and analyze your music – be it just for fun, for work or as a studio or live musician – you may end up absolutely loving the NM25 and they might be right up your alley. 

That’s because the NM25 can be (and definitely is) a good IEM. It just happens to not be my kind of preferred tuning – that’s all. Your mileage (and use case/s) may likely vary here. 

TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE

As you can now already guess, my main issues with the NM25 are (only) with the tuning. The technical performance, however, I’d rate as good in the price range! 

Clarity and (perceived) resolution as well as separation are very good. Imaging is above average to good for me, the same holds true for speed and transient attack.

The soundstage is fairly open and spacious for an IEM but not exactly huge if that makes sense. That’s also due to the lean mids and the bright top end which create a sense of air but there is no massive depth or even holographic staging present here. 

Timbre, however, is not the strongest point of the NM25. Due to the lean-sounding lower mids and the very energetic upper range, instruments can sound slightly thin, bright, a bit splashy or over-defined rather than fully natural. Dynamics are good, however. 

I also need to make a clear distinction here: 

The NM25 sounds very detailed, but part of that is – as already mentioned - tuning-driven. The treble and extra presence lift expose details very clearly but, generally speaking, that does not automatically mean it resolves like a true high-end set. 

Given that the NM25 is a 199€ IEM (+ the 100€ extra for the special edition here), I would conclude, however that the technical performance is on a very good level for the (regular) price point! 

https://preview.redd.it/cj1mtwvi109h1.jpg?width=3450&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2f0966a4555fd22576e869a1cb70ccd5811266d

COMPARISONS

Well, I feel like I can keep this section pretty short, as I honestly don’t have many IEMs that sound like or comparable to the NM25, and I usually also don’t own many IEMs intended for “professional” or “studio” use to begin with. 

I could compare them to the IE 200, for example, but those are a much more neutral and “audiophile” IEM with a completely different sound signature - much more balanced and coherent, as well as more musical, imo.

I could also compare them to the Meze Alba or even the IE 600, but the result would be somewhat similar. Both of them are tuned more for “fun”, and while the IE 600 can also sometimes edge on being “too exciting” or aggressively dynamic, the overall balance both of them have is still one I ultimately prefer for general musical enjoyment.

The NM25 sometimes remind me a bit of some of the “peakier” and brighter Beyerdynamic headphones - like the DT 990 or DT 1990 Pro e.g. (or also some of the brighter tuned Audio Technica headphones). 

Not that they all sound exactly alike, but you might get the idea. 

Skulls in (almost) symmetry

CONCLUSION

So, where does this leave the NM25 Ossuary Silver Edition when all is said and done? 

Overall, I think this IEM is beautiful, well-crafted and pretty unique-looking, and definitely deserves praise for its build quality, its looks and its aesthetics - even if it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But then again… what is!? It feels like a mix art and jewelry to me and I mean this as a big compliment, actually. I can imagine many people truly loving this one of a kind limited special edition here. 

It also feels very solid in the hand and I love how it fits in my ears – it’s a very comfortable IEM. The cable is good and free of microphonics and the provided accessories are nice as well. 

Unfortunately, the sound is not exactly for me even though I admit that it will definitely have its audience and its use case(s). The NM25 are just too bright, too splashy and, yes, too revealing for my personal liking. I love the bass, though, and wish the mids were a bit more prominent in exchange for less upper mids and treble energy. I guess it could work well in very loud environments, like during live performances or so. The NM25 surely have the power, the energy, the volume and the liveliness for that!

Would I recommend the MM25 Ossuary Silver Edition? 

Well, if you like how it looks, can appreciate its art and craftmanship, are not very treble sensitive and/or are willing to use foam tips or a bit of EQ to go with it, yes, I can actually recommend them. It’s nevertheless a very capable IEM if you know how to use them. 

And even if you don’t like how it looks and/or want to save another 100€/$ but still want to give the NM25 a try, go get the regular full metal and silver looking edition of the NM25 – they are arguably the even better overall deal and present a great value, actually, especially for the right person or listener!

Thanks for reading! :)

Still boxed up

Intro

It’s been four years already since the M4 was released and it has held up pretty well, actually, mostly due to fairly regular firmware updates and general product maintenance, as well as equally regular releases of further versions and color variants. If we look at the M4 in 2026, it still comes with its very good wireless sound quality, 60h battery life, aptX Adaptive, as well as wired USB audio support, which makes it still a rather competitive choice - especially when we are looking at its value and price-to-performance right now.

Where it falls short in today’s market is its Bluetooth version (5.2), lack of the very best current audio codecs (like aptX Lossless or LDAC, e.g.), as well as its just average ANC performance, call quality and transparency modes - all of which are still fine but obviously not quite up there anymore. 

And then there are other things like the lack of 3D audio / Dolby Atmos, digital wired audio playback higher than “just” 16-bit / 44.1 kHz, the inclusion of a rather “old-fashioned” USB-A to USB-C cable, as well as a comparatively rather bulky travel case. 

While waiting for the M5, we quite recently also saw the release of the HDB 630, a more expensive and more audiophile-oriented wireless option that added features like a fully parametric EQ, crossfeed, the inclusion of the BTD 700 dongle, as well as a more advanced internal audio system structure - a headphone which was very well reviewed and received but one that was (and still is) obviously also quite a bit more expensive than the M4.

It was also never supposed to be an M4 successor but rather a mostly neutral-ish tuned wireless set for us audiophiles. I own the HDB 630 and still think that it is probably the best-sounding wireless headphone in the “up to 500€” category. 

Even so, the HDB 630 also has its “flaws”. It doesn’t improve much on the ANC performance of the M4, and the transparency mode especially is average at best. Also, while aimed at audiophiles (and rightfully so, imo), it tops out at 24-bit / 96 kHz aptX Adaptive - which admittedly should be enough for 95% of people, but it nevertheless lacks aptX Lossless support – a codec that the BTD 700 dongle it ships with supports.

 

Anyway, back to the M5

Where does the actual and true M4 successor fit into all of this? Does the newest MOMENTUM headphone come with (significant) enough upgrades for its fifth iteration? Who is it for? And is it worth €400 when the M4 can easily be had for less than half of that? I try to answer these questions in my M5 review - so let’s do this.

The new case is very slim and beautiful

Unboxing

Just like with the M4 (and the HDB 630), the included accessories for the M5 go well beyond the headphones themselves. 

This is what's inside the M5 case

This time you get:

• A much slimmer and sturdy hardshell carrying case that’s only internally similar to the one that comes with the M4. On the back, it has a large cutout that acts like a handle and makes the case very easy to grip and hold. It looks like this:

 

Quite practical, isn't it?

Look just how much slimmer that new case actually is (here in comparison with the HDB 630):

Quite a difference

• A new and color-matched USB-C to USB-C cable, again supporting audio via the digital USB connection (up to 24-bit/96 kHz - the same as the HDB 630 but more than the M4 which could only do 16-bit/44.1 kHz wired). 
• A regular (but also color-matched) 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm analogue audio cable. 
• A Quick Guide manual

 

Something that used to be included in the past but has been left out this time is an Airplane flight adapter. There’s also no BTD 700 dongle included - this remains reserved for the HDB 630, but is, of course, available as an optional accessory if needed.

All in all, you’ll likely find most connection options you will need in a wireless headphone like this, but the BTD 700 would still have been a very nice addition here (but probably too expensive to keep the price below the €400 threshold).

Materials, Build Quality, Design and Comfort

The M5 is similarly built and has a similar, non-foldable, chassis, weight (290g) and design to the M4. The general build quality is very good, with no signs of creaking or other unwanted noises on my (pretty fantastic looking Denim) unit. Still, there are a couple of subtle changes and technical upgrades that you can even see on the headphones:

There are 8 microphones now (4 on each earcup), compared to only 4 in total on the M4.
Other changes include the now circular-shaped and silver-colored Sennheiser logo on the headband – the same one that’s now also on the new case - as well as sleeker and more coherent (gapless) looking outer earcups compared to the M4 and the HDB 630. 

New mircrophones

There's a new logo (shape), too

Otherwise, there are few immediately obvious design changes compared to the M4, as the outer chassis, as mentioned earlier, has largely remained the same.

The same applies to the comfort of the M5: The very plush earcups are still - mainly due to the design and in order to ensure the best possible ANC performance - on the smaller side, but somehow wearing the M5 still feels a bit more comfortable to me than was the case with the M4, though maybe I’m also imagining things here. 

Clamping force is moderate and the earcups can still get rather sweaty in warm conditions. There’s yet again no official IP rating either and Sennheiser advises you on their website that

“MOMENTUM 5 Wireless is not meant for use in scenarios where they might be exposed to water or excessive sweat.” 

So, what was valid for the M4 remains true for its successor: better don’t take them to the gym regularly and keep that silica gel packet inside your case - just in, well, case! 

The earcups remain easily removable, but one of the key new features or design changes is the fact that users can now rather easily change the internal battery! Yes, the new battery is user-replaceable, which is something many of us have been asking for for many years! Awesome that it is finally here now (a thank you also goes out to the new EU regulation, which will come into force in early 2027 and is already casting its shadow here). 

Here’s how it looks if you remove the right earcup by removing the pads and just unscrewing a couple of Phillips screws:

The user-replaceable battery

Driver Technology and Technical Specifications

The M5 features the same 42 mm “high-fidelity” and “HD-600-inspired” dynamic transducer also used in the M4 and the HDB 630 while many other key technical specifications have been changed and updated.

Here Are the Tech Specs of the M5:

• Up to 24-bit / 96 kHz USB-C, Bluetooth, or analog playback
• Bluetooth 5.4 (firmware update to 6.0 for “later” announced)
• Supported codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, Snapdragon Sound
• 6 Hz - 40 kHz response (USB & Bluetooth), 6 Hz – 22 kHz response (analog line in)
• New 8-band graphical EQ in the Smart Control Plus app 
• 3D Dolby Atmos support with head tracking 
• New 8 beamforming microphones (4 on each side) for up to 3x better Hybrid Adaptive ANC, voice chatter reduction and automatic wind-noise suppression
• Improved and much more natural transparency mode
• Improved voice pickup and call quality with own voice detection
• Up to 57 hours battery life with ANC 
• User-exchangeable 700 mAh Lithium-Ion battery
• Quick charge (10mins charge for 7hr playtime)
• Sensitivity: 108 dB SPL (@ 1 kHz / 0 dB FS)
• Speaker Impedance: Active 520 ohms
• Weight: 290 g

We’re clearly talking MOMENTUM 5 here

Sound Signature, App Support, Features and Dolby Atmos

The stock sound signature of the M5 is a rather (sub-)bass-heavy, consumer-oriented, warm-leaning, rich and quite immersive tuning with a significantly boosted low end, especially in the region of 120 Hz and below, a pretty good yet very slightly recessed midrange (comparatively at least) and also slightly elevated highs. 

Keep in mind that all of what’s to come here is with firmware version “6.21.1” installed – so there might even be another update once release day is here or shortly thereafter. 

The all-new 8-band EQ, however, gives you control over three crucial low-frequency bands, namely 50 Hz, 100 Hz and 250 Hz, which makes adjusting the bass region to your own liking easier than is the case with the M4 - even without the excellent parametric EQ that (unfortunately only) the HDB 630 comes with. EQ adjustments can be made in 0.1 dB steps. All user-made EQ settings can also be shared again, either via a QR-code or via a link – which is great. 

That's what the new 8-band EQ looks like

That said, the (stock) M5 is undeniably tuned for consumers, and it clearly shows in the low end. There’s also even the optional “bass boost” feature to toggle in the app for those of you who want to make Flossy Carter a proud man. The M5 can truly be bass cannons if you so wish, but thankfully they don’t have to be and are versatile enough with pretty capable drivers - just in case you like your midrange and treble frequencies just as much. 

The headphones can be used wirelessly via Bluetooth, wired via USB-C, as well as wired via the included 3.5 mm AUX cable but, unlike the M4, there is no fully passive mode anymore (same as on the HDB 630). Therefore, your M5 have to be powered on and up and running, regardless of the connection type you choose.

However, I also ran into some (early) issues during my testings so far: 

The first thing I noticed was that when I used and played around with the graphic EQ, the sound output was noticeably lower in total volume after the individual adjustments compared to the “neutral” default setting, with no apparent way to change that (on my iPhone 17 Pro Max that is). Even though I preferred my personal EQ over the quite bassy “neutral” tuning, I also had to crank up the volume quite a bit more than I would usually like.

Now, all of this might have to do with some sort of automatic pre-gain adjustment in the EQ or so, but I don’t see why my personal EQ would need to be so “quiet” in comparison to the stock tuning, given that the overall adjustments weren’t actually that drastic. 

Time will tell whether this can or will be fixed in a firmware update, but for now, I often ended up using the stock tuning on the iPhone just because of the higher volume output it provides (I usually don’t care for any of the other presets like “Rock” or so - except for “Podcast” occasionally maybe). 

Funnily enough, this was less of an issue when using my MacBook Pro + the BTD 700 as the on the Mac, there was noticeably more volume headroom left, even when using my own EQ setting (which was still quieter here than stock but not much of an issue otherwise).

Another complaint would be that while it is obviously good to have three additional EQ bands now, I’d personally like to have a 2 kHz slider instead of a 1.4 kHz slider plus another 3 kHz one. That’s because there is a dip in the 2 kHz region that I would like to correct for myself, whereas the 1.4 kHz and 3 kHz regions are less problematic in the stock tuning for me.

However, “Sound Personalization” luckily also makes a comeback for the fifth MOMENTUM generation, providing the very same, easy and intuitive way to customize the sound that we all know and love from the previous generation. This feature helped me find my personal sound profile that I really like and that I will continue to use for the foreseeable future with my M5. No apparent volume issues here either! 

Add the - optional - BTD 700 dongle to the mix and I got that sweet aptX Lossless connection and an overall sound I was actually very happy with! 

aptX Lossless support on deck!

One of the big new features is the introduction of “Dolby Atmos” to the MOMENTUM series – with head tracking as well. I have to say that it works nicely and just as advertised, so no complaints here. 

Admittedly, though, I haven’t tested this very extensively yet, but that’s more due to the fact that I barely use Dolby Atmos as a feature, or even Dolby Atmos content a lot. I tried it back when I still had my Apple AirPods Max, and the same applied / applies to the AirPods Pro 2 and 3, but I just don’t like it very much - never really have. It can be nice for movies, though.

Nevertheless, it’s great that it is there for everyone using or liking it, and the implementation and experience have otherwise been pretty flawless so far. One thing to note here, though, is that Dolby Atmos cannot be enabled as long as “Sound Personalization” is active in the “My Sound” section of the app. 

The M5 supports Dolby Atmos

All of that said so far, does the M5 sound better than the (already very good sounding) M4?

Yes, it does! Well, it does for me at least but it may depend a bit on whether you like the stock tuning or whether you can find your own sound and your own tuning for it. So, take your time with it and play around with the sound personalization feature. I can only recommend doing so as it is really worth it in the end! 

To me, M5 sounds pretty great after said sound personalization combined with the BTD 700 but the M5 is still just a bit better than the M4, so it’s definitely not a huge upgrade in sound quality - probably more of an incremental albeit noticeable one, I’d say - and there is nothing wrong with that given that the M4 still sound great to this day. Instrument separation e.g. is one of the areas that I found to be better on the M5 than on the M4 (to my ears of course). 

Does the audio on its own, however, warrant an immediate upgrade if you already own and love the M4? Probably not, no. However, there’s more to the entire M5 package than “just” sound – but more on that in a minute! 

Lastly, and totally as expected, the M5 sound great wired via USB-C – and can now deliver 24-bit / 96 kHz that way which is more than the M4 is capable of and on par with what the HDB 630 can do.

Speaking of which…

Does the M5 sound better than the HDB 630?

In my humble and very subjective audiophile opinion, no, it doesn’t, but quite frankly I also didn’t really expect it to. And no, it is not just about the differences in (stock) tuning!

The HDB 630 plays in a league above the M4, and it still kind of plays at least in half a league above the M5 for me. It just has a more effortless and natural, neutral-ish sound reproduction, and one that rewards the listener with more detail, better separation and more distinct layering of sounds. So, for now at least, the HDB 630 remains at the top of the wireless headphone sound tier list for me.

Another aspect where the M5 - and the M4 - fall behind the HDB 630 is timbre. To my ears, both MOMENTUMS just sound a bit less realistic, lifelike and a tad more “digital” in their tonal reproduction if that makes any sense. Obviously not bad by any means, don’t get me wrong here, but simply not quite as excellentas the HDB 630. However, all of this probably just shows my absolute appreciation of the HDB 630 more than it is against the M5 or even the M4. 

Now, to also be fair here, Sennheiser themselves only position the HDB 630 as an “audiophile” product, while the M5, for example, is meant to be for “serious listeners” – whatever the exact definition of that may be. 

I’d say these “serious listeners” still are (regular) consumers but with an already certain (and likely quite high) level of ambition and expectation when it comes to their wireless music listening. I like to call them “consumerphiles”, btw. ;) 

So, let’s just agree that the M5 is a very good consumerphile headphone from now on, shall we? Ok great, thank you!

In-house competitors, or are they?

Controls, ANC and Transparency Mode

Controls remain mostly unchanged compared with the M4 and the HDB 630. If you are familiar with either of the two, you will immediately feel right at home with the M5. However, that also means that if you still don’t think touch controls on a pair of headphones are a good idea and that physical buttons exist to rule them all, you’re out of luck once again.

I personally think that the implementation of Sennheiser’s controls is good and I have never really had an issue with using touch controls on my wireless headphones. That said, I still wish there were a more precise way of adjusting the volume in small(er) steps than what is currently available here.

There’s a new gesture, mind you! A double tap with two fingers enables and/or disables Dolby Atmos on the M5. So, there you go. 

Oh, and another thing that has changed is:  

When you take your headphones out of the case after you placed them there and put them to “sleep”, they don’t power on automatically anymore. Instead, you have to press the power / multifunction button (which is still the only physical button) on the right earcup once in order to power them on again. I actually like that change, as it sort of prevents the headphones from turning on randomly in the case when they are supposed to, well, not do that.

The Power / Multifunction button

Let’s come to some great news, shall we?

The ANC performance has been seriously ramped up this time! I tried it during some of my daily commutes and this is the best ANC performance of any Sennheiser headphone so far - and by far. 

The ANC is now clearly better than just “average” and actually very much usable and beneficial in everyday life. While it may still not be truly up there with the very best in the ANC game, this level of ANC performance is actually more than enough for me personally and I can happily report that I would consider the M5 to finally be properly GOOD ANC headphones!

The outside world gets seriously drowned out and when you put on a couple of your favorite tunes, pretty much everything around you disappears entirely. ANC is a key area that has improved over the M4 and it shows. Wind noises are reduced and filtered out automatically as well – if enabled in the app - which worked pretty reliably in my tests. 

The good news doesn’t stop here, though. An even bigger improvement I found when comparing transparency modes between the headphones. As much as I love the HDB 630, it doesn’t exactly have a very good transparency mode - it’s average at best. The M5, however, has a much improved, way clearer and much more natural transparency mode. 

It comes with barely any white noise either and is a big improvement over the previous generation(s) and actually a real plus in everyday life and finally where a good transparency mode needs to be nowadays! Properly good stuff.

Slightly new outer earcups (once the stickers are finally taken off here)

Battery Life and Call Quality

With regard to battery life, the M5 is pretty much on par with the M4 and the HDB 630.

57 hours of battery life with ANC enabled is still - even four years after the M4 kind of set a benchmark with its 60 hours in that regard - pretty much class-leading and clearly more than what most direct competitors offer. 

Quick charge (10 minutes of charging for 7 hours of playback) is there as well, as is a battery saving feature in the app that ensures that the battery is charged slower and only up to 80% if you so wish. Combine that with the now user-replaceable battery and there really shouldn’t be much to worry about when it comes to battery longevity - even long after the 1-year warranty has expired.

Call quality is very good indoors and in quiet environments and has also improved over the M4 there. That said, I have also already made a couple of phone calls outdoors during commutes and have also used the M5 for a few Teams calls in the office. 

Team calls were very absolutely fine – no issues here at all. During commutes, especially when walking around outdoors and/or in windy conditions, people on the other side complained that they could hear an “echo” of their own voice from time to time. Only when they were speaking themselves, though. When I was speaking, everything was completely fine. Not sure whether this is just an early firmware quirk or even somehow related to my iPhone or iOS or so but I nevertheless still wanted to mention it. Your mileage may obviously also vary here. 

There’s a sidetone feature that automatically enables transparency mode during calls, and you can also adjust and save the transparency intensity in the app.

(Review-) Writing, Listening and Reading with the M5

Summary and Value

MOMENTUM 5 is a great wireless headphone, no doubt. It’s better than M4 in many ways while arguably sounding even better. 

Sound, however, will likely not be the sole reason to upgrade from the M4, in my opinion. The M4 can also sound great when adjusted to your own taste and using a dongle like the BTD 700 e.g. 

The M5, for me, is mainly about maintaining what was already great about the M4 and incrementally improve on many other things that were not so great or not great any more.  Incremental upgrades, however, can also be meaningful ones and the M5 shows exactly that! 

The design is strikingly similar with just small (mainly visual) adjustments, but many of them make M5 look even sleeker and more modern, yet also quite familiar. 

Materials, build quality and comfort are (and remain) on a high level while Sennheiser has still added meaningful improvements across the board to an already winning formula: 

I truly love the new hardcase. It’s finally (!) slim, compact and easy to carry around and just looks and feels nice in the hands. 

ANC and transparency modes are both vastly improved, the addition of aptX Lossless and Dolby Atmos are great to see and the improved voice pickup should not be forgotten as well. 

Automatic wind noise reduction works well, battery life remains excellent and there is 24-bit / 96 kHz support for wired USB-C listening now – just like on the HDB 630. 

In some ways, the M5 even tops the more expensive HDB 630 – especially when it comes to its ANC and transparency mode performances. The latter also doesn’t have aptX Lossless or Dolby Atmos support and neither the M4 nor the HDB 630 come with that lovely user-replaceable battery. 

All of that said, all that glitters is not gold – at least not yet! 

The new 8-band EQ is good but could be even better. Make it a 10-band EQ and add two important bands (2 kHz and 4 kHz) or, even better, directly implement a fully parametric EQ, please!

Potential volume level issues on iPhone when using a custom EQ setting may also still need to be looked at again but we’re talking early days here! 

Bluetooth 6.0 is announced to be coming in “a future update” but, so far, we don’t exactly know when that will be. Sound quality is improved vs. the M4 a) but not by much and b) it is still a bit behind the HDB 630 in that regard. Touch controls work well and more responsive than ever, yet I still wished volume control was implemented in a more granular way. 

Sooo, is the M5 the wireless Sennheiser headphone to get?

Well, the answer to that is a clear “jein” as we Germans like to say (a combination of the German words “ja” for yes and “nein” for no). As is so often the case, it truly depends. 

In my opinion, the M4 will remain to be the value or “price-to-performance” king in the wireless consumer headphone world for now and probably for as long as it will still be available on the market. While it is clearly not as good of a total package and not as technically advanced as the M5 is, it’s still a compelling wireless option and can be easily had for 150€ - 200€ these days. Means, if you are on a budget and pure value is what you’re after, as of today, you may as well still get the M4, in my opinion.  

However, the M5 is the best, most advanced and most feature rich headphone in the Momentum series so far – no doubt about that! 

So, if double the price right now is not an issue, definitely go for the M5! By doing so, you will be rewarded with great sound, excellent features like Dolby Atmos and aptX Lossless support, the best Sennheiser ANC and transparency modes ever, a very good 57-hour battery that is user-replaceable, a couple more years of potential firmware updates and more… in the sleekest and most portable Sennheiser carrying case ever! It’s finally a truly great travel companion headphone now!  

Value compared to the M4 may (maybe) seem not as good at first glance but compared to other wireless flagship products form the likes of Sony, Apple or Bose e.g., M5 offers excellent value in direct comparison, imo. I also struggle to see more compelling wireless options in the sense of “total packages” out there at or below 400€. 

And last but not least, you may nonetheless still want to get the HDB 630 if the best wireless sound quality and best sound customizability on the go is your number-one priority, you are one of those “audiophiles” and you just want that parametric EQ, Crossfeed functionality, slightly more premium materials and the included BTD 700 dongle – all that for yet another 100€ extra, mind you.

Final Verdict

The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 is a beautifully looking, technically quite impressive, modern and versatile successor to the widely popular M4, and it finally brings us very good Sennheiser ANC performance as well as a great transparency mode and good call quality. Add aptX Lossless, Dolby Atmos with head tracking, wired 24-bit / 96 kHz listening and that new case to the mix, and this should easily be a winner.

On top of that, it is a very good headphone for commuters now and overall an (almost) complete wireless package that all you “consumerphiles” and “serious listeners” out there will likely appreciate quite a bit! 

I hope it will get the same product support and regular firmware updates with further improvements, refinements, new features and functionalities like it has been the case with the M4 for four years now!  

Oh, and there’s a new club now. Welcome to the M5 club!! ;) 

Thanks for reading!

Still boxed up

Intro

It’s been four years already since the M4 was released and it has held up pretty well, actually, mostly due to fairly regular firmware updates and general product maintenance, as well as equally regular releases of further versions and color variants. If we look at the M4 in 2026, it still comes with its very good wireless sound quality, 60h battery life, aptX Adaptive, as well as wired USB audio support, which makes it still a rather competitive choice - especially when we are looking at its value and price-to-performance right now.

Where it falls short in today’s market is its Bluetooth version (5.2), lack of the very best current audio codecs (like aptX Lossless or LDAC, e.g.), as well as its just average ANC performance, call quality and transparency modes - all of which are still fine but obviously not quite up there anymore. 

And then there are other things like the lack of 3D audio / Dolby Atmos, digital wired audio playback higher than “just” 16-bit / 44.1 kHz, the inclusion of a rather “old-fashioned” USB-A to USB-C cable, as well as a comparatively rather bulky travel case. 

While waiting for the M5, we quite recently also saw the release of the HDB 630, a more expensive and more audiophile-oriented wireless option that added features like a fully parametric EQ, crossfeed, the inclusion of the BTD 700 dongle, as well as a more advanced internal audio system structure - a headphone which was very well reviewed and received but one that was (and still is) obviously also quite a bit more expensive than the M4.

It was also never supposed to be an M4 successor but rather a mostly neutral-ish tuned wireless set for us audiophiles. I own the HDB 630 and still think that it is probably the best-sounding wireless headphone in the “up to 500€” category. 

Even so, the HDB 630 also has its “flaws”. It doesn’t improve much on the ANC performance of the M4, and the transparency mode especially is average at best. Also, while aimed at audiophiles (and rightfully so, imo), it tops out at 24-bit / 96 kHz aptX Adaptive - which admittedly should be enough for 95% of people, but it nevertheless lacks aptX Lossless support – a codec that the BTD 700 dongle it ships with supports.

Anyway, back to the M5

Where does the actual and true M4 successor fit into all of this? Does the newest MOMENTUM headphone come with (significant) enough upgrades for its fifth iteration? Who is it for? And is it worth €400 when the M4 can easily be had for less than half of that? I try to answer these questions in my M5 review - so let’s do this.

The new case is very slim and beautiful

Unboxing

Just like with the M4 (and the HDB 630), the included accessories for the M5 go well beyond the headphones themselves. 

This is what's inside the M5 case

This time you get:

• A much slimmer and sturdy hardshell carrying case that’s only internally similar to the one that comes with the M4. On the back, it has a large cutout that acts like a handle and makes the case very easy to grip and hold. It looks like this:

 

Quite practical, isn't it?

Look just how much slimmer that new case actually is (here in comparison with the HDB 630):

Quite a difference

• A new and color-matched USB-C to USB-C cable, again supporting audio via the digital USB connection (up to 24-bit/96 kHz - the same as the HDB 630 but more than the M4 which could only do 16-bit/44.1 kHz wired). 
• A regular (but also color-matched) 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm analogue audio cable. 
• A Quick Guide manual

 

Something that used to be included in the past but has been left out this time is an Airplane flight adapter. There’s also no BTD 700 dongle included - this remains reserved for the HDB 630, but is, of course, available as an optional accessory if needed.

All in all, you’ll likely find most connection options you will need in a wireless headphone like this, but the BTD 700 would still have been a very nice addition here (but probably too expensive to keep the price below the €400 threshold).

Materials, Build Quality, Design and Comfort

The M5 is similarly built and has a similar, non-foldable, chassis, weight (290g) and design to the M4. The general build quality is very good, with no signs of creaking or other unwanted noises on my (pretty fantastic looking Denim) unit. Still, there are a couple of subtle changes and technical upgrades that you can even see on the headphones:

There are 8 microphones now (4 on each earcup), compared to only 4 in total on the M4.
Other changes include the now circular-shaped and silver-colored Sennheiser logo on the headband – the same one that’s now also on the new case - as well as sleeker and more coherent (gapless) looking outer earcups compared to the M4 and the HDB 630. 

New microphones

There's a new logo (shape), too

Otherwise, there are few immediately obvious design changes compared to the M4, as the outer chassis, as mentioned earlier, has largely remained the same.

The same applies to the comfort of the M5: The very plush earcups are still - mainly due to the design and in order to ensure the best possible ANC performance - on the smaller side, but somehow wearing the M5 still feels a bit more comfortable to me than was the case with the M4, though maybe I’m also imagining things here. 

Clamping force is moderate and the earcups can still get rather sweaty in warm conditions. There’s yet again no official IP rating either and Sennheiser advises you on their website that

“MOMENTUM 5 Wireless is not meant for use in scenarios where they might be exposed to water or excessive sweat.” 

So, what was valid for the M4 remains true for its successor: better don’t take them to the gym regularly and keep that silica gel packet inside your case - just in, well, case! 

The earcups remain easily removable, but one of the key new features or design changes is the fact that users can now rather easily change the internal battery! Yes, the new battery is user-replaceable, which is something many of us have been asking for for many years! Awesome that it is finally here now (a thank you also goes out to the new EU regulation, which will come into force in early 2027 and is already casting its shadow here). 

Here’s how it looks if you remove the right earcup by removing the pads and just unscrewing a couple of Phillips screws:

The user-replaceable battery

Driver Technology and Technical Specifications

The M5 features the same 42 mm “high-fidelity” and “HD-600-inspired” dynamic transducer also used in the M4 and the HDB 630 while many other key technical specifications have been changed and updated.

Here Are the Tech Specs of the M5:

• Up to 24-bit / 96 kHz USB-C, Bluetooth, or analog playback
• Bluetooth 5.4 (firmware update to 6.0 for “later” announced)
• Supported codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless, Snapdragon Sound
• 6 Hz - 40 kHz response (USB & Bluetooth), 6 Hz – 22 kHz response (analog line in)
• New 8-band graphical EQ in the Smart Control Plus app 
• 3D Dolby Atmos support with head tracking 
• New 8 beamforming microphones (4 on each side) for up to 3x better Hybrid Adaptive ANC, voice chatter reduction and automatic wind-noise suppression
• Improved and much more natural transparency mode
• Improved voice pickup and call quality with own voice detection
• Up to 57 hours battery life with ANC 
• User-exchangeable 700 mAh Lithium-Ion battery
• Quick charge (10mins charge for 7hr playtime)
• Sensitivity: 108 dB SPL (@ 1 kHz / 0 dB FS)
• Speaker Impedance: Active 520 ohms
• Weight: 290 g

We're clearly talking MOMENUM 5 here

Sound Signature, App Support, Features and Dolby Atmos

The stock sound signature of the M5 is a rather (sub-)bass-heavy, consumer-oriented, warm-leaning, rich and quite immersive tuning with a significantly boosted low end, especially in the region of 120 Hz and below, a pretty good yet very slightly recessed midrange (comparatively at least) and also slightly elevated highs. 

Keep in mind that all of what’s to come here is with firmware version “6.21.1” installed – so there might even be another update once release day is here or shortly thereafter. 

The all-new 8-band EQ, however, gives you control over three crucial low-frequency bands, namely 50 Hz, 100 Hz and 250 Hz, which makes adjusting the bass region to your own liking easier than is the case with the M4 - even without the excellent parametric EQ that (unfortunately only) the HDB 630 comes with. EQ adjustments can be made in 0.1 dB steps. All user-made EQ settings can also be shared again, either via a QR-code or via a link – which is great. 

That's what the new 8-band EQ looks like

That said, the (stock) M5 is undeniably tuned for consumers, and it clearly shows in the low end. There’s also even the optional “bass boost” feature to toggle in the app for those of you who want to make Flossy Carter a proud man. The M5 can truly be bass cannons if you so wish, but thankfully they don’t have to be and are versatile enough with pretty capable drivers - just in case you like your midrange and treble frequencies just as much. 

The headphones can be used wirelessly via Bluetooth, wired via USB-C, as well as wired via the included 3.5 mm AUX cable but, unlike the M4, there is no fully passive mode anymore (same as on the HDB 630). Therefore, your M5 have to be powered on and up and running, regardless of the connection type you choose.

However, I also ran into some (early) issues during my testings so far: 

The first thing I noticed was that when I used and played around with the graphic EQ, the sound output was noticeably lower in total volume after the individual adjustments compared to the “neutral” default setting, with no apparent way to change that (on my iPhone 17 Pro Max that is). Even though I preferred my personal EQ over the quite bassy “neutral” tuning, I also had to crank up the volume quite a bit more than I would usually like.

Now, all of this might have to do with some sort of automatic pre-gain adjustment in the EQ or so, but I don’t see why my personal EQ would need to be so “quiet” in comparison to the stock tuning, given that the overall adjustments weren’t actually that drastic. 

Time will tell whether this can or will be fixed in a firmware update, but for now, I often ended up using the stock tuning on the iPhone just because of the higher volume output it provides (I usually don’t care for any of the other presets like “Rock” or so - except for “Podcast” occasionally maybe). 

Funnily enough, this was less of an issue when using my MacBook Pro + the BTD 700 as the on the Mac, there was noticeably more volume headroom left, even when using my own EQ setting (which was still quieter here than stock but not much of an issue otherwise).

Another complaint would be that while it is obviously good to have three additional EQ bands now, I’d personally like to have a 2 kHz slider instead of a 1.4 kHz slider plus another 3 kHz one. That’s because there is a dip in the 2 kHz region that I would like to correct for myself, whereas the 1.4 kHz and 3 kHz regions are less problematic in the stock tuning for me.

However, “Sound Personalization” luckily also makes a comeback for the fifth MOMENTUM generation, providing the very same, easy and intuitive way to customize the sound that we all know and love from the previous generation. This feature helped me find my personal sound profile that I really like and that I will continue to use for the foreseeable future with my M5. No apparent volume issues here either! 

Add the - optional - BTD 700 dongle to the mix and I got that sweet aptX Lossless connection and an overall sound I was actually very happy with! 

aptX Lossless support on deck!

One of the big new features is the introduction of “Dolby Atmos” to the MOMENTUM series – with head tracking as well. I have to say that it works nicely and just as advertised, so no complaints here. 

Admittedly, though, I haven’t tested this very extensively yet, but that’s more due to the fact that I barely use Dolby Atmos as a feature, or even Dolby Atmos content a lot. I tried it back when I still had my Apple AirPods Max, and the same applied / applies to the AirPods Pro 2 and 3, but I just don’t like it very much - never really have. It can be nice for movies, though.

Nevertheless, it’s great that it is there for everyone using or liking it, and the implementation and experience have otherwise been pretty flawless so far. One thing to note here, though, is that Dolby Atmos cannot be enabled as long as “Sound Personalization” is active in the “My Sound” section of the app. 

The M5 supports Dolby Atmos

All of that said so far, does the M5 sound better than the (already very good sounding) M4?

Yes, it does! Well, it does for me at least but it may depend a bit on whether you like the stock tuning or whether you can find your own sound and your own tuning for it. So, take your time with it and play around with the sound personalization feature. I can only recommend doing so as it is really worth it in the end! 

To me, M5 sounds pretty great after said sound personalization combined with the BTD 700 but the M5 is still just a bit better than the M4, so it’s definitely not a huge upgrade in sound quality - probably more of an incremental albeit noticeable one, I’d say - and there is nothing wrong with that given that the M4 still sound great to this day. Instrument separation e.g. is one of the areas that I found to be better on the M5 than on the M4 (to my ears of course). 

Does the audio on its own, however, warrant an immediate upgrade if you already own and love the M4? Probably not, no. However, there’s more to the entire M5 package than “just” sound – but more on that in a minute! 

Lastly, and totally as expected, the M5 sound great wired via USB-C – and can now deliver 24-bit / 96 kHz that way which is more than the M4 is capable of and on par with what the HDB 630 can do.

Speaking of which…

Does the M5 sound better than the HDB 630?

In my humble and very subjective audiophile opinion, no, it doesn’t, but quite frankly I also didn’t really expect it to. And no, it is not just about the differences in (stock) tuning!

The HDB 630 plays in a league above the M4, and it still kind of plays at least in half a league above the M5 for me. It just has a more effortless and natural, neutral-ish sound reproduction, and one that rewards the listener with more detail, better separation and more distinct layering of sounds. So, for now at least, the HDB 630 remains at the top of the wireless headphone sound tier list for me.

Another aspect where the M5 - and the M4 - fall behind the HDB 630 is timbre. To my ears, both MOMENTUMS just sound a bit less realistic, lifelike and a tad more “digital” in their tonal reproduction if that makes any sense. Obviously not bad by any means, don’t get me wrong here, but simply not quite as excellentas the HDB 630. However, all of this probably just shows my absolute appreciation of the HDB 630 more than it is against the M5 or even the M4. 

Now, to also be fair here, Sennheiser themselves only position the HDB 630 as an “audiophile” product, while the M5, for example, is meant to be for “serious listeners” – whatever the exact definition of that may be. 

I’d say these “serious listeners” still are (regular) consumers but with an already certain (and likely quite high) level of ambition and expectation when it comes to their wireless music listening. I like to call them “consumerphiles”, btw. ;) 

So, let’s just agree that the M5 is a very good consumerphile headphone from now on, shall we? Ok great, thank you!

In-house competitors, or are they?

Controls, ANC and Transparency Mode

Controls remain mostly unchanged compared with the M4 and the HDB 630. If you are familiar with either of the two, you will immediately feel right at home with the M5. However, that also means that if you still don’t think touch controls on a pair of headphones are a good idea and that physical buttons exist to rule them all, you’re out of luck once again.

I personally think that the implementation of Sennheiser’s controls is good and I have never really had an issue with using touch controls on my wireless headphones. That said, I still wish there were a more precise way of adjusting the volume in small(er) steps than what is currently available here.

There’s a new gesture, mind you! A double tap with two fingers enables and/or disables Dolby Atmos on the M5. So, there you go. 

Oh, and another thing that has changed is:  

When you take your headphones out of the case after you placed them there and put them to “sleep”, they don’t power on automatically anymore. Instead, you have to press the power / multifunction button (which is still the only physical button) on the right earcup once in order to power them on again. I actually like that change, as it sort of prevents the headphones from turning on randomly in the case when they are supposed to, well, not do that.

The Power / Multifunction button

Let’s come to some great news, shall we?

The ANC performance has been seriously ramped up this time! I tried it during some of my daily commutes and this is the best ANC performance of any Sennheiser headphone so far - and by far. 

The ANC is now clearly better than just “average” and actually very much usable and beneficial in everyday life. While it may still not be truly up there with the very best in the ANC game, this level of ANC performance is actually more than enough for me personally and I can happily report that I would consider the M5 to finally be properly GOOD ANC headphones!

The outside world gets seriously drowned out and when you put on a couple of your favorite tunes, pretty much everything around you disappears entirely. ANC is a key area that has improved over the M4 and it shows. Wind noises are reduced and filtered out automatically as well – if enabled in the app - which worked pretty reliably in my tests. 

The good news doesn’t stop here, though. An even bigger improvement I found when comparing transparency modes between the headphones. As much as I love the HDB 630, it doesn’t exactly have a very good transparency mode - it’s average at best. The M5, however, has a much improved, way clearer and much more natural transparency mode. 

It comes with barely any white noise either and is a big improvement over the previous generation(s) and actually a real plus in everyday life and finally where a good transparency mode needs to be nowadays! Properly good stuff.

Slightly new outer earcups (once the stickers are finally taken off here)

Battery Life and Call Quality

With regard to battery life, the M5 is pretty much on par with the M4 and the HDB 630.

57 hours of battery life with ANC enabled is still - even four years after the M4 kind of set a benchmark with its 60 hours in that regard - pretty much class-leading and clearly more than what most direct competitors offer. 

Quick charge (10 minutes of charging for 7 hours of playback) is there as well, as is a battery saving feature in the app that ensures that the battery is charged slower and only up to 80% if you so wish. Combine that with the now user-replaceable battery and there really shouldn’t be much to worry about when it comes to battery longevity - even long after the 1-year warranty has expired.

Call quality is very good indoors and in quiet environments and has also improved over the M4 there. That said, I have also already made a couple of phone calls outdoors during commutes and have also used the M5 for a few Teams calls in the office. 

Teams calls were very absolutely fine – no issues here at all. During commutes, especially when walking around outdoors and/or in windy conditions, people on the other side complained that they could hear an “echo” of their own voice from time to time. Only when they were speaking themselves, though. When I was speaking, everything was completely fine. Not sure whether this is just an early firmware quirk or even somehow related to my iPhone or iOS or so but I nevertheless still wanted to mention it. Your mileage may obviously also vary here. 

There’s a sidetone feature that automatically enables transparency mode during calls, and you can also adjust and save the transparency intensity in the app.

(Review-) Writing and Reading with the M5

Summary and Value

MOMENTUM 5 is a great wireless headphone, no doubt. It’s better than M4 in many ways while arguably sounding even better. 

Sound, however, will likely not be the sole reason to upgrade from the M4, in my opinion. The M4 can also sound great when adjusted to your own taste and using a dongle like the BTD 700 e.g. 

The M5, for me, is mainly about maintaining what was already great about the M4 and incrementally improve on many other things that were not so great or not great any more.  Incremental upgrades, however, can also be meaningful ones and the M5 shows exactly that! 

The design is strikingly similar with just small (mainly visual) adjustments, but many of them make M5 look even sleeker and more modern, yet also quite familiar. 

Materials, build quality and comfort are (and remain) on a high level while Sennheiser has still added meaningful improvements across the board to an already winning formula: 

I truly love the new hardcase. It’s finally (!) slim, compact and easy to carry around and just looks and feels nice in the hands. 

ANC and transparency modes are both vastly improved, the addition of aptX Lossless and Dolby Atmos are great to see and the improved voice pickup should not be forgotten as well. 

Automatic wind noise reduction works well, battery life remains excellent and there is 24-bit / 96 kHz support for wired USB-C listening now – just like on the HDB 630. 

In some ways, the M5 even tops the more expensive HDB 630 – especially when it comes to its ANC and transparency mode performances. The latter also doesn’t have aptX Lossless or Dolby Atmos support and neither the M4 nor the HDB 630 come with that lovely user-replaceable battery. 

All of that said, all that glitters is not gold – at least not yet! 

The new 8-band EQ is good but could be even better. Make it a 10-band EQ and add two important bands (2 kHz and 4 kHz) or, even better, directly implement a fully parametric EQ, please!

Potential volume level issues on iPhone when using a custom EQ setting may also still need to be looked at again but we’re talking early days here! 

Bluetooth 6.0 is announced to be coming in “a future update” but, so far, we don’t exactly know when that will be. Sound quality is improved vs. the M4 a) but not by much and b) it is still a bit behind the HDB 630 in that regard. Touch controls work well and more responsive than ever, yet I still wished volume control was implemented in a more granular way. 

Sooo, is the M5 the wireless Sennheiser headphone to get?

Well, the answer to that is a clear “jein” as we Germans like to say (a combination of the German words “ja” for yes and “nein” for no). As is so often the case, it truly depends. 

In my opinion, the M4 will remain to be the value or “price-to-performance” king in the wireless consumer headphone world for now and probably for as long as it will still be available on the market. While it is clearly not as good of a total package and not as technically advanced as the M5 is, it’s still a compelling wireless option and can be easily had for 150€ - 200€ these days. Means, if you are on a budget and pure value is what you’re after, as of today, you may as well still get the M4, in my opinion.

However, the M5 is the best, most advanced and most feature rich headphone in the Momentum series so far – no doubt about that! 

So, if double the price right now is not an issue, definitely go for the M5! By doing so, you will be rewarded with great sound, excellent features like Dolby Atmos and aptX Lossless support, the best Sennheiser ANC and transparency modes ever, a very good 57-hour battery that is user-replaceable, a couple more years of potential firmware updates and more… in the sleekest and most portable Sennheiser carrying case ever! It’s finally a truly great travel companion headphone now!  

Value compared to the M4 may (maybe) seem not as good at first glance but compared to other wireless flagship products form the likes of Sony, Apple or Bose e.g., M5 offers excellent value in direct comparison, imo. I also struggle to see more compelling wireless options in the sense of “total packages” out there at or below 400€. 

And last but not least, you may nonetheless still want to get the HDB 630 if the best wireless sound quality and best sound customizability on the go is your number-one priority, you are one of those “audiophiles” and you just want that parametric EQ, Crossfeed functionality, slightly more premium materials and the included BTD 700 dongle – all that for yet another 100€ extra, mind you.

Final Verdict

The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 5 is a beautifully looking, technically quite impressive, modern and versatile successor to the widely popular M4, and it finally brings us very good Sennheiser ANC performance as well as a great transparency mode and good call quality. Add aptX Lossless, Dolby Atmos with head tracking, wired 24-bit / 96 kHz listening and that new case to the mix, and this should easily be a winner.

On top of that, it is a very good headphone for commuters now and overall an (almost) complete wireless package that all you “consumerphiles” and “serious listeners” out there will likely appreciate quite a bit! 

I hope it will get the same product support and regular firmware updates with further improvements, refinements, new features and functionalities like it has been the case with the M4 for four years now! 

Thanks for reading!

Sennheiser has just released the official „Product Tour“ video for the upcoming M5. Thought I‘d share it here since it was only uploaded 1h ago on YouTube.

Not much longer now, folks 😎