Same, same but different | Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 Review

The number of noise-canceling earbuds available is overwhelming.

Sennheiser’s new Momentum True Wireless 3 (MTW3) earbuds cut through that noise with decent sound quality and clear voice calls, albeit for a pricey $399.95.

Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3 earphones come in a sturdy wireless charging case. (Nine)

Sennheiser’s MTW3 is 16% smaller than its 2020 predecessor.

The redesign is more rectangular, which can be confusing when finding your perfect fit.

You would expect tips of different sizes that you can swap out, but the ‘fins’ on the MTW3 are brand new.

The rubber bands wrap snugly around the earbuds like a lipped headband — designed to slide under the outer rim of your ear — and help keep the cap in place.

You may have to fiddle with different combinations before you find one that works for you. I needed a smaller tip with a bigger band for my most comfortable fit, and even then, it’s not as easy as plugging in the earbuds; each takes a little twist to get into position.

You can change the height of that ‘fin’ sticking out of the top of the earphones. (Nine)

Once they’re in, the improvements are obvious.

Sennheiser has stepped up its game in clarity, quality, and bass. Everything sounds richer – and gets louder – compared to the MTW2, as you’d expect.

However, compared to other earbuds, things are not quite clear. I’m no audiophile, but I did notice mids and higher voices on the MTW3 that didn’t sound quite as robust against Samsung’s Galaxy Buds and Apple’s AirPods Pro. It’s not a dramatic difference but a game of millimeters, and every difference matters.

By downloading Sennheiser’s Smart Control app, you can start a ‘Sound Check’ and customize your audio profile, choosing which of the three options sounds best while listening to music. However, this is not a perfect system.

The differences between each option can be remarkably subtle, and making the wrong choice is too easy.

Nuraphone – which reliably measures your hearing profile and determines a sound that personally suits the user – spoiled me early on.

The original, over-ear set is still my favorite, but it’s unfair to compare them to a smaller, in-ear option like Sennheiser’s True Wireless Momentum 3.

They may not look comfortable, but they are. (Nine)

The MTW3 pumps out a respectable amount of bass – at loud volumes.

You’ll have no trouble tuning the world on the run, and the earbuds’ noise canceling depends on a secure fit.

Noise-canceling is on or off; there’s no in-between, although you can tweak the settings so it comes on whwhileistening to music.

The ‘Transparency’ mode sounded natural to my ear – better than others – and by default, you can toggle it on or off with three taps of the left button.

The Sennheiser app can customize these tap controls, but the layout is solid.

Multipoint pairing is not available out-of-the-box – the ability to connect the earbuds to multiple devices simultaneously and intelligently switch between them based on what’s playing.

Sennheiser is reportedly planning an update to make this possible, but you’ll have to disconnect and reconnect whenever you want to switch devices.

You have to tap, tap and hold on each earbud to initiate pairing, unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Buds and Apple’s AirPods, which pair from their respective charging cases.

The case charges both wirelessly and via USB-C. (Nine)

The MTW3’s case is too thick to slip comfortably into a pocket, but it’s worth the battery for up to 28 hours on a single full charge.

Finally, Sennheiser has added a third microphone to the MTW3 for greater clarity during calls. I asked some colleagues and my partner what they thought on the other end of the line; They didn’t notice any noticeable improvement or drop in quality; the conversation sounded as it should have, which perfectly sums up the Momentum True Wireless 3.

Sennheiser has developed a great pair of noise-canceling, splash-proof earplugs that work as you’d expect without blowing your socks off.