Fitness earbuds that lack finesse

Sennheiser may have simply trotted out a set of wi-fi earbuds that had been rated IP55 and referred to as it the Momentum Sport ($330), nevertheless it went additional, including heart-rate and body-temperature sensors to the made-for-exercise earbuds. These additions provide you with 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 file with sound high quality, however now it has to steadiness 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.

Professionals

• Improved design over Momentum 4
• Dependable heart-rate and body-temperature readings
• Full set of earbud options
• Added bass is sweet for exercises

Cons

• Expensive
• ANC struggles at occasions
• Inconsistent sound high quality
• Contact controls want an overhaul

$330 at Amazon

What’s good concerning the Sennheiser Momentum Sport

The Momentum Sport’s total form is what I want Sennheiser used for the Momentum True Wireless 4. The previous’s rounder profile suits my ears higher and feels extra snug regardless that 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 analogous route on its flagship mannequin.

Sennheiser says it aimed for “vivid sound and spectacular bass” that may 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 talk about later, the additional bass isn’t at all times an excellent factor.

The Momentum Sport’s marquee options, that are heart-rate and body-temperature monitoring, work properly. Due to the earbuds’ safe match, you may get fixed, reliable readings in Sennheiser’s Sensible Management app. Coronary heart fee figures matched these on my Apple Watch, and I confirmed my temperatures with a brow scan. The Momentum Sport’s readings had been in step with the opposite gadgets each time, which implies the earbuds are as dependable as different at-home options.

What’s extra, there’s tight integration with apps like Polar, Peloton, Strava and Zwift, so you should utilize the Momentum Sport with their gadgets and never simply Sennheier’s app, which is usually designed to tweak settings. Nonetheless, solely Polar’s Circulate 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. Irrespective of which third-party app you like, you’ll in all probability need to sync the Momentum Sport to certainly one of them, for the reason that Sensible Management software program solely shows real-time readings and gained’t hold tabs on traits 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 provides 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 p.c quantity. That’s with ANC on regular mode and heart-rate and physique temperature sensors lively. The corporate says you possibly can prolong the battery on the Momentum Sport by half-hour if you happen to 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 permits 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 if you happen to’re carrying gloves. The draw back is that it may be activated by chewing. It’s intensely annoying. Throughout my assessments, chewing gum or meals continuously triggered the controls.

Sennheiser says it is because I’ve robust jaw muscle groups (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 no less than there’s that. The one solution to treatment the problem 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 fairly than blocking it utterly. Like a number of the competitors (and the True Wi-fi 4), the Momentum Sport struggles with human voices. General, neither of them supply the form of strong, world-silencing energy that Bose and Sony muster.

Transparency mode on the Momentum Sport is serviceable, nevertheless it’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 a number of calls. There’s additionally an anti-wind mode that turns out to be useful throughout outside exercises, nevertheless it’s a device almost all new earbuds are outfitted with as of late.

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 robust mid vary. The sound profile compresses issues like grungy, distorted guitars and bass traces. Vocals constantly lower via, however the extra distinguished kick drum in songs like Knocked Unfastened’s chaotic “Suffocate” relegates guitars to the backseat. In truth, guitars throughout a spread of types – together with various, rock and nation – lack the depth and element the Momentum 4 present. By dialing up the low-end tone, Sennheiser has sacrificed among the dynamics that normally give its earbuds such nice audio. And in a set of earbuds that value over $300, that’s a disgrace.

Lastly, let’s talk about the case, which is much less refined 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 way in which 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 wonderful 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 may 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 constantly sufficient to be your go-to set.