Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 vs. Apple AirPods Pro

Comparison of Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 vs. Apple AirPods Pro.

We are looking at 2 renowned companies:

Apple

is mostly known for its desirable gadgets, whereas

Sennheiser

makes high-end audio equipment. It should be interesting to see how their top-tier true wireless earbuds compare.

Si l’on parcourt rapidement les spécifications des deux écouteurs sans fil, on peut s’attendre à ce que les AirPods Pro soient globalement un meilleur produit. C’est encore plus vrai si vous avez un iPhone dans votre poche, car les écouteurs d’Apple fonctionnent mieux lorsqu’ils sont associés à un appareil iOS. Vous bénéficiez également de meilleurs microphones, de la recharge sans fil et d’une prise en charge transparente

multipoint

.

Cependant, les lacunes du Momentum True Wireless 2 sont compensées par une

qualité sonore

. Leur performance sonore est plus complète et plus raffinée. Sans oublier une meilleure

durée de vie de la batterie

(sans ANC),

aptX

, une stabilité supérieure pendant l’exercice, et une véritable application mobile pour les personnalisations.

Nous allons procéder à une analyse plus approfondie ci-dessous.

Comparaison rapide

Les deux modèles

:

• Excellente performance de réduction du bruit
• Conception étanche à la transpiration IPX4
• Construction entièrement en plastique
• Une fonction qui amplifie le bruit ambiant
• Capteur de proximité pour la fonction lecture/pause automatique
• Chargement rapide

Specifications

	Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2	Apple AirPods Pro
Type:	In-ear	In-ear
Connection:	Wireless	Wireless
Back-design:	Closed-back	Closed-back
Driver size:	7mm	n/a
Frequency range:	5-21.000Hz	n/a
Impedance:	n/a	n/a
Weight:	12g both buds	11g both buds
Cable length:	Charging cable 25cm	n/a
Microphone & controls:	Built-in	Built-in
Water-protection:	IPX4 (sweatproof)	IPX4 (sweatproof)
Bluetooth:	version 5.1	version 5.0 + H1 chip
Battery life:	7h per charge, 35h in total	5h per charge, 24h in total
Charging time:	2h full charge – 10min for 1.5h	2h full charge – 5min for 1h
Active noise-cancellation:	Yes	Yes
Charging cable:	USB-C to USB-A	Lightning to USB-A
Bluetooth codecs:	SBC, AAC, aptX	SBC, AAC
Wireless range:	33ft (10m)	33ft (10m)
Type:	2 microphones, one for each earbud	Built-in mic
Mic design:	n/a	n/a
Mutable:	No	No

What’s in the Box?

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

Apple AirPods Pro

With packaging you’re getting:

• True wireless earbuds
• Charging case
• AirPods Pro: Lightning charging cable; Momentum: USB-C charging cable
• AirPods Pro: 3 pairs of silicone tips; Momentum: 4 pairs of silicone tips (XS, S, M, L)
• User manual

Comfort & Fit

AirPods Pro might be slightly more comfortable, but their fit lags compared to Momentum True Wireless 2.

Both of the two earbuds are very comfortable, with Apple’s buds providing a slightly better experience. Even though they’re technically in-ear, they rest gently on the edge of your ear canal, which is why you barely feel them. Sennheiser’s are still very comfortable, but also more noticeable when they bounce in your ears.

However, the shallow seal of the AirPods Pro has some disadvantages. It can’t provide as stable fit as Momentum’s. AirPods Pro slowly slide out of your ear canal during use. That happens faster during exercise due to sweat.

There is a solution out there in the form of foam tips sold by third-party manufacturers. The tips for AirPods Pro are proprietary, so you need foam

eartips

made specifically for them.

Both earbuds are great for everyday use, even for light workouts. Just be careful with Pro’s since they might slip out sometimes.

Noise Isolation

If you want to save some battery and use passive isolation, these two do an equally great job.

If you’re a cautious person and want to save extra juice while on the road, you can still get great results isolating your surroundings passively. Both true wireless earbuds offer an

in-ear design

that is, in most cases, very effective in this category.

Since we are talking about two popular products, you can easily find some foam tips made by third-party manufacturers.

Noise Cancellation

Both give excellent results with active noise cancellation on, but AirPods Pro have a bit of an advantage.

You get

active noise cancellation

on both earbuds, with

similar efficiency

. They’re not as effective as full-sized headphones (

Sony WH-1000XM4

), but they do well when trying to eliminate low-end hums like home appliances or construction work outside your office.

If you want to dampen human speech, AirPods Pro do better. Differences aren’t huge, but it might help to focus on your job at the cafeteria, for example.

Both cancel out noise very effectively. Most importantly, none change the sound quality or characteristics when ANC is enabled nor produce annoying hiss.

Also, both offer

ambient sound mode

. A feature that enables you to talk and hear without pausing your music. Again, there are no clear winners here, with each giving you a realistic reproduction of outside sounds.

Bluetooth

Momentum True Wireless 2 don’t care about the operating system, giving you similar performance and features on both Android and iOS. On the other hand, AirPods Pro work best with Apple devices.

There are many things to like about AirPods Pro when connected to one of Apple’s devices. Their connection is instantaneous thanks to the Apple’s H1 chip, with seamless transitions between devices. Close the iPad and open your iPhone, and the buds will reconnect automatically.

You can also see the battery percentage of each earbud and charging case; something Momentums 2 can’t do. You have to explicitly open the mobile app to see how much juice is left in them.

However, speaking of apps, Sennheiser at least has an app where you can customize your earbuds to your liking. You can change EQ settings, rearrange touch-control commands, or decide whether you want voice prompts or beeps. AirPods Pro offer customization only on iOS devices.

Regarding video watching experience, you’re better off with the AirPods Pro, despite them only using

SBC and AAC

. Even though Momentum True Wireless 2 also support aptX, its implementation leaves much to be desired. There is a noticeable audio lag, which ruins everything that you watch.

There is a workaround, but you have to enable Developer Options (on Android) and force your smartphone to use the SBC Bluetooth codec. Only then the lag is minimized to a point where watching videos is somewhat enjoyable.

Battery

If you always want to use active noise-canceling,

AirPods Pro last

a bit longer than Momentum True Wireless 2, with over 30 minutes better battery life.

Sennheiser did improve the battery capacity compared to the previous generation, but they’re still relatively average when it comes to active noise cancellation. Without it, they can last around 7 hours on a single charge. However, ANC takes a considerable toll, giving you 4.5 hours of playback on 50% volume.

AirPods Pro are a bit better here, giving you extra 30 minutes of playtime (5 hours and 10 minutes in our test). They lose in the total battery life category since the charging case only holds roughly 24 hours, compared to Momentum’s 35 hours.

Of course, that is mostly because Apple’s case is noticeably slimmer, whereas Momentum’s barely fit inside a pocket, creating a massive bulge in the process.

Both earbuds also support

fast charging

, with negligible differences between them:

• Momentum True Wireless 2 can boost their battery life up to 1.5 hours in 10 minutes.
• AirPods Pro can give you an extra 1 hour of listening for a 5-minute charge.

AirPods Pro’s do get an additional point for offering their case with Qi wireless charging, which is strangely lacking with Momentum 2.

Related:


How to fix AirPods not charging

How to fix AirPods not having sound

Durability

None of them are super durable with their all-plastic construction. However, the AirPods Pro case feels much cheaper compared to Momentum 2.

You can’t expect the two earbuds to survive everything you throw at them. Though they’re not cheaply made. Housing on both is hard plastic, with a glossy white finish on AirPods Pro, and matte-black on Momentum (you can get them in white too).

There are no noticeable weak points in their housing, and they are both resistant to sweat (

IPX4

rating for earbuds). They can also survive a bit of light rain if you ever get caught in it.

The most significant difference is definitely in charging cases. Apple’s is quite smaller and pocketable but also feels a bit cheap, especially the hinge that’s clunky and plasticky.

By contrast, Momentum True Wireless 2 come with a cool looking case with a fabric finish that feels premium to the touch. The hinge seems sturdy enough, making a satisfying noise when you close it. However, it’s almost double do size of AirPods Pro, which is not ideal if you want to put it in your jeans.

Features

There is a lot of tech inside AirPods Pro, beating Sennheiser’s earbuds in the number of features. That is if you pair them with iOS. Without it, the gap between the two gets much narrower.

Some features are present on both models, like ambient mode, active noise cancellation, and automatic play/pause function. But, with AirPods Pro, you get quite a bit more than with Momentum 2.

Firstly, there is support for

Dolby Atmos

, which can enhance your movie watching (and music listening) experience. AirPods can also scan your ear canal and determine the most optimal EQ. You can also change commands for touch controls or call Siri to make actions for you.

Still, there are some ways where Momentum True Wireless 2 are slightly more intuitive. Firstly, they have a sound equalizer and not just presets, and you can control the volume with touch controls, instead of calling a smart assistant to do that for you. The latter might even get awkward if there are many people around you.

This is how microphones from both earbuds sound like:

Momentum True Wireless 2

:

AirPods Pro

:

On the other hand, if you plan to make many phone calls, AirPods Pro offer you a much better microphone quality, with less distortion. The Momentum 2 are still great in quiet environments, but Pro’s crush them easily as soon as you go outside.

Sound

Momentum True Wireless 2 provide you with a warmer, bassier sound, whereas AirPods Pro play it safe and take a more

balanced

approach.

Momentum True Wireless 2 offer a more refined sound, with a better extension on both ends of the spectrum. They’re also quite a bit bass-emphasized since they’re trying to please the wider public. That makes them particularly great for listening to the latest chart-topping singles.

The midrange is slightly recessed, but natural, especially in the vocal region. Male singers come through with exceptional realism, while females sometimes tend to get a bit

bright

. The treble is somewhat smooth with a good amount of detail.

Speaking of AirPods Pro, their signature is mostly balanced with a slight emphasis on treble. If you expect them to rumble, you’re in for a disappointment. Instead, they’re just slightly improving the

bass response present on regular AirPods

. That is mostly due to Pro’s in-ear design.

Vocal clarity is definitely the most important here, which is why the treble gets a bit more sparkle. That helps a lot when performing a phone call in a noisy environment, hearing the person on the opposite side loud and clear.

Speaking of

the soundstage

, Sennheiser again crushes the AirPods with a noticeably bigger stage, providing better immersion in your favorite artist’s music. Of course, you can enhance the

surround sound with Dolby Atmos

on Apple’s buds, but it still can’t reach the same level as Momentum 2.

Regardless, you can still enjoy music on both true wireless earbuds, but if you want more of everything, Momentum True Wireless 2 are a clear winner in sound quality.

Should You Buy Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 vs. Apple AirPods Pro?

As expected, sonically, Sennheiser has an advantage over Apple’s offering. On the other hand, the latter gives you more extra features that are useful, primarily if you use iOS devices.

While that is a huge selling point for

people who already use an iPhone

, it can be Achille’s heel for those who prefer Android. Some features are locked out if you don’t use the correct operating system, which is disappointing.

For an iPhone owner, AirPods Pro make more sense.

But if you have an Android and don’t care about the few extra features and don’t mind the lack of multipoint support and wireless charging, Momentum True Wireless 2 are a no-brainer. Even more so if sound quality really matters to you.

However, if you’re not in a hurry, wait a bit for the price to go down. Right now, Momentum’s are $50 more expensive than AirPods Pro, which are currently selling for $250.

Review of Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2

Review of Apple AirPods Pro