Short answer: the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #202 of 216 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.5/5, at $227.38; the Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z ranks #208, rated 1.8/5, and costs $249, which makes this an easy call rather than a real tradeoff. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 216 over-ear headphones, and the Sennheiser HD 550, ranked #6 at $199.95, is a better place to start if sound quality matters.
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless is the better-sounding pick. Feature set is strong: active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Adaptive, and a rated 60 hours of battery. The tradeoff: That bass boost overshoots the Harman target by a clear margin and adds about 2 dB in the low mids, which can make vocals and bass guitar thick.
The case for the Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z: The closed back keeps sound in and outside noise out, which suits shared rooms and late night listening. The tradeoff: A preference score of 32 in crinacle’s measurement puts it far from the response most listeners prefer, so it will sound noticeably colored without EQ.
Buy the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z and costs less, so only choose the other one for a particular feature it does better.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless | Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $227.38 | $249.00 |
| Ranked | #202 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones | #208 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Harman Preference Score | 47 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 32 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 3.31 dB standard deviation | 4.08 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.68 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -2.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+8.2 dB at 30 Hz) | - |
| Connection | Wireless and wired | Wired |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 42mm dynamic | 1 x 53mm dynamic |
| Sensitivity | 106 dB SPL (1 kHz / 0 dB FS) | 100 dB/mW |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (293 g) | 0.7 lbs (335 g) |
| Frequency Response | 6Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 42kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | - |
| Battery Life | 60 hours (Manufacturer specified) | - |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | - |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive | - |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | No |
| IP Rating | None | - |
| Impedance | - | 44 ohms |
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- Audio-Technica ATH-AD900X vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
- KLH Ultimate One vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
- AKG K271 MKII vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Prices on this page were last checked October 11, 2026 at 4:59 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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The Two Headphones In Full
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless: $227.38 Wireless Amazon eBay
Pros: Feature set is strong: active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Adaptive, and a rated 60 hours of battery. It also plays wired and has a built-in microphone. The deep bass lift, about 9 dB in the sub-bass and 6 dB in the bass, suits listeners who like a warm, bass-heavy sound.
Cons: That bass boost overshoots the Harman target by a clear margin and adds about 2 dB in the low mids, which can make vocals and bass guitar thick. A 4.7 dB dip near 2.4 kHz followed by a 3.5 dB peak near 6.8 kHz makes the upper midrange uneven. Its preference score of 47 trails the Beats Studio3 Wireless, which is rated higher.
Full Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless review and specifications →
| Released | Aug 2022 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes |
| Back | Closed |
| Battery Life | 60 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | Wireless and wired |
| Deviation From Target | 3.31 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 42mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 6Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 47 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| IP Rating | None |
| Sensitivity | 106 dB SPL (1 kHz / 0 dB FS) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+8.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.68 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (293 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.4 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | -7.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 195 Hz | -3.6 dB | 1.22 |
| Peak | 2,393 Hz | +6.1 dB | 1.81 |
| Peak | 1,726 Hz | +1.6 dB | 1.71 |
| Peak | 2,893 Hz | -3.2 dB | 5.94 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +0.5 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 63 Hz | +1.7 dB | 2.86 |
| Peak | 652 Hz | +1.2 dB | 2.25 |
| Peak | 952 Hz | -1.0 dB | 3.69 |
| Peak | 316 Hz | -0.9 dB | 3.46 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
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Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z: $249.00 Amazon eBay
Pros: The closed back keeps sound in and outside noise out, which suits shared rooms and late night listening. At 44 ohms and 100 dB/mW it gets loud from a phone or laptop without a dedicated amp, and the large 53 mm dynamic driver suits listeners who like a warm, colored sound.
Cons: A preference score of 32 in crinacle’s measurement puts it far from the response most listeners prefer, so it will sound noticeably colored without EQ. The AKG K271 MKII and the Audio-Technica ATH-AD900X both rate higher and cost less, and at 335 g it is on the heavy side.
Full Audio-Technica ATH-A990Z review and specifications →
| Released | 2015 (11 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Built-in Microphone | No |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 4.08 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 53mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 42kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 32 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 44 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 100 dB/mW |
| Tonal Tilt | -2.02 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.7 lbs (335 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -7.2 dB, then add these filters in any parametric equalizer (Wavelet, Equalizer APO, Peace, or a player with parametric EQ). Calculated by AutoEQ from its measured frequency response.
| Filter | Frequency | Gain | Q |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low shelf | 105 Hz | +10.1 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 81 Hz | -10.2 dB | 0.44 |
| Peak | 8,626 Hz | +4.9 dB | 1.18 |
| Peak | 2,626 Hz | +4.2 dB | 0.85 |
| Peak | 905 Hz | -2.2 dB | 0.97 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -2.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 4,151 Hz | -3.8 dB | 6.00 |
| Peak | 5,030 Hz | +2.5 dB | 5.35 |
| Peak | 3,282 Hz | +2.5 dB | 5.47 |
| Peak | 2,359 Hz | -1.4 dB | 5.88 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons