Short answer: the Shure SE425, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #434 of 450 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 1.9/5, at $299. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 ranks #441, rated 1.6/5, at $243.44, $55.56 cheaper, not enough of a saving to outweigh the sound-quality gap. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 450 in-ear headphones; for better sound, the Truthear Nova ranks #2 at $169.99.
Why pick the Shure SE425: Two balanced armature drivers with a 22 ohm impedance and 109 dB/mW sensitivity, so it plays loud from a phone without an amplifier. Watch for: A preference score of 48 in crinacle’s measurement places its tuning far from what most listeners prefer, so expect a clearly colored sound.
What the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 does well: Active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.1 with SBC, AAC and aptX, and an IPX4 rating cover the features commuters and gym users want. Watch for: In oratory1990’s measurement the presence region from 3 to 6 kHz is about 9.6 dB below target, with a 10.7 dB dip near 4 kHz, so vocals and instrument attack sound pushed back and hazy.
Buy the Shure SE425. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $55.56 with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Specifications Side By Side
| Shure SE425 | Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $299.00 | $243.44 |
| Ranked | #434 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones | #441 of 450 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Harman Preference Score | 48 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) | 44 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 4.17 dB standard deviation | 4.39 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.59 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.89 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Connection | Wired | True wireless |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 2 x balanced armature | 1 x 7mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 22 ohms | - |
| Sensitivity | 109 dB SPL/mW | - |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 19kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 5Hz - 21kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Sub-bass Extension | - | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Weight | - | 0 lbs (6 g) per earbud |
| Active Noise Cancelling | - | Yes |
| Battery Life | - | 7 hours (28 with case, Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | - | 5.1 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | - | SBC, AAC, aptX |
| Built-in Microphone | - | Yes |
| IP Rating | - | IPX4 |
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More worthwhile head-to-heads for Shure SE425:
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- Shure SE425 vs Westone W10
- Shure SE425 vs Audio-Technica ATH-E70
- Shure SE425 vs Mackie MP-360
- Shure SE425 vs Etymotic ER4SR
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
Shure SE425: $299.00 B&H Photo Video eBay
Pros: Two balanced armature drivers with a 22 ohm impedance and 109 dB/mW sensitivity, so it plays loud from a phone without an amplifier. It is rated above the Etymotic ER4SR at the same price and the Westone W10.
Cons: A preference score of 48 in crinacle’s measurement places its tuning far from what most listeners prefer, so expect a clearly colored sound. It is wired only, with no wireless features or microphone remote listed.
Full Shure SE425 review and specifications →
| Released | 2010 (16 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Back | Closed |
| Connection | Wired |
| Deviation From Target | 4.17 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Balanced armature |
| Drivers | 2 x balanced armature |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 20Hz - 19kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 48 (measured by crinacle, via AutoEQ) |
| Impedance | 22 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 109 dB SPL/mW |
| Tonal Tilt | +0.59 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.6 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 | +6.0 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 223 Hz | -3.2 dB | 0.57 |
| Peak | 8,943 Hz | +6.2 dB | 1.83 |
| Peak | 48 Hz | +0.8 dB | 1.86 |
| Peak | 5,492 Hz | +5.0 dB | 3.43 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +5.8 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 3,734 Hz | -2.7 dB | 4.45 |
| Peak | 2,114 Hz | +1.2 dB | 2.77 |
| Peak | 9,102 Hz | -3.1 dB | 5.33 |
| Peak | 895 Hz | +0.7 dB | 2.99 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2: $243.44 TWS Amazon eBay
Pros: Active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.1 with SBC, AAC and aptX, and an IPX4 rating cover the features commuters and gym users want. Battery life is rated at 7 hours per charge and 28 with the case, and each earbud weighs only 6 g. Bass is lifted by about 3.1 dB over target, which suits listeners who want a warm, punchy sound.
Cons: In oratory1990’s measurement the presence region from 3 to 6 kHz is about 9.6 dB below target, with a 10.7 dB dip near 4 kHz, so vocals and instrument attack sound pushed back and hazy. A 5.2 dB peak near 10.8 kHz and boosted air then add an uneven sparkle on top, and sub-bass is down 2.3 dB. The preference score of 44 is low, and the rating sits below the Jabra Elite Active 65t.
Full Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 review and specifications →
| Released | Apr 2020 (6 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes |
| Back | Closed |
| Battery Life | 7 hours (28 with case, Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.1 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | True wireless |
| Deviation From Target | 4.39 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 7mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | In-ear |
| Frequency Response | 5Hz - 21kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 44 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| IP Rating | IPX4 |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (-4.5 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -0.89 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0 lbs (6 g) per earbud |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -7.0 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 | +6.4 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 85 Hz | -6.9 dB | 0.26 |
| Peak | 3,202 Hz | +6.5 dB | 1.25 |
| Peak | 1,638 Hz | -1.6 dB | 2.70 |
| Peak | 5,340 Hz | +4.9 dB | 3.93 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | -3.3 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 736 Hz | +1.0 dB | 1.92 |
| Peak | 334 Hz | -0.6 dB | 2.45 |
| Peak | 4,354 Hz | +1.0 dB | 4.95 |
| Peak | 199 Hz | -0.5 dB | 3.18 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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- Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 vs EarSonics ES2
- Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 vs Jabra Elite Active 65t
- Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 vs Etymotic ER4XR
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