Short answer: the Sony WH-1000XM5, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #191 of 216 over-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.6/5, at $186.12; the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ranks #202, rated 2.5/5, and costs $227.38, so there is little reason to consider the other one. 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 case for the Sony WH-1000XM5: It offers active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC and LDAC for high-resolution streaming, a built-in microphone, and about 30 hours of battery life. It supports LDAC Bluetooth, which the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless lacks. The catch: Bass sits about 7 dB over target and sub-bass about 6 dB over, with the low mids another 3 dB over, so the sound is bloated and bass-heavy for anyone wanting a balanced presentation.
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless is the longer-running option. 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 is rated for 60 hours of battery against 30 for the Sony WH-1000XM5. Watch for: 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.
Buy the Sony WH-1000XM5. It is rated higher for sound quality than the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless 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
| Sony WH-1000XM5 | Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $186.12 | $227.38 |
| Ranked | #191 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones | #202 of 216 in Over-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | Over-ear | Over-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wireless and wired | Wireless and wired |
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes |
| Harman Preference Score | 50 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) | 47 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 3.33 dB standard deviation | 3.31 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.47 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -1.68 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+4.3 dB at 30 Hz) | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+8.2 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 30mm dynamic | 1 x 42mm dynamic |
| Impedance | 48 ohms | - |
| Sensitivity | 102 dB/mW | 106 dB SPL (1 kHz / 0 dB FS) |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (250 g) | 0.6 lbs (293 g) |
| Frequency Response | 4Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) | 6Hz - 22kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) | 60 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 | 5.2 |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| IP Rating | None | None |
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More top alternatives to Sony WH-1000XM5:
- Beats Studio3 Wireless vs Sony WH-1000XM5
- Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Audio-Technica ATH-AD900X
- Sony WH-1000XM5 vs AKG K271 MKII
- AKG K271 MKII vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
- Audio-Technica ATH-AD900X 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
Sony WH-1000XM5: $186.12 Wireless Amazon eBay
Pros: It offers active noise cancelling, Bluetooth 5.2 with SBC, AAC and LDAC for high-resolution streaming, a built-in microphone, and about 30 hours of battery life. At 250 g it is lighter than the other wireless over-ears at its level. Presence and treble are within about 3 dB of target, and the largest deviation in the upper range is a modest 4.6 dB peak near 6.2 kHz, so the top end is relatively smooth.
Cons: Bass sits about 7 dB over target and sub-bass about 6 dB over, with the low mids another 3 dB over, so the sound is bloated and bass-heavy for anyone wanting a balanced presentation. A 3.6 dB dip near 2.3 kHz pulls back vocals slightly, while air above 10 kHz is about 2 dB low. It has no IP rating for water or dust protection. The Beats Studio3 Wireless has a higher rating.
Full Sony WH-1000XM5 review and specifications →
| Released | May 2022 (4 years ago) |
|---|---|
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes |
| Back | Closed |
| Battery Life | 30 hours (Manufacturer specified) |
| Bluetooth Codecs | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.2 |
| Built-in Microphone | Yes |
| Connection | Wireless and wired |
| Deviation From Target | 3.33 dB standard deviation |
| Driver Type | Dynamic |
| Drivers | 1 x 30mm dynamic |
| Form Factor | Over-ear |
| Frequency Response | 4Hz - 40kHz (Manufacturer specified) |
| Harman Preference Score | 50 (measured by oratory1990, via AutoEQ) |
| IP Rating | None |
| Impedance | 48 ohms |
| Sensitivity | 102 dB/mW |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+4.3 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.47 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs (250 g) |
EQ preset to match the Harman target
Set a preamp of -6.2 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 | -3.2 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 2,448 Hz | +6.9 dB | 2.46 |
| Peak | 173 Hz | -5.6 dB | 0.96 |
| Peak | 3,028 Hz | -5.4 dB | 2.03 |
| Peak | 1,327 Hz | +3.3 dB | 0.58 |
| High shelf | 10,000 Hz | +4.9 dB | 0.70 |
| Peak | 6,110 Hz | -2.3 dB | 5.81 |
| Peak | 875 Hz | -1.2 dB | 4.07 |
| Peak | 1,197 Hz | +1.0 dB | 3.28 |
| Peak | 63 Hz | +0.4 dB | 2.13 |
- Reviews, Comparisons and Sound Samples
- Head-to-Head Comparisons
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
- Head-to-Head Comparisons