“For any movement to gain momentum, it has to start with small actions,” said Adam Brown, an entrepreneur and businessman. He was talking about momentum in business, but this quote applies to other things too. For example, when a company wants to gain momentum, it has to start with small things. Sennheiser is starting a movement to use fitness trackers in earphones, and it’s starting small in a big way. Sennheiser’s newly launched Momentum Sport Earphones are the first earphones with heart rate tracking and temperature sensors.
They’re not cheap, and they’re not for the masses. These earbuds are aimed at people with an active lifestyle and some cash to spare. They have top-notch hardware and design, ANC, most of the useful features, but they also add something extra. How do they perform? Are the fitness tracking sensors actually useful? Read on to find out.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport Design and Function: Practical yet Elegant
Weight – Earbuds (6.4g), Case (78.4g) Colors – Polar Black, Burnt Olive, Metallic Graphite IP Rating – Earbuds are IP55 rated, Case is IP54 rated
Before we discuss the health tracking features of the Momentum Sport earbuds, let’s take a look at their design. TWS earbuds are bulky, but that’s to be expected given the health tracking features they come with. You can wear the earbuds securely using the included ear fins, but you can also use them without ear fins. The package includes three different sizes of ear tips and ear fins to accommodate different ear sizes. You also get a pair of tips without wings. The earbuds are made of plastic and are bulky, so they stick out from your ears.
The earbuds are large and may be too loud for some ear types.
You also need to use the included translucent ear tips with the earbuds. If you use any other type of tip, the health tracking sensor will not work. Inside the earbuds, there is an LED indicator besides the Pogo connector. Sennheiser has built the health sensor only in the left earbud with a transparent shaft for the sensor. When in use, the green light on the ear tip flashes rapidly, as do most photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors. I have small ears, and the wing tips gave me a more secure fit during gym workouts and runs, but I did feel some pressure and pain after an hour of use. However, if you have larger ears, you probably won’t feel any pain even after extended use. You can also use them without the wing tips. They probably won’t come off easily.
Moving on to the case, the Momentum Sport earphones come in a square case with a soft-touch rubberized finish. I got the Burnt Olive model for review, and it feels pretty premium. The case has a magnetic lid attached with a rubber flap. This flap doesn’t claim to be “durable,” but it does help a lot with opening and closing the lid. There’s another flap on the front that hides the USB Type-C port for charging. Just above the port is an LED charging indicator. The case is also quite large and bulky in your pocket. Luckily, the case has a built-in slot for a strap, and a short one is included in the box as well.
The earphones are available in three color options
The earbuds are IP55 rated, and I didn’t encounter any issues while exercising or running. The case is IP54 rated, and while I definitely wouldn’t recommend exposing the case to rain, I think the earbuds would survive an outdoor run in the rain.
Overall, the Momentum Sport earbuds are well-built and the case seems to be able to withstand impacts, although I’m not sure how the rubber flats on the lid will fare in the long term. Comfort-wise, they’re adequate for an hour of continuous use, but will get uncomfortable after that.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport App and Specs: A lot to offer
App – Sennheiser Smart Connect (iOS and Android) Drivers – 10mm Dynamic Control – Tapbase
The Momentum Sport earbuds are compatible with Sennheiser’s Smart Connect app, which is available for both Android and iOS. The app offers a variety of customization options, from equalizer settings and touch controls to a fit test to ensure the earbuds are the perfect fit for your ears. As soon as you pair the earbuds with the app, you’ll see product details at the top and battery charge information for both earbuds and the case just below.
The app works similarly on both iOS and Android
Next comes the connection management option. Here you can choose which device you want to connect the earphones to. Momentum Sport supports multi-device connectivity, allowing you to connect up to two devices simultaneously. Below you’ll see a glossary of tap controls, followed shortly by your heart rate and body temperature sensor readings. The app lets you choose between Celsius and Fahrenheit for temperature display.
Sennheiser’s app also offers an easy-to-use equalizer, as well as a feature the company calls Sound Check. There are only two EQ presets – Bass Boost and Podcast – but you can easily create and save new sound profiles to suit your preferences.
The app also gives you some controls for Transparency Mode: you can choose how much sound you want to let in, enable the mode during a call, and toggle Auto Pause if you want your music to pause when you enable Transparency Mode.
There’s also a Sound Zones feature, which lets you set custom sound profiles for when you enter and exit a zone. For example, the app can automatically enable Bass Boost ANC when you enter the gym and turn on Transparency mode when you leave. There’s also an option to turn off all taps and touch gestures.
The Sennheiser app offers a five-stage equalizer
Speaking of controls, the Momentum Sport earbuds come with unique tap gestures that allow you to control playback and toggle between ANC, Windscreen, and Transparency modes by tapping near the earbuds. You can also tap on the front of the earbuds to register your taps and choose how strong a tap you need to perform an action. More on this later.
Finally, the Settings section of the app lets you choose the audio resolution, update firmware, use Battery Eco mode to extend battery life, and toggle features like Smart Pause, Auto Call Answer, and more.
In terms of specifications, the earbuds have 10mm dynamic drivers with a frequency range of 15Hz-18k Hz and a sensitivity of 110dB. Each earbud has three microphones with hybrid adaptive ANC and beamforming technology. Sennheiser has equipped the earbuds with Bluetooth 5.2 with multi-device connectivity.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport Tracking: Almost working fine
Health Tracking – Heart Rate and Temperature Data – Polar App
Now, let’s talk about the USP of these earphones – the health tracking sensors. The Momentum Sport earphones are the first from Sennheiser to feature such technology. While other brands have incorporated heart rate trackers inside the earphones, very few have come up with body temperature sensors.
Sennheiser claims that having heart rate and temperature sensors in the ears gives more accurate and consistent results, and I found that to be true. While using the earbuds, I tested the heart rate tracking while running, working out, and while sitting doing nothing. I compared it to the Google Pixel Watch, which is said to be pretty accurate, and the numbers from the earbuds were similar. Also, having a heart rate monitor in your ear is better than wearing your smartphone while working out. Watches can move around if not worn tightly, which can get in the way when doing certain workouts. That’s not the case with earbuds.
The heart rate tracker is located on the tip of the left earbud.
I was able to test the temperature sensor more thoroughly as I was ill during the review period, and I found the temperature readings to be very accurate compared to digital thermometers.
Sennheiser has partnered with Polar to give users more information from the heart rate and temperature sensors. You’ll need to download the Polar Flow app to use the heart rate tracker, and you can also connect it to other Polar or Garmin products to get more out of your data. The temperature sensor is a very niche tool, though, and not many people are likely to actually use it.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport Performance: High quality sound
Connectivity – Bluetooth 5.2 ANC – Hybrid Adaptive ANC Codec – SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive
Sennheiser Momentum Sport earphones offer a good punchy sound and can get pretty loud. The bass in the earphones is good, making them ideal for working out or running. However, if you use them to listen to bands like Kenny G or The Cinematic Orchestra, you will notice a lack of warmth in the sound. Listening to hip-hop and rap tracks like Houdini by Eminem and Overcompensate by Twenty-One Pilots was enjoyable and I could easily distinguish all the electronic and percussion instruments. I also enjoyed rock tracks like Love is a Long Road by Tom Petty and One More Time by Blink 182, but I prefer listening to bass-heavy tracks with these earphones. There is a clear focus on the bass and mids here. Overall, the sound is very good and most people will like it.
However, a 5-stage EQ available in the app lets you customize the sound to your liking, and you also have access to several presets, as well as the ability to toggle between Bass Boost and Podcast (clearer voice). The earphones also support a number of codecs, and we found the sound quality of the earphones to be excellent on both iOS and Android.
These earphones have a rich bass tone that most people will enjoy.
As for the Hybrid Adaptive ANC, I found the ANC feature to work pretty well in my daily activities and even on airplanes. I don’t feel any significant pressure when using this feature, but I did notice some body-borne noise during a shaky bus ride. The transparency and windproof modes also work well, but somehow, these earphones are not that great at reducing wind noise outdoors.
In terms of call quality, there are three microphones on each earbud, and calls were clear and filtered out almost no outside noise.
The earbuds also feature unique tap gestures that work by tapping around the earbuds. You can double-tap or triple-tap on your cheekbone or the front of the earbuds to perform actions. In most cases, a simple double-tap was enough to easily play/pause music and answer/end calls. However, the triple-tap for changing tracks or changing ANC modes didn’t work as well as I’d hoped and most of the time it registered as a double-tap. To change the volume, you need to touch and hold the earbuds. Of course, all of these gestures and controls are fully customizable in the app. They also automatically pause when you remove the earbuds, so you can continue using the earbuds with just one earbud.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport Battery life: Adequate
Earbuds – Left 72mAh, Right 75mAh Case – 950mAh Charging – Wired (USB Type-C) and Wireless
Let’s talk about battery life. The Momentum Sport earbuds have a great battery life. I’ve been using them for about a month and have only had to charge the case twice. I used the earbuds mostly with ANC enabled, but I was able to watch multiple one-hour YouTube videos on planes and buses without running out of charge. I think they easily lived up to the advertised six hours with ANC on. The case charges the earbuds quickly, with just 20 minutes of charging giving you about two hours of use.
There is a flat area on the front of the case that hides the USB Type-C port.
It’s not groundbreaking in terms of battery life, but it’s good enough for long commutes, runs, and workouts. It can easily last a week without needing to charge the case. Wired charging takes about an hour and a half to fully charge the case, while wireless charging takes about three hours.
Sennheiser Momentum Sport: Verdict
The Sennheiser Momentum Sport earphones are certainly not for everyone, and they don’t sound as good as you’d expect for Rs 27,990. The Sony WF-1000XM5 (Review), AirPods Pro 2 (Review) and even the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 sound better than these earphones, probably due to the focus on active features, design and included health tracking sensors.
If you love running and an active lifestyle and are looking for earphones that can track your heart rate, have great audio, ANC, and customization features, these are a great choice. If you’re looking for good sounding true wireless earphones, there are better options.
