Momentum 4 wireless headphones battery will last to Europe and back

Sennheiser’s new noise-cancelling Momentum 4 wireless headphones have set a new bar for long-haul battery life, staying charged for an impressive 60 hours — and they adapt to your environment.

Renowned audio brand Sennheiser might be 77 years old but its new headphones show they’ve just now matured, pulled on a suit, and are ready for a sophisticated business soiree.

The long-awaited Momentum 4 Wireless headphones have ditched the almost kitschy, retro look of past models and opted for a minimalist style, a woven headband, understated stems, and hidden, touch-sensitive controls.

These are headphones that wouldn’t look out of place in the office, even if that was a corner office in a New York skyscraper.

But what do the premium, $550 cans bring apart from good looks? Greater battery life than you should rightly expect, balanced and refined audio, and a fix for some annoying glitches.

On the battery front, these headphones will last longer than long-haul travel to Europe … and back.

Improbably, Sennheiser claims they will deliver wireless audio with active noise cancellation for 60 hours and, equally as surprising, it checks out.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones feature touch-sensitive controls, active noise-cancellation and balanced sound.

This achievement — double the time offered by its Sony and Bose rivals — is achieved by energy-efficient amplifiers and smart features like one that puts the headphones in standby mode after 15 minutes.

As buyers would expect, the sound quality of these headphones is also high-end. Audio isn’t heavy on the bass but well-balanced, and will let you hear details in favourite songs that you might not have noticed earlier.

Users can tweak the audio mix in an accompanying app, which also offers more noise-cancelling options.

These headphones promise to adapt to their environment, be it an office or on a plane, and the difference was clear in our tests. While the ANC on these headphones didn’t match the efficiency of Sony headphones, it performed capably, particularly on an aircraft where engine noise disappeared to a distant hum.

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless headphones adapt to their environment, be it an office or on a plane.

It’s also worth noting the Momentum 4 eliminate a couple of annoying features. While their predecessors could accidentally mute a phone call if you turned your head the wrong way, these do not share the problem.

Their app also features options for handling your voice during phone calls so you don’t feel like you’re shouting into a vacuum.

The premium headphone market has become crowded over the last two years, but these Sennheiser cans prove they deserve a spot on the top shelf beside Sony, Bose, and Apple. And anyone forced to recharge their headphones mid-flight might agree.

Originally published as Momentum 4 wireless headphones battery will last to Europe and back