Sony’s WH-1000XM6 has been stealing the wireless headphones limelight for all of 2025, but Sennheiser may finally have its own answer. The company’s new Momentum 5 is the first update to its Momentum 4 after four years, and they look like worthy competition to Sony on paper.
While Sennheiser has retained the 42mm drivers of the last generation, the Momentum 5 are certified for hi-res audio and come with support for lossless audio streaming through the AptX codec, meaning they deliver “CD quality” sound at 16-bit, 44.1kHz. Only devices with a Qualcomm processor and support for Snapdragon Sound can take advantage of that lossless streaming through AptX, however. The Momentum 5 also come with Dolby Atmos for head-tracking spatial audio, which isn’t my favorite feature in the world on any pair of wireless headphones, but can be fun if you’re watching a movie or something else that isn’t music.
One area that the Momentum 5 are pushing the boundary over Sony’s excellent WH-1000XM6 is battery life. Sennheiser’s new wireless headphones get 57 hours of battery life when active noise cancellation (ANC) is on, compared to the WH-1000XM6, which get just 30 hours when ANC is enabled. Listening time isn’t the only feature where Sennheiser is pushing the envelope—the battery is also easier to replace. According to Sennheiser, owners of the Momentum 5 can now use a Phillips-head screwdriver to replace the battery “in minutes.” Sony’s WH-1000XM6 actually score alright on iFixit’s repairability scale, but this sounds like a step ahead.
I don’t anticipate the Momentum 5 will be dethroning the WH-1000XM6 anytime soon on noise cancellation. While the Momentum 5 doubled the number of microphones for ANC/transparency over the last generation to eight total, Sony still has a notable edge here, since it comes with 12 total mics. Who knows, though, maybe the Momentum 5 have better passive noise cancellation that maximizes that setup.
Sennheiser’s Momentum 5 are available starting June 16 for $400 and come in black, white, and “denim” colorways. That’s $60 less than what the WH-1000XM6 retail for, though you can often find Sony’s wireless headphones on sale for $400.
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