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Head to head · for music listening
Sony WH-1000XM5 vs Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4
More people recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5 overall (96 vs 46). Only 1 of the 47 comments naming both explicitly choose one (0 for the Sony WH-1000XM5, 1 for the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4), too few to call a winner.
- Comments naming both
- 47
- Say they own both
- 4
- Choose the WH-1000XM5
- 0
- Choose the MOMENTUM 4
- 1
Preference evidence:Limited1 explicit choice among 47 comments naming both.What the levels mean
Counted across 17 review videos, harvested Sep 2026. A comment counts as a choice only when it says so in plain words (prefer X over Y, upgraded from Y to X); questions never count. Quotes are whole sentences of 12 words or fewer, linked to where they were said. How we count.
 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $300 | $250cheaper |
| Overall rank | #6higher | #15 |
| People who recommend it | 96more | 46 |
| Say they own it | 146more | 60 |
| Mentions | 1,124more | 456 |
| Type | wireless ANC over-ear | wireless ANC over-ear |
| Known for | CommuteNoise cancellingBattery | CommuteSound firstBattery |
| Best for | The default noise-cancelling pick people recommend for planes and trains, if you can live with plastic hinges. | Recommended to commuters who care about sound quality and battery more than the very best noise cancelling. |
| Buy | Amazon · $300Direct | Amazon · $250 |
#6 overall
Sony WH-1000XM5
5 of the 47 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Noise cancelling that owners rank at or near the top of anything they have tried
- Comfortable, light, and the touch controls grow on people
- Several owners bought them on a deep sale and call them the best headphone they have used
The complaints
- The hinges and swivels: more than one owner had a pair break within a year
- No longer folds flat, which travellers miss from the XM4
- Bass is thick out of the box; audiophile commenters call it bloated and point at the Momentum 4
- Ear pads are not user-replaceable; not sweat resistant
In their words
“I own max & XM5…..I love them both for different reasons”
A commenter under THE DEFINITIVE Sony WH-1000XM5 Review & Comparison by an AUDIO ENGINEER (This is Tech Today) · May 2022
“I got the xm5s in stone white and love them”
A commenter under HONEST review of SONY vs Apple headphones!! #shorts (Miki Rai) · Mar 2023
“Now I have the XM5 and love them”
A commenter under Sony WH-1000XM5 Review: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back! (Marques Brownlee) · May 2022
#15 overall
Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 Wireless
7 of the 47 comments naming both come from people who say they own this one.
What owners love
- Best sound of the mainstream ANC sets according to several people; tuning is good enough that one owner never touched the EQ
- Around 60 hours of battery
- Better fit and finish than the Bose equivalent
The complaints
- Swipe controls are unintuitive
- Auto-pause and adaptive ANC did not work for one owner
- Noise cancelling is a step behind Sony and Bose; no mic-plus-audio over USB
- One AudioKarma member returned his for too much mid-bass
In their words
“I love my Momentum 4's..best headphones I have owned by far”
A commenter under Best Premium Headphones [Tested & Compared!] - AirPods Max vs Bose vs Sony vs Sennheiser.. (Mike O'Brien) · Jan 2024
“i've got Sennheiser momentum 4's and i absolutely love them”
A commenter under The Headphones Everyone Needs To Own (DankPods) · May 2026
“Try the Sennheiser momentum 4, I think you will love it”
A commenter under Sonos Ace Headphones: You Had One Job! (Marques Brownlee) · Jun 2024
Questions people ask about this pair
Every answer is built from the counts on this page, not from our own listening.
- Is the Sony WH-1000XM5 better than the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4?
- Only 1 of the 47 comments naming both choose one (0 for the Sony WH-1000XM5, 1 for the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4), too few to call a winner. Overall, 96 people recommend the Sony WH-1000XM5 and 46 the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4.
- Which is cheaper, the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4?
- The Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 is cheaper: $250 against $300 when we last checked. Prices move, so the buy buttons show the live price.
- Which do more people recommend, the Sony WH-1000XM5 or the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4?
- The Sony WH-1000XM5: 96 people recommend it against 46. On the site-wide leaderboard the Sony WH-1000XM5 is #6 and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 is #15.
- Do people own both the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4?
- Yes. 4 of the 47 comments that name both come from people who say they own both pairs. 5 say they own the Sony WH-1000XM5 and 7 the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4.
- What do owners complain about on the Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4?
- The most repeated complaint about the Sony WH-1000XM5: the hinges and swivels: more than one owner had a pair break within a year. About the Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4: swipe controls are unintuitive. The full lists are on each side below.