SENNHEISER Momentum 3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones with Alexa, Auto On/Off, Smart Pause Functionality and Smart Control App, Black

Even though I love music and have several pair of headphones, I probably fall short of being called an audiophile as I don’t know most of the technical terms related to headphones. So here’s my decidedly layman’s review: Received these today. Been listening to these off-and-on since. Even compared them to three of my other headphones (Beats Studio Wireless, Beats Studio Wired, and B&O H4 Wireless). This certainly outperforms all three (plus my Wireless Parrots) in almost and maybe every way. So far, I can confidently say these are the best headphones I’ve ever owned. Sound - best sounding headphones I’ve ever owned with the most accuracy of sound. I used to really like headphones that emphasized the bass (thus the previous Bests headphones), but now I lean toward more accuracy of sound. The bass is still there, but it’s not overpowering. ANC - these are the first headphones I’ve owned where I think I actually prefer to listen in Noise Cancelling mode. Usually I find ANC to flatten the sound, but here I find it actually results in slightly more depth and breadth of the sound field. So far, I seem to gravitate to the Anti-Wind setting which equates to the medium ANC setting. Battery Life - they arrived out of the box with 20% battery life. After playing with them a bit, I decided I better get them to a full charge. Probably because I kept checking on them, it seemed like they might not ever get past 60%, but after leaving them alone longer they reached 100%. They dipped down to 80% earlier but another charge and they were pretty quickly back to 100%. So far, much better than my Parrots which had the worst battery life of any wireless headphones I’ve ever owned. I also like that by pressing the middle button on the right cup, it verbally tells you the remaining battery life. In addition, you can see the battery life on the app on your phone as well as on the battery section on your iPhone itself. Been listening you them over an hour since last full charge and they’re still at 100%. Controls - I find them pretty intuitive. Phone paired pretty easily with my iPhone. It took a little more persistence to pair it with the Bluetooth adapter attached to my old school home stereo system, but that probably has more to do with my adapter and my own learning curve (adapter is new too). The top button is for turning ANC on or off as well turning Transparent Hearing on or off. So far, I like ANC on and Transparent Hearing turned off. That may change once I can travel (fly) for work again. Apps - the primary app is pretty cool. There are three ANC settings - Max, Anti Wind (medium), and Anti Pressure (low). So far, I find I like the aural soundscape of Anti Wind the best. It also tells you if you have Transparent Hearing turned on or off. You can also turn TH on/off via the app. There also is an equalizer but as opposed to my B&Os, so far I find I find I like it better if I leave it alone. As noted above it also tells you your remaining battery life. There is also a separate Tile app available you can use to locate your headphones. Through the app, you can see how close you are to your headphones as well “find” them by causing them to vibrate and emit a signal. Useful for sure, but I wish they emitted a louder sound. Not sure I’d hear them if there was any other sound around like in a loud airport. A little about how I’ve used them today and what I’ve listened to: Listened to a lot of Madonna today. Ray of Light album was first thing I tried out via my iPhone (Apple Music) as it has a pretty ambient soundscape. I wasn’t quite as blown away as I had hoped, but headphones did a very good job. This might be one where tampering with equalizer might be useful. I also listened to soundtrack for movie W.E. Wow. Sounded just phenomenal. Also listened to Sinead O’Connor’s Lion and the Cobra on vinyl via Bluetooth adapter connected to old school sound system. Overall, it did a good job given I was listening via pieced together technology. I’ll probably go back to just listening to vinyl on speakers, but still need to try it out with CD player. After, I did listen to Sinead’s I Want Your (Hands on Me) on my iPhone (Apple Music) and it sounded great although I did detect a bit of white noise hiss, but I attribute that more to it being an analog recording that likely hasn’t been digitally remastered. Also, some Ben Platt (also Apple Music on iPhone). Sounds great. Now listening to Madonna Madame X (Apple Music on iPhone). Sounds pretty phenomenal and I’m finding it a bit of fun to tamper with the equalizer on this one. Also, since I have an iPhone, I didn’t bother messing with setting up Alexa as my assistant. I’ll stick with Siri. For three years, I’ve known my next headphones would probably either be Sennheiser or Master & Dynamic. After doing a lot of research again recently before purchasing these, I think I made the right choice. Update: Day 2 Woke up late this morning and grabbed my headphones which have been charging overnight. Soon as I put them on, they automatically paired with my iPhone and started playing Lucky Star which I had started before I went to bed last night. I listened to rest of Madonna’s debut album as well. Her debut isn’t the most aurally nuanced (which is one of its charms). I’ve also listened to this album a ton since it came out in 1983 so wasn’t expecting any major surprises. However, I noticed certain elements that haven’t been as prominent to me before like certain percussion elements (Borderline) or saxophone riffs (I Know It) or synthesizer flourishes (Holiday/Think of Me). I do notice the headphones being a little more “touchy” as far as turning off/pausing if I touch them or turn so one of the cups touches a pillow. Not too annoying though. Just tried to recreate making it pause with those same motions and it didn’t do it now. Also sometimes when I put them around my neck or put them down, they automatically quit playing but often I have to put them in folded up position to turn them off although using middle button on right cup also seems to work. I don’t find (as some users have) that the phones are super sensitive to how they’re folded to be turned off so I like that. As long as they’re folded, they turn off. Wireless reach - I forgot to mention that when I listened to vinyl last night, the stereo is on second floor and I was in living room and I had no loss of signal so that was good. Loudness - phones do get plenty loud (certainly loud enough). Do I wish they got a bit louder? Sure, but they get quite loud for wireless headphones and it’s probably a good thing for my hearing they don’t get louder. Another Update: I don’t really use headphones for phone calls so can’t comment on that. Case - I actually like it. Much better than no case (I had to order a third party for my B&O headphones) or just a cloth bag. I know some would prefer a harder outer shell to the case and are worried their headphones will get damaged in their bag through the case, but it’s not like I’m gonna be packing ginsu knives in my totes or duffels. The cloth case will actually help it take up less room in my bag. I also like the inner pouch to hold the charging cable and cord for wired listening. I agree the equalizer could be a little more well designed (I actually like the equalizer on the B&O app), but I’m having more fun playing with it.

My review here is going to focus mostly on sound quality (and ANC). The tech features - bluetooth, mobile app, battery life, etc. - that all works as advertised, and there isn't much more to add. I think one of the most important things to call out when discussing sound is perspective. I would call myself a "basshead audiophile". By this I mean, I enjoy focused listening and enjoying the details in music - BUT for me, this still includes bass. This is likely tied to the genres of music I listen to most, which are EDM, Hip-Hop, R&B, Alternative, Pop, some Rock. I own eight pairs of headphones right now for different purposes, and the M3s sit in what I would call the "all arounder" category - meaning they are versatile enough to enjoy any of the genres I listen to when I want to have a session of focused listening. What makes them great is that they also have the features to be a "daily driver" as well - meaning, the headphones you use in most situations overall. For the price, in my view, they are a steal. Ok, let's get into the sound, which will focus on a few categories - loudness/clarity, tonal balance, bass, mids, highs, soundstage/positioning, ANC, listening mode, other considerations. LOUDNESS/CLARITY: These headphones have relatively big dynamic drivers, and they produce big sound. Optimal listening volume for me has been around the 70-90% range, depending on how I'm feeling. These can be connected via bluetooth, USB-C or 3.5mm, and I've found USB-C gets slightly louder than bluetooth (though both are more than loud enough IMO), and of course the loudness when connected to 3.5mm will depend on the power of the device to which you're connecting the cans. Clarity is very good as well. Straight out of the box, cranked at max volume, distortion is not an issue. Since you can EQ these with the Sennhsiser app, it is possible to get them to distort by cranking up all of the EQ settings and volume to max, but that is a pretty extreme scenario. TONAL BALANCE: Out of the box, these are definitely a "warm" sound signature - meaning, the low end of the spectrum is elevated. For the M3s, this starts at the lower mids and continues to the sub-bass. This does NOT mean the mids and highs are overshadowed or not present; that is not the case. I would call the balance low-end forward, but that low end still layers into the rest of the spectrum very well. Benefit of that Sennheiser engineering. Keep in mind the smart control app allows you to adjust the tonal balance via EQ, and the headphones respond very well to EQ adjustments (and allow you to save multiple EQ profiles for quick swaps). An example here, I listen to a lot of Trance EDM that has very important low end but at also has a lot of high-end details. My most-used EQ ups the lows by 1dB and ups the highs by 3dB. They sound great out of the box, but being able to tweak to your liking is even better. Very versatile. BASS: These cans are a bass lover's dream. The bass volume and impact is there without question. Out of the box there is already significant bass volume, and it can be EQ'd to be straight up banging - to the point that your ears will vibrate. It's a woofer on your head situation. That said, the bass is not at all messy or overly boomy unless the track calls for it. The set always feels in control and cleanly layered into the mix. The bass has good depth at the mid-bass and sub-bass levels. The cans also shine on bass detail. The genres I listen to have a lot of tracks that have fast-moving, layered bass lines, and they really shine on this set. MIDS: The two things that immediately come to mind when I think about the mids on this set are recessed and smooth. The way the mids are presented in the overall soundstage (will get to that shortly) makes them feel slightly recessed, but not in a bad way. Vocals, for example, come through clearly but always in their own distinct space, and that space is very rarely "right in your face". If you've ever listened to any of the AirPods lines, they are very vocal-forward and bright; that is not the case here (unless you EQ them up). The smoothness and clarity of the mids plus the combination of the natural warmth of the set really work well together. HIGHS: The highs on these are also very good but not necessarily the star. By that I mean the lows and mids are an A, and the highs are maybe an A- or B+. This is mostly because the highs are not as sharply elevated as the lows, so there is some roll-off at the very upper ends. This can be corrected with EQ (as I mentioned above), and the results are good, but I have to be fair. What I enjoy about the highs on this set is that they are not fatiguing or overly bright - meaning, you don't get any of that intolerable high-end reverb with symbols or ambient noises. This means you can crank the volume to max and get great clarity without annoying your eardrums. SOUNDSTAGE + POSITIONING: This is another star of the show you get by dealing with Sennheiser products. The soundstage on these is VERY good and what takes them to the next level for me. I would describe it as "intimate but open." Overall, the soundstage presents a very close/intimate listening experience. Sounds appear either insider your head (often with vocals) or very close to you. The width is very good, as you'll often get sounds that appear just at the edge of your periphery. The height is also impressive, and I have more than once found myself able to separate sounds that appeared to becoming from above or below in tracks. What impresses me most about the soundstage here, however, is the fullness. Many over-ear headphones (looking at you AirPods Max), have a wide soundstage, but they are compressed - sounds all obviously originate from the far left, far right, or center. The Sennheisers do an outstanding job of blending these together. Sound truly does appear to come from all around. The combination of the soundstage and tonal clarity really impresses. I am a heavy Apple Music listener, and with these headphones, I will not use the Dolby Atmos format because the artificial soundstage produced by that actually sounds worse than the natural soundstage of these headphones (more on that below). Soundstage is a solid A, especially for the price. ANC: Again, have to be fair, the ANC here isn't great. I'd give it a B-/C+ purely because there are other options out there that are far better - Bose and AirPods Max come to mind. These do completely cover your ear, and the pads provide decent isolation without any ANC turned on. With the ANC turned on, it will block out some passive noise that I would say is good enough in most environments, as long as you have music playing, even at a low volume. If your goal is to sit on an airplane/train with headphones on in total silence with no music playing, these won't give you the best result. This is a sound quality-first headphone, and the relative weakness of the ANC showcases that. The positive about the weaker ANC is that it has a very minimal effect on the sound quality. There is a slight difference that's most noticeable in the low-end resonance, but overall, not significantly different. I tend to leave ANC off until I need it. The strength of the ANC is also adjustable in the app for those that have sensitivities to the affects of ANC, and there is a decent transparency mode, so you can ear outside noise when you have the set on. LISTENING MODES: As mentioned earlier, the M3s allow you to connect to your source in three ways: Bluetooth, USB-C and 3.5mm. In short - they are all at least very good. Bluetooth mode is likely the way most will listen, and everything I have said about the sound quality above absolutely applies in bluetooth mode. These were designed to be wireless cans, and they have great bluetooth performance. That said, if you're still reading this review that means you likely know enough to know that wired is almost better than wireless, and that is true here as well. You can use these headphones as a direct USB-C to USB-C set of headphones - for example through an iPad Pro, iPad mini or a phone that has a USB-C port. This has two advantages - #1 it allows you to listen to lossless music, as this is a purely digital transmission method that supports lossless files, and #2 it allows you to avoid the interference of wireless transmission. Listening to music in this way takes everything I said about the sound and elevates it another 1/2 letter grade. It's like going from a regular 4K tv to a 4k TV with Dolby Vision HDR. It's just a smidge clearer and more defined - and noticeably so. Also, in this mode, the device is still powered (and can charge while being used), so you still get the benefit of all of the digital features - ANC, EQ, on-set controls, etc. You can also drive these totally unpowered by plugging in an AUX 3.5mm cable directly to a source. First, I have to knock Sennheiser for including a pretty crappy aux cable for this with a weird screw-in 2.5mm end that goes into the headset itself. Odd choice that while may have a purpose, makes replacing what is a pretty crappy cable fairly difficult. The sound results you will get from this method depend largely on what you are plugging the headphones into because in this method, the headphones are off, so you are driving the headphones with your own DAC and Amp. I personally tried this with a Dragonfly Cobalt and did not get great results, but I have seen many across the net that have had good results with this connection type. I will say, this is really not the way this set was meant to be used, and if you really just want a pair of non-powered headphones to plug into a 3.5mm jack, there are better options out there from Sennheiser and others that are cheaper. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: A few other things I want to mention as they relate to sound quality. The first is comfort. I find these headphones extremely comfortable. The cups sit snugly over the ears, but the cushions are soft enough that they are not painful. They also do not get hot. However, I have noticed two issues. They do not perform well when I am wearing glasses. The pads don't form well around the arm of the glasses, so you get obvious sound drop/off leakage. Also, depending on how they fit against your ears, if you move your head a lot while listening, it may affect the sound a bit. This is not an awful thing and is very common with over-ear headphones, but these headphones don't have any tech in them that adjusts the frequency based on the fit over your ear or objects in the way (glasses). There are benefits and costs to doing this. The benefit of doing it, like the AirPods max, is even with glasses on or moving your head a lot, the AirPods max readjust the tonal balance based on the fit at the millisecond level to minimize the impact. The trade-off is the sound is artificially modified in a way that the user does not control - and this is likely against the ethos of Sennheiser. Again, this is not a huge issue, but worth mentioning. The other thing worth mentioning is use for other things like TV, podcasts/books and gaming. In short, they are very good for all of the above, especially for general-use TV/movies/video games. Bringing the boom is a big factor there, and the excellent soundstage translates well to video and gaming. For podcasts and pure spoken word, they are fine, but I prefer more vocal-forward sets, as I just don't have a need for the recession of vocals or a big sound stage when listening to a podcast. For gaming, general gaming is great, but if I was playing a FPS or another game where extreme clarity was needed at the high end and/or on soft sounds, I'd likely go with a set more tuned for high-end detail (I have the Beyerdynamic MMX 300). All around, love these. Solid A grade.

Let me first say that I am neurodivergent with noise sensitivity so I wear my headphones near constantly, 12 hours a day or more. My priorities are comfort and noise canceling first, though sound quality is also very important. Positives: I bought these two years ago as of this review, so I can speak to the durability of these headphones. I had perviously had problems with headphone bands snapping, and these have held up great. The only sign of wear and tear on any part of the headphones is a little peeling of the material inside the ear cups. Comfort wise these are amazing, the ear cups are the most comfortable I have found, I can wear them all day with minimal discomfort. The headband is ok, not the best, but not uncomfortable. They are breathable enough to remain comfortable in hot weather, and are good insulation in cold weather too. The battery life is also very good, I can use them for about two days without needing to charge them. Sound quality is good, they have good bass and balance the vocals and instrumentals well, I haven't had a song that doesn't sound great in these headphones. Negatives: It is a little annoying that these appear to have a normal USBc port, but only charge with their charger. Not exactly a huge issue, but still a gripe. The noise canceling is fine for relatively quiet environments, but for a volume level like a busy street or a bus, they fail. They lower the noise, but are unable to block it out, and I usually still have to raise my volume to be able to hear my music. The positioning for the headphones can't be secured in place. They slide to make the size adjustable, but I have found no way to keep them from continuing to slide around, which makes them basically unusable for wearing while exercising, since they will very easily fall off. The microphone is not great, it won't pick up your voice unless you speak pretty loudly, and the quality isn't great. I don't find it worth using. Limited button controls for such an expensive pair of headphones. There is volume and pause, noise canceling controls, and bluetooth controls, but no ability to skip tracks, which I've seen on headphones far less expensive. The auto-pause has issues. The sensor for whether it's on your head is only on the right ear, which is fine. The issue is that it will randomly become very sensitive, to the point that turning your head or chewing will make it to pause what you're listening to. This has to be fixed by turning off the headphones and letting them stay off for a while before you use them again. Overall, I really like these headphones, but I'm coming back to write this review because they've started having an issue where they randomly cut out and refuse to play sound until I turn them off and on again, and I am considering replacing them.

I will compare these to the Bose 700s and Sony XM3s at the end if you’re interested, for now a Momentum 3 review. DESIGN: These headphones are very sturdy, they feel like a pair of $400 headphones. No squeaking or sliding around. I feel I can safely put these on my backpack without a case and they will be just fine. APP, BLUETOOTH and EASE OF USE: All you have to do to use the headphones is unfold them and they go into pairing mode, then simply connect to your phone which will ask you to download the Sennheiser app. Within the app you can change the Noise cancelling between Max, Anti Wind which is just a lower noice cancelling setting, and anti pressure which supposedly reduces the pressure feeling from noice cancelling however I found no difference between max and anti pressure. There is no difference in sound quality either between any of the modes as far as I can tell. You can also turn off noise cancelling altogether and still get the same sound quality. There is an option called transparent hearing which allows you to hear people’s voices more clearly at the cost of some sound quality, this is useful when walking around the street I suppose. Lastly there is an Equalizer (EQ) that allows you to adjust the Bass and Trebble which in terms also affects the mids. Its confusing to use and to be honest I prefer the stock setting best. I haven’t had any issues with the headphones disconnecting, cutting in and out, or not connecting to the app. NOISE CANCELLING: Noise cancelling is ok, I would say it can block out road noise, and most chatter if you turn the volume up enough. However this will not give you complete silence. Its more of a thing to help you focus on your music. I ran a small test by putting coffee shop noise on my tv which measured at 85dB. Any louder and you can start to notice the noise. I found it quite surprising that the ANC on these headphones is only a tiny bit better than the one on my Sennheiser 4.50 headphones which are 1/4 the price. SOUND: This is where these headphones shine. Their sound is crystal clear, the BASS packs a punch which doesn't distort the music or instruments. It doesn't drown out the mids or the vocals. The mids and the highs are also very balanced, it sounds beautiful is the best way I can describe it haha. Some headphones have such bad sound that singing almost becomes a high pitched noise, with the momentums it feels as if someone is singing to you... while musical instruments play along with that voice. With other headphones it just sounds like a bunch of noise clustered together where you cant even tell what instruments are playing and it just sounds like a beat. MOVIES: The bass from music translates nicely to media. Explosions, car chases, etc all have a punch to them in movies. I can’t think of a better headphone to listen to movies. The momentum 3s enhance your experience as opposed to just letting you listen to what is going on. Also the EQ can be adjusted with as much bass and treble you want and it will save to the headphone itself. So if you connect these via aux to the TV they will keep the EQ. COMFORT: I left comfort for last because its the biggest downfall at least in my opinion and is the only reason for these headphones getting 4 stars. They are big, bulky, heavy, and you will noice you’re wearing them. These aren’t the headphones you want to walk around with, or take on a flight, or use to study. These headphones are for when you want to enjoy music for 1-2 hours at a time. The metal headband is kind of a pain to adjust, it requires both hands, my hands touching/sliding against the metal bands is kind of concerning as it feels as if Im going to cut myself even though its just a feeling and I doubt its possible. I wish it was covered so It could also have a stealthier look that doesn’t stand out. Simple is better for some. Clamping force is also pretty strong to the point where I have to take them off to rest my ears and my jaw. Are these worth the $400? Well in my opinion they’re not... why? Because they are uncomfortable. If Im paying $400 for headphones I want to be able to wear them whenever, however long. I want to be able to take them on a walk, to chill in the couch with them, and to use them for movies. It doesn’t matter how good they sound or feel if I can’t wear them for 5+ hours at a time. Sennheiser Momentum 3 vs Bose 700 vs Sony WF1000XM3 If the sennheiser were more comfortable, and looked like a more normal pair of headphone, i wouldn't even need to write anything here. I would say run out and buy them. However each headphone has their pros and cons. If you see the term “cabin pressure” it refers to that weird feeling you get when you try ANC Headhones. That underwater feeling. Bose 700: these have the most neutral sound, they have the least bass out of all three and are also the least loudest. Even with their ANC being almost double the sennheiser I still have to increase the volume to 80% even on a quiet room. They are also the least “fun” to listen too because they sound so flat. However, because of their flat sound signature they sound very accurate and no bass, high, mid is overdone. They are good. In terms of comfort the headphones themselves are comfortable but their ANC gives you that small cabin pressure feeling. Sony xm3: these have alot of bass but its not the good kind of bass. Its the kind of bass that becomes muffled and distorted. These are by far the least accurate headphones from all 3. Their instrument separation is also bad, there are some instruments you wont even be able to hear with these unless you adjust their eq. However they are more fun to use than the Bose 700s and you will only notice their distortion if you pay close attention. These are also the most comfortable pair of headphones i’ve ever worn. It feels like you’re not even wearing anything. I have worn these for 15 hours at a time. I can fall asleep with them, walk with them, etc. They basically dont exist on my ears. They also have very little to no cabin pressure. Momentum 3: these sound the best out of the 3. If you take the Sonys “fun” factor and the Boses accuracy you get the mometum 3s. However they’re uncomfortable to wear which is the biggest downfall. The headband has very little padding which becomes bothersome, the ear ups are also super stiff. Their cabin pressure is less than the bose 700s though. In the end if you’re spending $400 because you want the ultimate headphone for music, movies, and everything sound get the sony xm3. If you want a “stay at home” headphone get the momentum 3s. If you will only use your headphones for music and you want to use them for long periods of time get the Bose 700s.

I was really surprised by how awesome these sounded! I bought them with the idea that I was going to use them with the wire rather than wireless. Wired headphones usually sound better. But wow! I downloaded the app to my phone. I charged up the headphones. And then in the app, I turned on the high end sound setting. And I turned off the noise canceling, because I had heard that the noise canceling made the bass sound boomier and I was looking for neutral. By the way, you gotta turn the volume low on your phone when you open the headphone and put it on your head. And then turn the volume up on the headphone itself to get the desired volume. After that, you can control volume with your phone up and down. 1. Comfort - I have medium size ears and I thought the leather ear cushions were very comfortable. The experience was like sitting back on a cushy leather sofa. Thumbs up. 2. Build Quality - very well built. Nothing on it looks like it would be easy to break, unless you threw it against the wall. 3. Style- I bought the white and gray headphones, I think they’re very stylish. Kind of a retro look, but I like that. 4. Portability. These are the biggest Sennheiser momentums ever made. But they fold up. The soft zipped case that they come with has a a carabiner, so you can hook it onto a carry-on bag. 5. Noise cancelling. The noise canceling is pretty good, but not outstanding. Certainly not as strong as the Bose 700 or the Sony XM4s. Even my little AirPod Pros are better at noise canceling. But the sound quality of the AirPod pros is nowhere near as good as the Sennheiser. 6. Sound Quality. These are amazing! As I said, I had the high end setting on within the app and noise canceling turned off. I was amazed at the clarity of the midrange, that was the first thing I noticed, the smoothness of the sound was the next thing I noticed. The clarity of the treble is also very pleasant, without even the tiniest bit of piercing brightness. I tried using it with the wire, it was very good, but this headphone sounds better wireless! Crazy! I had the noise cancelling off. When I turned on the noise canceling, it did give the bass a bit of extra boom and impact. Some will like that! I would characterize the overall sound as clear, vibrant, and balanced. By comparison, I thought the Sony XM4 sounded more V shaped and boomy. And the Bose QC35 was nowhere near as awesome sounding as the Momentum 3. I own all three over ear Momentum headphones, and this one is by far the best. I like the Over ear Momentum 2 wired’s sound, but the mid range was a little muffled, the mid range of the Momentum 3 is clear as can be. I would say the weakest thing about this headphone is the firmware, it takes getting used to, it took a while for me to figure out that you should control the volume on the headset first and then turn it up on the phone. I’m not 100% sure about the battery life because I usually put it back on the charger before it goes dead. Maybe I shouldn’t do that? I own a Hifiman Ananda, the Sennheiser 650 and 600 and 58X, and I’ve owned most of the open back Sennheisers south of the 700. I personally prefer this M3 more than any of the other Sennheisers for sound quality. And if you can get it for $250 or $270, you got a slam dunk of a deal, unless you need something with the most noise canceling. For me, I was in it for the sound quality, for that smooth Sennheiser sound that I love.

I got these to be an upgrade from my Sennheiser 4.50HD set. Looking at review comparisons, I was expecting a little more noise cancellation and a lot more audio quality. This review will focus on comparing the two sets of headphones, since there's a multitude of reviews that focus on just these. My direct review in one sentence, though, would be: "they sound great, block a decent amount of noise, have some convenient features, but end up being too expensive and don't have enough battery life." *AUDIO QUALITY* These sounded really good ... but I couldn't find any difference in these vs my existing headphones. I'm not a super audiophile, but I tried critically listening to various music, including some lossless stuff. I was hoping for an upgrade in the experience. *NOISE CANCELLATION* From what I've read, Sony is King here. That said, ratings reported better ANC from these than the 4.50HD set. They're better with passive, due to the ear cups, but listening to some noises like water running, it felt like my existing set won by a small margin. I've brought my existing set on a plane shortly before buying the M3's, and they performed quite well. ANC without music cut out some of the harsh tones of the engine and wind noise; music on low volume was enough to forget there was any noise. Turning ANC off while the music played resulted in an abrupt return to the noise, and now I couldn't hear the singer, resulting in higher music volume to compensate. *COMFORT* These were a little more comfortable than the HD's as the cups went over my ears instead of on them. Both headphones suffer from an unfortunate lack of enough padding at the top of the headband, resulting in the top of my head becoming sore after long sessions. Overall, I ended up listening for hours at a time, so it wasn't totally awful. The ear pads are really nice, soft, and comfy! *FEATURES* I really liked the USB-C charging port which doubled as a path for audio. I wish it wasn't in that exact spot though, as listening with the cable installed ended up bumping my shoulder a bunch. Audio transparency was kind of nice, with the ability to listen to the surroundings. It wasn't quite as accessible as I'd have liked, but better than nothing. The auto pause/resume feature is a cool concept, but it ended up not working for me. Every time I would bend over to pick something up or look up at the ceiling, it would pause. If you sit still, this feature would probably be better for you. (A firmware update offered an option to make this less sensitive, but it didn't improve by much.) The auto option can be turned off so it doesn't drive you crazy. *BATTERY* I definitely found myself reaching for a charger more frequently with these headphones. I think if the USB C port was slightly relocated, and if I ended up using its cable, the battery wouldn't be as much of a concern. *CONCLUSION* I really wanted to like these headphones, but the reasons for upgrade (USB C charging+audio, improved audio quality, auto pause/resume) ended up not meeting expectations. Had I never bought the HD's and still been using cheap headphones, I'd probably have kept the M3's, as they do sound incredible. But so do the ones that cost me a third of the price a few years ago. Have a look at the 4.50HD headphones - I think they're discontinued now, but still offered on Amazon.

I’ll probably update this review over time. It was at two stars, now down to one... maybe they’ll work their way up to two again. [*update after about 6 months at the bottom] I have since gotten a pair of Shure Aonic 50s, which are outstanding... That’s a lotta money tied up in headphones! I probably should’ve just bought the new Apple cans instead. In the meanwhile, I’ve exchanged dozens upon dozens of emails with Sennheiser about the myriad issues I’ve had with these. It all began with an apparently-software and/or firmware-related problem, which developed into further problems (Note: the app is pretty jank too, and none of the updates entirely stopped it from glitching and losing connection, etc. But, it’s a requisite in order to adjust EQ or ANC, et al.). Before I could even manage to get all of the software/firmware/app nonsense worked out, a more serious hardware problem developed. To wit: the headphones seem to believe that they are still plugged in via the (annoyingly proprietary) 3.5-2.5mm cord, which I did only a few times. As a result, they’ll no longer let me pair with anything. This is apparently a common problem people have “fixed” in various ways (“raking the pins,” etc.), many of which I’ve tried to no avail. How ridiculous: a $350 gadget with a terminally faulty switch/sensor? Please. My old school Sony Studio Monitors last a decade, even treated more carelessly. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF ITSELF. They’re dismissive, misleading, often give incorrect information, don’t listen carefully to questions (instead generally replying with a prescribed response referring you to something that doesn’t work or isn’t even applicable); and I could go on. Just the other day I got a sarcastic reply from one of their people, who was actually supposed to have called me more than two weeks ago. I wrote (paraphrasing): “Hello again _____, I’ve now contacted you twice since you were supposed to call me on the telephone, but have heard nothing. Are you, or are you not, going to contact me. Please advise. Respectfully, ____” She replied, “You’re very welcome.” I thought this might have been sent to me by mistake, so I followed up... she very brusquely replied that my issue would better be handled by yet another department (the 4th so far I think). The above rude transaction took place as I’m simply trying to send them in for warranty repair given the development of this issue that is clearly a hardware problem. To be clear, I treat all my A/V gear like it’s made of antique glass (Another note: the case these come with is a joke; if you do buy them, get an actual hard case to protect your investment.). Trying to send them in has even become a rigamarole. I’m almost 2 months into that fiasco now, having sent proof of purchase, serial number, their form, etc. I don’t even have specific instructions or a shipping box yet. By the way, it appears they expect YOU to pay for the shipping to get their bunk product repaired, in England, I believe. Another slap in the face. This may explain part of my delays here as I flat out refused to do that. But, at this rate, they’ll be out of warranty before I have even sent them off... and I imagine it will take months in turnaround time too. I realize this review is darn salty; but generally, I try to be very convivial with folks. Sugar works better than vinegar and all that. This has worn me down though. If you don’t have the patience for this type of thing, don’t buy these. As others have commented, the sound quality is exceptional. Virtually everything else is a train wreck. What a shame. Sennheiser has always been so top notch in my experience. Perhaps they’re better off sticking with the old-school tech. * Update: I HAVE NEVER DEALT WITH SUCH GARBAGE CUSTOMER SERVICE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Due to a lack of response to repeated email attempts (customer service department, warranty department, sales department), I finally wrote an actual physical USPS letter on letterhead and sent it via priority mail... BEGGING them to stand behind their product. Not once have I been angry with a representative, used foul language, or anything of that sort. But I honestly wonder if they have blacklisted me, or if they have just turned into a horrible company. Do not buy any Sennheiser products if you expect any type of support or for them to stand by a clearly faulty product. Gosh I wish Amazon had 0 stars as an option.

The Sennheiser Momentum 3's are above average in most categories, and the best in one (my opinion). Noise canceling is pretty good, though nowhere near the Sony XM4, Bose NC 700 and AirPods Max. They also fall short of the B&W PX7's. However, for me, they do knock out enough of the noise that it is acceptable. It is not adjustable, but you can select a couple different noise canceling modes through the app. Comfort - The ear cups are leather and very comfortable. They do not heat up and I barely notice they are there. The headband, however, is noticeable to me. Not painfully so, but I do have to adjust every so often. Controls - The buttons work pretty well. I wish the center media button was a little more pronounced as I sometimes hit the volume up or down buttons when I mean to do something else. The B&W PX7's and AirPods Max have the better pushbutton controls (love the Max crown), while the Sony X4 and Bose NC 700 use more of the touch controls (this can be good and bad). Transparency Mode - This works really well, though I wish it automatically reduced the audio volume slightly if you have it set to continue playing. You can also set it up in the app to mute the music when you put it into transparency mode, but for some reason it does not pause the music like the MTW2 earbuds do. So you put it into transparency mode, have a conversation, come back to the music and a new song may be playing. Not a big deal but a little annoying. AirPods Max still takes the cake for transparency mode. Sony XM4 ambient mode works well, but it always seems to lose my setting every so often and I have to go into the app and adjust. The Bose NC 700 is really nice with adjustable noise canceling as well as going all the way to transparency mode. Battery - Battery life is not great, but sufficient for my use. I feel like battery life should be at least 20 hours these days, with ANC on. Bose NC 700 and AirPods Max hit it right on. Sony and B&W PX7 blow past it. My use with these headphones tends to be a few hours at a time and mostly in my house, so it is not an issue. However, I certainly hope that the Momentum 4's address this issue whenever they come out. Connections - Pairing between two devices is easy, reliable and it will switch between the sources very quickly. App - The app is just ok. It always seems to take a couple tries to connect when I open it. Sony is more reliable. Bose is even more reliable and faster. I do like the EQ and being able to tweak the sound, though I do tend to listen in Neutral. You can also change noise canceling levels between Max, Anti-Wind and Anti-Pressure. My biggest complaint about this is that I have to go into the app to do it. You can turn off the noise canceling by pushing a button on the headphones, but you cannot switch between modes without opening the app. Call quality - I am told that call quality is pretty good. People can understand me clearly and I can hear them very well. Better than the Sony XM4. Much better than the B&W PX7. Not as good as the Bose NC 700 or the AirPods Max (and Airpods Pro for that matter) As I said, the Momentum 3's do all of the above very well, but there is usually one other headset that can do it better (though not always the same one). What does it do best? Sound. These things sound awesome! I know this is very subjective, but to me, the sound stage is wide, I can hear everything crisply and clearly, and the bass is noticeable but not overwhelming. I am not an audiophile, but I do really enjoy these.

It's a excellent product,as we can expect with Sennheiser. Far better then Bose and Sony if u don't prepare heavy base music. I returned mine doue to changing issue and call receiving. Will wait for momentum 5....as momentum 4 can't be folded so bought momentum 3... People who want smaller details in music can go ahead...best product at that range

Ottimo suono, comoda la funzione standby ma la funzione di accensione automatica non mi piace, preferire decidere io quando spengerle, non le posso metterle su uno stand

It's completely unusable. Keeps randomly pausing youtube videos on Mac. Tried turning off auto pause. Tried factory reset nothing works. At this price point it's total garbage.

Sumamente recomendables, llevo ya unas semanas utilizandolos y sin ninguna queja: - Inalámbrico: el modo bluetooth es bueno, superior a otros audífonos inalambricos y no presenta problemas de conección ni latencia - Con cable: la mejor calidad de audio, toman un carácter y detalle excelente cuando se usan con cable, ojo, requiere estar encendidos para funcionar el máximo potencial - Comodidad: súper cómodos, los puedes usar horas sin que sean cansados a pesar de que no son ligeros, solo llega a sentirse el peso en la cabeza pero nada incómodo - Batería: A pesar de que dura menos que la competencia no es un punto de quiebre para mí, podría mejorar pero es lo suficientemente buena -ANC: Talvez su punto más débil, no es mala la cancelación de ruido pero tampoco es la mejor, es suficiente para lograr concentrarte en tu música pero no bloquea todos los ruidos exteriores, me gusta que no genera presión -Materiales: todo se siente de excelente calidad, lo único que me queda a deber es el cable auxiliar porque no se siente acordé a este producto En conclusión es una compra segura, lo recomiendo

O headphone atendeu perfeitamente as expectativas. Uma clareza de som fantástica em que se consegue ouvir detalhes como vários instrumentos tocando em paralelo além de baixos precisos sem aquela reverberação que às vezes incomoda em fones mais baratos. Com materiais duráveis, aleu cada centavo! Pretendo usar por muitos e muitos anos.