Sennheiser’s new Momentum 5 headphones have upgraded ANC and a replaceable battery

Sennheiser has introduced the Momentum 5, the newest entry in its flagship line of wireless headphones, positioning the model as a meaningful step up from its predecessor through two headline changes: a reworked active noise cancellation system and a battery pack that owners can swap out themselves rather than send in for professional replacement. The German audio maker also confirmed the headphones will handle lossless audio over Bluetooth, a capability that has only recently become practical on consumer wireless gear.

The noise cancellation overhaul addresses one of the more persistent gripes with premium over-ear headphones: how well they hold up against ambient noise on flights, in offices, or on crowded commutes. While Sennheiser has not published granular specifications on microphone count or filtering technique, framing the upgrade around cancellation strength suggests the company is chasing category leaders such as Sony and Bose, both of whom have repeatedly refined their own ANC hardware in recent generations to stay ahead of rivals.

More unusual is the decision to make the internal battery user-replaceable. Most wireless headphones on the market today, including Sennheiser's own earlier Momentum models, ship with cells that are glued or soldered in place, meaning a headphone with a battery that no longer holds a charge is often destined for the trash even if every other component still works. Letting owners pop in a fresh battery pushes back against that pattern and aligns with a broader push, driven partly by right-to-repair advocates and tightening electronics-waste rules in markets like the European Union, to make gadgets last longer.

On the audio side, lossless Bluetooth support means the Momentum 5 can, in principle, reproduce a music file without the compression artifacts that standard Bluetooth codecs like SBC or AAC introduce. Delivering that over a wireless connection has historically required workarounds, since Bluetooth's bandwidth was designed with compressed audio in mind. Chipmakers and codec developers have spent the last few years closing that gap, and Sennheiser's move signals that truly lossless wireless listening is edging toward the mainstream rather than remaining a niche feature reserved for wired setups or proprietary ecosystems.

Even so, the benefit will depend heavily on context. Lossless playback over Bluetooth generally requires a source device, streaming service, and codec that all support it simultaneously, so listeners using services or phones that cap out at standard Bluetooth quality won't notice a difference. Sennheiser has not detailed which codec or transmission standard underpins the feature, leaving open questions about compatibility with non-Sennheiser devices.

The Momentum 5 enters a premium wireless headphone segment that remains fiercely contested, with Sony's WH-1000X series, Bose's QuietComfort Ultra, and Apple's AirPods Max all competing for the same buyers on the strength of noise cancellation, comfort, and sound signature. A repairable battery and lossless streaming give Sennheiser two differentiators that none of those rivals currently match outright, though pricing and full technical specifications, including exact battery life and which lossless standard is supported, have yet to be spelled out in detail.

Wider hands-on testing will ultimately determine whether the improved cancellation and audio quality hold up against Sennheiser's established competition, and further coverage is expected to clarify availability and cost as the launch rolls out.

Source: The Verge