Following from the launch of the Sonos Ace, we had been eager to see how they measure up in opposition to the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wi-fi.
We in contrast our critiques of the 2 over-ear headphones to find out which headphones are finest.
Worth
The Sonos Ace is the costlier of the 2 headphones, with an RRP of £449 / $449 / €499.
As compared, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wi-fi has a less expensive RRP of £309.99 / $379.95 / €369.90.
Design
We hailed the Sonos Ace as “the comfiest pair of over-ear headphones” due to the padded really feel of the vegan leather-based earpads. Equally the artificial leather-based earpads of the Momentum 4 Wi-fi provide a supple contact space that makes sporting them “for each brief and prolonged intervals very comfy”.
Though each the Ace and Momentum can be found in simply two colors: black or white, the Momentum 4 has extra of a plain end which we concluded was “much less fancy” than earlier generations. Though that is down to private choice, if visuals are essential to you then maybe these aren’t as ideally suited as different choices, such because the AirPods Max.
The Sonos Ace has three buttons throughout the 2 earcups, together with the Content material Key which gives tactile technique of operation for playback, adjusting quantity and taking or declining calls. There’s additionally a devoted energy button and one other for controlling ANC however no 3.5mm jack.
As a substitute the Momentum 4 has only one button for controlling, which is managed by the contact panel on the appropriate earcup and in contrast to the Sonos Ace, there’s even a 3.5mm jack.
Options
The Sonos Ace gives a “excellent” ANC with no need the headphones to be at a better quantity than 50%, with the Conscious Mode particularly capable of sound so pure to the purpose the place there’s “little distinction between sporting the headphones or taking them off”.
The Momentum 4 Wi-fi additionally gives ANC and though they do “impress in a wide range of environments” and when coping with crowd noise or dealing with visitors, there nonetheless stays a level of ambient noise peeking by. Having mentioned that, we discovered the readability of Transparency mode to be clear, detailed and “up there with one of the best”.
What particularly units the Ace aside is the Sonos TV Audio Swap which creates a direct Wi-Fi connection to the Sonos Arc (extra Sonos compatibility is coming quickly) by way of an iOS system, permitting you to play your TV audio by your headphones.
The Momentum 4 additionally boasts wonderful battery life, with 60 hours in whole that may simply final for round two weeks with common use. As compared, the battery life on the Ace is estimated to be round 30 hours with ANC enabled.
Sound High quality
Though the Ace doesn’t sound as clear as flagship Sony or Bose headphones, its 40mm customized dynamic drivers are praised as probably the most “comfy sounding headphones” because it was capable of register highly effective lows and wealthy bass simply and midrange introduced with satisfying ranges of readability.
As well as, we truly most popular the Dynamic head-tracking of the Sonos Ace to Bose’s Immersive Audio options, as we thought the previous retains a weightiness to its sounds.
The Momentum 4 Wi-fi may also produce music with excessive ranges of readability and an expansive soundstage. We discovered that they took on a extra “even-handed method” to presenting music and “relay all of the element … with out colouring the sound”. Of the 2, we’d say the Sennheiser is the better-sounding pair.
Name high quality for each headphones is first rate, with the Momentum 4 boasting the sting as “noises had been suppressed effectively” and voice readability wasn’t impacted. Whereas the Ace nevertheless carried out effectively in quiet areas, “in noisy areas the headphones don’t appear to suppress as a lot noise as they might”.
Verdict
If you happen to don’t need to spend an excessive amount of and wish a dependable pair of headphones that’ll additionally comfortably see you thru taking calls, then the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wi-fi are an ideal selection.
If nevertheless you have already got different Sonos merchandise, would particularly admire the TV Audio Swap function and wish wonderful adaptive ANC high quality, then the Sonos Ace is a greater suited choice for you.