Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 add user-replaceable batteries, Bluetooth 6.0

[Alfonso Maruccia]

Batteries Matter: Sennheiser says their Momentum True Wireless 5 are the company's most advanced earbuds yet. The buds have been engineered – or reengineered – to provide an "uncompromising" listening experience. However, one of the device's most interesting features is likely the result of external pressures that Sennheiser has had to adapt to.

Sennheiser's latest premium earbuds, the Momentum True Wireless 5, have been completely redesigned and include several noteworthy features that could offer significantly better value, despite their substantially higher upfront cost.

The Momentum True Wireless 5 are the first earbuds from the German manufacturer to feature user-replaceable batteries. Building on the same concept used in the Momentum Wireless 5 headphones, the True Wireless 5 can significantly extend their lifespan beyond the point when standard battery degradation would typically render them less useful. Users can replace the power cells in both the earbuds and the charging case using only a compact screwdriver, Sennheiser said.

The replaceable battery design likely stems from newly introduced European regulations that are forcing manufacturers to make batteries easier to replace. Nintendo has already redesigned the Switch 2 gaming console to comply with the new rules, and other major technology companies will likely follow suit sooner rather than later.

Sennheiser said that the new design is significantly more comfortable than the previous generation. According to figures provided by the company, 73% of testers rated the Momentum 5 earbuds as more comfortable than the Momentum 4 model. The charging case has also been redesigned and is now more compact and easier to store in "tight pockets."

Design and batteries aside, the Momentum True Wireless 5 earbuds include several technological advancements aimed at traveling audiophiles and affluent mobile users. The device is optimized for spatial Dolby Atmos audio with interactive head-tracking capabilities and features improved noise cancellation and an AI-based voice enhancement option.

Thanks to Bluetooth 6.0 and aptX Adaptive codec support, the buds should provide faster, more stable wireless connections while supporting high-resolution audio at up to 24-bit/96 kHz. The free Smart Control Plus app, which should be an improved version of the Smart Control app I use on my Android phone to manage my HD 450BT headphones, provides a new eight-band equalizer and other customizable features.

Available in five metallic color finishes – Graphite, Cream, Copper, Denim, and Lavender – the Momentum True Wireless 5 earbuds will launch on September 3 with a suggested price of $300. The batteries should provide up to 12 hours of continuous playback on a single charge, while the total battery life can reach 40 hours when combined with the included Qi-enabled charging case.

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Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 add user-replaceable batteries, Bluetooth 6.0

 

[Puiu]

"But but it can't be done! Think about those poor companies! How dare you think about the consumer!!" - some poor fellow in 2026

 

[Win7user]

I listened to a pair of ear buds, when you could still go to the store and try them. About twenty years ago I guess. There wasn't any bass, or very little. You have to have it all, bass, terrible and mid-range for music to sound good. Unless things have changed?

 

[sreams]

I listened to a pair of ear buds, when you could still go to the store and try them. About twenty years ago I guess. There wasn't any bass, or very little. You have to have it all, bass, terrible and mid-range for music to sound good. Unless things have changed?

I don't know about these particular ones, but I can say from experience that low-end can be incredibly good on modern earbuds, especially when you find the right tips for your ears (seal is critical for low-end). And yes, I remember when it really didn't used to be great at all.

 

[LordVile95]

"But but it can't be done! Think about those poor companies! How dare you think about the consumer!!" - some poor fellow in 2026

It’s the case battery which lasts longer than the battery in the buds which you can’t replace. So effectively this changes nothing but sounds nice.

 

[Tom Yum]

It’s the case battery which lasts longer than the battery in the buds which you can’t replace. So effectively this changes nothing but sounds nice.

From the article: Users can replace the power cells in both the earbuds and the charging case using only a compact screwdriver, Sennheiser said..

 

[Kashim]

I listened to a pair of ear buds, when you could still go to the store and try them. About twenty years ago I guess. There wasn't any bass, or very little. You have to have it all, bass, terrible and mid-range for music to sound good. Unless things have changed?

Soundcore earbuds by Anker are quite good at a reasonable price. I own the Liberty 4 NC and the Life P3 and both provide very good sound. You can get them on Amazon on sale at an excellent price, so give one of those a try. If you're only used to ancient earbuds from twenty years ago that had chirpy, scratchy bass then I promise you'll be pleasantly surprised by these.

 

[Kashim]

From the article: Users can replace the power cells in both the earbuds and the charging case using only a compact screwdriver, Sennheiser said..

That sounds like a good thing on the surface, but there's no info about how much it costs to replace those batteries. I guarantee they will be stupid expensive just because of the Sennheiser name attached to them if nothing else. My guess is $100+ to replace the batteries in the earbuds.

 

[LordVile95]

From the article: Users can replace the power cells in both the earbuds and the charging case using only a compact screwdriver, Sennheiser said..

We’ll see

 

[Win7user]

Soundcore earbuds by Anker are quite good at a reasonable price. I own the Liberty 4 NC and the Life P3 and both provide very good sound. You can get them on Amazon on sale at an excellent price, so give one of those a try. If you're only used to ancient earbuds from twenty years ago that had chirpy, scratchy bass then I promise you'll be pleasantly surprised by these.

Alrighty then Kashim. So I hear you saying ear buds put out sufficient bass nowadays? Appreciate it...

 

[Win7user]

I don't know about these particular ones, but I can say from experience that low-end can be incredibly good on modern earbuds, especially when you find the right tips for your ears (seal is critical for low-end). And yes, I remember when it really didn't used to be great at all.

Okay, I appreciate the input sreams...

 

[toooooot]

I respect the replaceability but no the price.

 

[toooooot]

I had my biggest disappointment when I purchased 300 dollar headphones from B&W.
The disappointment was from the fact that they did not sound a lot better than
a 150-dollar Plantronics BB pro set that began to fail.

Wanna bet that this set will not sound a lot better than 50-100 earbuds?

 

[p51d007]

I haven't worn earbuds ever. LOL, last headphone I used looked like this.
It was a Sennheiser though. Best headphone I ever had. Of course, I was
listening to LP's though.

 

[Win7user]

I've been using these $60 Koss J200 for several years now. . I have a FiiO amp inline, and thick braided 1/4" cable. They bump pretty well...

 

[airbornex]

Calling $300 earbuds a bargain because you can swap the battery says everything about where the industry ended up.

 

[Biostud]

That sounds like a good thing on the surface, but there's no info about how much it costs to replace those batteries. I guarantee they will be stupid expensive just because of the Sennheiser name attached to them if nothing else. My guess is $100+ to replace the batteries in the earbuds.

Any battery company can copy batteries, unless they put some handshake chip in it. Hopefully it will be something standard like hearing aids.

 

[Axeia]

Any battery company can copy batteries, unless they put some handshake chip in it. Hopefully it will be something standard like hearing aids.

Under the EU regulations that require user replaceable batteries 'part pairing' is explicitly forbidden.

Now watch Apple create two separate firmware for their take on this and give the US models a pairing requirement. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, in fact I'm expecting either that or two completely separate models so that the US version isn't replaceable at all.

Article 11(8) requires that software shall not be used to impede the replacement of a portable
battery or LMT battery, or of their key components, with another compatible battery or key
components.

 

[Kashim]

Any battery company can copy batteries, unless they put some handshake chip in it. Hopefully it will be something standard like hearing aids.

I wouldn't get my hopes up. Copying batteries may be easy, but that doesn't mean there's profit to be made on a niche product's battery, especially if they go with some weird shape that makes the battery more difficult/expensive for 3rd parties to manufacture. I doubt it will be anything like hearing aid batteries because Sennheiser will certainly want to make a profit on batteries too. It's just a guess, but we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Biostud]

Since it's because of an EU mandate other brands and models will follow, and it will be more standardized at some point, lowering the cost and also be something to consider when choosing headphones.

 

[Puiu]

That sounds like a good thing on the surface, but there's no info about how much it costs to replace those batteries. I guarantee they will be stupid expensive just because of the Sennheiser name attached to them if nothing else. My guess is $100+ to replace the batteries in the earbuds.

Can we not look at everything in a negative way? If we do not know what the price will be then lets at least talk about how this replaceable battery thing can actually be done even for small devices. Its a major win for consumers.

Price discussion is irrelevant when you do not know it and not every producer is Apple.