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

About four years after the last version of Sennheiser’s Momentum headphones got a makeover which traded in retro aesthetics for modern and comfortable designs, the company has announced its Momentum 5 Wireless headphones. They look very similar to their predecessors, a Momentum 4with large ear cups and a design that doesn’t look good on the competition. But under the hood there are some welcome improvements, including ANC control and, for the first time, a replaceable battery to extend their life.

The Momentum 5 Wireless will be available from June 30th for $399.99, a $50 price increase over the Momentum 4. The headphones have the same 42mm drivers as the Momentum 3 and 4 models, but Sennheiser is introducing “Hi-Res Audio certification” and expanding Bluetooth 5 support to the Momentum.X This allows the headphones to play 16-bit/44.1kHz CD-quality sound, but from for devices with a Qualcomm processor supporting the codec through the Snapdragon Sound platform. Cell phones from Sony and Motorola are supposed to be compatible, but devices from Samsung, Google, and Apple are not.

Sennheiser has also increased the number of microphones on the Momentum 5, which now has four on each side for noise cancellation. The company says its latest headphones can triple the noise and drone noise found in airplane cabins. The upgraded ANC and additional mics also help improve call control, both when it comes to raising the volume and making sure you can hear the person you’re talking to.

The Momentum 5’s battery life lasts up to 57 hours. That’s a bit of a bump from the Momentum 4’s 60 hours, but still almost double what you’ll get from Sony WH-1000XM6which only lasts 30 hours with ANC on. Other changes to the Momentum 5 include a new carrier that is 20 percent smaller, support for Dolby Atmos and head-tracking surround sound, and the ability to upgrade from Bluetooth 5.4 to Bluetooth 6.0 with future firmware updates, although Sennheiser did not share the timing of this.