[Review] The return of the king of wireless earphones! Sennheiser’s ‘Momentum True Wireless 4’ erased the burden of price with its overwhelming sound and showed the class of a true leader!

-How about gently holding the luxury wireless earphones ‘Momentum True Wireless 4’ in your precious ears to welcome spring?

“Form is temporary, but class is eternal.” This is a maxim left by Bill Shankly, the legendary manager of Liverpool FC, a prestigious English soccer team. Although the current appearance or evaluation may change depending on the situation and era, it is commonly used to mean that the essential value does not change.

This proverb can easily be seen in reality. In Korea, it can be compared to ‘Faker’, who led T1 to victory in the World Cup, in which he participated for the 8th time in his career, and overseas, in the case of ‘Lionel Messi’, who lifted the trophy with a long-awaited last dance at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Because there is.

The reason why we feel thrilled by the drama portrayed by these two people is very clear. This is because a person who has established himself as a legend in his own field feels a greater thrill from proving that he is alive and well, overcoming the negative judgment from the public that he is already past his prime.

Similar cases can be found among European brands in the consumer audio market. The European continent is the home of the audio products and technologies we enjoy today, and is home to many brands with a history of nearly 100 years. They once dominated the global market with influence that crossed borders, but in the modernized audio market, they are struggling against counterattacks from latecomers such as Japan and the United States.

In addition, for several years now, China’s ‘CHi-Fi’ (a compound word of ‘hi-fi’ and ‘China’) manufacturers have added to the pressure, calling for Europe to be overthrown. In particular, Chinese companies, with their overwhelming volume and cost-effectiveness across all audio devices such as headphones, earphones, DACs, and amplifiers, have even broken the previously established price baseline.

This trend is no exception in the wireless earphone/headphone market, which leads the modern consumer audio market, and European brands are in dire need of countermeasures to recover their presence that is decreasing day by day.

Amid this chaos, it was ‘SENNHEISER’ that launched premium wireless earphones ‘Momentum True Wireless 4 (MTW 4)’ that claimed to be the hero of the comeback. As a German audio company that has created a variety of best-selling models for audio enthusiasts, enthusiasts, engineers, and other experts, isn’t it a return to inform competitors of the difference in quality based on its nearly 80-year history?

In particular, it is no exaggeration to say that Sennheiser is the ‘father of TWS’, which opened the era of wireless audio. As a revolutionary ahead of the times, Sennheiser introduced the world’s first truly wireless earphone ‘MX W1’ 16 years ago.

The Sennheiser Momentum series, which continues its legacy, is a masterpiece that represents the brand’s future-oriented spirit, and consumers’ expectations for the new product, MTW 4, were also enormous. Above all, seeing that domestic pre-orders that started on the 17th of last month were sold out in just two days seems to prove how many audio enthusiasts have been waiting for the new product of the Sennheiser brand, which has been quiet for a while.

In addition, it is not uncommon for such a strong buying trend to occur for earphones that cannot even be confirmed in person. If I had to point out the reason, wouldn’t it be the ‘classic’ value that Sennheiser guarantees? Additionally, consumers’ infinite trust in them may have played a role.

* The product used in this review is the black graphite model of ‘Momentum True Wireless 4’ wireless Bluetooth earphones from ‘SENNHEISER’.

---

– Sennheiser, renowned for its technology and history, offers sensuous design and infinite convenience in MTW 4!

---

The overall design of MTW 4 largely follows the previous work. The fabric finish, which has now become a symbol of the Momentum series, combines a strong, well-woven structure with a soft texture, and visually displays a sophistication and gentle charm that cannot be found in plastic cases. In addition, the Sennheiser logo embossed on the top of the product also shows off its beauty with a subtle gloss.

Additionally, the avant-garde harmony of straight lines and curves shown in the layout is very unique. When the earphones are worn, the part that is exposed outside the ear looks like an angled cube, reminiscent of dice or a cube, and its color has the feel of precisely refined matte metal. Thanks to its calm and solid appearance, you can create an atmosphere as if you are wearing a high-quality accessory.

The angled design of the MTW 4 may make it seem uncomfortable to wear, but this was just a lie. All parts that come into contact with the ear canal or external auditory canal are molded around curves, allowing it to fit comfortably into any ear. In addition, there was almost no uncomfortable pressure or foreign body sensation, so I did not experience any major problems even when wearing it for long periods of time.

Still, if you are worried that the earphones might fall out of your ears due to the unfamiliar appearance, try actively using the wingtips that surround the earbuds as if they are wearing a band. The wingtips included in the package come in a total of three sizes. If you select the most appropriate tip and place it on the earbuds, you will feel that the holding power of the earphones in your ears increases dramatically.

The convenience of ‘Smart Control’, an app dedicated to Sennheiser earphones and headphones that has changed significantly, also supports an optimized usage environment. The UI is much simpler and clearer than the previous version, so you can more conveniently find the various functions provided by the app, and I also liked the fact that you can freely customize the touch controls on both earbuds.

In particular, the detail and accuracy of ‘sound personalization’, which is considered the most characteristic feature of the Momentum series and smart control app, has also improved dramatically. Previously, you had to listen to the sample multiple times to gauge the appropriate level of each sound range, but now it has become easier to find personalized tuning by adjusting the output and balance of the high and low registers and drum sounds along with each audio sample. .

In addition, there is an ‘anti-wind’ mode that controls wind noise that comes in when using the active noise canceling function in a windy environment, a ‘transparency mode’ that allows external sounds to be heard through the microphone, and a function that allows you to check the wearing condition of the earphones. The usability of convenient functions, such as the helpful ‘fitting test’, has also greatly improved. Sennheiser, which has always been evaluated as being 2% lacking in functionality, has truly made progress in one day and two months in a row.

---

– Sennheiser’s confidence in MTW 4, by far the best sound among wireless earphones ever!

---

There was nothing special about the tone and personality of the MTW 4. Flat tuning has been done to provide even output across all sound ranges that can be captured in the earphones, and it seems that the focus has been placed on allowing the sound source to be heard as is.

When audio brands manufacture earphones or headphones targeting general consumers, they often create a specific tone through tuning that highlights the charm of the product while cleverly hiding its weaknesses. This may soon become the brand’s signature, but for Sennheiser, which has no significant weaknesses in creating and transmitting sound, there would have been no need to follow general principles.

In fact, when listening to music through MTW 4, the transparency of the engineer and composer’s intentions stood out, regardless of the genre or who the vocalist was, based on the overwhelming resolution of the voice. In particular, the sound field shows a wide range that easily transcends the limitations of its weight class, and I was surprised that such a wide sound range could be expressed with a driver with an aperture of only 7mm.

In the low range, it loosens up the hard and dense sound and provides a lighter feeling. Instead of reducing the impact that causes a strong resonance in the chest and eardrums, it has a solid balance that allows you to enjoy various types of music for a long time with low fatigue.

Still, if you want a stronger bass, an alternative is to activate the ‘Bass Boost’ option in the EQ settings of the Smart Control app. Rather than simply increasing and emphasizing the output of low-pitched sounds, this option enhances the sense of space and presence by slightly narrowing the dispersion of low-pitched sounds transmitted to the hearing and increasing depth. The feeling as if the stage of the group sound is unfolding in front of me makes me feel a class that I have never experienced with other earphones.

Conversely, those who want to control even the slightest ‘booming’ in the overall sound and feel the sound of instruments and vocals more closely are strongly recommended to use MTW 4 with the ‘Podcast’ option. Even the fine textures that occur when high-pitched instruments such as guitars and violas are played will be expressed in great detail, and you will be able to feel and taste the breathing and singing style of the singing artist with your whole body.

It is also a good idea to actively utilize the sound personalization function mentioned earlier. The recommended setting at this time is to place the center of the blending of treble and bass slightly closer to the bass. At the same time, if the output of the drum sound is slightly strengthened, the image of the sound that only extends forward in bass boost mode expands to the rear and sides. This means that the staging of MTW 4 is significantly expanded. To put it more simply, it feels like standing in the middle of a concert stage where a performance is taking place.

MTW 4, which boasts unrivaled performance in any music, shows its true value in any song, but if there are songs that I would like to recommend, it is those that harmoniously combine rich instrument sounds and distinctive vocals. Not to mention jazz-style songs such as Caro Emerald’s ‘One Day’ and Taber’s ‘007’, the highlights of Baek Ye-rin’s ‘Square’ with her pure voice and ‘Expectations’ sung by Minnie and Anne Marie are thrilling. It was enough to give me goosebumps.

If there is one thing that is slightly disappointing regarding the sound of the MTW 4, it is that aptX Adaptive, the optimal codec for earphones, is not supported by smartphone brands such as Galaxy and iPhone. Poor codec support from the two most popular manufacturers on the market is also a dilemma for every music lover who listens to music on a smartphone.

Coincidentally, Sennheiser is also selling a Bluetooth dongle ‘BTD 600’ that will overcome these concerns. It may be a much more reasonable choice than purchasing another Android smartphone for sound enjoyment. If you want to feel 100% of the performance of MTW 4, I hope you don’t hesitate too much to purchase this dongle. The difference in codec bandwidth will make a bigger difference in experience than you might think.

---

– Sennheiser’s unrivaled heritage that allows no rivals, MTW 4 is a true game changer!

---

Sennheiser, which has been pursuing premium audio for 80 years, is one of the ‘fundamental’ brands that have completed its own unique heritage in this field, and is the person who has created numerous masterpieces. From the reference headphone ‘HD600’, which was introduced in 1997 and is still loved by people around the world more than 20 years later, earphones such as ‘MX400’ and ‘ie80’, which served as the trigger for the origin of the Chai-Pai industry by mass-producing numerous copycats in China. was also created by Sennheiser.

In addition, from microphones that are overwhelmingly superior around the world to wireless sound systems used in the Grammy Awards and Super Bowl halftime shows! Sennheiser has left a brilliant mark in all fields requiring advanced audio technology.

The existence of MTW 4, which Sennheiser introduced to audiophiles for the first time in two years, brought extraordinary joy to boring daily life. For a while, I had been repeating the pattern of being immersed in short-form videos that played continuously when I held my smartphone in my hand, but now I can forget the fatigue of my commute through the fun of discovering new music and artists.

The season is approaching when we need to put down our heavy headphones and choose wireless earphones. That’s why I’m glad to see the release and existence of MTW 4. It may be a bit burdensome because the price is about 50,000 to 60,000 won higher than the competing model (419,000 won), but isn’t it worth giving this as a gift to your precious ears as they welcome spring?

With MTW 4, which can claim to be the leader among existing wireless earphones, you will be able to enjoy a happy music life no matter what space you are in. We hope everyone can experience paradise through this product that embodies the essence and elegance of Sennheiser…