If you’re considering a new set of true wireless earbuds and want a combination of great sound and great features, your shortlist should include Apple’s excellent AirPods Pro and Sennheiser’s new Momentum True Wireless 2. Why? Both offer exceptional sound quality as well as active noise cancellation (ANC), the two ingredients every set of high-quality earbuds must possess now that we’re in 2020.
But as much as these two features make the AirPods Pro and Momentum True Wireless 2 similar, there’s much more that sets them apart. Let’s take a look at the differences so you can decide which true wireless earbuds are right for you.
Price
Apple has never been shy about charging premium prices for its products, and the AirPods Pro are no exception. At $249, they’re among the more expensive true wireless earbuds you can buy.
Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2, however, are even pricier at $300, putting them on par with Master and Dynamic’s MW07 Plus. In fact, you’d have to splurge for Bang and Olufsen’s stratospherically priced Beoplay E8s at $350 to pay more.
Can Sennheiser justify the extra $50 for the Momentum True Wireless 2? We’ll see shortly, but in the meantime, Apple takes this round.
Winner: AirPods Pro
Design and fit
The success of a product’s design will always be partially subjective, but we can still zero in on how that design affects your use and enjoyment. Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2 maintain the look and feel of the original Momentum True Wireless, with a somewhat bulbous main body that protrudes from your ear, and a single touch-sensitive control surface on the outside. All of their features are controlled via a series of taps or long-presses on these metallic tips.
It’s a relatively understated design, especially when in black, but if you want something flashier, the company offers a white version too.
Long-term comfort and getting a snug fit with the first Momentum True Wireless was somewhat challenging, but the new, smaller Momentum True Wireless 2 appear to have addressed those concerns.
The AirPods Pro manage to look considerably smaller than the Momentum True Wireless 2, because some of the internal components live in the iconic white stems that hang down from the main earbud body. This is also where the touch-sensitive controls are housed. Unlike the Sennheisers, which can be operated with single finger taps, the force sensors on the AirPods Pro require a thumb-and-index-finger squeeze. It’s an arrangement that deals with the unwanted taps that can sometimes happen with traditional touch controls.
The size difference extends to the charging cases too: Sennheiser’s case may win on style points with its elegant fabric-wrapped shell, but it’s significantly more bulky than the AirPods Pro’s charging case. If you like to keep things as small and pocket-friendly as possible, the AirPods Pro are the way to go.
Another point in Apple’s favor: Its charging case offers both tethered and wireless charging, whereas Sennheiser limits you to just USB-C.
Overall, we think the AirPods Pro have a better design thanks to their smaller size and wireless charging, but if you’re not a fan of the way they look, the Momentums are still an excellent choice.
Winner: AirPods Pro
Battery life
This one is a cakewalk for Sennheiser. With seven hours per charge on the earbuds, and a total of 28 hours of wire-free time when you include the charging case, the Momentum True Wireless 2 put the AirPods Pro to shame. Apple’s earbuds tap out after 4.5 hours, or 5 hours if you keep ANC turned off, and the charging case extends this to just over 24 hours.
Fast charge options are similar, with the AirPods Pro getting an hour after five minutes of charging, and the Momentum True Wireless 2 achieving 1.5 hours after 10 minutes.
Winner: Momentum True Wireless 2
Usability and customization
For reasons known only to Apple, AirPods have always been light on available controls. For better or worse, the AirPods Pro continue this tradition. Each earbud gives you the same three basic controls: Play/pause (call answer/end), skip forward, and skip back, using a single press, double press, or triple press, respectively. Pressing and holding lets you toggle between noise-canceling and transparency modes. There’s no way to control the volume, and you can’t change what the press combinations do. There’s also no way to assign different functions to each earbud.
The ability to summon Siri hands-free can overcome many of these limitations because Siri can do a lot for you, like adjusting volume. But Android users can’t access Siri, and they can’t take advantage of any of the customizations that Apple offers via iOS’s settings. Out of the box, you can’t access Google Assistant either; however, a third-party app does offer a workaround.
The Momentum True Wireless 2, by contrast, offer a wide range of controls and customizations via the Sennheiser Smart Control app, which is available for both Android and iOS. You get all of the same controls as the AirPods Pro, plus volume too. Each earbud can have its own set of controls for tap combinations, and you can choose between Siri or Google Assistant for voice access. The app also lets you take advantage of the Momentum’s built-in equalizer, so you can modify how the earbuds sound for every source, without relying on the EQ settings within individual apps.
Winner: Momentum True Wireless 2
Sound quality
We favored the first generation Momentum True Wireless earbuds over the AirPods Pro in this category, and that hasn’t changed with the Momentum True Wireless 2. And that’s before considering the fact that Sennheiser joined the ranks of active noise-canceling earbuds with this new pair.
To be clear, the AirPods Pro provide solid sound that most listeners will enjoy. They provided a detailed sound with good bass and clear mids, a combination that makes for joyful listening more often than not.
The Sennheisers, though, serve as the standard for clarity and precision in the category of true wireless earbuds. They’re equipped with not just excellent low end and crystal-clear highs, but the ability to delicately balance two ends of the spectrum in order to create an impressive audio performance.
Winner: Momentum True Wireless 2
Noise-canceling
In what may the toughest category of the bunch, we’re at a bit of a standstill. Apple implemented active noise cancellation into its earbuds before Sennheiser, and in many ways set the standard for blocking out the excess noise in an environment. The Momentum True Wireless 2 have impressive active noise-canceling abilities in their own right, abilities that could definitely rival the AirPods Pro. Are they better or worse, though? Honestly, it’s too close to call at this point in time.
Winner: Tie
Conclusion
Airpods Pro
Momentum True Wireless 2
If you’ve narrowed your choices down to the AirPods Pro and the Momentum True Wireless 2, you’re the real winner here. Regardless of which direction you head, you’re getting a solid set of buds.
Between the two, though? The AirPods Pro put up quite a fight with superior design and price, and evenly matched active noise cancellation capabilities. Ultimately, however, the sound quality, battery life, and pure usability of the Momentum True Wireless 2 give them the edge in this latest battle of true wireless earbuds. If you’re an iPhone user, you should definitely consider the Momentums. If you’re on Android, they’re a no-brainer.
