Sennheiser has just released a software update for its flagship wireless earbuds that enables Bluetooth multipoint, a feature that the Momentum True Wireless 3 were missing when they launched earlier in 2022. The update comes just days after Sony made a similar announcement regarding its LinkBuds Series and WF-1000XM4 earbuds.
Bluetooth multipoint is the ability to pair a set of headphones or earbuds to two devices simultaneously, such as a computer and a smartphone. When you’re connected to two such devices, you can quickly and seamlessly switch between them, just by starting the playback of an audio source — no need to drill back into your device settings. When a phone call is received, the connected earbuds will automatically switch to the phone, and ideally, switch back to the previous device after the call ends.
Multipoint took center stage during the pandemic as more people started using their headphones for video calls on their computers but still needed to take voice calls on their phones.
The Sennheiser software update also includes some new functionality for audio quality. According to Sennheiser, it “introduces a high-resolution sound mode” via Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive codec. Apparently, when the earbuds were initially released, they included aptX Adaptive compatibility but weren’t configured to take advantage of that codec’s full hi-res audio capabilities.
When Digital Trends asked what quality level had been supported previously, a spokesperson for Sennheiser told us only told that the earbuds were “operating at a bitrate less than 420 kbps and sample rate below 24/96.”
With the new firmware and updated app, you’ll now have access to a setting that lets you turn a high-resolution audio mode on or off. Turning it on will enable support for 24-bit/96kHz audio, but may also impact the quality of your Bluetooth connection.
This seems to contradict Qualcomm’s claims for aptX Adaptive, specifically that it has “dynamic bit-rate adaptation designed to ensure consistently robust audio streaming in challenging RF environments.” We’ve reached out to Qualcomm for clarification on this question. There’s also a catch: despite the fact that the Sennheiser buds now enable 24/96, you’ll only get this level of quality if your phone or another source device also supports aptX Adaptive at this quality level — and not all aptX Adaptive devices do.
Somewhat confusingly, iPhone users will also see the high-resolution audio mode option in the Smart Control app, even though iPhones don’t currently support any Qualcomm aptX codecs. According to Sennheiser, that’s by design. The intent is that you should be able to control all aspects of the Momentum True Wireless 3’s operation from the app, even if the app is running on a device that doesn’t support every available feature.
To get these latest features on your earbuds, make sure you’ve downloaded the most recent version of the Sennheiser Smart Control app (version 4.1.5 or higher) from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Once installed, use the app to check for a firmware update. The latest firmware is version 2.10.19 or higher.
