Sennheiser’s new Momentum 5 earbuds feature easily replaceable batteries
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
Sennheiser has unveiled the Momentum True Wireless 5, a redesigned version of its flagship earbuds notable for user-replaceable batteries in both the buds and their charging case. Rather than being sealed with glue like most earbuds, the components can be accessed with a simple screwdriver, meaning owners won't need to discard the earbuds once the battery degrades. This positions Sennheiser ahead of upcoming European sustainability rules taking effect in early 2027 and puts it among a small group of manufacturers, alongside Fairphone's Fairbuds, offering fully self-serviceable earbud batteries; unlike Bang & Olufsen's Beoplay Eleven, which requires sending the earbuds to a technician, Momentum 5 owners can do the swap themselves.
The Momentum 5 launches on 3 September at $299.95, matching the price of the 2024 Momentum 4, and comes in five metallic finishes: lavender, copper, denim, graphite and cream. Battery life rises to 12 hours per charge (up from 7.5 hours) and up to 40 hours with the slimmer, Qi-compatible case (up from 30 hours). Other upgrades include redesigned ear tips paired with revised adaptive noise cancellation, Dolby Atmos and spatial audio support with head tracking, and Bluetooth 6.0 with a "robust mode" for better connectivity in crowded wireless environments.
- Momentum 5 earbuds have user-replaceable batteries, no glue needed
- Launches 3 September at $299.95, same price as Momentum 4
- Battery life up to 12 hours (40 with case), plus Bluetooth 6.0 and Atmos
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Sennheiser is a German audio company best known for high-end headphones and microphones, and the Momentum True Wireless line is its flagship series of premium earbuds. Most wireless earbuds are glued shut, so once the battery wears out after a couple of years, the whole product typically has to be thrown away. The Momentum 5 changes this by letting owners open the earbuds and case with a screwdriver and swap in a new battery themselves.
This matters because it comes ahead of new European Union rules, due in early 2027, that will push manufacturers towards making devices easier to repair rather than replace. Very few earbud makers currently allow this level of self-repair; Fairphone's Fairbuds are one example, while Bang & Olufsen's Beoplay Eleven offers a similar battery swap but only through a technician rather than the customer.
The move also sits within a wider debate about electronic waste and "right to repair," where campaigners and regulators have been pressing tech companies to design products that last longer and are easier to fix.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates of the repairable design see this as a genuinely consumer-friendly and environmentally sound step: batteries are the component most likely to fail first in earbuds, and being able to swap one with a simple screwdriver rather than discarding a $300 product extends its useful life, saves owners money, and reduces electronic waste. They would also argue Sennheiser deserves credit for getting ahead of the EU's 2027 sustainability rules voluntarily rather than being forced into it, and for making the process fully self-service rather than requiring a technician, as rivals like Bang & Olufsen do.
The case against
Sceptics, while not opposed to repairability in principle, would caution that opening a sealed audio device to a screw-accessible design can introduce real trade-offs, such as reduced resistance to sweat, rain or dust ingress, extra points of mechanical failure, and added manufacturing cost or complexity compared with a fully sealed unibody build. They might also note that regulation-driven design changes don't always serve users best, since most buyers replace earbuds for new features or fit long before battery degradation becomes the deciding factor, making the practical benefit smaller than the marketing emphasis suggests.
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