Wired's review of the Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless headphones, arriving nearly four years after the Momentum 4, finds them a strong return despite turbulence at Sennheiser, whose consumer division was sold to hearing aid maker Sonova and is now reportedly up for resale. The headphones combine a comfortable, mostly plastic design with denim headband trim, strong noise cancellation, long battery life and a notably repairable battery, positioning them competitively against rivals from Sony, Apple and Bowers & Wilkins.

The Momentum 5 offers up to 57 hours of battery life with active noise cancellation on, nearly double that of the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, though slightly less than the Momentum 4 and the Marshall Monitor III ANC. A standout feature is the easily swappable battery, accessible via four screws, though it isn't yet sold separately. The headphones support advanced audio codecs including aptX Lossless, offer app-based EQ and ANC customisation, and deliver noise cancellation the reviewer rates as good but marginally behind class leaders like the Sony WH-1000XM6 or Bose QuietComfort Ultra.