Sennheiser Momentum Sport test: Sports headphones and heart rate sensor in one

Who else knows it? Headphones amplify your own breathing noises, the wind rushes past your ear far too loudly and the buttons fall out of your ears - and further down, the heart rate belt chafes your skin - or it's at home, forgotten. The Sennheiser Momentum Sport are designed to solve some of these problems and offer even more.

Sennheiser Momentum Sport - about the headphones

As the name suggests, the Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones are designed for use during sport. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) can be used to block out disturbing ambient noise. With the various ear adapters and ear fins supplied, the fit of the headphones can be optimised and adapted to your own ears, which firstly improves the sound and secondly ensures a secure fit in the ears.

To ensure that the headphones do not fail even in the rain and during very strenuous activities, they are dust and sweat resistant, and the IP55 protection class prevents dust and water from penetrating. They are also protected against impact if they should fall out of your ear.

What also prepares the headphones for their sporting use are integrated biometric sensors that measure heart rate and body temperature. The heart rate belt can therefore stay in the drawer. To make this work, they are compatible with most fitness trackers and apps - from Garmin to Zwift.

Can you listen to music in road traffic?

Headphones and listening to music are not generally prohibited in road traffic in Germany, provided they do not impair hearing. TOUR test editor Matthias Borchers has described this in detail here.

The Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones in practice

Fit of the Sennheiser Momentum Sport

The fit can be adjusted with different ear fins and ear adapters so that they sit securely in the ears. This didn't work 100 per cent with my small ears, as the fit test in the Smart Control app also showed. I tried different ear adapters and ear fins. However, the headphones only fell out of my ears once. I usually feel when one comes loose beforehand and can react so that I haven't lost one during training laps on the bike or during runs.

Almost lost

And yet I almost lost a pair of headphones once. On the way home from work. One hand wasn't on the handlebars because I was hungry and was snacking from the top tube pocket when I felt the left earphone slip. At the same time, I had to watch out for other people on the cycle path and footpath and couldn't react immediately. Plop, that was it. The headphones tumbled out of my ear and landed somewhere on the grass verge between the cycle path and the road. After 10 to 15 minutes of searching, I found the little runaway again. Lucky me!

Still like new after five months

After about five months of use, the headphones still look as good as new. With other in-ear headphones that I have used in the past, the breathing and movement noises have always disturbed me. So I was pleasantly surprised when the background noise was different. The semi-open design of the Momentum Sport headphones is responsible for this. In Transparency mode, small microphones allow you to hear ambient noise while blocking out wind noise.

Individualise operation

By tapping and holding, repeatedly tapping on the headphones or on the skin next to them, you can change the song, adjust the volume, answer a call, change the mode or anything else. In the Smart Control app from Sennheiser, you can customise what should happen when you operate the headphones. The touch sensitivity can also be set. The screenshot shows the settings I made. For me, it is particularly important that I can listen to the same song again. I often want to listen to individual songs over and over again because that's exactly what I'm feeling right now.

Conclusion on the Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones

Breathing and movement noises are cancelled out well and the headphones usually fit well. They fit slightly larger ears better than mine. They are easy to use. I currently prefer to use the Momentum Sport headphones for running. I also take the Momentum Sport with me on everyday walks or train journeys. When cycling, I often use wired headphones with a USB-C cable that I can't lose. The sound quality is good, but the noise cancellation is better elsewhere. But it's essential to be able to hear it, especially in road traffic. That doesn't deduct a point for me.

Scope of delivery

• Sennheiser Sport in-ear headphones
• Ear fin set (S/M/L)
• Ear adapter sets (N/S/M/L)
• USB-C charging cable
• Charging case
• Quick guide and user manual included

Sennheiser Momentum Sport headphones in detail

• Price: 329,90 Euro >> currently cheaper at Amazon
• Battery life: Up to 6 hours playback time of the earphones; up to 24 hours total playback time with charging via the charging box
• Charging time: Approx. 1.5 hours for a full charge, after 10 minutes charging time 1 hour playback time; (ambient temperatures above 30 °C and wireless Qi charging lead to longer charging times)
• Weather protection: Earphones: IP55; Charging box: IP54
• App: Sennheiser Smart Control app for iOS and Android