Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless vs. Sonos Ace — Which Premium Headphones Deserve Your Money in 2025?
The wireless headphone scene is packed with options these days, but in 2025, everyone seems to be comparing the Sennheiser Momentum 4 and the Sonos Ace. On the surface, they both offer the same great things: amazing sound, a stylish look, and powerful noise cancellation. But when you really look at it, only one of them actually hits that sweet spot of being comfortable, practical, and great to use, making it truly worth the money.
After weeks of switching between the two — testing them on commutes, calls, workouts, and flights — here’s my full breakdown of how these heavy hitters stack up.
Design, Build & Comfort
Let’s start with how they feel and look, because if you’re wearing headphones for hours, comfort and build quality matter more than flashy specs.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Sennheiser completely redesigned the Momentum 4, moving away from the retro, stainless-steel look of the Momentum 3. Now you get a more minimal, “mainstream” aesthetic — some say it’s a downgrade in personality, but others appreciate the cleaner design. Personally, I miss the old-school vibe.
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The headband is fabric-wrapped and comfy enough for long sessions, though it can get a little warm. At 300 grams, they’re not the lightest, and after about an hour, my ears started to sweat slightly. Still, the overall comfort is solid — the earpads are plush, the fit is snug without being crushing, and the new swivel hinges make storage and adjustment easy.
Sonos Ace
The Sonos Ace, on the other hand, immediately feel more premium in the hand. The materials are top-notch — stainless steel frame, soft-touch plastics, and supple ear cushions. The design is ultra-minimalist, sleek, and surprisingly thin compared to the bulkier Sennheisers.
Even the carrying case is better: it’s thinner, easier to pack, and has a magnetic pocket for cables. However, the headphones don’t fold — only the earcups rotate flat — which might bother frequent travelers.
When it comes to comfort, though, Sonos nailed it. The Ace are glasses-friendly, distribute pressure evenly, and I could wear them for hours with almost no discomfort. Both pairs retain heat over time, but that’s common for over-ear ANC headphones.
Verdict
If you want luxury in the hand and on the head, the Sonos Ace win. But if you care more about practicality, portability, and durability, the Sennheiser Momentum 4 still hold their own.
Battery Life & Charging
Battery life is where Sennheiser simply embarrasses most of the competition.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless: Up to 60 hours with ANC ON. Yes, 60. That’s double the industry average. Even a 5-minute charge gives around 4 hours of playback. For frequent flyers or commuters, this is a huge deal.
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Sonos Ace: Advertised 30 hours with ANC ON, which is fine, but nothing special for the $450 price tag. They do support fast charging — 3 minutes gives 3 hours — but still, you’ll need to recharge twice as often.
Verdict
Sennheiser Momentum 4 absolutely crush the Sonos Ace in endurance. It’s not even close.
Controls, App & Smart Features
Momentum 4 Wireless
Sennheiser ditched physical buttons for touch controls — a move that works well, but with a few quirks. The touchpad is responsive but can be overly sensitive at times.
On the plus side, you can adjust transparency, skip tracks, and change volume easily. The wear sensors pause playback when you remove the headphones.
The Smart Control app still feels clunky. Firmware updates are slow, and sometimes it “disconnects” even when you’re clearly paired and listening. It’s frustrating, especially when trying to use the EQ or sound personalization features.
Sonos Ace
Sonos went the opposite direction — physical buttons. There’s a single rocker that controls volume and playback with a press or slide, and it’s way more intuitive. For travel, buttons > touchpads every time.
Unfortunately, the Sonos app is the weak link. It’s stripped-down, buggy, and connecting can be painful. In my testing, pairing took forever and firmware updates failed multiple times. Once connected, you can control ANC modes, enable Dolby Atmos, check battery level, and adjust a very basic 3-band EQ.
Verdict
Both have software headaches, but Sonos’s physical controls are better. Still, Sennheiser’s app (despite its flaws) offers more sound customization and smarter features once it behaves.
Sound Quality
This is where the real separation begins.
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
Signature Sennheiser sound — balanced, rich, detailed. Powered by 42mm dynamic drivers, they deliver tight bass, smooth mids, and detailed highs. The low-end has weight and warmth without overpowering vocals, making tracks from Dua Lipa to Gregory Porter sound full and engaging.
Highs are slightly rolled-off by default, but you can tweak that with the EQ. There’s also a “personalization mode” that tailors the sound to your hearing profile.
These headphones just feel musical. They make you tap your foot and forget about the tech.
Sonos Ace
On paper, the Ace should sound amazing — they support aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, and Dolby Atmos with head tracking — but in practice, they fall short.
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The sound signature leans bright, which makes vocals pop but kills the bass energy. The midrange sounds hollow when the track is bass-heavy, and even with EQ adjustments, the sound lacks punch.
The upside? Clarity is great for podcasts, voice calls, and acoustic genres. But if you want energy or warmth, the Ace disappoint.
Verdict
When it comes down to just loving the music, the Momentum 4 are the obvious choice. They just sound better all-around—more balanced, with a fun energy and a level of detail that makes every type of music, from pop to classical, really come to life.
Noise Cancellation & Transparency
Both headphones use multiple microphones for ANC and transparency, but the experience differs.
Sonos Ace: ANC is powerful — it blocks slightly more external noise than the Momentum 4 — but introduces uncomfortable cabin pressure. If you’re sensitive to that “ear pop” feeling, you’ll notice it right away. Transparency mode is okay but muffled, and you can’t control its strength.
Momentum 4 Wireless: ANC is highly effective, nearly matching Sony’s WH-1000XM5. It’s adaptive, automatically adjusting to your environment. The passive isolation from the thick ear cushions already does half the job. Transparency mode sounds more natural, and wind noise reduction works surprisingly well.
Verdict
Well, the Sonos Ace are a bit better at physically blocking out noise. But for everyday life, the Momentum 4 are the champs. They’re just more comfortable to wear for longer and feel easier to live with. You get less of that “plugged up” feeling in your ears, they handle pausing your music more smoothly, and overall, they offer a much better balanced experience.
Call Quality & Connectivity
When it comes to staying connected and taking calls, both headphones let you easily connect to two devices at once, like your phone and laptop.
Momentum 4: Use the latest Bluetooth tech and support all the major high-quality audio formats. For calls, your voice comes through clearly, and a really helpful feature lets you hear yourself talk, so you don’t end up shouting.
Sonos Ace: Upgraded to Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX Lossless, which sounds great on paper. However, there were occasional disconnects and pairing bugs. Microphone clarity is decent indoors, but the Momentum 4 handles background chatter slightly better. On the flip side, the Ace do a superior job reducing road noise.
Verdict
For reliability and overall consistency, Sennheiser Momentum 4 again take the win — fewer drops, better voice handling, smoother pairing.
Specs & Feature Comparison
| Feature | Sennheiser Momentum 4 | Sonos Ace |
| Battery Life (ANC On) | 60 hrs | 30 hrs |
| Drivers | 42mm Dynamic | 40mm Dynamic |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 | 5.4 |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive, aptX HD | SBC, AAC, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, Lossless |
| Weight | 300g | 312g |
| ANC | Excellent | Very Strong but Pressure-heavy |
| App Experience | Buggy but feature-rich | Buggy and minimal |
| Comfort | Good (slightly warm) | Excellent |
| Build | Practical, minimal | Luxurious, premium |
| Price (2025) | ~$270–$380 | ~$450–$475 |
Final Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?
Even though both of these are top-tier headphones, they’re actually made for different people. They each have a different idea of what a “premium” experience should be.
If you care about sound quality, battery life, and overall reliability, go with the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless.
They’re musical, powerful, and last forever between charges. The app could use work, but once set up, they’re near-perfect for travel and daily use.
If you prioritize design, comfort, and build quality, and don’t mind paying more for looks and brand-new tech like Dolby Atmos and aptX Lossless, the Sonos Ace are worth considering — especially if you already own a Sonos ecosystem at home. But their sound tuning and app stability keep them from truly shining.
