5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Oct 7, 2026 10:37 AM IST
On long-haul flights, I always carry a pair of over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. I prefer them to truly wireless in-ear models because they can be wired into the in-flight entertainment system and cause less ear fatigue over long hours. The one concern is the space their case takes up in cabin luggage, especially for someone who likes to travel light. I think the Sennheiser Momentum 5 addresses this to a large extent.
For me, the Sennheiser Momentum is the pinnacle of audiophile headphones that also work very well for regular users, provided they can afford one. While the carrying case is now more compact, the headphones themselves retain their earlier size, though the design feels more ergonomic. The faux-leather earcups are comfortable over long hours and block out a fair amount of noise on their own, even before you switch on noise cancellation.
Personally, I always thought the Alcantara on the first Momentum On-Ear, over a decade ago, was the best earcup material I have experienced on a headphone. I would have loved for Sennheiser to bring it back.
The Momentum 5 is unabashedly wireless, but you can go wired with a 3.5mm cable, whether to your laptop or the in-flight entertainment system. For me, that is less about purism (the wired-versus-wireless debate died down a few years back) and more about practicality at 35,000 feet.
The Momentum 5 combines an ergonomic design with comfortable faux-leather earcups for long listening sessions. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
The controls sit on the right earcup and help with power and noise cancellation, along with gesture controls for volume and track changes. The Sennheiser Smart Control app offers more customisation and personalisation. It lets you set custom presets, tweak bass and noise cancellation to exactly the level you want, and customise the gesture controls. There is also a find feature in case you can’t remember where you left the headphones. However, none of this is different from the last time I tested a Sennheiser headphone. I was expecting something new, like personalised audio playback.
The moment you put the headphones on, you forget these minor niggles as the music envelops you. I was listening on a late Sunday flight into Mumbai, as the compact case had given me the confidence to stow them in my overnighter. Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy is a good test for any headphone, especially a high-fidelity one like the Momentum 5, because of its bass play and distortion. The Sennheiser was in its element throughout, and I loved how the bass stayed powerful yet controlled. It booms but never overpowers the track, as some headphones are guilty of doing.
The Sennheiser Momentum 5 comes with a more compact carrying case, making it easier to pack for long-haul trips. (Image: Nandagopal Rajan/The Indian Express)
With Money, I wanted to check out Pink Floyd’s legendary stereo imaging and instrument placement. The Momentum 5 created a soundstage that made me feel I was at a live performance, despite the cacophony of the open kitchen next to my living room. I pushed this further with Yosi Horikawa’s Bubbles, a masterclass in how audio can play on the mind through objects, spaces and elements within a composition. All I can say is that I have not heard it with this much clarity before, and the sense of space these headphones offer is unprecedented.
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The ultimate test had to be Hans Zimmer’s Why So Serious? I have had to take off headphones that could not handle the first minute of this dark composition. With the Momentum 5, the precision of the lows was remarkable, as was the layering of the different elements. The bass drop in the middle finally sounded like a maestro at his best, not an orchestra malfunctioning. At the other end of the spectrum, Nils Lofgren’s live rendition of Keith Don’t Go is where the highs are tested to their limits. The Momentum 5 handled the guitar harmonics and micro-details superbly. Many headphones won’t even let you hear the latter.
But all this comes at a cost, and I would not recommend the Momentum 5 for everyone. At Rs 39,990, this is a once-in-a-lifetime investment for music lovers. It is an investment worth making, though. Every time you listen to a song on these, there will be a moment that tells you what a wise purchase it was. That moment could come on the metro, in an economy seat 35,000 feet over the Atlantic, or in your living room. Cherish it.
