Sennheiser’s reputation as a laurel-grabbing, multinational audio brand goes beyond its microphones and headphones. The company has been making earbuds and in-ear monitors for a long time, too, and this gear sounds fantastic. And like most brands, there’s more than one pair of Sennheiser buds. Some models are ideal for gym-going, while others are renowned for Hi-Fi listening and ANC performance.
But don’t be overwhelmed, friends. While there are several options to choose from, this roundup highlights Sennheiser’s best. The collection covers multiple budgets and features, so there’s something for everyone.
Top Sennheiser earbuds
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
Best for most
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds boast all-round solid performance, a comfortable fit and an IPX4 sweat resistance rating that makes them a good choice for active pursuits. They include effective ANC to keep the morning commute calm, and provide a respectable 7 hours of battery life away from the case. The earbuds are small, light, and comfortable for long sessions.
- Great sound
- Effective ANC
- Comfortable
- Somewhat expensive
- Bulky charging case
- Call audio just okay
The Momentum True Wireless 3 offer a lot to like in the performance department. For starters, musical performance is clear and detailed with good depth. The response curve is well-balanced, with treble slightly attenuated out of the box. The silicone in-ear tips provide good passive isolation, further bolstered by effective active noise cancellation, which includes a transparency mode for situational awareness. In addition to Bluetooth multipoint connection, these buds support aptX Adaptive for the highest-quality sound.
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The 7 hours of battery life away from the case is better than average, and an additional 21 hours are on tap via the case. That said, one of our few gripes with the Momentum True Wireless 3 is the case size – it’s bulkier than we’d like. In terms of comfort, the earbuds come with four different sizes of ear tips and three sizes of stabilizers. Their design and IPX4 sweat resistance rating make the Momentum True Wireless 3 equally suitable for sports, travel, commuting, and office use.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4
Next-level in every way
Sennheiser isn’t messing around with the Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds. These are some of the most comfortable earbuds that have ever graced our ears, and the sound and call quality is fantastic. We’re also huge fans of the ANC performance and robust companion app.
- Terrific sound and call quality
- Very comfortable
- Powerful ANC
- Pricey
You haven’t experienced in-ear comfort until you’ve used a pair of Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 buds. A natural evolution of the Momentum True Wireless 3 that came before it, the MTW4 look fantastic but sound even better. From one music genre to the next, tracks sound bold and brilliant. There’s also some extra love in the low-end frequencies, where the bass provides a punchy backbone to the stereo soundstage. That’s just one thing that impressed us though.
The buds’ powerful ANC capabilities are also a big win. You’ll have the choice of three presets (Off, Anti Wind, and Off), on top of transparency listening. Noise cancellation carries over to phone calls, which sounded good on both ends. You’ll also want to make sure you download the Sennheiser Smart Companion app. With this companion tool, you can customize touch controls, create audio presets, and so much more. It’s also the one way you’ll receive firmware updates for the MTW4.
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These earbuds are pricey, but they’re some of the best money can buy. So if you have $300 burning a hole in your pocket, investing it in the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 will leave you smiling.
Sennheiser CX True Wireless Earbuds
Bang for your buck
The CX True Wireless earbuds offer a compelling combination of value, features, and performance, earning them our recommendation for best value among Sennheiser earbuds. They sound great, fit well, and have good battery life. However, mic performance could be better, and they do not have ANC.
- Affordable
- High-quality sound
- IPX4 water and sweat resistance
- No ANC
- Lacks smart pause
- Mediocre mic performance
Sennheiser kicked ANC to the curb to keep the CX True Wireless earbuds affordable without sacrificing sound quality. Indeed, the CX True Wireless earbuds deliver better music performance than similarly priced competitors may. The frequency response comes across as balanced, albeit with slightly more weight given to bass and mid-range frequencies than treble. As a result, you may notice a slight under-emphasis on the sizzle of a hi-hat, for example.
In any case, a three-band EQ and three presets are accessible via the Sennheiser Smart Control app. Mic performance is middling, and without ANC, there’s no magic to block foreign frequencies from entering. Moreover, neither smart pause nor wireless charging options are present.
While you will not get ANC here, the CX True Wireless earbuds offer good passive isolation with four sets of ear tips in different sizes, helping you achieve a snug fit. With an IPX4 sweat resistance rating, the CX True Wireless earbuds are well-suited for fitness. Their rated battery life of up to 9 hours away from the case is very good, and an additional 18 hours is on tap via the case.
Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless
Great performance with ANC
For commuters, frequent travelers, office workers and others who require active noise cancellation in a great-sounding set of earbuds, the Sennheiser CX Plus True wireless earbuds are an appealing option. If you don’t care about ANC, go with the less pricey CX True Wireless instead.
- Great sound
- Effective ANC
- IPX4 water and sweat resistance
- Expensive upgrade
- Battery life
- No Bluetooth multipoint pairing
If you take the CX True Wireless and add active noise cancellation, you essentially get the CX Plus True Wireless. The two are physically identical and share many of the same performance characteristics. The presence of ANC is a significant benefit for frequent travelers, public transportation commuters, and others who require active isolation to block intrusive background noise. Furthermore, transparency mode lets you maintain situational awareness when needed. On the other hand, shelling out an extra $100 doesn’t make sense if those don’t sound like critical features to you.
Like its sibling, the CX Plus True Wireless delivers a balanced and detailed tonal palate, while two beam-forming mics provide good call quality. An IPX4 water and sweat resistance rating and a secure fit are enabled by ear tips that are provided in four different sizes. Battery life is rated at 8 hours per charge, but actual battery life tends to be around 25% shorter. Unfortunately, Bluetooth multipoint pairing is not supported, a miss at this price point.
Sennheiser IE 200
Ear-hook stability with premium audio
If you find the Sennheiser IE 900 earbuds appealing but want to spend less, consider the IE 200. Also dubbed “audiophile” earbuds by Sennheiser, the IE 200 sound pure and transparent and deliver a realistic sound stage with good instrument separation. Silicone ear tips and adjustable ear-hooks provide a comfortable and secure fit. While they’re still on the expensive side for wired earbuds, take a look if you’re an audio aficionado.
- Good sound
- Secure fit
- Decent build quality
- Expensive for wired earbuds
- No Bluetooth
- No ANC
The IE 200 are fairly expensive for wired earbuds, but if you’re an audiophile, you already know that wired is the way to go for the highest fidelity. While they can’t quite match the reference-level detail of the uber-expensive IE 900, they generally will not disappoint when it comes to tone, clarity, and realism. They’re an enjoyable listen but do not have a ton of bass presence, which could be an issue if you’re an EDM fan, for example. While they do not have ANC, their passive isolation is good.
Unlike the IE 900 earbuds which have single-piece aluminum housings, the IE 200 buds are plastic. Albeit utilitarian, the overall build quality is good, and the cord is replaceable. The IE 200 have a lightweight and comfortable feel. Three pairs each of silicone and memory foam ear-tips are included to help you get a good fit.
Sennheiser CX 80s
Basic but respectable
The least expensive option in our round-up, the Senneheiser CX 80s wired earbuds are basic, but they do the job. If you’re not looking to spend a lot and just need a good-sounding set of earbuds with a secure fit, they make sense. Unlike the audiophile-grade wired earbuds in this roundup, these do have a mic and offer decent call quality.
- Very inexpensive
- Good sound
- Good fit
- Not sweat-resistant
- No Bluetooth
- No ANC
The CX 80s are basic wired earbuds. While they will not win any awards for style or performance, sometimes all you need is a quick and inexpensive solution. They’re cheap enough to make a good backup set for the office or to keep in your laptop bag, for instance. The CX 80s earn their place on this list with listenable audio performance that surpasses most of what you can find at this price point. They also include a mic, which means you can use them for calls and video conferences without issue.
The CX 80s include three sets of silicone ear-pieces to help you get a good fit, and they’re generally quite comfortable. They don’t have ANC but do offer some passive isolation by nature of their sealed, in-ear design. Athletes should note that the CX 80s are not sweat-resistant and are thus not ideal for workouts.
Sennheiser Sport
Secure fit with a sweat-resistant design
If you mainly use earbuds for fitness activities like jogging, you will want to consider the Sennheiser Sport. They deliver signature Sennheiser sound and performance in a ruggedized package with IP54 sweat and water resistance. In-ear tips and a stabilizer system are also on-board to keep things snug during vigorous pursuits. Long battery life lets you occasionally forget to charge without paying the price.
- Good sound
- Ruggedized and sweat-resistant
- Great battery life
- No ANC
- A little bulky
- No multipoint pairing
True to the Sennheiser name, the Sport true wireless earbuds sound very good. The sound stage is detailed and enveloping, and the bass is sufficiently present without sounding unbalanced. Battery life is above average at 9 hours away from the case, and an additional 18 hours with the case. Unfortunately, the Sport do not have active noise cancellation, auto-pause capability, or multipoint pairing. A four-mic array provides good call quality.
Their IP54 rating gives you confidence that the Sport earbuds can withstand the sweatiest workouts, or a walk home in the rain, for that matter. They include three sets each of “closed” and “open” type silicone in-ear tips. Theoretically, the open type allows you to hear environmental noise for situational awareness, while the closed type provides passive isolation. In practice, it’s a hacky way to approach a transparency mode, as few people will bother to change the ear tips once they’ve found a pair that fits well. Four sets of stabilizer wings are also included, and the earbuds stay in place well during workouts.
What about Sennheiser’s wireless headphones?
As we alluded to at the start of this article, Sennheiser has a sterling reputation for its impressive assortment of wireless headphones. Trading in-ear for over-ear audio also means an immediate boost in battery life, on top of bigger soundstaging (in most cases) for your favorite artists, albums, and playlists.
We thought the Sennheiser Accentum headphones were the best overall Sennheiser-branded cans. Delivering rich sound quality, solid ANC, and convenient features like Bluetooth multipoint, the Accentum deliver all these things and more, for less than $200.
Flagship fans will adore the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless for its pro-grade engineering and big 42mm drivers. Adaptive ANC and chart-topping battery life are huge wins for these premium headphones, too.
The best Sennheiser earbuds
Sennheiser’s extensive wireless earbud lineup is amazing in more ways than one. But while they’re still available, most in-ear fans are going to love the performance, comfort, and reliability of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3.
The Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds look awesome, feel great to wear for long periods, and deliver immersive and rich audio that will shine new light on songs you’ve heard a million times. But isn’t there a new version of these buds? Technically, yes. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 buds are better than the MTW3 across the board, but they’re also more expensive. Still, if you want Sennheiser’s best ANC, best sound/call quality, and most comfortable buds, the MTW4 will not disappoint.
Of course, it never hurts to go for a budget-friendly set of buds. For budget-conscious shoppers, the Sennheiser CX True Wireless Earbuds are ideal. They sound great and can last a long time on a single charge.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3
Best for most
The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 earbuds are among the company’s best products. They’re super-comfortable to wear for long periods of time, sound fantastic, and deliver some of the strongest ANC performance we’ve ever seen from a pair of buds.
