Sennheiser continues to refine its high-end noise-cancelling headphone offerings with the Momentum 3 Wireless, and it should come as no surprise that they're the finest pair in the series. They offer one-touch access to your phone's voice assistant, a sound signature that delivers natural bass depth and high-frequency clarity, and strong (if not best-in-class) active noise cancellation (ANC). Generally speaking, there's a lot to like here, but at $399.95, the Momentum 3 Wireless are priced identically to the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, which deliver the best ANC you can buy.

Design

The circumaural (over-ear) Momentum 3 Wireless headphones come in black, with a soft-touch finish on the outer earcup panels and leather and metal details on the large, eye-catching headband adjustor. The earpads are generously cushioned with memory foam beneath the leather, and the general fit is exceptionally comfortable once you get the right tension on the headband.

Along the side panel of the right earcup, there are connections for the two included cables—a USB-C port for charging, and a 3.5mm headphone jack for wired audio. The audio cable has no inline remote or mic, but can be used with ANC or in passive mode with the headphones powered down. In addition to the charging and audio cables, the headphones ship with a handsome gray clothbound zip-up case that they fold down into.

An array of controls can be found next to the charging and 3.5mm connections, including a switch that turns ANC on or off, or switches to transparent listening mode; a voice assistant button that works with Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, and Google Assistant; and a three-button array with a multifunction button that handles playback, track navigation, and call management, and two dedicated volume buttons. This area is also an NFC pairing zone.

Sennheiser's Smart Control app (for Android and iOS) features integration with Tile, the device-locating service. Beyond that, the app provides firmware updates, in-app on/off control of the ANC and transparent listening modes, and a user-adjustable EQ that's a bit more confusing than it needs to be. We had issues updating the firmware—the headphones would power down during the installation process—so the app can definitely use some work.

If you don't set up the voice assistant button, it will default to whatever your phones uses. If you want to use Alexa, it's a matter of going into the Amazon Alexa app and connecting from there.

Sennheiser estimates battery life to be roughly 17 hours, but your results will vary with your volume levels and your mix of ANC usage.

Performance

The headphones offer powerful active noise cancellation. It does a great job of tamping down lows, mids, and highs. Low-frequency rumble like you hear on a plane or train gets dialed back significantly, as do higher-frequency sounds like AC or fan whir. The ANC is less effective with office-related sounds like loud keyboard typing or nearby chatter, but it still does a solid job of bringing down the overall noise level. Like many ANC headphones, the Momentum Wireless add in a little bit of high-frequency hiss—it's not unpleasant, but it's noticeable (think very faint white noise). The transparent listening mode is quite effective, making it easy to converse without removing the headphones.

One thing that keeps the ANC from being truly top-notch is the effect it has on the audio when it's on. The bass depth is fuller and richer when the ANC is on—it doesn't sound bad, but the audio shouldn't be transformed by the ANC, period. It's not a huge deal, but it's an unintended side effect.

The headphones use Bluetooth 5.0 and support AptX and AAC Bluetooth codecs. Internally, 42mm dynamic drivers deliver a frequency range of 6Hz to 22kHz. We tested audio performance with the ANC off, and on tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the headphones deliver some serious thump that will appeal to bass lovers. There's a solid balance with the highs as well, but this is a boosted, sculpted sound signature.

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Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the general sound signature. The drums on this track get some solid added thump, but things never veer into unnaturally thunderous territory—instead, the drums sound full and big, and we get a decent sense of the kind of space they're inhabiting. Callahan's baritone vocals are delivered with some added low-mid richness that is balanced out well with some added high-mid crispness. The acoustic strums and higher percussive hits have a lovely, detailed high-frequency presence. The sound signature may not be fully accurate, but the sculpting is balanced and the overall delivery is rich and bright.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop receives enough high-mid presence for its attack to retain its punchy edge, while the lows are beefed up enough to add some extra heft to the loop's sustain. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with gusto, but manage not to overpower the mix—in fact, it's the lows of the drum loop that seem more powerful here, which isn't always the case. The vocals on this track are delivered with excellent clarity and no added sibilance.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, get some added bass depth that may not appeal to purists. The lower-register instrumentation is pushed forward in the mix, but not to obscene levels. The higher-register brass, strings, and vocals maintain their bright presence and nothing feels unbalanced, just boosted. It's a sound signature plenty of listeners will find appealing, pairing robust bass depth with excellent high-frequency clarity.

The mic offers better than average intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 8, we heard plenty of Bluetooth audio artifacts, so things can still sound lightly fuzzy or distorted. However, the mic signal is quite strong, background noise more or less disappears, and the sound is crisp. We've definitely heard clearer Bluetooth headphone mics, but this one does a solid-enough job that no one will have trouble hearing you.

Conclusions

It's a good time to be shopping for wireless ANC headphones, as there are more quality options available than ever. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 lead the field in terms of ANC performance (as well as voice assistant integration, which is hands-free), but there's plenty of reason to check out models like Sennheiser's Momentum 3 Wireless. Along with the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 and the AKG N700 NCM2 Wireless, they arguably offer a better sonic experience than the Bose model, while still delivering strong ANC. And if you're seeking an in-ear option, the true wireless Apple AirPods Pro deliver quality ANC for $250.

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