Taste in Senn

Sennheiser has gone chic and sophisticated for the third generation of its true wireless earbuds... enough to have Sony worried?

- Simon Lucas

• The Momentum TW3s are far smaller than the buds they replace and look nothing like as chunky in situ. Where previous Sennies have been big and gawky, these are smooth and discreet, and thanks to the minimal stabiliser wings (with two sizes provided) they remain comfortable even over the long haul.

• These in-ears are a poised, insightful and engrossing listen; they just don’t make a song and dance about it. Separation and focus are excellent, and the soundstage is big, organised and controlled enough to allow each element of the song enough room to express itself.

• Low frequencies may not have the out-and-out punch of some competitors, but the bass allows the equally spacious midrange to do its thing without swamping it. It’s a similar story at the top of the frequency range, with just enough attack to stop things getting dull.

• As far as noise-cancelling goes, these are among the best buds around. Their sonic attitude changes just slightly when ANC is switched on, but they cancel external sounds almost entirely while retaining their likeable audio balance. And the ‘anti-wind’ setting is as effective as it gets.

• With 7hrs of battery life in the buds and three full charges in the case, an all-in total of 28hrs will be fine for most. And a 10-minute emergency pitstop will buy you an extra hour of playback.

Pure worn-in

An IPX4 rating doesn’t tell the entire story: the TW3s are so solidly made they feel as if they’re hewn from a single piece of material.