The Momentum True Wireless 2 from Sennheiser and AirPods Pro from Apple are competing in a relatively new market: ANC true wireless earbuds. Both sets of earbuds share a lot in common, however, the AirPods Pro can't compete in the sound quality department.
Sound champ
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
Pros
The Momentum True Wireless 2 are great in every sense of the word. They offer great comfort, long battery life, and excellent sound quality. The only thing they lack is a wireless charging case.
Super convenient
AirPods Pro
Pros
While they don't offer as good of battery life as the Momentum True Wireless 2, the AirPods Pro still offer great sound quality, superb ANC performance, great comfort, and a wireless charging case.
This is pretty simple. If you want the most convenience at the expense of slightly worse sound and battery life for a lower price, the AirPods Pro are the way to go. The Momentum True Wireless 2 are for those who want the best sound from a set of ANC earbuds. The Momentum TW2 also beat out the AirPods Pro in battery life and customizability.
Paying more for better sound
Both the Momentum TW2 and AirPods Pro share a lot in common. The biggest common denominator is that they both have truly exceptional ANC performance. The performance between both sets of earbuds are so close that I couldn't personally say one is better than the other. Both sets are really good at blocking consistent noises such as engine and wind noise. It's worth noting that neither set will compete with over-ear headphones as they heavily rely on their over-ear seal to passively block out noise.
Daily commutes (admittedly rare right now) shouldn't be an issue for either set of earbuds, especially when you're actively playing music, taking a phone call, or playing a podcast. You'll still hear a littile bit of the engine noise when flying but it mostly fades into the background when audio is playing. You only really notice it when you simply have nothing playing. It's still much better than having no ANC, though.
Both sets of earbuds also feature a transparency mode (name may vary) that lets you hear the environment around you without having to remove your earbuds. The Momentum TW2, in fact, have one of the best versions of this we've heard, only sounding slightly artificial and digital. The AirPods Pro's transparency mode is also natural and often sounds like you don't have earbuds on at all.
Battery life is where the Momentum TW2 take the cake. They offer 7 hours on the buds side and a whopping 21 hours with the charging case. The AirPods Pro get a decent 4.5 hours on the earbuds side, with an additional 19.5 hours of juice with the charging case. The Momentum TW2 charges over USB-C but does not feature wireless charging of any kind. On the other hand, the AirPods Pro uses Apple's proprietary Lightning connector but offers wireless charging. It's a tossup there and depends on which one is more important to you.
Now let's talk about sound quality. Let me preface this by saying that having ANC means a hit on sound quality no matter how you look at it. Add that on top of the fact that both the AirPods Pro and Momentum TW2 are true wireless earbuds and you have a pretty unique set of compromises.
That being said, the Momentum True Wireless 2 are some of the best sounding ANC earbuds on the market, by a good margin. They feature a very consumer-friendly, bass-forward sound that sounds "boomy," which means you'll hear the bass, but you won't necessarily feel it. It does overshadow the midrange a little, but the midrange remains clear and detailed. The high notes are clear and detailed. Soundstage and instrument separation is superb, making it easy to follow certain vocals or instruments.
The AirPods Pro features a slightly more balanced sound with a boost in the midrange when ANC is enabled. This makes them sound energetic and easy to listen to for most people. Detail is decent, but more complex tracks will have a tough time since instrument separation takes a hit. This mostly goes away when you turn off the ANC and transparency, but is still not on the same level of detail and separation that is present with the Momentum TW2.
Comfort is solid on both sets of earbuds. You won't really feel any discomfort with either set, even over long periods of time. It is worth noting, however, that while both sets include multiple ear tip sizes in the box, the AirPods Pro uses a proprietary locking mechanism. This means that you'll get more flexibility when it comes to swapping your ear tips than the Momentum TW2 if you choose a third-party set of ear tips.
Lastly, let's discuss customizability. The Momentum TW2 feature companion Android and iOS apps that let you change the single-tap, double-tap, triple-tap, and quadruple-tap gestures on each earbud. You can change the way they sound as well with a built-in EQ. However, the EQ is fairly basic and functions sort of like a teeter-totter. This means that if you want more bass, you can't really do that without boosting the midrange a bit.
This is in stark contrast to the AirPods Pro where customizability is exclusive to iOS devices. Even then, it's fairly limited. You can change the tap and hold gesture from toggling ANC/transparency to Siri, which is outright useless on Android. You won't find an EQ here, either. The AirPods use what Apple calls "Adaptive EQ" which automatically adjusts the sound depending on your environment. Beyond that, you don't really have control over your earbuds with the AirPods Pro.
To wrap things up, the decision is fairly straight forward. For a little more money, the Momentum True Wireless 2 offer better sound, longer battery life, support across both Android and iOS, and superb comfort and ANC performance. However, the AirPods Pro aren't bad. They offer decent enough battery life, a wireless charging case, and similar comfort and ANC performance. However, the AirPods Pro aren't as fully-featured on anything but Apple devices.
Superior sound
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
Sounds fantastic
Unless you want wireless charging or have an Apple device, the Momentum TW2 are better in every way.
Wireless charging
AirPods Pro
Stellar value
At a slightly lower price, the AirPods offer comparable battery life, similar ANC performance, and stellar comfort.
Sound champ
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
Pros
- Great battery life
- Superb sound quality
- Excellent ANC performance
- Charges over USB-C
- Customizable sound
- Lacks wireless charging case
The Momentum True Wireless 2 are great in every sense of the word. They offer great comfort, long battery life, and excellent sound quality. The only thing they lack is a wireless charging case.
Super convenient
AirPods Pro
Pros
- Superb comfort
- Excellent ANC performance
- Wireless charging capable
- Great sound quality
- Great connection with iOS products
- Charges over Lightning
- Bud battery life could be better
While they don't offer as good of battery life as the Momentum True Wireless 2, the AirPods Pro still offer great sound quality, superb ANC performance, great comfort, and a wireless charging case.
This is pretty simple. If you want the most convenience at the expense of slightly worse sound and battery life for a lower price, the AirPods Pro are the way to go. The Momentum True Wireless 2 are for those who want the best sound from a set of ANC earbuds. The Momentum TW2 also beat out the AirPods Pro in battery life and customizability.
Paying more for better sound
Both the Momentum TW2 and AirPods Pro share a lot in common. The biggest common denominator is that they both have truly exceptional ANC performance. The performance between both sets of earbuds are so close that I couldn't personally say one is better than the other. Both sets are really good at blocking consistent noises such as engine and wind noise. It's worth noting that neither set will compete with over-ear headphones as they heavily rely on their over-ear seal to passively block out noise.
Daily commutes (admittedly rare right now) shouldn't be an issue for either set of earbuds, especially when you're actively playing music, taking a phone call, or playing a podcast. You'll still hear a littile bit of the engine noise when flying but it mostly fades into the background when audio is playing. You only really notice it when you simply have nothing playing. It's still much better than having no ANC, though.
Both sets of earbuds also feature a transparency mode (name may vary) that lets you hear the environment around you without having to remove your earbuds. The Momentum TW2, in fact, have one of the best versions of this we've heard, only sounding slightly artificial and digital. The AirPods Pro's transparency mode is also natural and often sounds like you don't have earbuds on at all.
Battery life is where the Momentum TW2 take the cake. They offer 7 hours on the buds side and a whopping 21 hours with the charging case. The AirPods Pro get a decent 4.5 hours on the earbuds side, with an additional 19.5 hours of juice with the charging case. The Momentum TW2 charges over USB-C but does not feature wireless charging of any kind. On the other hand, the AirPods Pro uses Apple's proprietary Lightning connector but offers wireless charging. It's a tossup there and depends on which one is more important to you.
| Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 | AirPods Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life (buds) | 7 hours | 4.5 hours |
| Battery life (case) | 21 hours | 19.5 hours |
| ANC | Yes | Yes |
| Wireless charging case | No | Yes |
| Water resistance | IPX4 | IPX4 |
| Charging connector | USB-C | Lightning |
Now let's talk about sound quality. Let me preface this by saying that having ANC means a hit on sound quality no matter how you look at it. Add that on top of the fact that both the AirPods Pro and Momentum TW2 are true wireless earbuds and you have a pretty unique set of compromises.
That being said, the Momentum True Wireless 2 are some of the best sounding ANC earbuds on the market, by a good margin. They feature a very consumer-friendly, bass-forward sound that sounds "boomy," which means you'll hear the bass, but you won't necessarily feel it. It does overshadow the midrange a little, but the midrange remains clear and detailed. The high notes are clear and detailed. Soundstage and instrument separation is superb, making it easy to follow certain vocals or instruments.
The AirPods Pro features a slightly more balanced sound with a boost in the midrange when ANC is enabled. This makes them sound energetic and easy to listen to for most people. Detail is decent, but more complex tracks will have a tough time since instrument separation takes a hit. This mostly goes away when you turn off the ANC and transparency, but is still not on the same level of detail and separation that is present with the Momentum TW2.
Comfort is solid on both sets of earbuds. You won't really feel any discomfort with either set, even over long periods of time. It is worth noting, however, that while both sets include multiple ear tip sizes in the box, the AirPods Pro uses a proprietary locking mechanism. This means that you'll get more flexibility when it comes to swapping your ear tips than the Momentum TW2 if you choose a third-party set of ear tips.
Lastly, let's discuss customizability. The Momentum TW2 feature companion Android and iOS apps that let you change the single-tap, double-tap, triple-tap, and quadruple-tap gestures on each earbud. You can change the way they sound as well with a built-in EQ. However, the EQ is fairly basic and functions sort of like a teeter-totter. This means that if you want more bass, you can't really do that without boosting the midrange a bit.
This is in stark contrast to the AirPods Pro where customizability is exclusive to iOS devices. Even then, it's fairly limited. You can change the tap and hold gesture from toggling ANC/transparency to Siri, which is outright useless on Android. You won't find an EQ here, either. The AirPods use what Apple calls "Adaptive EQ" which automatically adjusts the sound depending on your environment. Beyond that, you don't really have control over your earbuds with the AirPods Pro.
To wrap things up, the decision is fairly straight forward. For a little more money, the Momentum True Wireless 2 offer better sound, longer battery life, support across both Android and iOS, and superb comfort and ANC performance. However, the AirPods Pro aren't bad. They offer decent enough battery life, a wireless charging case, and similar comfort and ANC performance. However, the AirPods Pro aren't as fully-featured on anything but Apple devices.
Superior sound
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2
Sounds fantastic
Unless you want wireless charging or have an Apple device, the Momentum TW2 are better in every way.
Wireless charging
AirPods Pro
Stellar value
At a slightly lower price, the AirPods offer comparable battery life, similar ANC performance, and stellar comfort.