Sony WF-1000XM5 vs Sennheiser MTW3 Review - A New KING? 👑
Comparing the Sony WF-1000XM5 with the Sennheiser Momentum TW3 is going to be interesting because, since my last review, the MTW3s have undergone a few upgrades, and now they’re very competitive with the Sonys in terms of features. Some examples are a new 5-band graphic EQ and a feature that personalizes its sound to your tastes. (kind of like Sony’s Find My Equalizer. More on that later)
The MTW3 doesn’t do head tracking but just like the Sonys they now do support Spatial sound on devices running Android 13, great for watching videos on apps like YouTube or Netflix. And though the buds themselves aren’t hi-res certified like the XM5, a previous update also added a Hi-Res audio mode to the MTW3.
So even if the WF-1000XM5s made a strong entrance into the market, the Sennheisers are not not playing around either. In this review, we’re going to see how they compare in terms of call quality, active noise canceling and sound. And after the comparisons we’ll talk about what I prefer about the Sonys, and what I prefer about the Sennheisers.
Call Quality
In quiet conditions my voice on the Sonys sound more full-bodied and loud, but in noisy conditions I didn’t quite like how the Sonys sounded. It wasn’t able to filter noise from my voice, the sennheisers did that better. But it still is better overall than the MTW3 because it’s more effective at cutting background sounds, especially voices, as you heard in the real life test, and my voice was amplified much louder on the Sonys. So whoever’s on the line with you will have an easier time catching what you have to say. Listen to the samples here.
(Compared in both quiet and noisy conditions, with wind noise from a fan.)
Active Noise Canceling
I think they both are very comparable, with a slight edge going to the Sonys because its noise canceling is stronger against both low frequency rumbling and midrange noises. The MTW3s still does a great job however. In many different situations you are going to get a lot of silence against the rumbling of the metro, buses and planes. Listen to the samples here.
Transparency Mode
In terms of transparency the Sonys have a bit more occlusion, so it feels like your ears are a little more blocked, but it’s a lot less hissy. Whereas the Sennheisers, even at medium transparency it has a lot more hiss. At max transparency it just amplifies everything louder, including the hiss which I don’t quite like. But even on medium settings it sounds more clear and transparent than the Sonys.
Sound Quality
In terms of sound, frequency sweeps on their default settings show that the MTW3s have more emphasis on the sub bass and lower mids, so vocals are going to sound heavier and thicker, while the XM5s are tuned to sound crisper and airier so you feel the richness a little less, and vibrance a bit more on the Sonys. Listen to the samples here.
To go into a little more detail, when I was listening to Diana Krall’s East of the Sun in Tidal’s HiFi Master, the Sennheisers do deliver more detail in the midrange. I can feel the impact of the keys, the tremble of the bass strings, and the richness in Diana’s vocals a little more on the Sennheisers, while the Sonys instead did better at conveying the crispness of cymbals, guitars and the airiness of a live concert.
They both sounded impressive, but in different ways. But this is on the default setting. Using their respective apps, it’s still possible to tweak them to sound more rich or crisp or bassy, whichever you prefer. And it’s easier than ever with Sony’s Find my Equalizer, and Sennheisers Sound Personalization.
In my opinion, I prefer Sony’s Find My Equalizer. It sounds more accurate to what I want because I am able to use my own music as a baseline, which isn’t possible on Sennheiser’s system. What Sennheiser’s system is better at doing is to improve dynamic range by capturing how sensitive your ears are to soft sounds, but overall the end result required a bit more tuning than what I got on Sony’s system.
Why I prefer the Sony WF-1000XM5
Its active noise canceling is more powerful, its far more portable, coming in a much smaller case compared to the MTW3. And, while I can acknowledge the Sennheisers for coming a long way in terms of features after the updates, I do think the Sonys are still a bit stronger on that front because it’s got head tracking, a highly effective EQ suggestion system, and things like DSEE Extreme which can even upscale old music files to make them sound more Hi-Res.
Its user experience also feels a bit more fluid, while there were times when the device switching didn’t work when managing connections, or when I couldn’t get the Smart Control app to even pick up the Sennheisers even though it is already paired to my phone. Those are some minor annoyances which, coupled with the XM5’s superior active noise canceling, are reasons to pick XM5s over the MTW3.
Why I like the Sennheiser MTW3 more
The MTW3’s controls are more customizable, even down to the individual gestures. Its earbuds are also easier to grip. It’s not glossy like the Sonys which, in the time I spent with them, tends to get a bit oily and slippery when pulling them out of the case. The Sennheiser’s got stability wings which means they feel just a bit more secure in the ears. Just some very small things which make it a bit nicer using the MTW3 compared to the new Sonys. Some people may even prefer the MTW3’s sound which is more mid-heavy by default. (But others may pick the Sonys for its crispness and airiness.)
So those are reasons to choose the XM5s, and reasons to choose the Sennheisers. Me? I think it’s just remarkable that even after being in the market for almost a year, the MTW3s have improved to such an extent that it still is a top competitor against a hot new product like the XM5.
Should you like to check if they’re on promo, I’ve included links to their Amazon and Lazada pages below:
Amazon :
Sony WF-1000XM5 - https://amzn.to/3qiamkS
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 - https://amzn.to/3zQXTHf
Lazada Singapore :
Sony WF-1000XM5 - https://s.lazada.sg/s.bsAyl?cc
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 - https://s.lazada.sg/s.bMAr0?cc
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