(NEW) Sennheiser MOMENTUM 3 True Wireless ANC Earbuds

I own 8 different pairs of headphones, including many hi-fi pairs like the Sennheiser IE900, Denon AH--D9200 and Fostex TH900. These TW3s I use more for casual listening, working out, doing stuff around the house, gaming, etc. These are by far my favorite pair of bluetooth buds in this price range - FAR and away better than the AirPods Pro (which I also own). This should not be surprising, as Sennheiser has been in the sound game for quite a while, and they use similar drivers across their consumer and pro lines, though of course with different tuning and housing components. The result is still something better than most other alternatives. Brief breakdown. Tonal performance: These perform extremely well at all volumes. Oftentimes, you will find that certain parts of the mix are out of balance when the headphones are too high or too low - not the case here. Whether you want to have quiet background music or crank it up and have a personal dance party, these hold their own well. They also do not distort at volume. In terms of tuning, straight out of the box, these are definitely V-shaped - meaning, the bass is boosted, the treble is boosted, and the mids sit back in the mix. This is often described as a "fun" tune, and it is well done here. It works well for mainstream music. If you want to tweak this, the fact that you can use the app to do some basic EQing is nice, and they do respond pretty well to EQ. Bass is very well-done. It has a lot of volume and depth, though out of the box, it is very smooth and controlled and not overly boomy. However, if you like the boom, there is a bass boost option in the app that certainly delivers. I'm a basshead myself, and I found the bass boost too much even for me. If you love bass, these can deliver for sure. Mids here are also silky smooth. I have always found Sennheiser's vocal presentation to be among the best, and that holds with these. These also do a good job of keeping all of the pieces of the mix separate. It's not hi-fi level, but is among the best for this class of product. Highs are also great. These have the best detail retrieval of any earphone I've used in this price range, though the tuning isn't the only reason for that (will get to it in a second). The highs also make themselves known without crushing your ears. I haven't found fatigue to be an issue. Where these really shine is the soundstage and positioning. While the soundstage itself isn't particularly large, it's VERY good size for this price range (way bigger than the AirPods), and the positioning of the pieces of the mix within that soundstage is outstanding. The sound here will definitely have an "in your head" type feel, with the sound extending from ear to ear. It does not have a ton of height or depth, but it does have some - but more importantly, the positioning within that soundstage is very, very good. Often with buds, things will be kind of jumbled - left, right, center. Not so with these. The stage is used very well and is very full and natural. All of these things combine to make an overall sound that is warm and smooth. It is distinctly Sennheiser. As mentioned earlier, I own their flagship in-ear monitor, the IE900, and while these are certainly not that (and shouldn't be since the IE 900s are 6X the price), they do retain that unique Sennheiser timbre, warmth and soundstage, to an extent, and that's a very good thing. Now onto the other aspects. Important to note here, I am an Apple ecosystem person - iPhone, iPad, Mac, ATVs, etc. I now only use my AirPods Pro for podcast listening OR when it is really important for me to have the convenience of AirPods like hands-free hey Siri and message dictation. Some reasons why... Comfort - for me, far better than the AirPods. Sennheiser includes way more tips, both with and without wings. My AirPods constantly have to be readjusted, to the point that I can't actually work out in them. I wouldn't call this Apple's fault, as everyone's ears are different, but the fact that Sennheiser includes more types of tips means you are more likely to find a fit that is great for you. This was the case for me, as the ability to add wings really helped them stay in my ear, and now these are my primary workout headphones (and they are water resistant as well). Touch controls - very good. The fact that they are customizable is great. The touch is very responsive, and although you may sometimes accidentally tap them when putting them on, it's not a big issue. Battery life is as advertised. More than good enough. Supported codecs are also great. For example, these support aptX Adaptive, which for the first time has allowed me to use bluetooth earbuds with my Nintendo Switch with no lag. Noise cancelation is MUCH improved since version 2. I would say the ANC is on par with the AirPods. The transparency is ALMOST as good. I wear them often in transparency mode with no music playing, and it's not a problem. Everything sounds 9/10. Where the AirPods beat them is sounding a little more natural with its transparency implementation. It's clear that the Sennheiser's are processing the sound. The app is easy to use and intuitive, but where I will knock Sennheiser slightly is on bugs. I did have a few bugs in the first couple of weeks of owning these - connecting to the app, disconnects occasionally and things like that. They have since worked this out via updates, but it was annoying at first. Also, you can only connect to one device at a time, which can be a minor inconvenience. Rumor has it they are adding multipoint functionality in a software update soon. Overall, love these and recommend!