Noise cancellation is an even bigger deal in 2024, as Sennheiser takes the fight to the high end and refreshes sports earphones with ANC, as well.
There will be more choice for noise cancellation this year, which means more for you to pick from and between, no doubt making the job of a headphone reviewer more interesting, we’re sure.
While we expect noise cancellation for all to be a trend in 2024, active noise cancellation will exist in a lot of places, it seems, with Sennheiser one of the first at CES 2024 to talk about just what we can expect.
The leading audio brand has a trio of devices ready to talk about, showcasing an update to its high-end earphones, a new model in the mid-range, and something new for folks who like to run, jump, and work out.
It’s the first of what will likely be a tight year for noise cancellation devices, and more is on the way, so what is Sennheiser launching this week?
First up, it’s an update to Sennheiser’s 2022 noise cancelling earphones, the Momentum True Wireless 3. Last year was a great year for noise cancelling earphones, what with great models from Technics, Sony’s WF-1000XM5, and the award-winning Bose QC Ultra, so Sennheiser clearly has some solid competition and a reason to update.
This year, that update happens in the aptly named updated Momentum True Wireless 4, a pair of earphones that will sport Qualcomm’s S5 Gen 2 chipset, improvements to adaptive noise cancellation, tuning, and a battery life that can boast up to 7.5 hours of life.
Sennheiser already has an expected price and release for Australians, with a recommended retail price of $499.95 around March.
If headphones are your thing, but spending heaps of money is not, Sennheiser will have a pair of ANC cans that fits just below their Momentum 4 headphones model, arriving in the Accentum Plus, a new variation of the Accentum that launched last year.
We’re not entirely sure what the difference is between these yet, but Sennheiser is promising a touch-enabled ear cup for control, adaptive sound and noise cancellation, and a case, expected around the same time for $399.95. Controls may actually be the difference, but we’ll check with Sennheiser if there’s more to it.
And Sennheiser will also have a pair of noise cancelling earphones for runners and the fitness folks, launching in the Momentum Sport.
We’ve not seen a lot of noise cancelling earphones made for fitness in recent years, but the push into this category makes sense, and Sennheiser is doing a little more than simply adding ANC to the category.
The Momentum Sport will also feature a heart-rate sensor and body temperature sensor to report this information to fitness apps as you run and listen, making it possible to deliver heart rate and temperature to other services you might use with your wearable, such as from Apple, Garmin, Peloton, Polar, and Strava.
They’ll also include IP55 water resistance with up to 6 hours of battery life, and yes, they’ll include a active noise cancellation system, as well, handy if you want to block out the world as you run, jump, dance, and move.
Sennheiser’s Momentum Sport look set to arrive a little later from the other announcements this week, on target for April to May for $529.95 in Australia.
