A new era is approaching in consumer electronics — one fueled by a push toward sustainability. You can see it in shifting trends, like young listeners’ renewed interest in wired headphones, and even in legislation such as Europe’s sweeping right-to-repair rules. Considering how short-lived products like wireless earbuds can be, with batteries that begin degrading in as little as one year, it’s been a long time coming. But that doesn’t make it any less dramatic when a legacy audio brand like Sennheiser draws a line in the sand, offering user-replaceable batteries in its latest flagship earbuds: the Momentum True Wireless 5.

These new buds aren’t the very first to market with swappable batteries, but they’re the highest-profile option so far, and offer much more than just unscrewable housings. Their revised design is the most stylish and comfortable Momentum pair I’ve tested yet, while still upholding the brand’s tradition of stellar audio and plenty of features. And despite their malleable exterior, they’re even dust- and splash-resistant.

There are some minor drawbacks, like average noise cancellation and finicky touch sensors. But it’s hard not to get excited about a pair of premium buds that sound this good and promise to do so for virtually as long as you want. Now that’s progress.

The design is as stylish as it is practical, with removable batteries and chrome housings

I’ve tested every pair of Momentum True Wireless earbuds to date, and while the design has evolved a fair bit, it’s no surprise the Momentum 5 is the biggest update yet. That starts with the unlockable design, of course, which is as practical in execution as it is novel, right down to screws that aren’t fully removable so you can’t lose them.

While the #000 mini-screwdriver needed to unlock the buds is sold separately, the package does include a nifty tool to pry them open once they are unscrewed. There’s also a handy instructional YouTube video to guide you through the process. I found it a little trickier to open the earbuds than the video suggests, but I got the hang of it after a few tries. One holdup: Sennheiser doesn’t yet sell the replacement batteries. The company says battery pricing and availability are TBD, which makes sense considering the buds are brand-new, but it’d still be nice to have the kit ready now.

The included batteries themselves aren’t as groundbreaking as their replaceable design. Sennheiser claims up to 40 hours of listening with the case and 12 hours in the buds, but that drops to just six hours with noise canceling enabled, putting them at the low end of the flagship earbuds market. That said, I never ran out of juice over weeks of heavy use, and quick charging grants over an hour of playback in eight minutes.

Utility aside, the design is gorgeous. I love the flashy chrome housings, especially in the copper color I reviewed, and they also come in Cream/Silver, Denim (blue), Graphite, and Lavender. The case is quite tall, but it’s skinny enough to fit well in your pocket, and little touches like the sparkling silver logo on top and the glittery, beaded exterior feel premium.

AI noise suppression and bone-conduction microphones ensure solid call quality on both ends. I was also impressed by the Momentum 5’s IP54 dust and water protection, the latter of which some brands have used as an argument against providing removable batteries.

Most importantly, the buds are easy to wear for hours despite their relatively hefty 7-gram weight, which feels a lot less airy than the 5-plus grams of the AirPods Pro 3. You’ll definitely know they’re there, but four different tip sizes and a fit test in Sennheiser’s Smart Control Plus app help ensure comfort and stability.

Plenty of extras, with a few small hiccups

Sennheiser’s Smart Control Plus app works well, but I did encounter a couple of instances in which the buds didn’t connect immediately. Otherwise, it offers a slick layout and unlocks loads of options, from a multi-band EQ and presets to a headphones finder and spatial audio mode with head tracking for a virtualized 3D effect. I don’t care much for virtualized 3D sound, but Sennheiser’s version is mild, and I got a kick out of the animation that follows your head as you change your orientation.

Other thoughtful options include a wind suppressor for outdoor excursions, sensors to pause sound when you pull an earbud out, and sound personalization that adjusts to your hearing for a separate EQ preset. As with the spatial audio feature, the personal effect was mild for me, but I appreciate having so many ways to customize the sound.

You can also customize the controls, though the default layout is pretty intuitive. What’s less intuitive are the touch sensors, which respond to a small area just in front of the Sennheiser logo rather than directly on it. I got the hang of it after a while, and I appreciate having the option for onboard volume without sacrificing controls for calls or playback. However, you may want to turn off the default feature that pauses audio when you enable transparency mode, which is only really helpful if you’re trying to chat.

Sound quality is fantastic, but noise cancellation is just average

As for the Momentum’s ambient sound modes, there’s not much wow factor, but they get the job done. The noise canceling does well with low-end sounds, outperforming models like Apple’s Powerbeats Pro 2 and even Sony’s last-gen WF-1000XM5 when suppressing sounds such as an airplane drone, as tested on studio monitors.

But both rival pairs did better with higher-frequency noise, from keystrokes to the whine of a vacuum or my espresso machine’s milk frother, and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra buds smoked all three pairs across the frequency range. Still, the Momentum 5 hold up fine for most activities, especially with music playing; I experienced several instances where my wife tried to speak to me from her adjacent desk, and I couldn’t hear a peep while jamming out.

Transparency mode, designed to bring in environmental sounds to keep you aware of your surroundings, gets a similar score. I heard more than enough to stay safe in traffic while walking my dog or to carry on a conversation. You can even turn it up to tune in more clearly, and as I’d hoped, there’s a limiter to keep you safe from sudden loud noises — though unlike Sony’s XM5, the limiter didn’t always register my 13-month-old’s teradactyl screams.

It’s always easy to forgive mid-tier ambient sound performance when the actual audio quality is this good. Perhaps even more than previous pairs, the Momentum 5 serve up a sculpted sound signature that adds extra flash in the upper midrange and treble. It took me a while to get used to their sheer brilliance up top, but even when listening to hot recordings like my favorite ’80s tracks or the Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” the buds never pushed into sharpness. I experienced very little ear fatigue even after multiple long days of listening.

Once I dug into their sound signature, I was thoroughly wowed by the Momentum 5’s mix of fantastic presence, clarity, and definition. But beware: these are not earbuds for passive listening while working away at your desk. Though I did plenty of that, I found my efficiency slowing whenever a dense mix came up, as my mind got lost in the collage of tonal colors.

Similar to the Technics EAH-AZ100, the buds provide a microscopic deep dive into your music, exposing every breath, string pluck, reverb trail, and instrumental timbre with precision. Go-to test songs like St. Vincent’s “Digital Witness” sound new again, exposing a rainbow of instrumental colors, with sharp separation between each doubled horn, bass track, or percussion effect, while still keeping the mix cohesive and musical. Dual vocals in the right channel sounded more ghostly and almost despairing in a way I’d never noticed before, while echoed effects seemed to stretch into deep chasms within the soundstage.

Even relatively straightforward rock tunes bring something new when paired with the Momentum 5 buds. While listening to “Emotion Sickness” from Queens of the Stone Age, the left-side room mic that captures the crunch guitar offers a decisive clarity and richness that make the tune feel almost live. And though the top-side may lean toward a crisper sound, the 7-mm drivers deliver surprisingly full bass, with songs like B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize” hitting hard without excess boom, masking, or distortion.

It’s a sweet ride, and while I may prefer the AZ100’s more velvety tone overall, I’m not sure they always keep up with the detail on offer here.

Should you buy the Momentum True Wireless 5?

If you’re looking for top-tier sound quality in a sustainable pair of buds built to last, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 are in a rare class of their own. My only hesitation is that we still don’t have pricing or release details for the battery replacements. But I don’t consider that a major concern for a couple of reasons: first, the Momentum 5’s included batteries should last for several years as is; and second, they’re backed by a respected audio brand with a legacy dating back to the 1940s.

Based on sheer audio quality, I lean slightly toward the richer, warmer sound of Technics’ AZ100, while those who prioritize better noise canceling may be happier with the Bose QC Ultra series or the Sony WF-1000XM6.

But the Momentum True Wireless 5 are more stylish than any of those pairs, and no comparable buds offer the same repairability right now. If you’re after a pair you won’t have to replace for the foreseeable future, these are the top buds to buy.

Looking for more recommendations? Check out our guides to the best earbuds and best headphones.