Sennheiser CX 400BT vs Momentum 2 (2022): Which True Wireless Earbuds Should You Get?

The Sennheiser CX 400BT are the newest addition to the brand’s growing lineup of true wireless earbuds. These earbuds are targeted to those that want a pair of true wireless earbuds that have the signature Sennheiser sound but at a fairly affordable price. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2, on the other hand, are much more expensive but they come with features such as ANC and transparency mode. In this post, we’ll be comparing the two to find out which one is better for your particular needs.

Sennheiser CX 400BT vs Momentum 2 Comparison Chart

Design

The Sennheiser CX 400BT are bulkier than the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2.

Featuring a more oval/square-ish body, the Sennheiser CX 400BT are a bit bulkier and they will protrude from your ears more than the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2, which have a circular body. That said, they are both comfortable since they are lightweight and they don’t go too deep into your ears. They come with four pairs of ear tips with varying sizes so that you can find one that you are most comfortable with.

The two pairs of earbuds come with charging cases that are quite sturdy despite being made of plastic. These cases come with magnetic lids and they also have battery indicators to show how much charge they have left. The case of the Sennheiser CX 400BT is taller but narrower, and it has a matte finish. On the other hand, the case of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 is wider and shorter, and it has a fabric covering that looks and feels nicer.

Features

The biggest difference between the Sennheiser CX 400BT and Momentum True Wireless 2 is the latter’s active noise cancellation feature.

The Sennheiser CX 400BT and Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds are touch-sensitive and you can control different functions by tapping and holding. On the Sennheiser CX 400BT, you can tap the left earbud once to play or pause music, tap twice to skip to previous and hold to decrease the volume. You can tap the right earbud once to activate voice assistant, tap twice to skip to next and hold to increase volume. You can tap either earbud once to take an incoming call and tap twice to end.

On the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2, you can tap the left earbud once to play/pause, twice to skip to next and tap three times to return to previous track. Holding down the left and right earbuds will lower and increase volume. Tapping on the right earbud once will activate voice assistant and tapping thrice will enable ANC. These are the default controls but you can remap every function using the Sennheiser Smart Control app.

Speaking of their app, the Sennheiser Smart Control lets you tweak EQ and create custom presets, remap controls, activate voice controls and in the case of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2, enable active noise cancelling or its transparency mode.

The biggest difference between the two, when it comes to features, is the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2’s active noise cancelling and transparency mode. On the Sennheiser CX 400BT, you only get passive noise cancelling. The ANC of the Momentum 2 is very good as it reduces low frequency noise effectively. It even goes toe-to-toe with the Sony WF-1000XM3, one of the best ANC earbuds in the market.

Sound Quality

The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 sounds better out of the box, but with a little EQ tweaking, the Sennheiser CX 400BT is not far behind.

The two earbuds have the same Sennheiser 7mm dynamic driver but without tweaking anything, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 sounds better. On the Sennheiser Momentum 2, the bass is emphasized and the mid and highs are clear and detailed. Even though the bass is emphasized, it’s not overpowering.

On the Sennheiser CX 400BT, the bass is a bit boomy and exaggerated but not to the point that it sounds bad. In fact, some might prefer this low frequency sound. The mid is recessed, but highs are clear and detailed. The good thing about these earbuds is that their apps come with a graphic EQ that allows you to tweak their sounds to your preference.

Both earbuds support SBC, AAC and AptX, which is nice. You can listen to high quality tracks on Android and iOS devices using these earbuds.

Battery Life

You get a longer music playback time with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 than with the CX 400BT, but only when the former’s ANC feature is disabled.

When it comes to battery life, the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 gives you up to 28 hours of music listening time while the Sennheiser CX 400BT gives you up to 20 hours. However, to get that 28 hours of playback time, you’ll need to turn the Momentum 2’s ANC off. When ANC is enabled, its battery life is much shorter.

It takes an hour and a half to fully charge both earbuds. They have the same quick charge feature that gives you 1.5 hours of music playback on a 10 minute charge.

Verdict

Choosing between the Sennheiser CX 400BT and Momentum True Wireless 2 will come down to whether you want an affordable pair or a pair of earbuds with ANC.

You really can’t go wrong with either since they both sound good. If you want a pair of affordable true wireless earbuds that sound very good and you don’t need ANC, the Sennheiser CX 400BT is the obvious choice. However, if you want a pair of true wireless earbuds with ANC, you should go with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2. They are more expensive but it is worth it to pay the extra if you want their excellent ANC feature.

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