Sennheiser CX Plus vs Momentum 2 (2022): Which Sennheiser TWS Earbuds Should You Buy?

The CX and Momentum series make up Sennheiser’s lineup of true wireless earbuds. CX series earbuds are geared towards the budget buyers while the Momentum series earbuds are their flagship offerings. If you are looking to get a pair of TWS earbuds from Sennheiser, are the CX series good enough, or should you go for the more expensive Momentum earbuds? How exactly do they differ? Below is our Sennheiser CX Plus review and comparison against the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 earbuds to help you decide.

Sennheiser CX Plus vs Momentum 2 Comparison Chart

Model	Sennheiser CX Plus	Sennheiser Momentum 2
Price	Check Price	Check Price
Weight	49g total 6g (earbuds) 37g (case)	70g total 6g (earbuds) 58g (case)
Case Dimensions	2.3 x 1.3 x 1.6 inches	3 x 1.72 x 1.37 inches
Driver	7mm dynamic	7mm dynamic
IP Rating	IPX4	IPX4
Features	ANC Transparent Hearing	ANC Transparent Hearing
Bluetooth Version	5.2	5.1
Codecs	SBC, AAC, aptX & aptX Adapative	SBC, AAC, aptX
App	Sennheiser Smart Control	Sennheiser Smart Control
Battery	8 hours (buds) 24 hours (total)	7 hours (buds) 28 hours (total)
Charging	USB-C 1.5 hours 10 minutes – 1 hour playback	USB-C 1.5 hours 10 minutes – 1.5 hours playback
Color Options	Black, White, Matte Black Special Edition	Black, White

Design

Both the Sennheiser CX Plus and Momentum 2 are well built, but the latter have the more premium design.

When it comes to design, the Sennheiser Momentum 2 have a more premium look, thanks largely to the silver accents on the outer shell of the earbuds. Their case also looks sleeker and more premium with its fabric covering. Meanwhile, the CX Plus have a more basic design without any bells and whistles. Looks are subjective, but we feel that the Sennheiser Momentum 2 are definitely better looking.

As for build quality, both are excellent. They are made with high quality plastic that feel sturdy. Also, they have an IPX4 rating, so they are splashproof, so you can wear them in the gym or when it’s raining outside. The cases also have excellent build qualities. They are also made of hard plastic, and there are magnets inside to keep the earbuds in place.

Comfort-wise, the size of your ear will dictate which pair will fit better. These two earbuds are quite bulky, and they will stick out from your ears. However, the inner part of the earbuds have a nice shape to them so they will stay in your ears as long as you use the proper size ear tips. As for portability, both cases are on the bulky side, so they’re not the most pocketable.

The Sennheiser CX Plus are available in black, white and a special edition matte black. On the other hand, the Sennheiser Momentum 2 are available only in black and white.

Features

Despite being cheaper, the Sennheiser CX Plus have better ANC than the Momentum 2.

Features-wise, the Sennheiser CX Plus and Momentum 2 are similar. They both come with the Sennheiser Smart Control app. The app is available on both Android and iOS devices, and it offers various settings and customization options for both earbuds. Within the app, you can adjust the sound of the buds with their graphic EQ and EQ presets, enable or disable Transparent Hearing and ANC, and remap controls.

Speaking of controls, both the CX Plus and Momentum 2 feature touch controls. The touch sensitive area of both earbuds are quite responsive and they register all the time. This is great, but it can also be annoying if you are trying to adjust the fit of the earbuds.

When it comes to ANC performance, surprisingly, we found the CX Plus to be better than the Momentum 2 despite being cheaper. The CX Plus can attenuate noise across the entire sound frequency very effectively. The same can’t be said about the Momentum 2 as we found them to be lacking in this area. Thankfully, they both have excellent passive noise cancellation, so the Momentum 2 are not entirely ineffective in this area.

Aside from having better ANC performance, the CX Plus also support more Bluetooth codecs, namely, SBC, AAC, aptX and aptX Adapative. Meanwhile, the Momentum 2 only support SBC, AAC and aptX.

Sound

Both earbuds sound dark and veiled due to recessed highs, but you can play with the EQ settings to somewhat adjust how they sound.

Out of the box, these two earbuds have a warm sound profile with recessed highs. The Sennheiser CX Plus produce the more accurate bass but they are still lacking in the sub-bass region so your music may lack thump and rumble. However, the mid-bass is quite balanced and accurate. The mids are slightly recessed, but not enough that vocals and other instruments in the range are pushed back. The main problem of the CX Plus is the highs, as the entire treble range is underemphasized. The overall sound of the CX Plus is dark and lacking in detail.

The Sennheiser Momentum 2 shines in the mids. The mids are balanced and they are present in any tracks that you’ll listen to. The sub-bass is underemphasized so they lack thump and rumble, but the mid-bass is balanced and the high-bass is slightly emphasized to provide warmth and body to your music. Similar to the CX Plus, the Momentum 2’s treble range is underemphasized and this leads to lack of clarity, detail and sparkle to your music.

Fortunately, you can EQ both of these earbuds to fix their shortcomings, specifically in the treble range.

Battery Life & Charging

Both are not great when it comes to battery life, but the Sennheiser CX Plus are slightly better.

Battery life is one area where these earbuds are disappointing. The CX Plus and Momentum 2 are advertised to last eight and seven hours, respectively, but in actual use-case, they don’t last as long. The Sennheiser CX Plus can last around five to six hours, depending on whether ANC is enabled or disabled. Meanwhile, the Sennheiser Momentum 2 can last a little over four to five hours, also depending on whether ANC is turned on or off. Both are disappointing in this regard, but the CX Plus are slightly better.

Charging time is pretty similar between the two. They can be fully charged from an empty state in around one and a half hours. They also have quick charging features. The CX Plus can provide an hour of music playback when charged for 10 minutes. On the other hand, the Momentum 2 can be quick charged for 10 minutes for one and a half hours of music playback.

Check out our B&W PI7 vs Sennheiser Momentum 2 comparison here

Verdict

The Sennheiser CX Plus are better than the Sennheiser Momentum 2 in almost every area, while also being cheaper.

If you are deciding between these two, we recommend that you save your money and go buy the Sennheiser CX Plus as they provide better value than the Sennheiser Momentum 2. The Sennheiser CX Plus and Momentum 2 have the same features, but the former offer better ANC performance and longer battery life while still being cheaper. The Sennheiser Momentum 2 definitely have the better design, but that’s about the only thing they have over the CX Plus.

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