Sennheiser Momentum 5 review: Great sound, incredible battery life, and few compromises

techcrunch.com Sep 27, 2026

Sennheiser Momentum 5 review: Great sound, incredible battery life, and few compromises

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 27, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Sennheiser released the Momentum 5 headphones at $399.99, positioning them between the Sony WH‑1000XM6 and Apple AirPods Max 2. The pair delivers balanced sound with strong bass, Dolby Atmos support, and an eight‑mic ANC system that claims up to three times better noise rejection than its predecessor. Comfort is solid but not premium, while battery life tops 57 hours, double Sony’s and triple AirPods Max’s. A replaceable cell and a slim carrying case add practical value, and the companion app offers extensive EQ and ANC customization.

💡 Why It Matters

· The Momentum 5’s battery longevity and replaceable battery set a new benchmark for premium over‑ear headphones, potentially extending product life and reducing e‑waste.
· Its competitive pricing and advanced ANC make high‑end audio more accessible to budget‑conscious consumers.

Read full article on techcrunch.com

Apple’s new music venue is actually a giant high-tech recording studio

Apple has opened the Apple Music Hall at Battersea Power Station, a 600‑seat venue that doubles as a high‑tech recording studio. The space features an immersive audio speaker system and dedicated studios for recording and broadcasting, including Apple Music Radio sessions. Designed by Apple’s in‑house team, the hall blends art‑deco arches, bronze balconies, and exposed brickwork that echoes the building’s exterior. The venue offers performers and listeners a hybrid live‑performance and studio experience within one of the world’s largest brick structures.

💡 By merging a concert hall with a state‑of‑the‑art studio, Apple expands its ecosystem, enabling artists to record and broadcast live from a single location and potentially reshaping how live music is produced and consumed.

ign.com · Sep 27

The Amazon October Audible Deal Is Now Live: Pay $0.99 Per Month

Amazon has launched an October Prime Day Audible promotion that runs until October 7. Prime members can enroll in Audible Standard for four months at $0.99 per month and receive an additional $20 in Audible credit. After the promotional period, the subscription automatically switches to the $8.99 monthly rate, though users may cancel anytime. Audible Standard, priced at $8.95 monthly, offers the same catalog of over one million titles as the Premium Plus tier but provides only one credit per month that expires if the membership lapses, unlike Premium Plus’s perpetual credits. The deal effectively saves subscribers $72 annually on fees, not counting the $20 credit, and highlights Amazon’s strategy to boost audiobook adoption during its October Prime Day sales event.

💡 By slashing the entry price and adding credit, Amazon is using the Prime Day window to convert price‑sensitive shoppers into long‑term Audible users, accelerating its push into the growing audio‑content market.

appleinsider.com · Sep 26

Elton John announced as first Apple Music Hall gig

Apple Music has unveiled the inaugural lineup for its new Apple Music Hall in London’s Battersea Power Station, kicking off with Elton John on September 28, 2026. The intimate 600‑seat venue will host eight acts between late September and early December, including Baby Keem, Skye Newman, Troye Sivan, Arlo Parks, Burna Boy, Chase & Status, and Charli XC. Tickets, priced at a single £40 tier, go on sale the morning of each concert, beginning with the Elton John show. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the first three performances. Apple touts the hall’s spatial audio, video and live‑streaming capabilities, promising broadcast‑quality recordings that may later appear on Apple Music.

💡 The venue blends exclusive live experiences with immediate digital distribution, giving Apple a unique foothold in both concert attendance and streaming content.

appleinsider.com · Sep 25

Apple’s next HomePod mini won’t get a redesign, but will get some…

Apple is preparing a second‑generation HomePod mini that retains the original spherical chassis while adding four color options. The new lineup will replace the current yellow and orange finishes with powder pink and forest‑green, while blue, black and white return. The details emerged from product‑image files embedded in Apple’s software code, which MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris uncovered and shared. Apple has not formally announced the device, but the presence of the images suggests a launch is imminent. The first HomePod mini arrived in October 2020 and survived the discontinuation of the full‑size HomePod, remaining the company’s sole smart speaker until a refreshed full‑size model appeared in January 2023. The upcoming refresh signals Apple’s continued focus on the compact smart‑speaker market.

💡 Fresh colorways let Apple tap aesthetic differentiation to sustain consumer interest in a crowded smart‑speaker space.

theverge.com · Sep 25

Qualcomm’s new ‘Elite’ sound chip might finally deliver the Wi-Fi earbud dream

Qualcomm unveiled the Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2, its first audio processor to embed micro‑power Wi‑Fi 6E alongside AI‑driven “intelligent hearable” functions. By consolidating Wi‑Fi and audio processing onto a single chip, the new silicon eliminates the separate Wi‑Fi module required by the earlier S7 Pro platform, shrinking overall size by roughly 30 percent and lowering power draw. The integration enables true lossless streaming—24‑bit/96 kHz—from a home network directly to earbuds or audio glasses without relying on Bluetooth’s limited bandwidth. Qualcomm cites the chip’s ability to maintain uninterrupted high‑fidelity playback even when the source device is out of range. The company hopes the design will spur broader adoption after limited uptake of its previous Wi‑Fi‑enabled earbuds, such as Xiaomi’s 2025 Buds 5 Pro.

💡 By finally marrying Wi‑Fi and audio processing in a single, compact chip, Qualcomm removes the cost and space barriers that have stalled Wi‑Fi‑enabled earbuds, opening a path for mainstream lossless wireless listening.

techradar.com · Sep 24

5 upgrades that I love on the Sonos Ace Ultra headphones that…

Sonos has launched the Ace Ultra headphones, a significant upgrade over the original Ace model. After two weeks of testing, the reviewer highlights five key improvements: an eight‑band equalizer that offers granular sound tuning, an expanded microphone array for better voice capture, new high‑performance drivers that enhance musicality, additional smart features integrated with Sonos’ ecosystem, and a final, game‑changing upgrade detailed as the fifth point. These enhancements address the original Ace’s shortcomings in audio fidelity and competitive positioning against rivals such as Sony’s WH‑1000X and Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra series. The reviewer asserts that the Ultra’s refinements elevate Sonos to a “major player” in the premium wireless headphone market, making the device a compelling choice for consumers seeking top‑tier sound and functionality.

💡 The Ace Ultra’s advanced EQ and driver upgrades finally let Sonos compete head‑to‑head with established premium headphone brands.