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Tech head-to-head

Apple AirPods MaxvsSennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

Same ballpark on the average, 8.1 and 7.9, and nothing alike on the axes: Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless wins Value by 2.2, 8.0 to 5.8.

Apple AirPods Max

Apple

8.1

Built like nothing else in the category, priced like nothing else, and only fully useful on Apple hardware.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

Sennheiser

7.9

The listening pick, with a 60-hour battery that makes every rival figure on this page look short.

Price and availability change constantly, so we don't quote them here — the link opens the current Amazon listing.

Where they diverge

The widest gap is Value, Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ahead 8.0 to 5.8. They come closest on Performance, 8.6 to 8.4. Left of center is Apple AirPods Max, right is Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless.

Apple AirPods Max versus Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars for Apple AirPods Max run left from the axis labels, bars for Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless run right. Apple AirPods Max: Performance 8.4, Value 5.8, Durability 8.2, Ease of use 9.0, Design 9.0. Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless: Performance 8.6, Value 8.0, Durability 7.7, Ease of use 8.0, Design 7.4.Apple AirPods Max (left)Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless (right)PerformanceApple AirPods Max — Performance 8.4 out of 108.4Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless — Performance 8.6 out of 108.6ValueApple AirPods Max — Value 5.8 out of 105.8Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless — Value 8.0 out of 108.0DurabilityApple AirPods Max — Durability 8.2 out of 108.2Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless — Durability 7.7 out of 107.7Ease of useApple AirPods Max — Ease of use 9.0 out of 109.0Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless — Ease of use 8.0 out of 108.0DesignApple AirPods Max — Design 9.0 out of 109.0Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless — Design 7.4 out of 107.4Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better

Which one to pick

Take the Apple AirPods Max

Leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design.

  • Everything you own already has an Apple logo on it
  • You want a metal-and-mesh build rather than plastic
  • Automatic switching between Mac, iPad, and phone is a daily need

Take the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

Leads on Performance and Value.

  • Music is the point, not just noise reduction
  • You travel without reliable charging
  • You want a multi-band EQ instead of a handful of presets

What each one gets wrong

Apple AirPods Max

  • You need a codec better than AAC
  • The sleeve that ships instead of a real case bothers you
  • Android is your main platform

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

  • You want the strongest cancellation available at any cost
  • The plain, unstructured design puts you off

Specs, side by side

SpecApple AirPods MaxSennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless
TypeOver-ear, closedOver-ear, closed
CodecsSBC, AACSBC, AAC, aptX Adaptive
BatteryAbout 20 hrs with ANC onAbout 60 hrs with ANC on
CaseFabric sleeve, no full case—

Rankings they both appear in

Questions

Only 0.2 separates them. What breaks the tie?
Value does, at 8.0 against 5.8. That axis covers what the same money buys elsewhere. Apple AirPods Max leads on Durability, Ease of use and Design. If Performance and Value matter more to you, take the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless instead.
Why are the totals this close?
The total is the plain average of the 5 Tech axes, so opposite results cancel. Apple AirPods Max averages 8.1 and Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless averages 7.9, a gap of 0.2, while the individual axes run as far apart as 2.2.
Which one ranks higher in "Cancellation bunches up; comfort and hinges separate"?
Apple AirPods Max sits at #3 in "Cancellation bunches up; comfort and hinges separate", Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless at #4.