Sennheiser drops the retro look and gets a facelift while providing a 60-hour battery life

Sennheiser had to update its look to be able to cram a 60-hour battery life into its newest flagship ANC headphones.

Sennheiser is announcing the latest additions to its collection of flagship ANC headphones with the new Momentum 4. Centered around improved active noise cancelation and a refreshed design, Sennheiser is going all in on the function with 60-hour battery life while ditching the usual retro stylings.

Gone are the leather stylings, and in place is a more lightweight build that’s said to deliver a more comfortable listening experience.

That makes the Momentum 4 headphones more akin to the likes of Bose and Sony’s latest offerings, rather than the signature Sennheiser aesthetic. One thing that Sennheiser isn’t copying from its competitors though is the battery life, which emerges as one of the notable ways that these new releases stand out. You’re looking at nearly double the usage of competitors, with the Momentum 4s delivering up to 60 hours of playback on a single charge.

Sennheiser is also moving away from the physical buttons that past models have had to control playback for its new Momentum 4. That feature seems to be tied to the retro stylings, which are being replaced with tap and swipe gestures. Speaking of the new form-factor again, these new releases can also no longer fold up. But at least Sennheiser is throwing in an improved case. Superior active noise cancellation rounds out the new inclusions, which allows these new releases to take on the best-in-class alternatives from Bose and Sony.

Going up for pre-order tomorrow on August 9, the new Sennheiser Momentum 4 will retail for $349.95. They’ll begin officially shipping later on in the month come August 23. You can currently pre-order them from Amazon.