Sennheiser MOMENTUM Black Instruction Manual

MOMENTUM Wireless
Wireless stereo headphones
M3AEBTXL
Frequently asked questions
Contents
“Before you start…”
“During use...”
“If a problem occurs...”
Use the search function to get an answer to your question.
Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG
Am Labor 1
30900 Wedemark
Germany
www.sennheiser.com
Version: February 2020, A02

2 | MOMENTUM 3
Before you start…
What makes the MOMENTUM Wireless so unique?
Answer:
Thanks to our audiophile driver and an internal audio EQ, the sound
performance of the MOMENTUM Wireless is exceptional. The sound
is delivered without compromise due to the latest Bluetooth technol-
ogy, AAC and aptX compatibility as well as aptX Low Latency. In
addition, the MOMENTUM Wireless offers supreme comfort and has
been meticulously crafted from high-quality materials, e.g. sheep-
skin.
I work, commute, and travel all the time. Is the MOMENTUM Wire-
less a good option when on the go?
Answer:
The MOMENTUM Wireless features the sound, design, and portable
convenience to make it the ideal everyday audio companion!
In addition, it offers excellent passive sound isolation, as ambient
noise is effectively reduced due to the perfect fit of the headphones
on your ears. By activating ANC (Active Noise Canceling), additional
noise from the environment is filtered out.
Can the MOMENTUM Wireless reduce noise even without ANC
(Active Noise Canceling)?
Answer:
The MOMENTUM Wireless offers good passive noise attenuation
due to its excellent fit on your ears.
Does the MOMENTUM Wireless feature Bluetooth 5.0?
Answer:
Yes, the MOMENTUM Wireless is Bluetooth 5.0 compliant and sup-
ports a range of current audio codecs including AAC and aptX.
What Bluetooth codecs are supported by the MOMENTUM Wire-
less?
Answer:
The MOMENTUM Wireless supports current Bluetooth codecs such
as SBC, aptX, aptX Low Latency and AAC. Advanced audio codecs
(such as aptX and AAC) provide hi-fi audio that allows you to enjoy
the rich listening experience that the Sennheiser user expects.
What are the benefits to the user of the aptX Low Latency codec?
Answer:
aptX Low Latency ensures that a Bluetooth-enabled device delivers
sound in sync with visual media. It minimizes latency and improves
the end-to-end speed of audio transmission, resulting in a high-qual-
ity, synchronized audio-visual experience.
What is the battery life of the headphones?
Answer:
The MOMENTUM Wireless delivers up to 17 hours of playback time
via Bluetooth and with ANC activated.

MOMENTUM 3 | 3
How do I charge the headphones?
Answer:
The headphones are charged via a USB-C cable. The USB-C cable
and an additional USB-A adapter are included in the delivery.
Is the internal equalizer (EQ) controllable via the companion app?
Answer:
Yes, the Sennheiser Smart Control app offers an intuitive way to set
up the internal EQ. Once the EQ is set up, all EQ parameters are
stored in headphones, making the personalized sound available with
any music source.
How do I access the AI voice assistant?
Answer:
You can activate a preferred voice assistant such as Alexa, Google
Assistant or Siri by pressing the headphones' voice assistant button
once. The selection of the voice assistant depends on the configura-
tion of the smartphone.
Smart Pause is too sensitive and playback is stopping unwanted?
The Smart Pause function gets calibrated every time you turn on the
headphones. Make sure that you wait until the voice prompts after
turning on the headphones are over until you put the headphones on
your ears. Doing so the sensors gets calibrated correctly.
Can I connect the MOMENTUM Wireless to more than one Blue-
tooth device simultaneously?
Answer:
You can pair the MOMENTUM Wireless with up to eight different
Bluetooth devices. The MOMENTUM Wireless stores these pairing
profiles.
You can connect the MOMENTUM Wireless to two devices simulta-
neously, e.g. to play music from a Bluetooth device and – at the same
time – be prepared for calls via your smartphone.
Can I use the MOMENTUM Wireless without the Smart Control
app?
Answer:
Yes, you can use the MOMENTUM Wireless without the Smart Con-
trol app for music playback, phone calls and voice assistant access.
The Smart Control app further enhances this experience by adding
several additional personalization options such as adjusting the
audio EQ and selecting the voice prompt language. The Smart Con-
trol app also enables you to receive the latest firmware updates.
Are the batteries replaceable?
Answer:
The batteries of the headphones can only be replaced by the Senn-
heiser Service department.

4 | MOMENTUM 3
During use...
What do I need to do to get the best experience once I unpack my
new MOMENTUM Wireless?
Answer:
1. Charge the headphones by connecting the USB-C cable.
2. Once charged, pair the headphones with your smartphone. Blue-
tooth pairing mode is automatically activated when the head-
phones are switched on. Alternatively, press the pairing button
for at least 5 seconds. In the Bluetooth menu of your smartphone,
select “MOMENTUM Wireless”.
3. Download the Sennheiser Smart Control app.
4. For further information and support, see the supplied quick guide
or the online instruction manual.
What should I check or adjust to make sure the sound is at its very
best?
Answer:
The MOMENTUM Wireless offers exceptional sound thanks to our
audiophile drivers, the internal audio EQ and the latest Bluetooth
codecs.
The sound may have been adjusted using the EQ function of the
Smart Control app. To see if this is the case, connect to the Smart
Control app and check the equalizer settings.
What settings are recommended to achieve the specified battery
life?
Answer:
The battery life of 17 hours has been measured for music playback
via Bluetooth SBC with ANC activated and an average volume level
and the Transparent Hearing function deactivated. The battery life
may differ under different operating conditions.
Will the Transparent Hearing function be affected by windy out-
door conditions?
Answer:
When using Transparent Hearing outdoors in stormy weather, wind
noise can affect the Transparent Hearing experience. Since the
MOMENTUM Wireless has been designed for mobile applications, it
uses small microphones, which due to their compact design, cannot
be optimized for strong wind conditions.
How can I unfold the headphones without turning them on?
Press the multi-function button while unfolding the ear cups and
hold the button for at least 4 seconds. The headphones remain
switched off.
How can I turn off the headphones without folding them?
When the headphones are on press and hold the multi-function
button for 6 seconds. The headphones are switched off.

MOMENTUM 3 | 5
Can I use the MOMENTUM Wireless via the USB-C cable with my
Mac/PC/tablet?
When you connect the headphones to a Mac/PC/mobile device (e.g.
tablet) using the supplied USB cable, you can play audio content
from your Mac/PC/mobile device directly through the headphones.
To use the microphone of the headphones for audio input use the
Bluetooth connection.
MOMENTUM Wireless is not charging when connecting via USB-C?
Please use the supplied Sennheiser USB-C cable or connect the
headphones to an USB-A socket using an appropriate USB-C/USB-
A cable or adapter.
How do I check for, receive and install firmware updates and when
might the first updates be available?
Answer:
When using the Sennheiser Smart Control app, you will receive a
notification once a new firmware release is available. The app will
guide you through the update process. The firmware update will be
installed wirelessly via the Bluetooth connection.
You can also search for the current status of the firmware release in
the settings of the Smart Control App.
A firmware package is normally approx. 1 MB.
How can I activate aptX on my Mac to receive the highest possible
audio quality?
Answer:
Depending on the settings, your Mac uses the SBC Bluetooth codec
by default. To check which codec is active, connect your MOMEN-
TUM Wireless to your Mac and start music playback. Press and hold
the option key, click the Bluetooth menu bar icon and navigate to the
MOMENTUM Wireless entry (‘MOMENTUM Wireless’). The currently
used codec is displayed there.
If SBC and not aptX is displayed, you can change the codec on
MacOS via the via the “Terminal” app. Open “Terminal” and copy in
this instruction:
sudo defaults write bluetoothaudiod "Enable AptX
codec" -bool true
If you prefer to use the AAC codec, just replace “aptx” with “aac” in
the above instruction.
Please note that you must enter your admin login data to change
these settings.
What is TILE?
Answer:
TILE is a Bluetooth tracker that allows you to easily locate misplaced
items. All you need is an easy-to-use app for your smartphone in
which you can, for example, register purchasable TILE Bluetooth
trackers to locate their location.
The MOMENTUM Wireless has a built-in TILE Bluetooth tracker for
which you do not need any additional equipment.
For more information, visit the TILE website:
www.thetileapp.com/

6 | MOMENTUM 3
How can I deactivate TILE function?
Answer:
Only when you registered the headphones to the TILE app the func-
tion is enabled. Otherwise the function is not active.
If you have used the TILE function (the headphones is connected to
the TILE app) and you want to deactivate the function again:
1. Make sure the headphones are connected to your smartphone via
Bluetooth.
2. Start the TILE app on your smartphone.
3. In the TILE app go to „Device settings“ and select „MOMENTUM 3“.
3. Select „Reset“.
The headphones are removed from your TILE account. The TILE
function on the headphones is deactivated.
How can I use Amazon Alexa with my headphones?
Answer:
To use Amazon Alexa as your voice assistant, you need to:
• add the headphones to the Amazon Alexa app and
• activate Alexa in the settings of the Sennheiser Smart Control
app.
1. Make sure the headphones are connected to your smartphone via
Bluetooth.
2. Start the Sennheiser Smart Control app.
3. Go to the headphone settings.
4. Activate Amazon Alexa for the voice assistant button.
5. Start the Amazon Alexa app and select “Add Device”.
6. From the list of found devices, select “MOMENTUM 3”.
You can now use Amazon Alexa with the headphones.
Why can't Amazon Alexa be activated?
Answer:
Make sure the headphones are configured to use Amazon Alexa (see
above).
After pressing the voice assistant button, you will be notified that the
Amazon Alexa app needs to be restarted. This may happen if the
Amazon Alexa app is automatically closed by the smartphone oper-
ating system. To restart the Amazon Alexa app, press the voice
assistant button twice (App iOS only). If you use Android, please
restart the App manually
Why can't the headphones be added to the Amazon Alexa app?
Answer:
1. Check that the headphones are connected to your smartphone
via Bluetooth.

MOMENTUM 3 | 7
2. Make sure that “Amazon Alexa” is activated for the voice assis-
tance button in the headphone settings of the Sennheiser Smart
Control app.
3. Make sure that the headphones are not already added as a device
in the Alexa app. Update the device list in the Alexa app (wipe
down once).
The headphones appear in the device list of the Alexa app.
Why is the operating time decreasing?
Answer:
The rechargeable battery is exhausted. Contact your Sennheiser ser-
vice partner.
If a problem occurs...
The headphones cannot be switched on/do not react to any button
press?
Answer:
Make sure that the headphones are charged.
If this is the case, perform a hardware reset of the headphones.
How can I do a hardware reset of the headphones?
Answer:
If the function of the headphones is disturbed, perform a manual
hardware reset:
• Switch the headphones on as usual.
• Press and hold the volume + button for approx. 30 seconds.
• Switch the headphones off and on again.
This will restart your headphones.
How can I reset the headphones to the factory default settings?
Answer:
If the function of the headphones is disturbed and a manual hard-
ware reset does not improve, reset the headphones to the factory
default settings. This deletes, among other things, all pairing set-
tings.
• Use the USB cable to connect the headphones to a power source.
• Connect the headphones to the Sennheiser Smart Control app
and select “Factory Defaults” from the app‘s system menu.
The headphones are reset to the factory default settings.
How can I delete the entire pairing list?
Answer:
1. Switch the headphones on.
2. Press and hold the voice assistant button for 5 seconds.

8 | MOMENTUM 3
• The headphones are in Bluetooth pairing mode. The LED
flashes blue and red.
3. Press and hold the voice assistant button again for 5 seconds.
The Bluetooth pairing list is deleted. You hear the voice prompt “Pair-
ing list cleared”. The LED flashes blue 3 times. The headphones then
stay in Bluetooth pairing mode.
What should I check if I can’t hear anything when using the head-
phones?
Answer:
Make sure that the headphones are charged and connected to your
Bluetooth device. Increase the volume on your Bluetooth device and
on the headphones by pressing the volume button on the head-
phones until you hear the voice prompt “Volume max”.
How can I adjust the headphones to a comfortable volume or make
them louder?
Answer:
Some Android smartphones have a separate volume control for the
Bluetooth headset and for the Android smartphone. Make sure that
both volume controls are set to max. To increase the volume of the
headphones, press and hold the headphones' volume button until
you hear the voice prompt “Volume max”. Now increase the smart-
phone’s volume to maximum.
For smartphones that feature “absolute volume control” such as the
Apple iPhone, there is only one volume control available, so you can
either use the smartphone’s or the headphones' volume control.
When watching videos or when gaming on my device is there a rec-
ommended way to ensure the sound is in sync with the visuals?
Answer:
Audio/video synchronization may vary depending on the Bluetooth
technology used by the device. For best results you should use a
Bluetooth device that has aptX Low Latency (LL) compatibility, which
ensures perfect synchronization of sound and image.
When using an Android OS device you may change the (developer)
settings of AVRCP to version 1.6 or higher (default of many phones
are version 1.4). This can improve the Audio Delay Compansation for
best Lip Sync.
Why is it vital to stay in my device’s range to prevent sound drop-
outs?
Answer:
Wireless calling and streaming are only possible in the Bluetooth
transmission range of your smartphone. The transmission range
largely depends on environmental conditions such as wall thickness,
wall composition etc. With a free line of sight, the transmission
range of most smartphones and Bluetooth devices is up to 10 meters.
If you, and therefore the headphones, leave the Bluetooth transmis-
sion range of the smartphone, the sound quality deteriorates
increasingly until you hear the voice prompt that your device is dis-
connected and the connection breaks down completely. If you, and
therefore the headphones, immediately re-enter the Bluetooth trans-
mission range, the connection is automatically re-established.

MOMENTUM 3 | 9
If the connection don‘t automatically re-establish press the multi-
function button 2 x to connect again.
How can I force a reconnect to my Bluetooth device?
After the connection to a paired and connected device got lost after
a certain time the reconnect needs to be triggered. Press the multi-
function button 2 x to force a reconnect .
What should I do if I have problems connecting my headphones to
the Smart Control app?
Answer:
A few smartphone models may have problems connecting the Smart
Control app to the headphones. Future app and firmware updates
will fix possible limitations of this kind.
• Try to connect the headphones to your smartphone without the
Smart Control app. Open the Bluetooth menu of your smartphone
and search for the headphones. Pair your smartphone with the
headphones. Only start the Smart Control app after the head-
phones are connected to your smartphone.
• You can try to turn the Bluetooth function of your smartphone off
and on again to reset the Bluetooth module or you can restart your
smartphone.
• You can also try the following: Go to the smartphone’s security
and location settings and turn “Use location” off and on again,
even if the location service is already turned on. This is because
some Android models require that the location service is acti-
vated when using a Bluetooth Low Energy connection. Sennhe-
iser does not use or store location information of the user for
other reasons.
• You may try to clear the pairing list of the MOMENTUM Wireless
and start the Bluetooth pairing again.
Press and hold the voice assistant button for 5 seconds.
The headphones are in Bluetooth pairing mode. 
Press and hold the voice assistant button again for 5 seconds.
The Bluetooth pairing list is deleted.
When using smartphones with Android 10 operating system, no
connection can be established between the headphones and the
Smart Control app?
Answer:
• Try to connect the headphones to your smartphone without the
Smart Control app. Open the Bluetooth menu of your smartphone
and search for the headphones. Pair your smartphone with the
headphones. Only start the Smart Control app after the head-
phones are connected to your smartphone.

10 | MOMENTUM 3
How do I ensure my voice is picked up clearly during a phone call?
Answer:
Even though the headphones is equipped with Active Noise Cancel-
lation and professional voice pick up algorithms, wind and back-
ground noise can sometimes affect the quality of a voice pick up.
Make sure that you are in the quiet place with a minimum outside
interference to ensure the best possible experience.
Why can't Amazon Alexa be activated?
Answer:
Make sure the headphones are configured to use Amazon Alexa (see
manual).
After pressing the voice assistant button, you will be notified that the
Amazon Alexa app needs to be restarted. This may happen if the
Amazon Alexa app is automatically closed by the smartphone oper-
ating system (Apple iOS only). To restart the Amazon Alexa app,
Press the voice assistant button twice.
Using Skype with MOMENTUM Wireless under Windows 10 is not
working?
Answer:
When the MOMENTUM Wireless is directly connected via Bluetooth
to a Windows 10 PC Skype is not working properly. The call control
functions via the headphones will not work. You can solve this issue
by using a USB Bluetooth dongle (e.g. Sennheiser BTD 800).
How can I contact the Sennheiser Service department?
Answer:
The contact details of your Sennheiser service partner can be found
here:
https://en-us.sennheiser.com/service-support-contact-center