Momentum 4 vs Px7 S2e: These ‘little details’ made ALL the difference! (Best headphones under $400?)

Product being reviewed

Comparison of Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e vs Sennheiser Momentum 4 (best headphones under ~$400).

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Key features compared

Price / deals

• Momentum 4: MSRP $379 (US), often seen below $300
• Px7 S2e: MSRP $399, can be found refurbished on B&W’s site as low as ~$230
• Overall: can end up about the same price depending on deals.

Included accessories / case

• Both include a nice case plus charging and audio cables.
• Momentum 4 case:
  • Bulky, but has a carabiner loop for clipping outside the bag
  • Low power mode auto-feature when placed in the case
  • Annoyance: if you power off via long-press and then put them in the case, they may turn back on and reconnect
• Px7 S2e case:
  • Feels fantastic with great storage space
  • Bulkier and no carabiner loop
• Charging cable details:
  • Momentum 4: USB-C to USB-C
  • Px7 S2e: includes USB-C charging; no audio jack (only charging/listen via USB-C in the included ecosystem)

Verdict on case: “Tie,” but Sennheiser’s case annoyance can be a dealbreaker if you hate that behavior.

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Battery life

• Momentum 4: up to 60 hours
• Px7 S2e: up to 30 hours

Power management behavior differs:

• Px7 S2e: “better” power management—turns off after being off-head for a few minutes
• Momentum 4: enters low power mode that may auto-reconnect when worn again

Quick charge:

• Momentum 4: 4 hours in 5 minutes
• Px7 S2e: 7 hours in 15 minutes

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User interface & controls

Momentum 4

• One-button simplicity: power + Bluetooth pairing
• Everything else via touch controls on the right earcup
• On-ear detection can struggle when adjusting with glasses
• Includes:
  • USB-C port for charging/audio
  • 2.5mm audio jack
• Design:
  • Mostly plastic
  • Replaceable “protein leather” ear cups
  • 316 g

Px7 S2e

• Buttons for everything (music, volume, calls, assistant); no touch
• Auto pause on takeoff/put-on works more reliably than Momentum 4
• Can be customized in the app
• Build:
  • Plastic with metal trims
  • Fabric + protein leather elements
  • 307 g
• Only one USB-C port, no audio jack
  • For wired use/charging simultaneously: relies on USB-C audio

Interface verdict:

• Tie overall—touch wins for some (Momentum 4), buttons win for reliability (Px7 S2e).

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App / software

• Both have apps, but focus differs:
  • Momentum 4 app: more “features-focused”
  • Px7 S2e app (described as a “Music Hub”): connects streaming services; doubles as the command center for features
• Sound personalization:
  • Momentum 4 app: extensive options
    • Graphic EQ + base boost
    • Podcast mode
    • EQ presets
    • Programmable EQ
    • Audio test personalization
    • Programmable sound zones that apply EQ + noise cancelling based on location
  • Px7 S2e app: simpler
    • Only a 2-band EQ

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Build quality / reliability reports (pros/cons)

• Momentum 4:
  • Early run had more quality control/connectivity bugs
  • Example: one reviewer’s first pair had the power button break within a day
  • Connectivity issues were reported earlier; said to be improved
• Px7 S2e:
  • Reports of leather/earpad/headband detaching after use (also mentioned as more common on older models)
  • Reviewer personally hadn’t seen it on their unit

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Comfort

Momentum 4

• Soft pads + relaxed clamp force = great seal, good with glasses
• Cons:
  • Pads are a bit shallow internally (ears may touch foam)
  • Tends to get hot/uncomfortable in warm/humid environments

Px7 S2e

• Firmer pads with wider opening = better ear fit (also with glasses)
• Tighter clamp but comfortable; loosens over a few months
• Cons:
  • Firmer pads don’t mold as well → potentially more noise leakage
  • More comfortable overall for heat sensitivity

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Noise cancelling & transparency

Momentum 4

• Stronger performance
  • Noise cancelling described as much better
  • Blocks more noise
• Has Adaptive noise cancelling or manual levels (slider/touch)
• Limitation: unclear way to turn both noise cancelling and transparency off together
• Includes wind noise reduction
• Adds behaviors:
  • Auto-pause when entering transparency
  • Can automatically enable transparency during phone calls

Px7 S2e

• Control of:
  • Noise cancelling on/off
  • Pass-through on/off
  • Via app and/or left ear button
• Pass-through performance: “about on par” with Momentum 4
• Wind noise reduction: mentioned as useful

Noise cancelling verdict: Momentum 4 wins for NC effectiveness, with a control limitation.

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Call quality / microphones

• Both reject outside noise well.
• Overall:
  • Reviewer prefers Px7 S2e calls: “simpler” / better experience
  • Others report Momentum 4 microphone sounds better
• Verdict: Tie on call quality.

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Sound quality comparison (major section)

Common technical notes

• Similar codec support (SBC, AAC, AAC Adaptive mention; includes Bluetooth 5.2)
• Multi-connect supported (pair up to 8 devices) with reliable switching
• USB-C audio (“D mode”) for best wired sound quality behavior

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Sound profile

Momentum 4 (base-forward / exciting)

• More exciting, more base/subbase
• Dip in mids + spikes in highs for detail/energy

Pros:

• Excellent for jazz, classical, and “exciting” music
• Good timbre, especially for classical/string instruments

Cons:

• Can become exhausting on long listening sessions
• Upper tuning can feel harsh at times
• Volume limits: doesn’t go very low on volume; max volume isn’t “super loud” due to a voice-area dip
• More likely to fatigue vs Px7 S2e

Px7 S2e (warm/relaxing / slightly veiled)

• Default tuning: warm, relaxing, great for long general listening

Pros:

• Comfortable sound over time, less fatiguing
• Mids/voices and instruments presented full
• Good separation/directionality

Cons:

• Can be dark, bass can feel overpowering
• Less detail in upper registers → sounds slightly veiled
• Less crisp edges (e.g., violins not as natural)

EQ tip: treble boost in the EQ can bring back some clarity.

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Genre recommendations (explicit)

• Momentum 4 preferred for: classical, hip hop, jazz (often), rock, metal, and most electronic; “more exciting/critical listening”
• Px7 S2e preferred for: indie folk/indie rock, more relaxed jazz; long chill sessions

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Movies / video

• Px7 S2e is overall better for movies: voices are clearer relative to the mix
• Momentum 4 is more exciting, but S2e wins on voice clarity

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Final overall verdict (from the video)

• Most people will be happier with Momentum 4 because it offers:
  • Better noise cancelling
  • More exciting sound
  • Much stronger personalization/features
• Personal preference of the reviewer for overall sound: Px7 S2e

Choosing guidance:

• Pick Px7 S2e if you want:
  • Relaxed sound
  • Reliable comfort in heat/humidity
  • Simpler app EQ
  • Better call/movie voice clarity
  • And noise cancelling isn’t your top priority
• Pick Momentum 4 if you want:
  • Maximum NC performance
  • Feature-rich tuning/zones
  • And you don’t mind potential long-session fatigue

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Unique points mentioned (complete list)

• Momentum 4 vs Px7 S2e: both popular reviewed models
• Pricing: MSRP $379 vs $399; frequent sales; Px7 refurbished as low as ~$230
• Both include cases + cables; Momentum case has carabiner loop; S2e case feels fantastic with more storage but no loop
• Px7 case feature advantage: Momentum case low-power behavior can turn headphones back on / reconnect after power-off when placed inside case
• Momentum charger/audio: USB-C to USB-C (may need a USB-C charger)
• Battery: 60h (Momentum) vs 30h (S2e)
• Power management: S2e better auto-off; Momentum’s low-power mode smart reconnect behavior
• Quick charge: Momentum 4h/5m vs S2e 7h/15m
• Control differences: touch controls (Momentum) vs physical buttons (Px7); on-ear detection sometimes struggles with glasses (Momentum) but is more reliable (Px7)
• Connectivity/usage: Momentum has 2.5mm audio jack; Px7 lacks audio jack and relies on USB-C audio
• Build: Momentum mostly plastic; S2e more refined look/feel with metal trims and fabric + leather components
• Weight: 316 g (Momentum) vs 307 g (Px7)
• Reported quality issues: Momentum had more QC/connectivity bugs; S2e has some leather/earpad/headband detachment reports
• Interface verdict: tie overall—touch vs buttons
• Comfort differences: Momentum shallow pads + can get hot; Px7 firmer pads, better fit with glasses, less heat discomfort but tighter clamp and more leakage
• Noise cancelling: Momentum substantially better; transparency/pass-through about equal; Momentum may lack clear “off both” behavior
• Wind noise reduction: both have it; Momentum said useful
• Auto behaviors with ANC modes: Momentum can auto-pause in transparency and during calls; Px7 has on/off pass-through/NC controls
• Call quality: tie; reviewer prefers Px7 for simplicity; others say Momentum mic sounds better
• Sound codecs/Bluetooth: both Bluetooth 5.2; similar codec support; multi-connect to 8 devices; auto switching reliable
• Wired/best sound: both include USB-C audio “D mode”; Momentum usable with 2.5mm but reviewer dislikes frequency response shift and hears buzzing
• Personalization: Momentum very robust (EQ + zones + app tests + programmable EQ); Px7 simpler 2-band EQ (still praised for ease)
• Default sound signatures: Momentum base-forward/exciting; Px7 warm/relaxed/darker/veiled
• Momentum sound strengths: excellent timbre for classical/string; good separation; decent soundstage
• Momentum sound weaknesses: harshness/exhaustion over long sessions; overwhelming sub-bass initially; volume behavior not ideal
• Px7 strengths: long listening comfort; full mids/voices; good separation but less upper detail
• Px7 weaknesses: dark veil, less crisp treble edges; bass can feel overpowering
• Genre preferences (explicit): Momentum for classical + excitement genres; Px7 for indie/relax and long chill
• Movies: Px7 overall better for voices

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Speakers / contributors

• Single speaker (Norb): The entire summary reflects Norb’s comparison and personal testing preferences; no other named speakers are present (only mentions of “people told me” about mic quality).