Is the Nothing Ear 3 worth the upgrade from the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 5?
Verdict
Downgrade
The Nothing Ear 3 actually scores 6.0 points below the Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 5, so on aggregate review consensus this is a step backwards. The gains are concentrated in battery (7.0 to 8.0) and value (7.0 to 8.0). You do give up ground on sound (9.0 to 8.0) and noise cancelling (8.0 to 7.5). On paper: full charge time 90 min to 70 min, driver size 7 mm to 12 mm and microphones 4 to 6. Worth checking: battery life goes 12 h to 10 h and bluetooth goes 6.0 to 5.4. It is at least $139 cheaper, so the lower score comes with a saving. Only worth it if a specific feature above matters more to you than overall quality does.
What actually changes
Sub-scores both products have, on the same 0-10 scale. Bars extend right for a gain, left for a loss.
- Sound9.08.0
- Noise cancelling8.07.5
- Battery7.08.0
- Calls7.07.0
- Value7.08.0
Spec differences
Only where the two genuinely differ - everything they share is omitted.
| Spec | MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 | Ear 3 | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battery life | 12 h | 10 h | |
| Codecs | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless | SBC, AAC, LDAC | |
| Bluetooth | 6.0 | 5.4 | |
| Battery incl. case | 40 h | 38 h | |
| Full charge time | 90 min | 70 min | |
| Driver size | 7 mm | 12 mm | |
| Microphones | 4 | 6 | |
| Case weight | 55 g | 71.4 g | |
| ANC type | adaptive | hybrid | |
| Quick charge | 8 min = 1 h | 5 min = 10 h | |
| Driver | TrueResponse transducers | dynamic | |
| Frequency response | 5 Hz - 21 kHz | 20 Hz - 40 kHz |
About this verdict
Direction matters here: this page answers "MOMENTUM True Wireless 5 to Ear 3". The other direction is a separate question with a different answer. Scores blend published review verdicts across true wireless and shift as new reviews land, so a marginal call today may not be one next quarter.