Sennheiser is a German audio legend. They've been making microphones and headphones longer than most of us have been alive. The Momentum True Wireless 4 is their flagship on the earbud side, and it's priced accordingly.
Valco NL25 is an earbud from a 14-person Finnish company, tuned by Jasse – a man whose ears are insured and whose opinions on frequency response you really don't want to challenge at the pub.
So which one should you buy? Depends on what you care about.
Sound quality: both deliver, different philosophy
Sennheiser is known for neutral, studio-like sound. The Momentum TW4 doesn't disappoint here. The sound is precise, detailed, and pleasant. Sennheiser has decades of experience, and you can't downplay that.
NL25 doesn't even try to be a neutral studio monitor. Jasse's tuning is all about enjoying music. Bass is just right, the midrange is clear, and the highs won't bite your ears even during long listening sessions. The APTX Adaptive codec makes sure the signal stays high quality. The difference is a matter of taste – literally. Both are good.
ANC and features
Sennheiser does great noise cancelling. It's one of the best in earbuds. No way around that.
NL25's ANC works. It kills the office hum, the airplane rumble, and the bus engine drone. Is it quite on Sennheiser's level? Not necessarily. Is the difference something you'd notice in everyday life? Probably not. Both have a transparency mode, and both handle it just fine.
Both have wireless charging for the case. NL25 has Bluetooth 5.4, Sennheiser also 5.4. Dead heat here.
Battery life on the NL25 is 4.5 hours with ANC on, 6 hours without. Sennheiser promises about 7 hours with ANC. Sennheiser wins on battery, clearly. If flight duration is a deciding factor for you, that's good to know.
Price and repairability
And now the part where things get interesting.
Sennheiser Momentum TW4 costs around €250–300. NL25 costs significantly less. With the difference, you could buy a fair few barbecue sausages – or fund a tiny fraction of our Death Star.
But the bigger difference is what happens when something breaks. Sennheiser's buds meet the same fate as every other big brand's buds: they go in the bin and you buy new ones. Valco has its own repair shop in Kajaani. Jasse or one of the other repair guys fixes the device. We don't throw headphones away.
It's a matter of principle. And an environmental issue. But above all, it's a money issue – your money.
Who should pick Sennheiser?
By all means, buy Sennheiser if:
- You want the absolute best ANC in earbuds and you're willing to pay for it
- Battery life is critical for you – 7 hours is more than 4.5
- The Sennheiser brand matters to you. That's a fair reason. They have a history we respect
- You know the name of Sennheiser's CEO (you don't, but that's fine)
Sennheiser is a good product. We're not claiming otherwise.
Who should pick NL25?
Buy NL25 if:
- You want excellent sound quality without making your bank account cry
- Repairability matters to you – you don't want to bin your earbuds after a year and a half
- APTX Adaptive codec interests you and Android is your phone
- You want to support a 14-person Finnish company instead of a faceless corporation
- Memory foam tips sound appealing – they seal your ear canal better than basic silicone
- Vincent van Gogh mode sounds useful (one earbud at a time, when you need to hear your surroundings)
Summary
| | NL25 | Sennheiser MTW4 |
|---|---|---|
| Sound quality | Excellent, Jasse's tuning | Excellent, neutral |
| ANC | Good | Very good |
| Battery (ANC) | 4.5 h | ~7 h |
| Repairability | Own repair shop in Kajaani | Practically not repairable |
| Bluetooth | 5.4, APTX Adaptive | 5.4, aptX Adaptive |
| Wireless charging | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Significantly cheaper | €250–300 |
Sennheiser is a great earbud. NL25 is a great earbud for less money, and it can be repaired. If ANC and battery life are absolute priorities, Sennheiser is a strong choice. If you want the best bang for your buck and a device that won't end up in a landfill – NL25.
Every NL25 purchase funds 0.000001% of our Death Star. Henri has already budgeted a Ferrari into that project, so your help is needed. Sennheiser's money goes to something German – probably an Audi. You decide.
