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Sennheiser India Head on Momentum 5, Replaceable Batteries, and Why Sound Still Comes First

Sennheiser India Head on Momentum 5, Replaceable Batteries, and Why Sound Still Comes First

Saahil Kumar, Country Head, Sennheiser (Consumer), India, explains how user-replaceable batteries can change the game in the premium audio space.

Written by Rohan Pal, Edited by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 24 September 2026 17:44 IST

Sennheiser India Head on Momentum 5, Replaceable Batteries, and Why Sound Still Comes First

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Highlights

Sennheiser Momentum 5 and Momentum 5 TWS were launched in India recently
Sennheiser wants its premium products to last longer
Here’s what you need to know

For years, battery life has been one of the most important specifications on a pair of wireless headphones or TWS earbuds. We have seen brands talking about the improved battery life on their latest products and how many hours you can get on a single charge. But they don't talk about what happens when the battery itself starts to degrade. We all know the struggle of replacing earbuds' batteries. However, Sennheiser has come up with a solution that could change how we use wireless headphones and TWS earbuds and their longevity. The company recently introduced the Momentum 5 Wireless and Momentum True Wireless 5 that feature user-replaceable batteries. Gadgets360 sat down with Saahil Kumar, Country Head, Sennheiser (Consumer), India, to understand how user-replaceable batteries will help customers, its strategy around premium audio products, and more. Here's what you need to know.

A Paradigm Shift in Premium Audio Space

Saahil believes that there is a paradigm shift in consumer behaviour, especially in the premium space. “We are very excited about this market, and that's why you see us bringing these ultra-premium products with so much speed to the Indian market. We are already seeing massive success with our Momentum 4 headphones. While it was a global hit, it is also our number one SKU right now," he said

Kumar believes India's premium audio market has changed considerably over the past few years, with consumers now increasingly willing to spend more on audio products. However, their expectations from a premium product have also expanded. “In the last four to five years, I think the biggest change that has happened is the way that we have premiumized, defying the category price points. We have ensured that there are these set of people who want to invest in these kinds of products," he added.

Saahil Kumar, Country Head, Sennheiser (Consumer), India

Kumar also highlighted that consumers are now willing to spend more, which is also pushing brands to offer more than better sound. Brands are trying to offer features like ANC, battery life, design, and more, while still delivering the listening experience expected from a premium product. “The consumer that we see now is also very much keen to know what will happen to his headphone because he is buying an expensive headphone,” Kumar said. “That is where this unique feature that we mentioned of the user-replaceable battery will come in a long way, in giving it peace of mind to the consumers. The brand is there for you if your headphones run into a battery issue. You can just order a new one, and you can replace it instead of buying a completely new headphone,” he further added.

Sennheiser Still Wants Sound to be the Main Reason to Buy

That being said, Sennheiser still wants sound to be the primary factor for a premium audio product like headphones or TWS. Saahil believes that the market has become increasingly feature-led, but Sennheiser does not want those additions to come at the expense of its traditional focus on audio quality. “For us, sound has been our biggest factor. Whenever any product comes up, the first non-negotiable thing is the sound. With these products, we also have to build on other features. The ANC is 3x better, but if I just talk about sound, I am very proud to share that Momentum 5 headphones have the same transducer that is used in our very popular HD 600 audiophile headphones,” he said.

Kumar says the idea behind putting so much effort into a premium product like Momentum 5 is to make high-quality sound more accessible without forcing consumers into traditional audiophile setups. "That is the kind of effort that we are putting in to democratise high-fidelity sound. The customer should not feel that they only have to buy an audiophile product and then buy amps to get that quality. We are ensuring that with these products, even portable on-the-go people can buy and experience superlative sound," he further added.

Booming Streaming Industry is Generating More Demand for High-Quality Audio Products

The company also sees a wider opportunity as more streaming services introduce higher-quality and lossless formats in India. Kumar believes this could encourage consumers to pay more attention to the quality of the hardware they use to listen to music. “There has been a massive explosion of these streaming platforms, and now they are also bringing lossless streaming to India. So there is this set of consumers who want to push the boundaries of sound, and I think Sennheiser is at the forefront because for our 80 years of legacy, one thing that has always stood out for us versus the other players in the market is that for us, the biggest benefit for someone buying into our products is the sound quality,” he said.

Kumar further added that the company tries to push the boundaries of the sound. “With these new streaming platforms bringing new file formats, lossless formats, I think the audience has the right mixture of the things to take the most out of these devices,” he further added.

Replaceable Batteries Are Meant to Extend Product Life

One of the biggest changes in the new Momentum lineup is how easy it is to replace the batteries. The company has revealed that you can simply replace the batteries at the convenience of your home, without worrying about going to and fro to the service centres. Sennheiser sees the feature as part of a longer conversation around what happens to premium electronics after their initial battery life is over.

Kumar says the company has been speaking to consumers about what they expect from products after they are done using them. “We have been globally talking to our consumers about what they expect. One key insight we have, and it's not only for this category overall, is that consumers today are very keen on what will happen to their devices after they're done using them. They want to know what sustainable measures have been taken,” he said.

Most importantly, product longevity is becoming part of that discussion for Sennheiser. “One of our philosophies is the longevity of our products, so we don't want our products, consumers to use our products and not know what to do with them in like one year or two years' time…With a user-replaceable battery, that kind of consumer need, where people are becoming very sustainability-conscious, they don't want to add to the e-waste of the world, that is being answered, and also at the same time they have complete peace of mind that they don't have to change the entire headphone or TWS if there is some issue with it,” Kumar said.

“We will be extremely happy if our customers have an option to use our products for a long time by changing the batteries. Of course, when you look at the audience, with us as a brand, we are pushing boundaries of sound. Even our customers want to try out new things, but the battery will not be a reason for that,” he further added.

Battery Pricing Still Remains the Big Question

For a market like India, the biggest question for the user-replaceable batteries is pretty straightforward: how much will they cost and how easy will it be to get one? Sennheiser says consumers will not necessarily have to visit a service centre to replace the battery. "They don't have to send their product to our service centre, so there is no service cost. What they have to do is they have just to order the battery, and they can change it at their home with a screwdriver," he said. The company didn't reveal battery pricing during the interview. However, Kumar said that the brand will soon roll out everything on their website.

On battery availability, Kumar said the company also plans to make it available through its website rather than requiring consumers to go through a service centre. "It will be just like an e-commerce business. People can just come to our website. Like we already have people who order ear pads or other accessories. Sometimes people use our audiophile headphones for a long time, and they have to change the ear pads. Similarly, the battery will be listed as one of the spare parts on our website, and people can just go, transact and place an order, and the battery will be shipped to them."

Indian Audio Market is Expanding in More Ways

Sennheiser believes India's audio market is becoming more mature in another way. Consumers are increasingly choosing different products for different situations instead of expecting one pair of headphones or earbuds to do everything. “I think one interesting thing that we are seeing is that it is no longer a time when it is a one-size-fits-all kind of approach. So people are ready to invest in multiple form factors for their different applications,” he revealed.

Kumar says TWS remains the biggest form factor in India, particularly for people with active lifestyles, while headphones continue to have a place for longer listening sessions and travel. “TWS is the largest, most popular form factor in India for the category. I would say headphones are for someone who would like to have good music or enjoy their content, movie streaming, even on their flights or while travelling and all, where they want to be more relaxed and listening for a long period of time,” Kumar explained.

Interestingly, Sennheiser is also seeing some younger consumers move back towards wired products. “Another trend that has been very well covered in the media is that now we are also seeing a very keen interest of people, some of the Gen Z, going back to wired products also,” he said

For Sennheiser, that plays into its broad portfolio across TWS, wireless headphones and audiophile products. “We have headphones, we have TWS. We make audiophile headphones. So there is an entire gamut of products which appeal to different applications, and our market is maturing where people are ordering not only one headphone; they are also going for multiple form factors for different applications,” he concluded.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 5 True Wireless Stereo (TWS) Earphones

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Colour Copper

Headphone Type In-Ear

Microphone Yes

Connectivity True Wireless Stereo (TWS)

Type Earphones

More Sennheiser Headphones & Headset

Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless Headphones

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Headphone Type Over-Ear

Microphone Yes

Connectivity Wireless

Type Headphones

More Sennheiser Headphones & Headset

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Rohan Pal

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Rohan Pal is the Assistant Editor at Gadgets360. With over 8 years of experience in technology, he has worked with multiple organizations, specializing in smartphones, laptops, wearables, appliances, and more. His passion for technology prompts him to curate and share tech news, guides, reviews, and how-tos. Off the clock, you'll spot him delving into the world of anime or lightening the team's mood with a steady flow of quirky memes. You can reach out to him at rohanp@ndtv.com. More