Sennheiser Momentum - An Outstanding Headphone

AsSiMiLaTeD

So I've had these for a little while now, and thought I'd share a few thoughts.

Initially I really didn't like these all that much, and after some initial burn in and listening I put them in the closet. I decided to pull them back out a few days back and burn them in for another 50 hours or so, and wow what a difference! These are some seriously good headphones.

Instead of going into a long winded review here, I'll link to a couple reviews that I think summarize these very well. Here's my quick one sentence review though: These are gorgeous headphones that are made with premium materials and are extremely comfortable, and they have many audiophile qualities and a sound signature to die for.

I don't always agree with Tyll at InnerFidelity and don't agree with every point in this review, but overall I agree and feel it captures the essence of the headphones very well:
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/very-adult-sennheiser-momentum

Oddly enough, the PCMag review is also pretty well done also:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2410215,00.asp

I've found that these sound very good with every type of music, and are certainly worth a look

canadianicon25

good info

AsSiMiLaTeD

Six weeks later and I'm still loving these!

These have replaced all the other headphones I was using for portable or semi-portable use. Previously I would swap between my PSB, V-Moda M80, V-Moda M100 and Sennheiser HD-25II. These have replaced all those.

- Compared to the M80 they are more comfortable and have much better detail retrieval. As good as the M80 are, they don't hold up against the Momentum, and I'm fine with that because they can be had for about half the price.
- Compared to the HD-25 the Momentum have maybe slightly less detail, but are less bright and listenable for longer periods of time. I'd argue they are more musical and certainly fit my taste better as well, but that's more subjective.
- Compared to the M100 the bass is a little more loose on the Momentum and they probably have about the same amount of high end detail. The mids are MUCH better on the Momentum though, the mids on the M100 are quite recessed
- The comparison to the PSB is much closer, at least in terms of how much I like each headphone. The PSB have a bit more neutral sound and are certainly more forward, but aren't what I'd call bright either. Honestly, on sound quality alone I could convince myself that either of these is the headphone for me, but once I factor in the comfort and the fact that the Momentums don't need batteries to get the sound I like the Sennheisers get the nod.

The Momentum just have that Sennheiser 'house' sound that I like so much, just a tad laid back sound that's very smooth and musical. They're not what I'd call overly energetic like a Grado headphone, but they're still alot of fun to listen to and their sound signature is such that I can listen for hours without getting worn out.

sucks2beme

So what is your headphone inventory now?
I've heard the PSB and have been thinking about these Senns.
I shed some Stax stuff and now have
Senn HD-650
Grado sr-100
Grado RS-1
Stax sr-202
Stax sr-40

AsSiMiLaTeD

I've shed a few models as well, here's my total inventory.

Desktop:
Senn HD600
Senn HD800
Beyer Dynamic DT880 (600 ohm)

Portable:
Sennheiser Momentum
PSB M4U2
V-Moda M80
V-Moda M100
Sennheiser HD25-II

I've got a couple IEMs as well. I just bought a pair of Etymotic that I'm having custom molds made for, can't wait to hear that setup. I also have and frequently use a pair of the new 'earPods' from Apple and they're actually not horrible - they're not great and I expect I'll use them alot less once I get the Ety package in but they're actually decent and light years beyond the crappy earbuds they've used for so long.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Compared to the HD600, the Momeentums don't have the airy open sound that the Senns have (and within their category I don't think the 600s have that open of a sound compared to, say, the Beyers). Other than that, they're a very similar sound which is probably why I like them so much. They are a little more pronounced (and loose) in the bass, have an almost identical mid-range, and have maybe a tad less detail up top. So really in every way they're not quite as good as the HD600, but with the exception of the soundstage the differences are marginal. Keep in mind though that I'm running the HD600 on roughly $1K worth of gear and the Momentum are being driven straight out of a frikkin' iPod.

I think the reason I like them so much is because they're similar to the HD600, which are actually my favorite headphone and the one I listen to the most, so when I change rigs from the desktop to the portable setup I don't get a whole different sound as well. Going from the HD600 to the PSB was a more drastic change, going to the Momentum is exactly what you'd think going to a portable setup of the same headphone would sound like - same sound signature but with a sound that isn't quite as good

coolsax

Assimilated... have you had a chance to get your hands on a pair of sony's new can's? the MDR 1R.. i heard these in the sony Store recently and was impressed. and its bluetooth version has gotten a good review as well from Jude at Head-fi,... trying to decide between it and the Momentum as my next portable as i want to try something new over my P5

sucks2beme

There is a head-fi meet in Austin in the 1st Saturday of March.
It might be a good visit. I believe due to the size they rented convention space,
and there's a marginal cost. Check the local meets section of head-fi.

coolsax

nice may have to check that out.. i hadn't been the getogether section of headfi in awhile.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I've spent a good bit of time (few hours) with the MDR-1, but do not own that headphone currently. I feel like I'm qualified to make a few statements though:

First, the Sony are some of the most comfortable closed headphones I've ever worn, and I feel like most people will find them to be as comfortable as I did. The Momentum is really just as comfortable for me, but for people with larger ears they may not be as comfortable, so the Sony will probably fit more people better, the difference only becomes an issue if you have larger ears though.

In terms of design and quality I feel like the Momentum has better materials, you get real leather on the momentum vs pleather on the Sony. Both headphones have some plastic, but there's more on the Sony and the Ithe plastic on the Senn I believe is some kind of glass filled job and, again, feels more premium. Ultimately though, neither of these headphones feels like something I would want to throw around carelessly, and neither one feels overly fragile compared to the other. I like the cable on the Momentum better, the plug is heavy duty and has a variable angle and the buttons for iPod controls are metal and feel very solid. The controls on the Senn cable can be a little tricky to use blind at first because there's not a great distinction in feel between the three, but after a few hours of use it's no longer an issue.

In terms of sound, honestly I found them to be a bit dull but very accurate. I don't think these are accurate in the sense that they dig out every last bit of detail, they just have what seems like a flat response and do a good job with acoustic instruments. They actually have a little better soundstage compared to the Momentum but overall presentation is very similar, if anything the Momentum sounds a bit more congested but not by much. My biggest issue with the Sony is that they sound a bit lifeless to me, and they don't have any sparkle on the high end. I would not call the Momentum an exciting headphone or overly energetic, but compared to the Sony they're much more fun to listen to.

Keep in mind, that's all being powered by an iPod, I get the feeling that the Sony may respond better to a good headphone amp than the Sennheiser, which I feel was built specifically to be powered by a portable device.

coolsax

thanks that's a great view on your thoughts and glad you've had a chance to listen to them... sounds like i may have to order both and return the one i don't like.. these are the two i'm most considering.. i've tried the AKG 550 and thought it was ok but didn't blow me away. I really liked what i heard when I listened to the MDR 1R in the sony store, but I didn't really get to stick around long and it was tested with the music already on the sony tablet it was attached too. Unfortunately I haven't had a chance to listen to the momentum yet, but I like the Sennheiser sound as evidenced by my HD 650. I just worry that the Momentum sounds too much like the p5's i have and I'm wanting to try something different.

AsSiMiLaTeD

Oh, well I can tell you that the Momentum sounds nothing like the P5, I bought and returned both the P5 and P3 because I didn't like either of them. The Sennheiser has a MUCH better top end than either of those, and it's not bright by any means, but much more revealing and less colored overall than either.

coolsax

interesting good to hear... maybe someone will have them for the austin Headfi meet in March.. that's tempting to check out.

Haman03

The Momentum headphones design and engineering expertise while superb performance and comfort.
• Balanced, smooth, and natural sound quality
• Detachable smart remote and microphone

sucks2beme

I sense a huge spam storm about to happen.

jelkinsmith

Hello,
Sennheiser headphones are good, I have using then long ago. still they give me a crystal quality sound. And I am happy with
sennheiser.

nspindel

I just bought a pair from jwhitakr, but they're a Father's Day gift from my wife so I can't touch them yet!

nspindel

Just got my Fathers Day gift. These are definitely winners!!!!

PrazVT

I picked up some Momentum HPs today as well, for use with my Galaxy Note 2 & iPod; I've only had a couple of hrs with them, but I really like them! The sonics are similar to my HD600s, which makes me happy :0)

I picked up a pair of AKG k451s the other day, but promptly returned them as they sounded ridiculously muffled compared to my HD600s (not that I was expecting the same experience from a pair of $150 cans). I listened to the B&W P5s for a bit in the store today as well. Didn't spend much time with them, but they sounded OK. Better than the AKGs, but not quite the same experience as the Momentum.

poguy

It is really good !

Nightfall

poguy wrote: »

It is really good !

Go. Away.

cstmar01

I have a friend who just purchased these and I normally use HD600s for my main cans. All I can say is that I was very pleased with these off an iPhone and really thought they were a good sounding unit. So much that I will be buying these soon as I was very impressed with them.

My friend was a big headphone guy and was into beats etc. after owning the senns he said he can't believe the money he wasted on the others he bought before and how much more balanced they sound compared to other headphones he had.

halo

I hear Senn is coming out with a "mini" version of the Momentum.

Big Dawg

halo wrote: »

I hear Senn is coming out with a "mini" version of the Momentum.

Yes, the on-ear version. I think they are about 2/3s the price. Also getting good reviews, I've not heard the new ones yet.

http://en-us.sennheiser.com/momentum-on-ear

eeagle

I just picked up the Sennheiser Momentum Brown - Like New Condition from the Sennheiser outlet store online and I could not tell them from new; original package, case, cables, instructions, I like them a lot. They are pretty much everything all the reviewers claim, super light weight, nice soft leather on ears and headband and a very easy to drive low impedance of 18 ohms making them easy to drive with a portable or laptop.

Sound is fantastic; smaller than I though, agree with most reviewers in that I would classify them as on ear, not over ear. Bear in mind they are closed headphones so that traditional open sound Sennheiser is famous for might disappoint some; but closed means better isolation from external noise, and of course from bothering someone sitting near you.

I also have some HD580 (equivalent to HD600 but plastic) open headphones, which I still like the best, but really need a headphone amp to drive their 300 ohm impedance.

The Momentums are really a great addition to the Sennheiser line, and I would highly recommend them. Can't speak to the smaller "on ear" variety, but suspect they would not disappoint.

Store: http://en-us.sennheiser.com/outletstore

AsSiMiLaTeD

I'm actually going to be posting another thread here in a day or two comparing these with a couple new entries on the market now. I won't spoil it, but depending on what you listen to the Momentum may no longer be my blanket recommendation for the best over ear sealed portable headphone.

audiocr381ve

I thought about making these an early Christmas gift to myself tomorrow based off this & many other glowing reviews. I'm currently rocking the AKG K240 MKII's and the bass is just to lean for my tastes. I noticed the HD600's & HiFiMan HE-500's in your sig. Are those worth saving up a little more for?

AsSiMiLaTeD

The headphones in my sig are in a completely different league in terms of sound and application. The Momentum are a portable can that can be driven from an iPod, the others are higher end phones that are better in every single way but need a headphone amp to get them there.

Apples and oranges...

If you're thinking portable, I'd also have a look at the NAD HP50 and Bowers P7, the latter now being my favorite portable headphone.

audiocr381ve

AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »

The headphones in my sig are in a completely different league in terms of sound and application. The Momentum are a portable can that can be driven from an iPod, the others are higher end phones that are better in every single way but need a headphone amp to get them there.

Apples and oranges...

If you're thinking portable, I'd also have a look at the NAD HP50 and Bowers P7, the latter now being my favorite portable headphone.

I think I'm pretty much set on head amps. I'm using the JDS Labs cMoyBB on the road and the Apogee Duet 2 in my desktop rig.

I went to Best Buy (Magnolia) and auditioned the Momentums along with the B&W P5's & Senheiser HD598's. The Momentums had a nice sound. Definitely a step up from my AKG K240 MkII's. To me the momentums shined on the top end. Really nice sparkle and detail. The HD598's weren't bad, but they lacked the depth and sparkle of the momentums. The B&W P5's were absolute garbage. Really dull sounding, muddy, no sparkle. I don't know why they're priced at $299.

I think I'd be happy with the Momentums, but I still want a little more in the midrange. I want something smoother with really nice mid bass thump & definition. The studio monitors I'm using in my desktop rig have absolutely spoiled me with their folded ribbon tweeter & mid bass glory (Emotiva Airmotiv 4....Emo did this monitors right). The tweeter is just perfect.

Any suggestions?

nspindel

Yes. Grado. Mids is what they are known for. Choose your model based on your budget.

audiocr381ve

nspindel wrote: »

Yes. Grado. Mids is what they are known for. Choose your model based on your budget.

How is the bass on the Grado's? It looks like all of them are open back to?