Sennheiser Momentum Headphones

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Bill, Apr 17, 2013.

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  1. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    Best Buy stores that have a Magnolia home theater section will have the Momentum for audition. Their demo stations allow for plugging in your own portable device so you can audition them with your own music.

    The Momentum is a headphone suited for portable use (directly from an iPhone or other portable) with rock or electronic music. They have some bass enhancement which makes them not a neutral headphone and not what I would consider a balanced headphone sound. Given modern portable friendly headphone standards they're much more balanced than most. But sill not a balanced headphone.

    If you want them strictly for use with a portable device and listen only to rock, hip-hop, electronic, or other music that can mesh with some bass boost then they're possibly OK. Still, at $350 I consider them overpriced. If they were more balanced they could be worth the price. But for a headphone that can't really do classical or jazz or some styles of rock because of the bass boost? nah, not interested. I listen to too much variety of music to be saddled with a $350 headphone that can only play some music.

    I'd much rather have my $140 Brainwavz HM5 than a Sennheiser Momentum. Even if the Momentum was given to me for free and I had to pay for my own HM5. The Momentum is more portable friendly in that its easier to drive than the HM5. But the HM5 is still driven fine from an iPod or from a laptop. The HM5 is much much more balanced. I can listen to any type or style of music with them and the music will sound right. Can't say they same for the Momentum. The HM5 also sounds more open and spacious than the Momentum, though both are closed headphones.
     
  2. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    They're priced high, but I always buy my cans used from guys at Head-fi, where the going rate is about $150.
     
  3. tagomago

    tagomago Original Wrapper

    I've tried the Momentum "on-ear" version and I couldn't beleive how bad they sounded. Absolutely no mids. Are the "over-ear" the same?
     
  4. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    No. Mids are nice on the original over-the-ear model, which is of course more expensive.
     
  5. edb15

    edb15 Senior Member

    Location:
    new york
    HD-25-1 and SP models are different. I've not heard the SP but I love my 25-1. They sound very good, smooth but not lifeless. They are durable and block a lot of noise. They block more noise than Sony mdr V6/7506 (which also pick up a lot of wind noise if you are outdoors and aren't flat either). They are lighter than those and Senn HD280 (which are pretty neutral but anemic sounding on an iphone).
     
    sound chaser likes this.
  6. Jazz Nut

    Jazz Nut Forum Resident

    I downloaded a FLAC player app for my iPhone. I listen to either the FLAC or Apple Lossless. I am enjoying the Senns, but the B&W's would be good I bet.
     
  7. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    In the new (December) issue of Stereophile, Stephan Mejias gives the Momentums an enthusiastic positive review (in his Entry Level column).
     
  8. monkboughtlunch

    monkboughtlunch Senior Member

    Location:
    Texas
    how do the momentums compare to the new audio technica m50x from a standpoint of comfort, build and sound quality?
     
  9. Five Star Edge

    Five Star Edge Forum Resident

    Location:
    US
    sort of going to tack on to Monk's question a bit:
    I have the 'on ear' version, and the lack of mids is a bit disappointing, although I do like the bass and overall 'warmth'. Does the regular momentum still have a decent low end but with the mids more evaluated?
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2014
  10. vo_obgynmd

    vo_obgynmd Forum Resident

    Location:
    Issaquah, WA
    I have these and they are excellent cans. My NAD VISO HP50 Over-Ear Headphones get more listening time though.
     
  11. monkboughtlunch

    monkboughtlunch Senior Member

    Location:
    Texas
    Why do you like the NADs better?
     
  12. Bill

    Bill Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    Great avatar for a music- loving OB-GYN!
     
  13. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    I finally got to listen to both the on-ear and over-ear version. I didn't realize I had a local "Magnolia" Best Buy and these Senns were on display (albeit with the crappiest audition amplifier and music I've ever heard, way too bright. Luckily you could bypass their system and just use your iPhone with some real tracks).

    So I went back and forth for an hour. If you're looking for a punchy, bassy can, the On-ear (smaller version) has more bass and, consequently, a fatter midrange. HOWEVER, that comes at an expense. The On-Ear are far less detailed and lose soundstaging, presence and depth. I was listening to some well-recorded Broadway (Royal Shakespeare Company's full orchestral version of the Wizard of Oz) and the smaller cans just don't cut it. At first I almost thought I preferred them for the big bass and warmer sound, but there's no Sennheiser "magic" to the smaller phones. They sound great for portables, but they're definitely not a showcase for what the best Senns do. I guess they're about twice as expensive as the old PX100s were. They're certainly built much nicer and they have a slightly more sophisticated sound, but the old PX100s were REALLY portable cans -- like they just came out of the blister packaging of a twenty-dollar Sony Discman. But the Px100 where the king of cheapie phones back in the 90s. The first really nicely balanced cheap portable phone. So, in a way, I guess these new Momentum on-ears are striving for an upscale portable line and in that way they're a success. And maybe these days a hundred and twenty bucks is the price of an entry level can with a little style (I still think it's pricey). I guess it's less than a set of Beats. So as a low end can, they're nice. Really warm and punchy, but to me, they're just lacking as Senns. And I like warm and punchy.

    I've owned the HD600 and HD650 (and they remain a favorite, but I'm looking for portable cans right now) and with the on-ears you don't get a sense of that Sennheiser magic, the abilityy to project realism and depth. I liked the on-ears sound at first, but the more I listened and compared, the more I realized the larger over-ear cans are the winners between the two Momentum types. You could definitely groove with the on-ears, but it's not an audiophile sound, it's just a decent headphone sound, sorta the way I feel about the much loved HD25-II which I had and quickly sold, and didn't love. The HD25s started off as a professional phone for use in stagecraft and field work and was adopted by DJs for their cool "professional" look, but they aren't an audiophile can. They're just well-made headphones, but their sound is just "ehh." Boxy and claustrophobic as you'd expect a tiny closed can to be. The 600s and 650s have a huge soundstage and they can really reproduce all the nuance of a performance, to me that's the difference. There's an open and airy sound to them (while still being "meaty" and powerful, unlike some other airy cans)

    Now the good news is the large "over-ear" Momentums are quite good! At first I almost didnt' like them because I wasn't getting as much bass from them as the on-ear version, which are really warm and punchy, as I said. But wait, bassheads don't jump ship yet! And I am a basshead, I admit it. Yes, I like bass. I think you need a bass lift with headphones. Maybe it's psychological, but as nice and airy as AKGs are (which I love), with a bassier phone feel like I'm listening to a "home system" instead of cans. The Senns and their bass gives me a little of that viseral slam that you get with home speakers. Like I said, maybe it's psychological. And you also get big bass in other "real life" situations. What concert or club have you been to that doesn't hit you with bass slam? So as far as I'm concerned, there ain't nothing wrong with liking bass.

    Now the "over-ear" Momentums have a SLIGHT bass lift. Much less than the "on-ears" but because of that you get a TASTE of the Senn Magic! Fantastic. I would hear it with the Wizard of Oz stage production recording (the voices of the actors were well-defined onstage and there was the reverb off the walls of the hall -- one reason I like good Broadway recordings, they're so natural), then I switched over to the Rolling Stones live album "Get Yer Ya-Yas Out" and suddenly Mick's voice was there clear and on stage with definition and a sense of ambience. In comparison, the On-ear version really suffered here. Mick was just a shadow of a presence lost in the overly bloated and congested mix. This is where the fun, but lesser-sounding on-ears really lost out. There's no Sennheiser magic in the smaller Momentums like you get with the HD600s and 650s. None of the spacial information and soundstaging that makes the 600s and 650s come alive while also being a pleasantly warm and slightly bassy phone. But the over-ears? Ah, I could sense the ghost of the HD600 just around the corner. A little taste of their greatness in a portable package!

    Now the Over-Ears are NOT of the same quality as the HD600 or HD650, but you can't expect them to be. They are half the size, portable and cheaper (You can find them for around 200 bucks now)). I also wasn't that impressed with the build quality, I don't know why people would rave about it. They are about as well built as any Koss headphone from the 70s that used cost forty bucks. Not half as impressive in real life as they are in photos. Nice, but they certainly don't feel or really look "rich."

    Another problem as MANY have noted it, who the hell measured people's ears and came up with the leather cup size. Many people say they don't fit, that they're too small. I agree. My problem was ONE side fit great, it slid comfortably over my left ear like a glove, but my right ear must be a few millimeters bigger and it didn't fit. Too small! Crazy, I tried stretching the cup, but didn't have any luck. Maybe with some leather softenerI c an get the right side to give a bit like a shoe and fit, but what the hell, Sennheiser, you should have been more forgiving with the size!

    BUT back to sound -- despite these failings the "over-ear" momentums sound very nice FOR A PORTABLE PHONE. I much preferred them to the AKGs, Pioneers and Sonys they had to audition (Sonys are just TOO warm and bass bloated). As I said, these Over-ear Senns DO give you as "taste" of the Senn magic, they do have a slight bass lift (about half of the on-ear version, and enough to make the AKGs just sound cold and lifeless) but they are still neutral enough that they work as pseudo-audiophile cans and give you that realism that the "real" Senns deliver. So much so, that I am getting a pair for my portable phones!

    I hope this helps others.
     
    Last edited: Oct 29, 2014
  14. dead of night

    dead of night Senior Member

    Location:
    Northern Va, usa
    Yes it does help, very much. Here's my question: I would like to use this pair as an outdoor exercise model, in the summer sun, sweat, and heat. Are they too nice for this? Will the leather be ruined or will it burnish and beautify with use and abuse?
     
  15. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    I have no idea. It is pretty fine leather though. High quality, but not biker jacket kind of durable.

    I opened this thread because Amazon just put these on sale for the holidays. Nice price. $199. I've have mine for a month and a half now and I'm loving them.

    http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-Mo...=sr_1_31?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1417252459&sr=1-31

    the more I look around, the price of these have taken a dive! You can get a refurbed pair of $130. Jesus, that's a steal for this quality can!
     
    Last edited: Nov 29, 2014
  16. lv70smusic

    lv70smusic Senior Member

    Location:
    San Francisco, CA
    I would be cautious about buying a refurbished pair unless it was directly from Sennheiser, though. Aren't higher end headphones one of the items that frequently get copied in appearance but not performance? In other words, you get a product that looks almost identical to the original (good enough to fool most people) but the actual performance is nowhere near the original?
     
  17. Alan2

    Alan2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I borrowed a pair from a dealer, and seriously considered getting them, but they were very uncomfortable to wear. Sonically they were very good. I think you can get on -ear or over- ear. I'm still looking for 'phones, but so may now are designed for computer use and I'm old fashioned: I just want to plug the phones into the headphone amp and listen to records and CDs. :D
     
  18. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan

    Location:
    Atlanta
    I like the midrange on the Momentums better than the 600s and 650s. The 600s and 650s still have that classic Senn suckout in the midrange.
     
  19. ROLO46

    ROLO46 Forum Resident

    Are the momentum on ear cans suitable for young (11 and 9) children?
    The grandchildren need cans for their IPads
    They are sensible
     
  20. Randy the Hat

    Randy the Hat Forum Resident

    The over the ears, I don't think so about a hour or so is all I can stand
    before my ears over heat and feel pinch. And for myself the high's are literally
    to hi, cool looking, and has a swell case. That just my opinion.
     
  21. Ghostworld

    Ghostworld Senior Member

    Location:
    US
    I would think so. Those are some nice cans for kids to use with ipad! Just remember they are closed headphones, which means when mom and dad shout for them, they're less likely to respond!

    Weird. I can wear mine for five or six hours and never be bothered. In fact, I like wearing and walk around with them on even when there's no music, just 'cause they feel cosy!
     
  22. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    Are they a good match for an iPad? What is the impedance on the Momentum?
    (and why haven't I won any of the Sennheiser promotions that I get in in email every week? :D)
     
  23. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    Yes. And 20-30 ohms. See post #23.
     
  24. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    Thanks ! Nice review, even though I am a year and a half late! What is your opinion of them now a year later?
     
  25. soundQman

    soundQman Senior Member

    Location:
    Arlington, VA, USA
    Too bass-heavy for my personal taste on music. Bit it's fine for casual portable listening and for streaming audio off the 'net. I don't do all that much of either so it doesn't fatigue. Midrange is nice and clean. Of course, they aren't quite as comfortable on the ear as my big Sennheiser 800s.
     
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2014
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