Sennheiser has been a reputable and well-known brand in professional and consumer audio products – delivering high-grade headphones and microphones that are used in studios today, but has ‘lacked’ a headphone that is aimed at the general market without sacrificing style and sound quality.
Well, that has all changed back in 2013 when Sennheiser released their Momentum line. These headphones are aimed for the general audience with their stylish and minimalistic design, whilst not sacrificing the Sennheiser-Grade audio quality that we all love and know.
Right now Sennheiser Momentum line is massive, offering a variety of audiophile-grade IEMs and Headphones abd recently Sennheiser has released their latest line of Momentum Headphones known as the 2.0. The 2.0 has a wired and wireless counterpart, but let’s get back to the original Momentums and see on how they sparked a revolution in the mobile audio industry.
Packaging/Unboxing
Just from the box the Momentum clearly stood out for me as the packaging itself looked and feel premium, though of course this is expected especially from the $349 price tag.
The case looked and felt very good. It is a hard case that is covered in a matte brown ‘furry’ kind of finish, accompanied by the same material inside.
For accessories the Momentum sports two cables, one for iOS, and another as a standard, and a 3.5mm to 6.3mm jack. There are no extra earcups provided which made me a bit skeptical considering the price tag.
First Impressions
The Momentum looks great. It’s minimalistic yet stylish that is not flashy in any kind of way unlike beats, or any gaming headset there is. The color scheme of the headphone is brown, with an all brown matte finish. There are currently 2 different colors of this headphone.
Comfort/Noise Isolation
Of course one of the most important factors to consider when investing on a headphone is comfort. At first, the Momentum is a bit tight – clamping down some pressure on your ears. Though after a few days, the earcups and the headband somehow ‘adjust’ to the size of your head, making them more comfortable to wear.
The earcups as mentioned above, and the entire headphone is built by leather and stainless steel. There are no plastic bits whatsoever, and the foam of the earcups are not memory foam, Sennheiser calls them ‘Special Foam’. The earcups themselves are not sweat resistant – they absorb sweat and the leather finish takes a while before they dry of from water or sweat.
Since this isn’t an active noise-cancelling headphone, overall noise-isolation is expected to be average. And that is the case with the Momentums.
During commutes, I found that the Momentum didn’t leak any sound – or if it did – it leaked very minimal at high volumes. This makes the headphone perfect for commutes, but the overall isolation of the headphone is just on par with most headphones at the market.
Loud areas such as construction sites, crowded malls, and other loud locations made the Momentums a bit tricky to drive since isolation was just average. But thanks to it’s low impedance at 18ohms, the Momentum were still capable of driving music to a capable playing experience without hurting my ears, leaking sound, nor requiring a headphone amp to isolate. I suggest getting a noise cancelling app and use it along side the player with the Momentum’s mic to increase noise isolation – even just a few.
Build Quality/Durability
Specifications | |
---|---|
Ear Coupling | Over-Ear Headphones (Circumaural) |
Transducer Principle | Dynamic, Closed |
Active noise-cancelling | N/A |
Power source | N/A |
Sensitivity | 110dB |
Frequency response | 16-22,000Hz |
Impedence | 18 ohms |
Plug type | 3.5mm headset interchangeable jack |
Inline volume | Yes (iPhone only) |
Weight | 190g |
Cable length | Detachable 1.40m (iPhone), 1.70m standard |
Extras | Hard Carrying Case, 1/4in adaptor, Standard Connection Cable |
Sennheiser is famed for their high quality products, and the same can be said here – the Momentums are extremely well built from top to bottom. Every piece of fabric that the Momentum possesses are genuine leather, and the frame of the headphone is built from stainless steel. There are no plastic bits here whatsoever.
Powering the Momentum are two Neodymium Transducers that have large diaphragms that give the Momentum their trademark sound. On both sides of the earcups are the stainless steel frame that holds the cup together. Connecting the cups to the frame is a type of ‘slider’ that glides up and down of the frame.
I was skeptical at first thinking that these might not last long, but so far after rugged use, the grip of the cups to the frame is still solid and responsive.
Throughout a week of intense commuting and testing, I’ve noticed that the Momentum is very durable. I’ve had them everyday whenever I’m out, and I frequently travel everyday from point a to point b throughout the city. The overall ruggedness and stress that I’ve applied to the Momentum gave me an impression that these headphones might be staying here for awhile.
While I have yet to see if the earcups might suddenly fall of or the hinge of the headphone will get loose, right now the headphone feels extremely durable and doesn’t feel cheap in any way.
Sound Quality
Everything all comes down to this – how good is the Sennheiser Momentums? Well, I can’t initially answer that since everyone has their own specific taste in music. I, myself, listens to a variety of genres from indie, to metal, to rock, to edm, to dubstep, etc. But if I were to say what genre I listen most, then that would be Indie/Punk/Rock/Alternative/Metal, and the like.
To give you an initial impression on my background with headphones, I’ll start off by saying that I’ve been interested in headphones and music ever since I was a little kid, but I wouldn’t call myself an enthusiast. I’ve owned the Audio Technica ATH-M50, Sony MDR-1R, and inherited my family’s Sennheiser HD800, and have owned – and tried – dozens of “Gaming” Headsets such as the HyperX Cloud, Cloud II, Razer Kraken, Orca, Electra, Tiamat, Steelseries’ Siberia V1, V2, Logitech’s G430, G230 headsets, and a lot more on which I’ve lost count.
Personally, I prefer a more ‘balanced’ sound signature unlike what most headphones offer today. The reason for this is neutrality – while sometimes having a more bass-oriented headphone is better for EDM, Rap, Dubstep, etc – that is not applicable in all cases. Having too much bass sometimes drowns the mids and highs, thus giving you a ‘muddy’ sound signature.
This, however, all depends on the headphones though. The V-Moda M-100 was an extremely pleasing headphone with it’s bass heavy signature, whilst not drowning out the mids and the highs. There were some recessions, however, but all in all the V-Moda M-100 is a perfect example of a bass-heavy headphone that doesn’t drown the rest of the sound signature.
With that being said let’s move on and see how does the Momentums sound. In the rest of the review we’ll be tackling how the Momentum sounds against other headphones within it’s price range, as well as gaming headsets, and it’s overall performance in various genres.
Music
When I first tried the Momentums, they sounded muddy and unpleasing. I wasn’t discouraged by this, however, since that all new headphones require some burn-in in order to get that true sound of theirs out. So after 24hours of non-stop burning in using random burn in videos on YouTube, sound quality changed – dramatically. The once muddy sound signature, turned into a flat, yet wide sound signature, and that changed everything.
The first song that I tried was the acoustic version of Pierce The Veils’ – ‘Hold On Till May’. I’ve been accustomed with the sound signatures of open-back headphones such as the Grado sr80s, and the first thing that I noticed was the detail and soundstage that the Momentum was able to acquire. Sure it wasn’t on par with the Grado sr80s, but for a closed back design? The Momentum performed better than most headphones within it’s price range in the market. The closest to replicate the sound quality is the Sony MDR-1R, though the Momentum sounded more natural and convincing than the MDR-1R. A big plus to the Momentum.
While listening to Sleeping With Siren’s – ‘If You Can’t Hang’, the bass line and drum kicks usually stand out in most headphones, especially in the ones such as the Razer Kraken and HyperX Cloud, but in the Momentum things were different. Instead of being a bass-driven song, the approach was more natural. The kick of the drums were great, you could actually feel them and the overall ambience of the song was better. Minor details such as the snares and the hi-hat were also more noticeable unlike the Krakens. Vocals also stood out as Kellin’s voice was more felt throughout the song.
I then tried the Momentum on the side of MetalCore. While playing Asking Alexandria’s – ‘Not the American Average’, the screams at the start of the song was more refined. It wasn’t piercy and painful to hear unlike other headphones in the market. I personally favor the V-Moda M100s over this song because of it’s bass heavy tune, and the Momentum, while sounding great, wasn’t as bassy the M100s. There were plenty of detail in the lows, however, and the kick of the drums accompanied by the heavy guitar riffs felt alive, but personally I prefer a more bass-oriented approach of the song such as the one’s found on the M100s. Nevertheless, the Momentum still sounded great, and I favor them over the Steelseries Siberia V2 anyday of the week.
Moving away from the post-hardcore/metal core scene, we now get into classic rock such as Skidrow, Guns N’ Roses, Pink Floyd, and the like.
Upon the intro of Skidrow’s – ’18 to life’, the infamous guitar riff was brought to life accompanied by the heavy bass line and sweet tone of the acoustic. The Momentum sounded amazing as the song was alive and well, and unwillingly sent me to an entire night listening to Skidrow, and Bon Jovi. The highs, mids, and lows were all blending perfectly! Nothing was drowned in the spectrum and the entire sound-stage was ecstatic. I definitely recommend these headphones for genres such as this.
Guns N’ Roses’ – ‘Don’t Cry’ – an all time favorite of mine, had a similar approach with the Momentum. The song felt alive and the drum line of Steven Adler was standing out as every kick and snare was felt. Accompanied by Axl’s vocals, Slash’s guitar solo, Izzy’s riffs, and Duff’s bass line was enthralling and full of excitement.
Before moving on to EDM and Dubstep, I tried Fall Out Boy’s – ‘Centuries’ – and I was instantly astounded. Patrick’s Vocals was well heard accompanied with the heavy driven bass line of Pete Wentz. While the MDR-1Rs are somewhat more bassy, they lack the clarity that the Momentum have. The M100s on the other hand, has a more bassy-approach, and somewhat drowning the rest of the spectrum – though not as drastically as the Krakens, or the Skullcandy Crushers.
Going on to Dubstep, Rave, and EDM. I started out with one of my favorite Skrillex songs – ‘Summit’ ft. Ellie Goulding. Upon the start, I’ve already noticed the difference compared to other headphones. The Momentum, while delivering a good amount of bass, isn’t as low nor punchy as other headphones such as the M100s, Kraken, and the like.
The Momentum, however, stood out by delivering more clarity to the song – something that the Krakens weren’t able to fully deliver. But for this round, the M100s win.
Another song that I tested was Twenty One Pilot’s – ‘Heathen’. Out of the bat, these headphones were perfect for the song. The bassline was delivered extremely well and all the details were still intact. Seperation of details was great, and the entire soundstage felt like as if Twenty One Pilots is performing in front of you.
Chvrches has been a long time favorite of mine thanks to their poppy 80’s style of music and Lauren’s amazing voice, and their song – ‘Dead Air’, was a perfect example that showcases the bass capabilities, and over all soundstage of the Momentum whilst maintaining that balance – not drowning the rest of the spectrum. Their song – ‘Leave a Trace’ is also a perfect example showcasing the potential of the Momentum.
Modern pop songs such as Selena Gomez’s and Charlie Puth’s – ‘We don’t talk anymore’, sounded outstanding. The acoustic guitar was well heard while being accompanied by the bass line of the song. The vocals of both Selena and Charlie was clear and the soundstage was great as well.
While playing intrumental and indie music such as The Paper Kite’s – ‘Featherstone’, and The Narrative’s – ‘Eyes Closed’, showcased that the Momentum is capable of delivering an eery similar soundstage to open back headphones. While it is not as perfect as actual open back headphone, the Momentum had some fight in them. The guitars and the vocals was well accompanied and the both of the songs sounded amazing.
Upon testing several more genres, I found that the Momentum is incredibly well-detailed, and the soundstage and seperation is just perfect. The overall flat sound signature of the headphones are the strong suite. While it may not be as detailed as the HD800s, nor as open back as the cheaper SR80e, it is definitely better than most headphones within it’s price range – offering a well detailed sound signature with plenty of bass but not as overwhelming as most headphones are today.
Gaming
Gaming will always have different factors in sound quality against music. In gaming, positional accuracy is important – especially for FPS games. In CS:GO, I played around 3-4 competitive matches before writing this review, and I’ve got to say that positional audio of the Momentum is great.
Explosions, gun shots, footsteps, etc, all of these were heard clearly and accurately throughout the entire game. Even during intense gunfights of Battlefield 4, and cop chases/shoot outs at GTA V felt very vivid and lively. The bass was tuned perfectly to accommodate a listening experience that isn’t tiring even when playing for hours – something on which I noticed in gaming headsets.
While the Momentum doesn’t support 7.1 surround, headphone virtualization settings of RealTek made the headphone more ‘airy’. While gaming with the setting on, footsteps and gunshots were somewhat ‘mixed’, but still somewhat accurate. Turning off virtualization is probably the best option for gaming since it doesn’t mix some parts of the spectrum, and positional audio is significantly better.
In other online games such as Dota 2, the Momentum sounded great. During clashes you could notice the subtle difference when playing against cheaper headphones/bass driven headphones. Racing games such as The Crew, Need For Speed Most Wanted 2013, and Dirt Rally felt alive and sounded ecstatic!
In Virtual Reality, the headphones showcased their potential as well. Positional audio was immersive and accurate. Games such as Space Pirate Trainers really showcased that good headphones can be the difference between surviving 5 waves, and surviving 15 waves.
If you have a headphone/mic splitter then you can use the Momentum’s Apple controller for ingame communication. The performance of the mic was clear and subtle, though not as clear as professional studio equipment but expected.
All in all, gaming performance of the Sennheiser Momentum is accurate, fun, and immersive. It wasn’t tiring to wear regardless of spending 5 hours gaming, and thanks to it’s flat sound signature, the entire spectrum was delivered well and full – without overpowering the rest of the spectrum.
Conclusion
If you’re looking a pair of headphones that look and sound great, then no doubt the Sennheiser Momentum is for you. That being said, some people might not appreciate the flat sound signature of the Momentum due to it lacking the bass that most headphones are offering nowadays.
However, despite the lacking of bass compared to other headphones, the Momentum is still capable of delivering that bass heavy tune without overpowering the rest of the spectrum – this is it’s strong suite.
Several genres of music sounds great with the Momentum and it somewhat almost replicates the open back sound of a mid-ranged headphone. Asides from the great sound quality, it is also comfortable, but the earcups may be small for larger ears, and the headphone itself is minimalistic yet stylish at the same time.
All in all, the Sennheiser Momentums are a pair of great sounding headphones that everyone should enjoy.
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Can never get wrong with any sennheisers
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