From Sony MDR XB950BT to Sennheiser Momentum (Over Ear)
May 10, 2015 at 12:43 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 3

mulanj

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I have recently bought a xb950bt ,while coming from a very cheap earbud the difference is there to see,but it is not as prominent as i hoped it would be.The vocal is lush,but the instrument separation/clarity is not as good as i hoped for,sonys really suffer in rock/alt rock.
 
I am now thinking of selling it and getting a pair of momentum .I will be powering it via my laptop,i am really not interested in using any amp or something.I cant demo any sort of heaphones down here,we just don't have that opportunity here.
 
Will momentum be a huge upgrade from my sonys or will the upgrade only be incremental?
Will momentum provide me with excellent separation,clarity basically the "WOW" feeling i am looking for?
 
Please bear in mine that i am a newbie,i dont have any sort of preference  in sound signature nor do i have a favorite genre or artist to listen to,i listen to almost every genre .I guess i wont prefer something flat,rather i would like something with great details: an all-rounder that can provide bass when its needed .
 
May 10, 2015 at 7:12 PM Post #2 of 3
  I have recently bought a xb950bt ,while coming from a very cheap earbud the difference is there to see,but it is not as prominent as i hoped it would be.The vocal is lush,but the instrument separation/clarity is not as good as i hoped for,sonys really suffer in rock/alt rock.
 
I am now thinking of selling it and getting a pair of momentum .I will be powering it via my laptop,i am really not interested in using any amp or something.I cant demo any sort of heaphones down here,we just don't have that opportunity here.
 
Will momentum be a huge upgrade from my sonys or will the upgrade only be incremental?
Will momentum provide me with excellent separation,clarity basically the "WOW" feeling i am looking for?
 
Please bear in mine that i am a newbie,i dont have any sort of preference  in sound signature nor do i have a favorite genre or artist to listen to,i listen to almost every genre .I guess i wont prefer something flat,rather i would like something with great details: an all-rounder that can provide bass when its needed .

Hi Mulanj,
 
Well, you are right that the XB950BT is not good as an all-rounder. The XB950BT has extraordinarily pumped up bass in its frequency curve. It is also congested sounding and closed in. 
 
The Momentum would be a good choice as an all-rounder. Make sure you get the latest 2.0 version http://www.cnet.com/products/sennheiser-momentum-2-0/  I'd also go for the over-ears (as a opposed to the smaller and less-expensive on-ears version). If you find a good deal on an over-ear original Momentum that is also a good buy. At new price, its a relatively costly purchase for a headphone. 
 
As far as providing you with excellent separation, clarity, etc.. and 'wow'. You may be want to consider an open-backed headphone. Something like Sennhieser HD558. Or used HD598 (I've seen these go for great prices used around $100-150).
 
If money isn't a big deal, but you still want a headphone that can plug into an iphone, provide significant more 'wow', look into Hifiman HE-400i or Audeze EL-8.
 
 
 
I no longer have the 950BT. I purchased it as a winter wireless headphone for walking around. But ultimately didn't need it. 
 
Recently was using a Sennheiser HD650 which was excellent and is a superb buy right now http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-650-Headphones/dp/B00018MSNI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431299299&sr=8-1&keywords=sennheiser+hd650
- this headphone would be an unbelievably awesome headphone that also be pretty much an end-game phone. it will require some amplification. 
- another consideration would be Phillips Fidelio X2 which I believe has less amping requirements and could be powered through a iphone. 
 
Now I'm using an Audeze LCD2, which is above all the others mentioned here. It requires amping, excellent source material, but has had my jaw on the floor. Can't stop listening to it. That is one of the reason's I recommended the EL-8 above. It uses the same driver technology as the LCD2. It designed as a less-expensive, more comfortable and efficient alternative to their LCD range of headphones.
 
May 12, 2015 at 12:15 PM Post #3 of 3
Hd 650 and audejes are way out of my league,momentum is the max i can afford right now ,
 
i am just worried that whether upgrading to momentum will provide a significant update or not .
 
Thanks a lot for the insight.
 

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