[ChickenWaffles]

I had these for over a year up until the end of November. I had the opportunity to trade up to the M2's which I sold to pay my next step up in fidelity. They were my first pair of headphones, and I enjoyed them very much. I would agree with the comments that say the leather is not vey durable. The mids are very rich and my favorite part of the Momentum (I'm a fan of vocals and guitars). There was a little too much mid-bass for my taste, so they sounded thick to me. Also, the highs are subdued. Sennheiser did a great job combining style and sound in the Momentum. 

 

[Sal1950]

  I had these for over a year up until the end of November. I had the opportunity to trade up to the M2's which I sold to pay my next step up in fidelity. They were my first pair of headphones, and I enjoyed them very much. I would agree with the comments that say the leather is not vey durable. The mids are very rich and my favorite part of the Momentum (I'm a fan of vocals and guitars). There was a little too much mid-bass for my taste, so they sounded thick to me. Also, the highs are subdued. Sennheiser did a great job combining style and sound in the Momentum. 

Next move get some HD 650s. They'll need an amp if you don't already have one but for many they might cure your upgrade-ides. But for mobile or low power use I still love my Momentum V1 OE

 

[ChickenWaffles]

Next move get some HD 650s. They'll need an amp if you don't already have one but for many they might cure your upgrade-ides. But for mobile or low power use I still love my Momentum V1 OE

Thank you for your suggestion, @Sal1950. I purchased the HiFiMAN HE-400i during a Black Friday sale, which were cheaper than the HD 650s. I am very satisfied with 400i, and I use the Fiio Q1 to power them. I don't have the budget or place for a solid state amp right now. The HD 6XXs seem like great 'phones, though.

 

[ChickenWaffles]

Accidental extra post.

 

[ApexEdge]

Has anyone tried the HM5 pads on the M1? 

 

[VeggiePopper]

Has anyone tried the HM5 pads on the M1? 

Not me,I didn't even know those pads fit the M1... Do they?

 

[kapanak]

Not me,I didn't even know those pads fit the M1... Do they?

They don't fit the M1, neither do any of the Shure pads, sadly

 

[ApexEdge]

  They don't fit the M1, neither do any of the Shure pads, sadly

 
Darn it. I guess it's time to come up with a good old DIY mod...
 
Love the cans, just can't wear them for more than 2 hours.

 

[Bansaku]

   
Darn it. I guess it's time to come up with a good old DIY mod...
 
Love the cans, just can't wear them for more than 2 hours.

If the pads are similar shaped but too big, there is a super easy DIY fix. Take an old dvd case or craft foam and cut out a frame for the new pads. Here are the steps I have done in the past (actually I did this last month with with a pair of ATM-50 ear pads and my Grado SR60):
 
1) Trace the shape of the ear pads on the plastic.
2) Cut out the traced shape
3) Place the ear cup in the middle of the cut-out and trace out the shape
4) Cut out the centre trace BUT cut it out a bit smaller. This is why I suggest using an old DVD case as the plastic is sturdy enough yet can easily be flexed over the cup groove for their original pads.
5) Place the ear pads over the now mounted frame and ENJOY!
 
Alternatively, you can use some thick craft foam instead of the plastic. While it is not as sturdy as the plastic, it still holds it's shape. The benefit of this method is that you can easily squeeze the cups and the groove into the soft opening. The foam itself is very durable and can be taken on and off with both ease and no wear to the foam (God bless oil eh).
 
edit: Or do both! Glue a plastic frame to the foam.
 

I added felt on the underside to help with the Grado's brightness. 

 

 

[sikki-six]

Normally I don't find this kind of low-ohm hp to gain much from amping, but the OH v.1 Momentum seems to be an exception. Straight through my iPod Touch or iPhone 5s they sound pretty balanced in the noise of traffic, but kinda "meh". Not very clear or resolving in general, slow in the lows.

But, using the amp-section of Fiio E7 they are way better all together. Much clearer soundstage, bass and clarity too! Even better, I found the bass boost on "1" is great at bringing a few db's to 100hz an below. Like a subwoofer on a low volume, wow! Now the Momentums sound punchy, clear and resolving. I'm not sure if I'm just used to the sound sig, but they don't sound dark/veiled/muffled at all.

My other portable 'phone is Focal Spirit Pro, btw. They benefit from the bass boost too, but not really from amping.

 

[dfrez]

 
If the pads are similar shaped but too big, there is a super easy DIY fix. Take an old dvd case or craft foam and cut out a frame for the new pads. Here are the steps I have done in the past (actually I did this last month with with a pair of ATM-50 ear pads and my Grado SR60):
 
1) Trace the shape of the ear pads on the plastic.
2) Cut out the traced shape
3) Place the ear cup in the middle of the cut-out and trace out the shape
4) Cut out the centre trace BUT cut it out a bit smaller. This is why I suggest using an old DVD case as the plastic is sturdy enough yet can easily be flexed over the cup groove for their original pads.
5) Place the ear pads over the now mounted frame and ENJOY!
 
Alternatively, you can use some thick craft foam instead of the plastic. While it is not as sturdy as the plastic, it still holds it's shape. The benefit of this method is that you can easily squeeze the cups and the groove into the soft opening. The foam itself is very durable and can be taken on and off with both ease and no wear to the foam (God bless oil eh).
 
edit: Or do both! Glue a plastic frame to the foam.
 
I added felt on the underside to help with the Grado's brightness. 

 

Interesting. Thanks for this! The issue that I have with Momentum is that the earpads are not deep enough, so the speaker rests on my ear. For the first hour or so, it's fine. After that, it starts to hurt. I thought of making deeper ear pads myself but wasn't sure how to make sure they slip onto the headphone properly.

 

[Lrasanen]

  Interesting. Thanks for this! The issue that I have with Momentum is that the earpads are not deep enough, so the speaker rests on my ear. For the first hour or so, it's fine. After that, it starts to hurt. I thought of making deeper ear pads myself but wasn't sure how to make sure they slip onto the headphone properly.

I know there's a lot of discussion about the comfort of the earpads, most of which is negative. I guess I'm in the minority of people who actually liked the fit. I don't have small ears, but I found them to be comfortable and easy to use. By that I mean thanks to the light weight the headphones were easy to maneuver.   

 

[vodkajin]

I bought the momentum 1s for 350 when they released..... I think I should move up to better over ear headphones. Do you recommend I move up to the HD650s?

 

[Sal1950]

  I bought the momentum 1s for 350 when they released..... I think I should move up to better over ear headphones. Do you recommend I move up to the HD650s?

If your looking for a can with better inner detail and a little more on top, and a flatter bass,  the 650s are a gorgeous sounding can.  If you wade thru the HD 650 thread
http://www.head-fi.org/t/197776/sennheiser-hd650-impressions-thread
you'll read over and over again of folks who have sold their 650s for something "better" only to come back and buy another set of 650s. I've read of people doing this 3 and more times. LOL  It really can be considered one of the most pleasing phones ever made. The 650s are the kind of phone that can last you a lifetime.
The only drawback is that they are much less sensitive than your Momentums and don't mate well with portables or low output sources. To get the 650 to sing you really need a amp with some juice. So depending on what your using now figure your going to need to buy a dedicated amp.
I still have both and use my V1s with my Sansa Clip + to great end but it won't drive the 650s to any reasonable level.
For home I have my Emotiva DC-1 and 650s

 

[wje]

  Has anyone tried the HM5 pads on the M1? 

 
I wish I had caught this thread earlier.  I ordered a pair of brown HM5 pads for the Momentum 1 headphones.  Actually, the pads do fit on the headphones, but with a bit of looseness.  I've shared some pictures below showing the Momentum 1 pads vs. the Brown Brainwavz pads as well as how the Brainwavz pads appear when mounted on the Momentum 1 headphones.
 
Some brief observations on sound with the Brainwavz pads:
 
- More sparkly in sound.  I think this might be attributed to the pads having pleather sewn on the inner oval of the pads as opposed to cloth like the original Momentum 1 pads.
- Mids seem a bit recessed.  Possibly being overthrown due to the extra sparkle?
- Bass / Low End is more recessed with the Brainwavz pads.  In fact, it's to the point where I'd prefer the slight discomfort of the original Momentum 1 pads because the bass, mids and highs do well with the headphones.
 
Tomorrow, I have some more brown pads arriving to give a try.  They are: Aftermarket Momentum pads as well as Bose QC2 replacement pads from an Amazon vendor.  I'll be sure to update this thread with my impressions as well as pictures once I've spent a little time with those pads after they've arrived.