I've been listening to these headphones everyday for a full month, and I gotta say I loved every minute I've listened to them.
OK, so I might lack experience doing this review because these are my first true high quality headphones, and I have not listened to all the reference headphones out there, and lack all the lingo used in these forums, but I try to review them as a normal person who was looking for an audio quality leap.
I come from the Shure SE215 and the Sennheiser HD449, and although they are quite good for their own merits, the Momentums have been a massive increase in sound quality. I'm not gonna say the typical "you hear stuff on your music you probably never heard before", but the music indeed sounds fuller, more natural, more lively. Instrument separation is greater, and you feel more immerse in your listening sessions.
I bought these headphones out of curiosity, I was quite satisfied with my older headphones, but I always wondered how a 300€ headphones sounded, what true quality sound really meant. So I bought them as an impulse, but haven't regreted since. Even when they are much more expensive than I was willing to pay for.
So now I'm gonna justify the stars given in this review:
Value: 5 Stars
Although I stated before that these headphones come more expensive than I was ever was willing to pay for a piece of metal and plastic, I haven't regreted. I payed a little bit less than the retail price, at 240€ these babies have a high value.
Audio Quality: 5 Stars
These headphones sound fantastic. Period. Everything feels so accurate, so natural, so full, so vivid. From the first time I put them on, I felt something different about them, it's not something you fall in love gradually as you discover what these phones are capable of, no. You love these instantly. Alright, I sometimes feel like the mids are juuust a bit recessed, but just a bit, sometimes the voice get lost in between the instruments, but only on some recordings. It's not something to call a flaw, more like a taste in sound signature, but it doesn't bother me that much, if at all.
I listen mainly to Blink 182, Green Day, Good Charlotte, and some other punk rock bands. I listen to some Beatles, some Bob Marley, some 80's synthpop, some Metallica, some other thrash bands, some Jpop. And I can't find any flaw worth mentioning out of the generes I listen to. Guitars feel alive, specially Green Day's reefs. Voices feel live too, some Adele, some Air Supply, some Pet Shop Boys and Tear for Fears are really something in these headphones.
OK so my source might not be the greatest (Xperia S), but it sounds very transparent and balanced.. Plugging them into my PC provide a wider soundstage, and somewhat accentuated bass response, but they sound a bit harsh and tiring, alonside with some hiss on the background. I'm definetively looking forward into plugging them on a higher quality source.
Design: 5 Stars
So classy, so different from your average urban headphones. Everything feels high quality, from the steel of the headband to the softness of the leather pads. It is a mix of retro look and modern finishing. Very cool looking headphones.
Detachable/replaceable cable is a great addition, specially to me, who have had his bunny chewing a couple of headphones cables before.
Inline controls nor mic don't work on my device, but I wasn't looking for a headset headphone, If it worked it would have been a plus, not working doesn't substract points.
Confort: 4.5 Stars
They are very confortable. The softness provided by the leather pads feels great, the cushions seat around my ears as they were meant to be, although bigger ears might find them a bit unconfortable, for me they are just right. Clamping force is spot on, it neither feels too strong or too light. You never get tired of having them on.
I've rated them 0.5 points away from 5 stars because when I'm not wearing them on the ears I really don't know what to do with them, they feel very unconfortable being worn as a necklace. Sometimes I just let the pads like on my forhead to move the head around freely, because as necklace they really hinder your head movements. Maybe a minor gripe, but I'm always on the go, so I need some time to let my ears rest from hearing music, It's not like they sound harsh or tiring, but hey, having some peace and quiet is nice after rocking out for an hour or two.
So in the end I rate them 5 stars overall, because these headphones are outstanding, 300+ dollars might not be your everyday purchase for the mere mortals who don't have 5000$ to spend on a cable or an amp. But they are totally worth it. Look it more as an investment. And if you have some cash and you rock the streets everyday like I do, they are really the headphones to look into. Both for sound quality and outstanding urban look.
I think that's about it, excuse my rather poor english and lack of especialized words, but I wanted to rate them as the ignorant of the HIFI world I am.
OK, so I might lack experience doing this review because these are my first true high quality headphones, and I have not listened to all the reference headphones out there, and lack all the lingo used in these forums, but I try to review them as a normal person who was looking for an audio quality leap.
I come from the Shure SE215 and the Sennheiser HD449, and although they are quite good for their own merits, the Momentums have been a massive increase in sound quality. I'm not gonna say the typical "you hear stuff on your music you probably never heard before", but the music indeed sounds fuller, more natural, more lively. Instrument separation is greater, and you feel more immerse in your listening sessions.
I bought these headphones out of curiosity, I was quite satisfied with my older headphones, but I always wondered how a 300€ headphones sounded, what true quality sound really meant. So I bought them as an impulse, but haven't regreted since. Even when they are much more expensive than I was willing to pay for.
So now I'm gonna justify the stars given in this review:
Value: 5 Stars
Although I stated before that these headphones come more expensive than I was ever was willing to pay for a piece of metal and plastic, I haven't regreted. I payed a little bit less than the retail price, at 240€ these babies have a high value.
Audio Quality: 5 Stars
These headphones sound fantastic. Period. Everything feels so accurate, so natural, so full, so vivid. From the first time I put them on, I felt something different about them, it's not something you fall in love gradually as you discover what these phones are capable of, no. You love these instantly. Alright, I sometimes feel like the mids are juuust a bit recessed, but just a bit, sometimes the voice get lost in between the instruments, but only on some recordings. It's not something to call a flaw, more like a taste in sound signature, but it doesn't bother me that much, if at all.
I listen mainly to Blink 182, Green Day, Good Charlotte, and some other punk rock bands. I listen to some Beatles, some Bob Marley, some 80's synthpop, some Metallica, some other thrash bands, some Jpop. And I can't find any flaw worth mentioning out of the generes I listen to. Guitars feel alive, specially Green Day's reefs. Voices feel live too, some Adele, some Air Supply, some Pet Shop Boys and Tear for Fears are really something in these headphones.
OK so my source might not be the greatest (Xperia S), but it sounds very transparent and balanced.. Plugging them into my PC provide a wider soundstage, and somewhat accentuated bass response, but they sound a bit harsh and tiring, alonside with some hiss on the background. I'm definetively looking forward into plugging them on a higher quality source.
Design: 5 Stars
So classy, so different from your average urban headphones. Everything feels high quality, from the steel of the headband to the softness of the leather pads. It is a mix of retro look and modern finishing. Very cool looking headphones.
Detachable/replaceable cable is a great addition, specially to me, who have had his bunny chewing a couple of headphones cables before.
Inline controls nor mic don't work on my device, but I wasn't looking for a headset headphone, If it worked it would have been a plus, not working doesn't substract points.
Confort: 4.5 Stars
They are very confortable. The softness provided by the leather pads feels great, the cushions seat around my ears as they were meant to be, although bigger ears might find them a bit unconfortable, for me they are just right. Clamping force is spot on, it neither feels too strong or too light. You never get tired of having them on.
I've rated them 0.5 points away from 5 stars because when I'm not wearing them on the ears I really don't know what to do with them, they feel very unconfortable being worn as a necklace. Sometimes I just let the pads like on my forhead to move the head around freely, because as necklace they really hinder your head movements. Maybe a minor gripe, but I'm always on the go, so I need some time to let my ears rest from hearing music, It's not like they sound harsh or tiring, but hey, having some peace and quiet is nice after rocking out for an hour or two.
So in the end I rate them 5 stars overall, because these headphones are outstanding, 300+ dollars might not be your everyday purchase for the mere mortals who don't have 5000$ to spend on a cable or an amp. But they are totally worth it. Look it more as an investment. And if you have some cash and you rock the streets everyday like I do, they are really the headphones to look into. Both for sound quality and outstanding urban look.
I think that's about it, excuse my rather poor english and lack of especialized words, but I wanted to rate them as the ignorant of the HIFI world I am.
