Sennheiser MOMENTUM In-Ear

It's been a long time since I tried any Sennheiser in-ear so I was curious about these.

The first thing I’ve noticed when picked them up is how light these buds actually are. Unlike so many earphones nowadays, these are almost entirely made out of plastic. The cable is quite thin and lightweight too, and not removable. It has a rubbery feel to it and I’m happy to report it doesn’t tangle at all. The downside of this lightweight build is that cable is quite microphonic. It is prone to picking up your movements as it rubs off your clothes.

SOUND

I’m happy to say that Momentum in-ears are not picky about the source. They’ll happily cooperate with a good phone output, but give their best with a reasonably priced DAC dongle like Sonata HD. Moving to Dragonfly Black didn’t yield much improvement.



The sound signature was a surprise for me. I expected warm, to die for, midrange and softened highs, but no sir. Bass was prominent, weighty and disciplined – in one word great. The lower midrange has a noticeable dip, while the higher midrange is pronounced. What this means is that vocals are not particularly weighty nor full sounding. That high midrange peak is giving them an edge too. This edge increases the sense of resolution but makes vocals sound more aggressive too. Occasionally harsh sss, hhh, etc. can be heard. Going higher into the frequency response everything sounds fine. Momentum can reveal plenty of atmospheric details on your recordings.

This U shaped signature really took me off guard, because I just wasn’t expecting it from Sennheiser. But moving on there are other qualities here. As I mentioned, bass notes are weighty but well-controlled, never rumbling without a purpose. Overall clarity and instrument separation are great too. Browsing through my Pop and Rock music I had a lot of fun. Due to its sound signature, my favorite Jazz singers didn’t sound as present and rich as I wanted them to.

COMPARISON

Tin Audio T2 – has a more balanced approach with less weighty bass but fuller midrange. Some consider them to sound a bit thin due to bass restraint, but I believe T2 offers higher fidelity sound then Momentum. Detail retrieval and instrument separation are neck on neck.

BLON BL-03 – Even heavier and punchier bass than we have with Momentum. Similar slight lower midrange dip, but not as pronounced higher midrange. Thanks to that BL-03 sound tamer and never harsh. Basshead haven. Detail retrieval and instrument separation are comparable.

**** **** – Warmer sound with the fuller but also slightly muddier midbass and midrange. Great with vocals. No harshness and roughness in the upper midrange whatsoever. The highest frequencies are clean but not as pronounced. Compared to Momentums they do sacrifice that last bit of clarity for warmth and fluid-like sound.

As you can see, I believe that all of these are very comparable no matter their wildly different pricing. While **** sacrifice some insight for warmth, with T2 and BL-03 you get as incisive sound as with Momentum. Their build is top-notch too.

CONCLUSION

Depending on your preferences you may welcome or dislike this detour in Sennheiser's sound signature. Other than that these are quite good. As far as established western brands go, this is as good sound as you get at this price I suppose. But if we're talking about models coming from the east, you’d be able to spend less yet acquire the same sound quality with even more premium build. To quote Bob Dylan – The times they are a-changin‘.

. . .

You can read this and many other reviews at iiwireviews or watcha video review:

The Sennheiser Momentum in ears have been out already for quite a few years now and this is my second time revisiting these in ear monitors....first was just after their initial release and while I thought they were ok I had also picked up the 10x pricier ie800s so never spent much time with them and passed them on.

Well over a year ago I sold off the ie800s thinking the lower priced Asian alternatives would suffice but a year later I sadly missed the sound from those little Sennheiser gems. Not having the heart to spend another 1k and seeing the used and new markets is fraught with counterfeits thought I’d try a more affordable alternative...which led me back to the Momentum in-ear.
These are now the current Rev 3 (see designation under the bar code).....


...not that anything has changed AFAIK....Rev 1 Momentum in ear, Rev 2 "HD-1 in ear" and now back to “Momentum” in ear
https://en-ca.sennheiser.com/momentum-headphones-in-ear
“Due to market requests, we are bringing the Momentum name back home. The HD1 In-Ear has now been replaced by the MOMENTUM In-Ear.”
....accessories remain the same although the inside bedding has been replaced by a felt like covering as opposed to the shiny upholstery of the rev 1 & 2s, see photos
Rev 1 & 2

Current

......sound wise....once I decided on the proper sized ear tips for the best base performance and sound I really liked the presentation and while not as open as the open back full-sized HD650/660S there is a family resemblance, smooth and easy listening and like the more pricier ie800s the base is more present/powerful but balanced which adds body and weight without interfering with the mid-range and treble...the sound-stage is satisfyingly wide when called upon, overall IMHO a big improvement overall to the much more affordable Asian brands.

Build quality is sufficient with its plastic body and aluminum nozzle they are relatively light weight...
Fit really really comes down to the individual, the housing and cable are designed to be worn down and not for over the ear....the shell may also extend too far out for some users, my ears are big enough to where they almost sit flush. See photos

(from another reviewer)


(my head)


The IOS compatible remote is great for cold weather use so that one is not searching for inside coat pockets to pause and most importantly to adjust the volume levels and the tangle free flat cable is a god send.

Overall though I’m quite satisfied by the sound quality, maybe not in the league of higher priced or tonally correct offerings, but when out and about they keep me entertained and add an extra stride in my steps, micro-phonics is good and as a portable it crosses all my "tees".........Sennheiser 2 year replacement warranty. (when purchased from an Authorized dealer)

Not an audiophile, but here are my most notable impressions of these in ears:
 
They're V-Shaped
Natural, warm, accurate, true to life are not the words I'd use to describe these headphones. They're fun though, and for on-the-go listening, I think these are great, since you won't be looking for detail of the n-th level while walking down the street, or standing in a bus.
 
They have bass
Quite a lot of it. I'm no expert on bass bleeding in the mids, but I suspect there might be some splash into the midrange. Most of the bass is in the mid to sub bass region, which is good, and the bass doesn't sound boomy. It has a lot of impact and get's pretty deep.
 
They have forward and "splashy" treble
There's some emphasis on the high-mid to low treble frequencies, but not as much as I would have expected. It does have a lot of extension though. It sometimes makes some instruments and sounds, like cymbals, sound overly emphasized and in your face. Also, while this is going to depend, I find these earphones sometimes get a little sibilant on certain tracks. Not to the point where I can't listen to them anymore, but enough to make me think of lowering the volume ever so slightly.
 
Midrange is recessed
It's not a bad midrange though. It sounds smooth and natural. Most of the time, vocals don't seem to be buried under the treble and bass, however it can happen on certain tracks. Most notably those, that I know have backing vocals, and I have to kinda search for them in the mix, whereas on other headphones they're just there.
 
Soundstage is good
Not something I would write home about, but enough to keep my interest. Imaging though, IMHO is not the best. Everything sounds slightly outside of my head, but I wouldn't be able to tell exactly where from. Just the general direction that the sounds are coming from.
 
Wire is sh**
It's thin, quite long and it remembers that last time you put them carelessly into your pocket and they got tangled.
 
They're quite big
You're not going to wear these under your hat - you can forget about that.
 
Isolation is... meh
They're shallow fit, so..
 
Foam does wonders with these
It takes away a little bass and some of that overly splashy treble and converts it into a bit more midrange and soundstage. It doesn't really change the overall signature of them, but those slight I'm all for those slight changes in these earphones.
 
Would I buy them again for 80$?
Yeahp. They're fun, they're good looking, have a 3 button remote for both android and iOS (separate models) and they sound a helluva lot of cleaner than my previous IEM's - AKG K323. Oh, and they sound fun. 
Compared to AKG K323: AKG's have the same amount of soundstage I feel, but the imaging is very accurate. And because they sit so deep into your ear canal, it sounds slightly freaky when a violin is making sounds right outside of your right ear. Also, because they go so deep into the ear canal, they're more comfortable and way less conspicuous. As for sound, the AKG's have less bass, that gets just as deep, they have less treble splash, but more emphasis on mid and low treble, and they sound dark AF. Something about those mid's I just can't accept. Also, the wire's ****, and is shorter, so it's even worse.
 
I prefer Momentum In Ears, over AKG K323 - they sound better and cleaner. AKG's have their moments, but most of the time, I don't regret spending nearly 2x on the Senns' as my replacements.

The Momentum Series was a collection of lifestyle audio products aimed towards the marriage between style and sound. Since the release the Over Ear Momentums, this collection quickly gained a large following. Fast forward to late 2015-2016, Sennheiser has both updated the both the Over and On Ears.  However, it’s the affordable In Ear Momentums that has received wide praises from the average consumer, with its more affordable price between $70-129 USD/CAD and great sound.  Let’s see if the praise is well deserved!
Disclaimer- Before we start this review, I want to thank Rosmadi and Sennheiser for sending a pair of the Momentum IE for review. Below a link to my youtube review, please like, comment and subscribe more reviews.
 

 
Features and Accessories:
The Momentum IE was intended for use with the modern smartphone with : Android and iOS Controls(for phone calls and media playback). This feature requires attention, since the market has very few audio gear that is FULLY compatible with android devices (with the inclusion of the volume controls). This is especially important because Sennheiser accomplished this without alienating their apple or android consumers.  The buttons are nicely constructed with beautiful tactile feedback for use even with thick gloves, and the mic is clear and appropriately placed.
 
Accessories include:

1. 1 hard shell carrying case
2. 4 sizes of silicone eartips
3. Plastic Mold Storage (requiring careful winding, for a nice  visual presentation of the earphones), impractical for daily usage but nice inclusion

Overall: 8/10 * the only thing holding back from 9/10 (the smartphone controls is fantastic) is the lacktistisical inclusion of accessories.
 
      
 
 
 
Design:
While in the ear, only the shiny, sparkling sennheiser logo visible.Holding them in the hand. At first, questions may surface as to why Sennheiser designed this peculiar shape to continue the “momentum series” of audio products, which features a more refined, gentlemanly design with some retro inspirations. Its obvious Sennheiser out of their way to cater the IE towards the general consumer, with two colour schemes: the red and black, and the black chrome/gun-metal.  Theres no mistaking the Momentum IE with any other earphone at first glance.
Overall: 8/10
 
      
 
 
Build Quality:
The gun metal finish (on my pair) of the housing appears to be made of real chrome from afar, however this isn’t the case as the entirety of the body seems to be made of a light weight plastic upon closer inspection. Looking at the breakdown the earphones construction, the inner chamber and the nozzle is made of solid stainless steel, exuding a nice premium feel. A nice touch is the tangle resistant property of the lightweight, elliptical cable. The compact y split (and cinche) and the low profile L shape jack retains the minimalistic appearance, that’s perfect for the mobile users.
Overall: 8.5/10
 
          
 
 
Comfort:
The combination of the narrow angled nozzle and the irregular design was designed with the human ear anatomy in mind, allowing them to comfortably slide in and out of the ear effortlessly. The lightweight housing causes no added pressure to the ear, and coupled with the plastic Sennheiser tag on the rear, allowing for easy grip when removing from the ear).
Overall: 10/10
 
   
 
Isolation:
I would say average to above average, a nice all purpose earphone for daily usage. However those wanting to silence the outside world should seek the help of the Meelectronic A151, or perhaps the VSONIC VSD3s instead.
Overall: 8/10
 

 
Sound:
The sound of the Momentum IE is very reminiscent of the Brainwavz S5, I’ve reviewed previously, but slightly more refined (for about the same price) but with iOS or Android Controls.
With a v shaped sound signature, with nice punch (but not overbearing) in the bass makes modern day recordings and synths “fun” and “energetic”. Sennheiser has created an earphone that will play well with today’s popular  genres in the form of pop, hip hop, dubstep, trance and electronic.
 
Bass:
Punchy, fast, and impactful. These are the words that describe the Momentum IE best, providing a nice rhythm and beat to your music library.  The bass is well controlled and boosted at an appropriate level for use in moderately noisy environments. The bass is nimble but still authoritative, compared to the thick and slightly bloated, Nuforce NE800M, and sounds nicely polished to reproduce fast synths with relative ease.
 
Midrange:
Laidback in character They are neither shouty  but not so far back as to call them muffled. Vocals are pulled back with a bit more of a nasal character (especially female vocals), which helps with clear speech intelligibility. However, this comes with the expense as they may not be the most natural sounding and may sound a bit thin for some users, a bit reminiscent of the Alpha and Delta AD01, both bassy earphones but sound surprisingly clear.
 
Treble:
They are just a hint splashy, with a bit of a “metallic” texture, however it’s quite minimal. It’s nicely energetic but not enough for me to call the harsh, however its still detailed enough without causing irritation. The treble plateaus in the mid treble, making them a bit “blunt” and not as “shimmery” as say the Dunu Titan 3, or “brilliant and extended” like the VSONIC GR07BE especially for flutes and music with more ambiance.  Presumably, this was done to prevent fatigue from extended listening periods.
 
Soundstage:
is nicely presented, avoiding the congestion that typical bassy earphones tend to suffer from. Good separation, venturing just slightly out of the head.
Overall: 8.5/10
 
While, the Sennheiser Momentum IE is not meant for the audio purists, looking for a neutral response to re-create a life-like representation of their music. They are simply all around, fun sounding that’s readily available in large retail stores worldwide. Also, with the added benefit of having an iOS and Android compatible controls this is a “no brainer” as a companion for the latest smartphone, for great enjoyment on the go.
 
Overall 50.5/60= 84.1%

these are as good as they can get for their price point, got them after returning shure se215, detachable cable is too unreliable in them..plus they lack the bass..
only con i felt with them is the highs get a little too sharp in rare cases,which is a good thing whren u are watching v shows, movies or anime, but not so much with jazz music

I picked up these for my wife. I thought that since she is more of an average listener (not too concerned with audio), the V-shaped sound might be acceptable or even preferred. I gave them a listen myself, naturally, and they are nothing short of terrible as far as I'm concerned. I can not believe the reviews are this positive, even at this price point.
 
These IEMs have boomy, bloated bass and veiled mids. Stay away unless you like this kind of thing.
 
Somebody had to say it.

Recently bought these as I had some rewards points to redeem.  I did not have many options to choose from but thought the Sennheiser would be a good choice based upon the reputation of the Sennheiser brand and also the good reviews of the Momentum line from Sennheiser.  The earbuds came from Best Buy and the retail price was $99.00.
 
Packaging of the earbud is good.  They come with a nice hard zippered case with a plastic insert that can be used to wrap the earbuds.  The insert can also be removed so that you can use the zipper case without the insert.  The case alone is my choice as the plastic wrap is somewhat cumbersome to use.  They also come with a wide range of silicone tips of various sizes.  It would be nice if they came with some foam tips such as Comply.  
 
Out of the box, the earbuds had a nice balanced sound, not too much bass.  I have used them for rock and alternative and they work well for me.  Probably would not be the choice for bass heavy rap or EDM.  They sound good but are not outstanding especially for the $100 price.  My $40 VSonics beat these hands down.
 
Comfort wise, they are good.  Despite the metallic appearance, they are light and comfortable.  Should be no problem to wear all day.  Shirt clip is included and actually was useful.  90 degree 3.5mm plug is sturdy and also small so that it is not hindered by phone cases.  
 
The Apple version comes with an inline control which works with the iPhone.  There is also an Android version available.  The buttons on the inline control are a little hard to control by feel as the raised buttons are hard to discern by touch.  
 
My main complaint with these earbuds is the cable noise.  That problem is enough to make me not recommend them over other earbuds.  Walking with these earbuds is so distracting that you can hardly focus on the music due to the cable noise.  Using the shirt clip helps some but not enough.
 
I really wanted to like these but after using for a week or so, I cannot say that I do.  I have put them away and gone back to my Mi Pistons as my daily drivers.  The Momentums will not be a keeper but a pass along to the kids.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
For far less money, there are much better options available.  The Mi Piston 3 sound just as good or maybe better and have no cable noise.  I could get 5 pairs of them for the price of the Momentums.  

Photo courtesy of Sennheiser
 
 

INTRODUCTION

We all know Sennheiser, right? The legendary German audio giant famous for high-quality headphones and microphones. Well, I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I'm a Sennheiser newbie. I've tried a lot of audio gear since I started in this hobby but for some reason, but I just never got around to giving Sennheiser their day in the sun. Well, that's about to change because I recently got to take the MOMENTUM In-Ear for a test drive and was impressed with what I heard. Let's just cut to the chase, shall we?
 
Okay, I lied. Before we head off to the review, I'm going to give you a few links I found useful:

1. Sennheiser's MOMENTUM In-Ear Website: LINK.
2. Dedicated Sennheiser MOMENTUM In-Ear thread: LINK.
3. THL's review: LINK
4. @twister6's review: LINK
5. @mark2410's review: LINK

 
If you're considering buying these, I'd recommend reading the other reviews I linked to for alternate points of view from reviewers I respect and trust.
 
 

DISCLAIMER

There is no financial incentive from Sennheiser for writing this review.  I am in no way affiliated with Sennheiser, and this is my honest opinion of the MOMENTUM In-Ear. I would like to thank Sennheiser for giving me a chance to review the MOMENTUM In-Ear, and I hope my feedback proves useful for my fellow Head-Fi members as well as for Sennheiser.
 
 

ABOUT ME

I'm a 43 year old father who loves music.  While I listen mostly to electronic and metal these days, I do listen to a wide variety of music - from electronic (Autechre, Boards of Canada) to modern/minimalist composition (John Cage, Philip Glass) to alternative rock (Flaming Lips, Radiohead) to jazz (John Coltrane and Miles Davis) to metal (Behemoth, King Diamond) to classic rock (Eagles, Rush).  
 
I'm primarily a portable audio enthusiast. My portable music journey started with the venerable Sony Cassette Walkman and then progressed to portable CD players, minidisc recorders (still have my Sharp DR7), and finally on to DAPs like the Rio Karma, iRiver IHP-1xx, iPod 5.5, iPhones, and the newer crop of DAPs from Fiio and iBasso.
 
Being a portable audio enthusiast, I typically listen with IEMs but am enjoying listening with full-size headphones more and more and tend to like u-shaped sound signatures, although I break out v-shaped IEM & HP from time to time for fun.
 
As with a lot of people my age, I've got some hearing issues.  I've got mild tinnitus and suffer from allergies, which can affect hearing in my right ear.  I'll admit it, I'm not blessed with a pair of golden ears.  That said, I've been listening to portable gear for a long time and feel confident in assessing audio gear - just wanted to be transparent up front.


 
 
SPECS

1. Driver: Single Dynamic 
2. Rated Impedance: 18Ω
3. Frequency Range: 15Hz - 22kHz
4. Sensitivity: 118dB at 1mW
5. Cable: 1.3m cable
6. Plug: 3.5mm gold-plated L-plug 
7. Weight: 16g
8. Warranty: 2 years
9. MSRP: $100

 

 

PACKAGING & ACCESSORIES

As usual, I'll go over packaging in pictorial format below.
 
Front

 
 
Rear

 
 
Accessories: Safety Guide, Case, Tips

 
 
MOMENTUM In-Ear + Case Insert

 
 
Tips

 
In all, you get:

1. MOMENTUM In-Ear
2. S, MS, ML, L Silicone Tips
3. Storage Case
4. Manual

As this was my first experience with Sennheiser IEM, I didn't know what to expect. While the accessories package was adequate, I'd like to see a shirt clip and wider variety of silicone tip choices included. 
 
Why a shirt slip? As with most IEM, without a shirt clip microphonics were an issue. That is, unless I chose to wear them over ear, which the MOMENTUM In-Ear weren't exactly designed for. While out for walks, I could hear footfall noise and microphonics as the cable brushed against my clothes. Attaching a shirt clip just below the y-splitter negated the footfall nice and took care of most of the microphonics, as well. The only issue I cold see with including a shirt clip is that it won't really work with the case insert, so you need to leave that behind and stash the IEM directly in the now insert-less case. No big deal. A very good trade-off for getting rid of microphonics in my opinion!
 
Why more tips? Because tips aren't a "one type fits all" solution, and fit is so important for achieving proper isolation and, consequently, good sound. Offering a couple of bore sizes and/or lengths would also allow the owner to optimize the sound a bit. For me, the MS and ML tips both worked well, providing a secure fit, good isolation, and also good sound. However, in the end I found I preferred SpinFit tips. The fit wasn't as secure and they weren't quite as isolating, but the SpinFits gave me a bit more soundstage which made the MOMENTUM In-Ear that much more enjoyable.
 
 

BUILD & ERGONOMICS

Again, I'll walk you through the MOMENTUM In-Ear's build in pictorial format, commenting on what I like and what I think could be improved along the way.
 
MOMENTUM In-Ear Without Tips

 
Hey, those don't look like MOMENTUM In-Ears, you say. They're supposed to be a flashy red color. Well, my friends, this is the MOMENTUM In-Ear all grown up. Personally, I prefer the Black Chrome look to the original red, but that's just me. Unless there's gorgeous wood involved, I prefer a nice, dark color scheme - preferably black. Check!
 
What else do we see here? The unusual shape, to be sure. I've seen pictures of these around and just didn't get the shape. Now that I've gotten to take them for a nice, long test drive, I totally get it. Sennheiser obviously dug out their ear anatomy & physiology studies when designing these because their shape fits my ears like a glove. To get a nice comfortable and secure fit, I just inserted them with a slight twist. No further fiddling required! I've tried a lot of IEM, and this was literally the fastest I've ever been able to achieve a good fit. Furthermore, because they don't have any sharp edges or unusual pressure points, I have no problem wearing them for extended listening sessions. 
 
The strain reliefs are quite unusual, as well. I've seen this style used by Chord & Major, as well, but this is my first experience with it. My only concern here would be that the strain relief Chord & Major uses is metal, whereas this is plastic. I haven't experienced any issues with it so far, and I've treated these roughly, just throwing them in my shoulder bag without storing them in the case. I typically have a portable amp, a DAP, and some other IEM in my bag, and the MOMENTUM In-Ear have been jostling around in there for the past couple weeks without any signs of wear & tear. So any concerns about the strain reliefs are probably unfounded. Ending on a positive note, Sennheiser integrated three raised dots on the left strain relief for easy blind recognition. You can just see it where the strain relief meets up with the shell on the left earpiece in the picture above. I always like it when manufacturers include these small features.
 
Sennheiser used Stainless Steel sound tubes to cut down on resonance. The shells are plastic, though. Seems like a good compromise between optimizing sound quality with a rigid sound tube and keeping the weight down with the plastic shells.
 
Final thought here is that I'm used to seeing vent holes on IEM with dynamic drivers. There must be one, as I'm not experiencing any driver flex or vacuum issues but I can't find it. It might be integrated into a small hole where the two pieces of the plastic shell are joined together. When for ear down, that would place the vent hole right on the top, exposed part of the shell. With that placement, I'd expect a lot of wind noise, however I get absolutely no wind noise with these. Not sure what the Sennheiser design team did here, but it works a treat. I get good isolation, no wind noise, no driver flex, and no vacuum issues. Nice!
 
And finally, the one thing I'd change if I were on the design team... The holographic Sennheiser S logo on the "faceplate". Totally not my style. I'd prefer it to be a little less bling-bling, but that's a minor nitpick. Other than that, there's a lot to like here!
 
 
Remote, Y-Splitter + Cinch, 3.5mm L-Plug

 
I'm an iDevice user, so the MOMENTUM In-Ear I received is the iOS-compatible model. I honestly don't use remotes much, as I primarily use DAPs that aren't compatible with remotes, but I have to admit that it's handy to have when I do plug into my iPhone to listen to some streaming music or an audiobook or podcast. The remote has the standard Play/Pause, Skip Back/Forward functionality and also has Volume controls. I like that. Im not a fan of remotes that don't have built-in Volume controls. And because Sennheiser manufactures separate Android and iOS models, you can get an Android-specific version with fully-functioning Volume controls. Nice! I never explicitly test microphone functionality because, as I mentioned earlier, I'm primarily a DAP user. I rarely have IEM plugged in when I get a call. But just as I was sitting down to write this review, my dad called. The mic worked just fine. I was loud and clear. My only issue was that I get such a good seal with the MOMENTUM In-Ear that I had to remove one earpiece because I just couldn't tell how loud I was talking.
 
I've got no concerns about the Y-splitter or cinch. They're there, and they work. Again, if I were on the design team, I'd vote for losing the holographic "faceplate" on the cinch. It's not that apparent in the low-key photo I took, but it's pretty darn sparkly and bling-bling. Just not my style. Very minor nitpick, though.
 
And finally, the 3.5mm L-plug. Again no major concerns with this. It's pretty low-profile and fits into my smartphone case. I do wish the strain relief was a little more flexible, though. While it has some flex, it might be better if it had a bit of notching or taper near the outlet for even more flex. Probably not a major concern, though. And I wouldn't complain if Sennheiser incorporated an even lower-profile L-plug like the one on the NuForce NE800M I just tested. It sat nearly flush with my smartphone case, which was really nice.
 
Did you notice the cable, by the way? It's not quite round yet not flat. It's a flattened oval cable. It's interesting, although I'm not sure it really achieves any major functional goals.
 
 
Sennheiser MOMENTUM In-Ear Ready To Rock!

 
 
Worn Down

 
Sennheiser quite obviously designed the MOMENTUM In-Ear to be worn down. My ears are a bit on the small side, and even so the MOMENTUM In-Ear nestle into my ear very nicely. Once you settle them in your ears, the attention to ergonomic design really becomes apparent. The curves, constrictions, and angles all "just worked" for me. There aren't many IEM I don't have to fiddle with fairly often due to some weird ear canal angles - to the point were I've thought about giving up on universal IEM and just going the CIEM route. Not with these. Other reviews have commented on the large size. They may be a bit large, but they're certainly not as large as some other IEM I've used. Moreover, people routinely tell me I've got small ears and I've had absolutely no problems with these.
 
 
Worn Over Ear

 
As with a lot of IEM intended to be worn down, yes, you can do it but it won't be as ergonomic as just wearing them down. But then again, I'm a wear 'em down kinda guy. If you're an over ear person just know you can do it. Who knows, you might even find them more comfortable. However, the one big sticking point is that when worn over ear, the remote/mic module hangs just about an inch below my ear. This is compared with just below my jawline when worn down. For those of you with larger ears, this means the remote module might come close to touching your ears. Not so good! Me? I'll be sticking with wearing them down, thank you very much!
 
Last thought... Either a remote/mic-free version of moving remote/mic module down the cable a bit would be nice for people who prefer over ear use.
 
 
SOUND
I listen to a lot of experimental electronic and metal and mainly used those genres to evaluate the MOMENTUM In-Ear. As usual, I used them as my sole IEM for a week. During that time, I mainly listened to them out of the Soundaware M1 Esther Analog DAP (LINK) I've got in for testing. I've also given it a listen out of my iPhone 5s with music, as well as audiobooks and podcasts. I also gave them a listen through the updated Aune B1 2016 Version portable amp (review coming soon!) stacked with the M1 Esther. I'll go over what I thought of the overall sound signature, some very brief thoughts on tip-rolling, and a brief comparison with a couple other IEM you might be familiar with around the same price point.
 
But first, a beauty shot with the Soundaware M1 Esther Analog in Silver.
 
 
Sound Signature
As you might've figured out from the Pros & Cons section, the MOMENTUM In-Ear has a v-shaped sound signature. Bass is enhanced but has a good balance of sub-bass and mid-bass to keep them from sounding bloated, boomy, and slow. Electronic music like Richard Devine, Ueno Masaaki, and Vaetxh benefited from the well-extended, impactful bass. The bass also passed my Candlemass test for all you classic Doom Metal fans out there. Blastbeat kick drums in Black and Death Metal sounded pretty good, I didn't hear much smearing which can be a major problem with bass-enhanced IEM. Older albums with with leaner mastering like Black Sabbath, Fleetwood Mac, and Rush also benefited from the enhanced bass, giving them a bit of extra warmth. Mids are recessed, making vocals seem more intimate than usual. I found this to be more apparent with female vocals. Electric guitar could use more bite. The upper end is well-controlled and relatively smooth. Some reviewers noted sharp treble which is prone to sibilance. This has not been my experience. In fact, I found these quite an easy listen, only getting sibilance in recordings where I know it's a mastering problem. Soundstage, imaging, and separation are all good but not outstanding. 
 
If I were given the chance to retune these, I'd reduce the bass just slightly, bring the upper mids forward a bit, and and give them a bit more sparkle up top. I wouldn't recommend major changes because I get and can appreciate what Sennheiser is going for here. My aim would be to keep them on the full, fun side of things while balancing out the overall sound signature just a bit more. I think this would make them an even better all-around IEM that would have broader appeal amongst those starting down the audiophile path.
 
Adventures In Tip Rolling
If the manufacturer supplies different tips, I always start out with the stock silicone tips and then work my way through the rest of the supplied tips. However, Sennheiser only supplies one type of tip with the MOMENTUM In-Ear. I guess they're confident they made the right choice! And yes, the stock tips worked well for me. I did waver between the MS and ML size tips and finally settled on the ML tips for a more shallow fit. The MS fit in a bit deeper, but I felt like they weren't sealing quite as well so I abandoned them and just stuck with the ML tips. In fact, I enjoyed the stock tips so much I didn't play with other tips for quite some time. When I did, I didn't want to go the narrow bore hybrid route with these because I was afraid it would make them overly bassy. I have a hard time getting a good seal with Heir style tips, so even though I could see there being some benefit to a wide bore tip on these I didn't go that route, either. I did try SpinFit tips on them, as I've found that with bass-enhanced IEM the SpinFit tips expand the soundstage. This was no exception, with the MOMENTUM In-Ear's soundstage benefiting from the SpinFit tips. However, the SpinFits did make the fit less stable, so when out and about I'd recommend the stock tips for a more secure fit and better isolation. When stationary, I'd definitely recommend swapping out for SpinFit tips. Or if your ears get along with Heir-style tips, give those a try because I think you'd get similar benefits from those.
 
Comparisons
I gave these a volume matched listen vs. Brainwavz S5 and Trinity Delta, which I think a lot of you are familiar with. They're all around the same price and are variants on a fun, v-shaped sound signature. So, what did I think?
 
Brainwavz S5: S5 has greater bass quantity with more mid-bass, making the bass sound looser and slower in comparison. S5 has more upper mids and lower treble, making female vocals a little livelier and giving electric guitars more bite, but also making cymbals splashier and emphasizing sibilance. Soundstage is comparable, but I'd give MOMENTUM In-Ear the upper hand for imaging and separation. Overall, I'd take MOMENTUM In-Ear here for a more "audiophile" take on a bass-enhanced sound signature. S5 are slightly easier to drive than MOMENTUM In-Ear. 6/16 was a comfortable listening volume with S5 + iPhone 5s, whereas I had to crank the iPhone up to 8/16 to get a comparable volume. 
 
Trinity Delta + Gunmetal Filter: These two have more differences, so I'm going to go into more details here. Delta has similar bass levels but has more emphasis on mid-bass, which makes it sound a bit more impactful and quicker. Delta has less recessed mids and quite a bit more upper mid and lower treble energy, which gives guitars bite and makes female vocals sound much more forward. In fact, in comparison with MOMENTUM In-Ear, Delta makes female vocals sound a bit shouty. On the same Fleetwood Mac song, Stevie Nicks sounds aggressive with Delta whereas with MOMENTUM In-Ear it seems like she's singing breathily in my ear. I preferred the MOMENTUM In-Ear's approach here. However, with Bjork, Delta really makes her voice pop, whereas MOMENTUM In-Ear makes her sound a bit flat. In this case, I preferred Delta. I don't feel like either goes overboard on the upper end. Cymbals sound good and sibilance is well-controlled with both. While MOMENTUM In-Ear is no slouch, Delta clearly wins in the soundstage, separation and imaging departments. This is more of a toss-up for what I'd pick. I think something right between the bass, mids, upper mids, and lower treble levels of each of these would be killer - especially the upper mids and lower treble. 8/16 gives me a comfortable listening volume with both Delta and MOMENTUM In-Ear.
 

 
SUMMARY
So what do I think of the MOMENTUM In-Ear? I really didn't know what to expect going into these. I was just coming off listening to an even more bass-enhanced, v-shaped IEM in the NuForce NE800M, so these sounded a bit flat at first listen. After acclimating, I found that while still a fun IEM, the MOMENTUM In-Ear takes a more refined different approach. More linear bass, less upper mid / lower treble energy, a more balanced, smoother sound without sacrificing too much clarity. Make no doubt, these are not reference IEM. Don't go into an audition or purchase thinking that's what you'll be getting. What you'll be getting is a refined take on the v-shape that audiophiles can appreciate. I can see these being a complement to a more mid-focused, reference type IEM. My only tuning suggestions would be a touch less bass and slightly more forward upper mids and lower treble. 
 
Attention to details and ergonomics make these a very comfortable wear. These were hands-down the one of the easiest IEM to achieve a good fit with that I've encountered. Given the unusual shape, I didn't expect this. It's apparent that the design team really did their homework with these. The new color scheme is great, more sophisticated than the flashier red model, although I could do without the shiny, bling-bling Sennheiser S logo on the earpiece's faceplate and cinch. And while I love the case, I wish Sennheiser included some more tips and a shirt clip. More tips choices will help MOMENTUM In-Ear owners find just the right fit and sound tuning out of the box, and a shirt clip will greatly reduce footfall noises and microphonics.
 
I hope you found this useful and would like to give a hearty thanks to @Rosmadi Mahmood at Sennheiser for giving me the opportunity to review the MOMENTUM In-Ear. It was a very positive introduction to Sennheiser's IEM's, and I look forward to hearing more from them in the future.

The base stands out immediately. Not overpowering but complementary to the treble to produce an immensely warm and full bodied feeling. I test drove this pair of gems on Travis´ Side. The music resonated and enveloped me and led me into a drunken state of bliss. I praise Sennheiser for making great headphones for people of all budget profiles. This is a highly affordable pair of headphones that produce fantastic music for the masses. Because it has a remote control for volume, I rate this pair slightly higher than my highly rated Philips IE Fidelio S2 but below my current champ, the stylish and competent SE215. The Philips have a more subtler base but are nevertheless equally loved by me. I will alternate this two pairs of IE headphones on my mountain biking trips.

Introduction
Before this review begins I would like to let all you readers know my audio path, from where I started to where I am now. This somewhat of a lengthy summary so you can skip it and go straight to the review if you'd like. 
My audio story
Like pretty much every other human on this earth, I never really bothered with sound quality. Yes music has always been part of my life, but I never had the equipment to truly enjoy it. Right around the 6th grade the amount of time i spent listening to music rose to new heights. At this time I only listened to music at home on youtube as I didn't have any portable media player to take on the go. For Christmas of 2011 I received an ipod touch 4g and i could now listen to music anywhere. I had never downloaded music before as I didn't feel it necessary, I mean I could always go on youtube and look up what I wanted. Like most 12 year olds, I got free music from an app on my computer. This was where I first began to notice a difference in the quality of sound. Everything just sounded cleaner and without noise in the background. I was impressed, but it still didn't draw me into the audiophile world. Around April of 2012 my cousin came to my house and gave me some Sony earphones, ( not earbuds ). I put them on, but immediately took them off as it felt very strange putting something that far inside my ear for the first time. After losing my earpods I once again turned to those earphones and this time I got over the fit. Well after playing just one song I was blown away by how clear everything sounded, this was where my audiophile journey truly began. After being so amused by my $30 earphones I began to understand why someone would pay $300 for a pair of Beats. The funny thing was that no matter which model I tried, the sound of Beats never amused me. This confused me as I thought that something of that price was sure to blow my socks off. One day I googled : world's best headphone, and I was stunned to know that Beats were actually some of the worst headphones on the market and that the true champions were the Sennheiser hd800. Over the next few months I did tons of research and discovered all of the REAL audio brands. Finally on Christmas of 2012 I decided to get a pair of Sennheiser hd 280 pro. This was my first real headphone and would be my reference pint for the next year. Once again in 2013 I continued my research and kept on learning new things about audio, like amps, dacs, and even cables. I moved to a different high school for my freshman year due to problems I encountered with the people at my old district. At this new school I made many new friends, many more than I had at my old school. Due to this I started to need portable headphones as I was on the go much more often. I didn't really know where to look as I wasn't too familiar with iems yet. Well. one day I went with my cousin to Fry's Electronics and there was a pair of DNA iems for only $50, half off from $100. There wasn't any information on these regarding the sound, there was only on pair left and the price was something I just couldn't resist. I had no money on me, but luckily my cousin was generous enough to buy them for me, these were his Christmas present to me. For the price I got them at, I was more than pleased with the sq. Only 2 months passed before they were stolen from me. In less than a week however I found the guy who took them and got him suspended for stealing. I would have kept them and if I had I wouldn't be looking at iems all day like I do now. But the reason I couldn't keep them was that i had recently gone to a party and didn't get my friend anything. She helped me find the guy who took them from me and I told her if I did find them that I would give them to her. Lucky for her and I, they were found and it felt great giving her a present because I was pretty much the only one who hadn't. Immediately after giving her those, I began doing heavy research on iems and all other things about headphones, but mainly iems. During this time I discovered many of the well regarded ones, which included the Sony ex1000, Shure se535, Klipsch x11, Sennheiser ie800, Etymotic er4 and it as also during this time that I got to know about ciems. There were too many options to chose from and a lot of them were way out of my budget, so I knew that it would be a very long time before I would decide on which one to buy. By now I was really getting into the whole hifi business. the title of "best" changes every once in a while, and it had been two years since I asked google what the best headphone in the world was, so once again I googled that. This time my mouth dropped wide open. Stax sr-009 electrostatic headphones, $5000, $12000 for a proper system. Never did I think a headphone could get that expensive. A new phase in my journey began and this was where I learned about different driver technology and how much more expensive it could make a headphone or a speaker. I took all of this seriously however, but whenever I saw a $2000 on the internet I just laughed. After I learned about why somethings are as expensive as they are I moved on to yet another phase in my journey and this was where I examined audio processing, 16-bit, lossless, uncompressed, 24-bit, raw samples. This last part of the journey was hands down the most complicated to understand, but I felt proud to have understood all this stuff. During July of 2014 I bought a fiio e7 for $8 from a garage sale, I'm so glad the person didn't know what they were selling otherwise he would have sold it for a much higher price. The difference in sound was something that I really did noticed when I hooked up my 280 pros to the fiio. By late July I had made my decision to buy the Apple in ear phones, the reasons for that were that I really wanted to own a pair of BA earphones, they seemed to have the sound signature that I liked which was with a lean one with an emphasis on treble, also they matched nicely with my iphone 5s. Before I bought them every review I came across said that they really lacked bass, to my surprise the didn't lack bass at all, but they did lack treble sparkle which is why I returned them only a few weeks after getting them. I had $30 earphones that had better treble than those, no way was I keeping them. It would be months before I would buy another set. Finally the time came once again where I had to decide on what to get. For a while I had trouble deciding on whether I should get the Shure se425 or the Eymotic er4. The Shures were more comfortable, low profile fit, and had more bass which while I don't really care for, is needed since I listen to a lot of rap and electronic music. the Etymotic had a treble response that I wished for, it was very accurate, probably isolated better, could improve with an amp, and had the option of custom earpieces. These two options were tearing me apart, but then I came across the Audio Technica ath im02, they combined every good thing from both the Etymotics and the Shures, and the best part was that they were only around $150 on amazon. I was settled and was ready to buy, except there was one more problem. Yes, I had $350 in cash but there was no place near where I live where they could be purchased. the only way to get them would have to be through the internet, and to buy them from there a credit card or something similar is needed, at the time I didn't have anything like that. I asked my parents hoping that they would buy it for me if I gave them the money. My parents, and everyone around me has no appreciation for good sound quality so to them the idea of buying earphones for $150 just seemed outrageous. It was no surprise to me when they told me no. My only other option I had in mind were either the Shure se 215 or the Sennheiser momentum in ear. Only because the momentums had more treble was why I chose them over the Shures. So here I am 3 years after getting into the hifi hobby, ready to do my first review. 
Review 
1. Packaging: The packaging on these is pretty standard for something of this price. 
Once opening them the carrying case is inside some foam protection. The foam also has a little compartment where the extra ear tips are housed. Like all products, there is a manual included 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Other than that there's not much else to discuss, pretty simple packaging nothing fancy.
 
2. Design/build: At first these may not seem like they're well built due to the plastic housing. Upon closer inspection you'll notice that these are actually substantial and even have a stainless steel tip. As you move down, the cable quality is good. It a black/red elliptical cable that doesn't feel too thin or too thick. Overall good build quality. Designs are always a preference thing, but in my opinion these look great. They have a shiny Sennheiser logo, a red/black color scheme, and a convenient right angle jack. My only gripe with the design is that there is only one color option. 
 

 
 
 
3. Sound: Finally, the part you've all been waiting for. Note my reference point for sound is the hd280 pro which is a studio monitor with a "flat" sound. I'v since sold them but the way they sounded is still very fresh in my mind. I will rate the sound for what it is and how it is. My preferences will be almost absent from this review. All listening was done on my iphone 5s and fiio e7 with a mix of itunes downloaded music and apple lossless cd rips. 
Bass: The bass was the first thing I noticed when I first put them on. Its thunderous and thumpin , and ever  so slightly messy. After a week of burn in the messiness went away, but the big fat bass stayed. for rap and dubstep this works really well. It gives these genres the pounding bass that they deserve. Tracks like Dont hate the playa by Tyga sound intense and makes your eardrums rattle. Doing it right by Daft punk really shows the bass decay in these. As mentioned before, burn in removes any messiness that would occasionally spill into the lower mids. The bass may not be such good thing with strings which at lower volumes can really be drowned out. This is the type of bass that really suits modern genres like rap, electronic, or pop. I think the average consumer would really enjoy the ass on these.
 
Mids: This is the weakest aspect to the sound. If you've heard anything else higher end, you'l immediately notice that the midrange is recessed. Its obvious, but they're not completely absent or lacking like they are with other mainstream earphones of this price. Listening to Touch by Daft Punk shows how the extra bass gives authority to male vocals. With female vocal these still sound great, but could be better. Not the strong point of these earphones, good enough for most average listeners.
Treble: The treble on these saves them from sounding muddy. It clearly has a sculpted trebled that sounds bright. The lower treble gives them a lively signature that works well with modern genres. Strings sound clear and separate and Daft Punk's Within shows the amount of sparkle that these can put out. Only the highest treble region is smoothed out and lacks the micro detail that other earphones may have.  All in all the treble on these is good, its smooth with no sibilance, just be aware that if you're a treble head they may not provide the last bit of detail that you wish for. Separation and sound stage are both decent. They don't feel completely in your head like other earphones do. Isolation is rather poor on these, they muffle some noise but don't block it out. 
Final thoughts: I bought these not because I wanted them, rather because I really wanted a good pair of earphones and had no other option in mind. I will be selling these, but I'm sure that they'll go to a better place afterwards. If anybody's interested in buying them my email is oscartamayo2010@outlook.com. I'll be selling them for $90 and I'm willing to go as low as $80. Hope this review was helpful, my next one wont be so long. 

BUILD QUALITY & FINISH
The new momentum IEMs are quite an interesting pair of earphones. The momentum series is known for its striking design and the attention to detail and this carries forward to the in-ears as well. The red and black metallic finish is a nice touch and turns heads. The build quality is quite solid ( it looks like metal bit its actually mostly plastic), the cables aren't removable like with the Shure se215s but the semi-flat design ensures they don't tangle as much.
 
FIT
They plug in directly to your ear. They have pretty large housings and stick out of your ear a lot, so i did find it easy to dislodge the iem's when its in your ear. It's definitely not as secure as some around ear cable design like how i wear my RHA ma750i, which is definitely a lot more secure. It isn't the best iem in terms of comfort
 
SOUND
 
Coming to the Sound Quality, the momentums have a V shaped Sound signature which means the bass and treble is more emphasized. This makes for a energetic and lively sound. The momentums can come off as slightly too treble forward or bright for some. I feel that the s notes are slightly irritating. Some heavy metal songs which use a lot of cymbals can be a touch sibilant and sound metallic.
 
The bass is, i think, the best part of these iem's. Its tight and has a lot of detail and texture. It does not feel overdone and gives a warm and punchy sound. I dont think it bleeds into the mids much. It makes the music very dynamic and engaging to listen to. It has a good amount of both mid-bass and sub-bass
 
The mids are also good. They have a lot of detail but might feel a little distant because of the emphasized bass and treble.
 
Noise isolation is pretty good with the right sized eartips
 
CONCLUSION
Overall i think these are an excellent pair of earphones at 99$. I do prefer the RHA ma750i as i think it has better build quality, better fit, better accessories and slightly better soundstage and slightly more natural sound, but its also more expensive.
 
Also this is my first review. Any suggestions and comments are welcome
 

I have published a review in my native language at http://tech.ihned.cz/c3-62890750-040000_d-62890750-test-sennheiser-momentum-in-ear but to make it more inclusive here are my findings in english (or "czenglish")
 
I got my pair of Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear at the end of Keynote at IFA show after talking with the Sennheiser brothers which was a nice surprise as it is actualy unpacking
I have published a review in my native language at http://tech.ihned.cz/c3-62890750-040000_d-62890750-test-sennheiser-momentum-in-ear but to make it more inclusive here are my findings in english (or "czenglish"

I got my pair of Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear at the end of Keynote at IFA show after talking with the Sennheiser brothers which was a nice surprise as it is actually unpacking the headphones themselves. The presentation is great and the headphones look awesome with a hint of luxury. I like the dark red color mixed with black and the remote looks and works flawlessly (I got the android version, with iOS play/pause, skip forward work fine as well) .
 
The case contains only 4 pair of tips. I have tried them all and did not find the perfect match. I would love to see some foam or triple layered tips included. The case itself looks great, but i hate removing the coil as it resists on the way out and on the way back in as well. It will get easier with time but not for me, i like the non-tangliness  and carry them in a separate small pocket in my backpack.
 
The sound
I had  a brief glimpse of the sound at IFA during a Showstoppers event and they described the headphones as high tones from original Momentum, bass more present, deeper and better presented than with On-Ears. Owning Momentum On-Ear for a year and loving the original Momentum which I have reviewed previously I was hooked and couldn't wait to get to review them (and then came the surprise at the keynote).
 
So about the sound… Momentum In-Ear confirms what I believe strongly in: in-ears offer better sound than other headphone types at the same price. Sennheiser managed to produce sound covering the whole spectrum from sub-bass to high tones barely audible to humans with only one driver and did it surprisingly well.
 
My first impression was that the bass is just a bit too much. It was strong, the very low end of the spectrum is there, and i felt like there is some bass leak. But after playing with different tips and letting them burn-in the bass got controlled and it actually enhances even jazz and classical recordings. The only effect I felt was that insturments like hoboe or even upright bass just got better separation and presence more akin to what i know from live jazz shows from my student years.
 
The high tones like flutes (i love the sound of flute) or even cymbals is bright and clear with no sign of distortion or infidelity and there is so much detail in the recordings.  The same goes for vocals. It is pure joy to listen to FLAC versions of songs like Tom's Diner by Suzanne Vega or Grandmother by Rebecca Pidgeon.
 
Given the fact that Momentum in-ear offers some enhanced bass modern music like hip-hop or trance sounds the best. This is where Sennheiser shows all the wannabes how the music should really sound. Even with strong bass the vocals can be heard clearly. I enjoyed this characteristic with songs like Mercy by Kanye West, Church in the Wild by Jay Z or the “boomy” Royals by Lorde with great contrast of the deep beats and lovely vocals.
 
On the other hand I mostly listen to quite different type of music. Jethro Tull with the great Flute of Ian Anderson), Diana Krall and these headphones made me listen to lots of classical music as well. It may sound strange given the slight V shaped sound but I like it even the bass which I find controlled and adding to the music. I really love the sound of Momentum IN-.Ear in Ravel’s works, especially with Bolero and Daphnis at Chloé (yup, I am conformist) Sennheiser shows the full dynamic range and the ability to separate instruments and offer great soundstage. I have two versions of Bolero in FLAC one by  Berlin Filharmoniker Orchestra directed by Von Karajan and by Czech philharmonic orchestra directed by Pesek and both are joy to listen to. The sound is alive, full of detail and just fun to listen to.
 
On the other hand I found some music the headphones doesn't excel at too. Metal doesn't sound particularly great. It may be because of the lower quality files I have with Hail to England by Manowar ripped from a CD long years ago and even songs from Spotify... it simply is not the greatest I have heard.
 
Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear generally don't sound that good with lower quality recordings. FLAC or ALAC is the way to go with this class of headphones but that is something head-fiers know by heart. Sound source is important as well. Top of the line phones are ok, low end phones are bad but the good news is you don't need to use headphone amp to enjoy Momentum In-Ear
Of course you get some further sound refinement when playing them on a pocket amp (like on my slightly exotic Dared HPA-55Lú or with table amp like my Xonar Essence One but the boost isnt as great as using FLAC instead of 256kbps MP3 files.
 
I use the headphones for movie watching and gaming as well and they do a good job with all the explosions being thrilling and dialogues clear and vivid.
 
Overall, I am in love and given the sensible price of 99 USD/eur I think Sennheiser Momentum In-Ear is a great item to put on your letter to Santa.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
This is a review of Sennheiser Momentum in-ear headphones with Android controls. http://en-us.sennheiser.com/momentum-headphones-in-ear
 
I knew Senns was cooking something new to announce during or after IFA 2014, but I had no idea what to expect. The moment I read about Momentum In-Ear announcement and saw a promo video - I already started speculating in my mind how these going to be tuned. With such a bold design look they were obviously trying to appeal to a younger crowd who values bass and want smartphone controls, but calling it "Momentum" tied it up to a family of audiophile quality full size headphones that appeal to a more mature crowd with priorities of sound quality above the looks. I was in for a big surprise when I received my review sample and came to a conclusion that Senns cooked a perfect formula to make everybody happy and managed to deliver that under $100. Here is what I found.
 
One thing you can always count on with Senns is to deliver a great unboxing experience. Even prior to opening a compact packaging box it arrived in, I had a pretty good idea what to expect by taking a "tour" around the box to find out about its design details, features, controls and accessories. In the past I have reviewed Momentum over-ear headphones, so was surprised how cleverly they scaled down the packaging details for in-ears. You have a similar form fitting foam cutout where they placed a premium quality black case with a zipper and a red stitching details. There was an additional cutout with a small bag containing two pairs of eartips, and also a manual booklet. Unzipping a case revealed what appears to be a wire spool with headphones and in-line remote sitting in the middle and the rest of the flat wire wrapped around. On a back of the spool there was a space for another pair of eartips and headphone plug.
 
As much as I enjoyed this presentation, I have to admit this spool will not be used again because I found 45deg angles formed during the wire wrapping to cause a memory effect in the wire which I'm still trying to straighten out. Its great for presentation, but not practical for every day use. Luckily, spool comes out without a problem, and you have a high quality headphone case with a space enough to store even a small mp3 player like Clip+. Headphones itself had yet another pair of eartips already on, with all 4 pairs (XS, S, M, L) being silicone and having a signature line across the bore opening (works great as a stopper so you don't push a nozzle all the way through). I would have liked to see some Comply foam tips as well, though actually found included eartips to provide an excellent fitment and decent sound isolation.
 
When it comes to a design of headphones itself, I found these to have a very unique look to stand out from the crowd. Though I can only see an angled nozzle made out of stainless steel material and metal loop on the back for a strain relief - from a design diagram on the back of the packaging box it looks like inner body is made out of metal as well with a red plastic shell on top of it. Earpieces were very light weight, and I also found a slit port opening at the top which I'm sure contributed to a wide airy soundstage. Right were the wire comes out from the shell, you have R marking on the right side, and 3 bumps on the left side to id L/R even in the dark.
 
As I mentioned above, strain relief was provided in a form of a small metal loop extended from the back of the shell where you have a stamped and laser etched surface with a signature "S" which looks like a reversed "Z". Wire shielding is flat and narrow and has a slightly oval shape. From earpiece down to y-splitter the shielding is actually bi-colored with a black on outside and a red on inside (a very classy design touch), and all black from y-splitter down to 90deg L-shaped gold plated headphone plug with a very nice strain relief. Y-splitter itself is minimalistic, and right next to it you will find a chin-slider with a small "S" signature sticker. It's very rare to see a chin slider in a setup with in-line remote control since you can't slide it beyond that, but it's still effective to bring L/R cables closer with in-line remote/mic. I only sensed a slight hint of microphonics while sitting down and moving my head, but not when I was walking around.
 
While some companies are trying to take an easy way out by providing either a universal remote with only a single multi-function button and mic or iPhone controls with addition of volume up/down buttons that work only with iOS, Sennheiser actually makes 2 different Momentun in-ear models, one for Android and another one for iPhone. My review sample had in-line remote for Android which Senns call "IEG" meaning In-Ear with "Galaxy" controls. But they are very clear on top of the packaging box specifying that it will work not only with Samsung Galaxy phones but also LG, HTC, Sony and other smartphones and tablets. Unfortunately, some android devices might not support it since I know for sure that Moto implements a different wiring which is not compatible with other common headphone controls. So if you don't have one of those common Android brand phones, please double check with Sennheiser website for a list of compatible devices.
In my case, it worked perfectly fine with Note 2 and S5 where single click was used for Play/Pause/Call, double click to skip next, triple click to skip prev, and long press to start Google NOW. Volume control was flawlessly integrated with my phone, and mic had a great sensitivity where I heard no complains from people on the other side of the call. The location of the remote/mic was at a perfect level to pickup voice without a problem and also to reach controls without pulling on the wire. Plus, buttons on the remote were nicely shaped with id marks and were easy to locate just by touch.
 
But as you know, without a sound to back it up, all these design details will be worthless. Even so I'm a strong believer in a burn in, especially with dynamic drivers, I still like to get an idea of a sound out of the box. Don't be shocked but right out of the box it had a mid-bass bloat spilling into the rest of the spectrum. For a split second I thought to myself, oh no, hopefully these are not "basshead" beats. Without further hesitation, I put these down for an initial 12hrs burn in, and the next morning woke up to a brand new sound! After an additional 8hrs on top of that, I felt the sound settled down and I was ready to evaluate it.
 
I found the overall sound signature to be slightly v-shaped with a bright detailed tuning and an enhanced bass emphasis. Starting with low frequencies, these have a deep extended sub-bass texture with a nice rumble and a fast mid-bass punch. Bass is well controlled with just a slight spillage into lower mids. It definitely has an enhanced bass quantity, but it's not over the top and without any perception of mid-bass bloat (which settled down nicely after burn in). Mids are slightly recessed, thus creating v-shaped signature, but it's very tastefully tuned to give bass more power. Upper mids sound very clear and detailed creating a happy medium between brightness and warmth. Especially when it comes to vocals, either male or female, they sound relatively natural with a nice body. Treble is well extended, crispy, but not sibilant. Sound is bright but not too hot or at the level causing ear fatigue. Soundstage has a great width and depth, almost approaching 3D level in some of the songs. Any music genre, from EDM to classical or pop and rock sounded very dynamic and with a great layering and separation of instruments (either if its electronic or acoustic timbers). I really enjoyed retrieval of the details in these IEMs. Also, it was very easy to drive these from any source, either smartphone or DAP, though having a warmer source might be more beneficial to keep brightness under control. For example, I prefer to use these headphones with my "darker" X1 versus a "brighter" X5. I also found it to be quite forgiving even with lower quality encoded mp3s.
 
Overall, I was extremely pleased with new Momentum In-Ear headphones! Their sound tuning is full of energy and details to appeal to anybody who enjoys music, doesn't matter what style or tempo you are listening to. It provides extra bass, but does it tastefully without being a basshead monster. It provides clarity and details, without pushing analytical envelope with harsh tuning. It has a fun signature and still keeps upper mids in check to deliver great vocals without being too recessed. Even so I think they are a jack of all trades, I also find them to be a moderate master of all of them at the same time. With a great durable build, a modern design, full integration of smartphone controls (either for android or iphone), and a very impressive sound tuning, for under $100 these definitely deserve a serious consideration!
 
Here are the pictures (click on the image to enlarge).