Sennheiser Momentum 2.0

When my old and very low-end headphones died, I decided to step-up and ordered an HyperX Cloud, which was at the time the best overall sub-100$ headphones which didn't required any amp to work properly. They last me for a few years, and then I started to feel a bit limited and started to look at more high-end hardware.

That's how I came to get the Sennheiser Momentum one year ago. To start with, yes, these are great headphones, as many reviewers already pointed out. They're comfortable - while not perfect on this, and some units like mine are sadly less comfortable than other ones, maybe due to a manufacturing problem -, classy, don't require any amp, work well even with low-end DACs, and the sound is clearly worth the money. But there's a point that many here missed.

I first used these headphones on my Honor 5C, just after receiving them. While listening for a few minutes, I was directly disappointed. That was not as good as I thought it would be - at the moment, I didn't know ears required a bit of time to get used to the sound of new hardware. But then, I plugged them in my laptop's (great) output, and it became a lot better. After tricking the equalizer for a bit on my phone, giving more bass and more treble, it became more enjoyable. And it was even better when I got my Pocophone F1, which has a better 3.5mm output though it didn't have a dedicated DAC nor amp.

And then my curiosity was picked up by DAPs. I never understood why some of them were so expensive, and I didn't know much about the quality of outputs (DAC, amps etc.). Finally, I learnt a bit about these things and bought a Shanling M0. The sound was less precise, but a lot more enjoyable than my laptop's output - and the imprecise stereo was all about the DAP's fault, as many reviewers pointed out on this product.

A few weeks later, I got a Fiio M9. And that's where things really began. While these headphones already sound great with low-end hardware, they sound a lot (no, I said A LOT better) with a proper DAC (amplification doesn't help as they have a low impedance and are very sensitive). The sound difference even with these Momentum between my Shanling M0 which already have a good dedicated DAC and my Fiio M9 is HUGE, to the point any come back is really difficult.

Sound is absolutely amazing to my sense, they're classy, lightweight, comfortable, easy to drive - though a good DAC is ABSOLUTELY required to get the best of them -. Soundstage is really wide, though depth is somewhat limited, but here too requires a good source to deliver its best. Instruments separation is perfect, I can easily pick a specific instrument and follow it independently of others, even in messy mixes. This are also very forgiving headphones, as ugly YouTube recordings can be listened to without making an ugly face. Still, don't expect to hear a huge difference between a well-recorded 320kbps MP3 and even a 24bit/94kHz lossless file, though the difference is certainly audible.

So, let's talk about the sound. If you love kicking basses, you will love these headphones. Without being bassy by a bit, the lows slam and hit as hard as you may want them to. I find the lows a lot more impressive on these than on the Sony WH-1000XM3 for instance. The mids are a bit forward, and marvelously present. Guitars and vocals just feel alive, and on very good recordings the impression of having the singer near to you is really impressive - although it's obviously not as impression as some very high-end headphones. The highs are good but not incredible. You will hear many details from your music but if highs are the thing you're looking for the most in a pair of headphones, these may not be the best for you.

I won't put any test music here, as I listen to many genres and always use several hundred tracks to get a good overview of the sound. But I can easily tell the sound is open, airy, loaded with details. Basses go deep with a nice texture. Impacts are great, with punchy lows - which is perfect for electronic musics/rap, but also makes cellos and such classic instruments a lot more alive, without bleeding into the mid's ranges.

If I had to find a con to these headphones, that would be they really require a great source to shine. Not as much as the HD 6XX, of course, but still.

About sources, the Momentum 2 will sound good with absolutely any source (smartphone or pc) but it'll definitely be another world with a great source. I find the Fiio M9 to be perfect with them - delivering a somewhat slightly warmer sound, with extremely crisp mids making it excellent at reproducing soundstage on rock musics and any vocal- and/or guitar-intensive musics. But it will also sound great with any other genre, and that's the main selling point of the Momentum in my opinion - just throw anything at it, and it will sound good.

Word of the end: if you are a looking to nice headphones to look to many different genres, don't look any further. You'll have a hard time finding better overall-performer in the closed-back headphones world without spending at least twice as much - even more if you consider these ones are often sold a lot less below their original price (I had them for €170 while many retailers still sell them at €320). So get a pair of these, sit & enjoy

Hello head-fi community. Its' been a long time since I posted a review or even read anything sound related so bare with me here. These headphones were lent to me so they are not mine thus I have little time with them so I can't comment on all things such as durability and longevity. Even though with this little time that I have with these I can still give you my thoughts and opinions. So here we go

 
Sound:
The sound of these is satisfying to me. It's enjoyable and fun because of the deep punchy bass combined with the good crispy treble that makes the sound signature a ''U'' shaped graph, which is in my opinion the most enjoyable for pure music listening and fits well most genres of music. Although the sound is good, at first you will be kinda disappointed because these headphones need burn-in. I see online a lot of people saying that burn-in is ******** and that its just a myth but when i received these they were meh sounding. After I let them play in above average listening volume for one night I saw a difference in the detail of the mids and the punchiness of the bass. After a few more night sessions, 2 or 3 I am not quite sure the detail became even more present. Don't get me wrong, in some percentage the ''burn-in'' effect might be me adapting to the headphones and getting used to the sound. But I assure you I let other non audiophile people have a good listen brand new with these and after, and their comments were that sound quality changed for the better. So I had an unbiased opinion there to make sure am not making any mistakes. Needless to say these need burn in to get to their full potential. I didn't do any scientific method I just plugged them to my Alpen 2 and let them play shuffle of my music library for some nights. So in conclusion sound quality is for music listening enjoyable and fun, fits a lot of genres but it shines in rap, dubstep, electronic, (basically mainstream music), but lacks a little on genres that need vocal detail like classic and opera. They are good enough for gaming but not the widest soundstage though and it's not their strong point. Don't get me wrong they don't feel closed at all but not suitable if you are gonna be gaming a lot. But they are not intended for gaming so that's okay. By the way my tests were made using alac files as well as youtube music videos to see what a mainstream user would hear.

 
Comfort & Isolation:
Comfort for these is not something to brag about. They are comfortable enough to be worn for like one or two hours but after that your ears get sweaty and warm, and thats due to the leather pads that don't ''breathe''. They are not heavy though and the band is comfortable even though that doesn't seem like the case when you look at them. The problem with the comfort on the Momentums is that the pads are not deep enough for me. Trust me I don't have big ears my ears are average if not small but these pads were not the deepest but the leather on them is so soft that for one or two hours you won't have a problem but after that is gets annoying but not painful or super uncomfortable. Its just a minor issue that gets solved with a few 5 min breaks here and there. They are not like an all day headphone like my Uptown's that I used to have but they get the job done for most people. Oh I forgot to mention that i have glasses and these don't care at all the pads are so soft that they adapt well. Now for the isolation there are average. I haven't used them a lot outside or in public places because I have limited time with these and can't do it all but comparing them to my Uptowns thery are not as good, but thats fine for me they get the job done and if you really want isolation and the momentums you could go with the Wireless with active noise isolation but I haven't listened to these so I can't tell you anything about them. Comfort and isolation are the average part of an overall strong package but both are not bad enough to be an issue. That will only be a problem if you specifically seek headphones with the best comfort and isolation in this price range. 

 
Cable, Accessories and Package:
The cable on these is decent. It's noting special for sure. The good thing is that it is removable and it has a locking mechanism that ensures it doesn't come off when you don't want it to. The length is right it's 1.4 m with a 3.5 mm gold plated jack at the end (that is recessed ), and have an in-line remote that supports several devices including Iphones and several android phones. What is cool is that when you go in their site to purchase these they have different models for every different phone manufacturer and that's due to the cable in-line remote being different to support different devices. So you know you are getting ensured compatibility for the remote control if you use it directly from the phone. In conclusion the cable feels durable, gets the job done. Simple and it works.
 

 

 

 
Accessories wise there were not much in the box. A carrying case and a pouch. Nothing much to say about these because I haven't used them a lot but here are some pictures and I 'll let you figure it out.

 

 

 
Conclusion:
To wrap thing up yes I recommend these. They are a strong package with nothing much to complain other than some imperfections. But as I stated earlier don't go wrong with these because of the comfort and isolation. These were my complains because everything else was perfect about these so anything less than stellar was going to be a complaint. Amplification wise I haven't had much time with these without an amp so I cant really tell but from what I heard its pretty much the same if not a little better with an amp. These are meant to be used directly from the headphone output of your phone so there wasn't much to discover there.

First of all, I've owned *2* pairs of these beauties. In fact, I still do. I've once lost an ear-pad (don't even ask how..), I've ordered a replacement pair of the ear-pads and haven't listened to my Momentum's in over 4 months since then, it was the worst time of my life!!! (you can easily find my forum posts on this). Turns out, I've specified the wrong delivery address to custom-cable. Damn!!
 
I've also owned: K-701s (AKG is great but it's a shame, real shame, that they can't be driven by smartphones..), IE-8i (IE-80 by Sennheiser), various other inner-ear's.. etc..
 
But get this:
 
- Paycheck arrives. I have two choices: Wait 1 day (only 24 hours!) for Amazon delivery of these pairs and a price of 245 EUR, *or* visit a local store and pay up 320 EUR and get them immediately.
 
Any "sane" person will tell you, just wait 24 hours and save money! But I just couldn't. And I have zero regrets.
 
It's as if someone asked you: "Do you want to get back to your first love in life, and experience ultimate bliss?". Uhm, yes..?!
 
Damn it.
 
I really don't want to advertize for a company. But music moves me so much.. And Sennheiser has nailed it.
 
These things hypnotize you and make you love music in a way you've never experienced music before. On the very first day you may doubt them a little bit, maybe even a lot!! (warmup time is not a conspiracy, it's a real thing! Naysayers beware. I've hated them the first few days..). But as days go by these things just get better and better.. Damn. I think it's really the 4th day of relatively consistent music listening that you're going to realize the unreal energy these 'phones have.
 
A few things to note:
 
- You can crank them up to 9/10 volume on your smartphone and nobody outside will hear a thing or complain at all! Seriously. While listening to them I kept thinking "Damn, I'm probably disturbing people on the subway..". Nope! An easy test is to just cover both ear-pads with your hands and observe how much leakage they have. It's almost non-existent! I've always felt shy about listening to music at high-volume, but I can crank these things up to almost the highest volume and nobody gives me any bad looks.
 
- The top (the headband) is something you will never, ever, feel! This is something Sennheiser has truly mastered. It's super light-weight, it looks like it has no foam (and it doesn't have any!), and you wouldn't be wrong to attempt to assume that there's something missing at first. But in reality, you can't really feel the headband. It's just "not there". This is *miles* away from rival companies like AKG, which have attempted to provide something comfortable but ultimately failed. I'm looking at you AKG K-701. (Google for "I've knifed my K-701s. OP is not the only to have done this.. sadly.. :/).
 
So yeah, the headband is seriously the last thing you have to look at. Btw, I shave to about 1.5 CM and I still can't feel the headband. So take this into consideration. Comfort is a huge thing and you should really care about this (e.g. the IE-8 / IE-80 is quite big for an in-ear, and is sadly nowhere near the comfort levels of the Momentum 2.0, even though its sound quality is insane!).
 
- Protip: When you attach your cable, don't turn it all the way to the right (full-lock). It has nothing to do with sound-quality. It has to do with every-day activities. I've managed to break my cable because I was dancing with my headphones on. if I had them turned all the way counter-clockwise the detachable cable would have just fallen out. Instead it ripped. Sad, but it happens! Yeah, I shouldn't dance with my headphones, go figure!
 
- The Android volume controls just don't work for some smartphones. This is a known problem. Essentially, instead of increasing/decreasing the volume, the volume controls are replaced with next-track and previous-track commands. *Perhaps* this works properly on a Samsung, but it definitely doesn't work on an HTC. Honestly though it's no big deal, my phone has volume buttons anyway.
 
- When I say "it has great highs" - I'm not kidding. I listen to a lot of music with insane highs. Goa Trance? Thrash Metal? Yeah, you're covered. Trust me.
 
Downsides:
 
- I would almost say "it's the price". But really, when you consider the next highest thing offered from Sennheiser is the $1.5K HD800 then you really have nothing to complain about here. This is the mountain top of music fidelity you're going to get at this price. And quite honestly it's worth much more! So much more. I can't believe this fidelity exists at $<300. I've never tried the HD800's, but I have a feeling they're either over-priced or they're something out of this world, because there's just no way they're worth 5 times the much as the Momentum 2.0s and being able to deliver 5x the fidelity. No way.
 
Ultimately if you're a really conscious buyer you should try to give these a try-out. Perhaps a live listen in some pro audio shop. But your really can't go wrong with buying these. You *will not regret* buying these. Guaranteed.

A few years back, my family and I underwent a rather large home renovation (including not having a kitchen for 10 weeks; suffice it to say I was sick of take-out food after the summer of 2014). As a result of this renovation, I was forced to box up my main headphone setups (both dynamic and electrostatic) and put them away. What I was left with, was just my portable rig; which in all honesty was neglected for a number of years. So I needed a portable solution to tide me over the summer. That set me off on a journey to find a great pair of closed-back headphones that sounded great and didn’t require a large expensive front-end to reach their potential. You can find several of the headphones that I purchased and tried here on my Head-Fi.org thread:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/672743/comparisons-25-of-the-top-closed-portable-headphones-around
 
This thread is definitely a work in progress and has set me on a journey that has really opened my perspective that one can still achieve wonderful audiophile quality sound without spending thousands of dollars on top-of-the-line headphones, headphone amplifiers, and upstream DACs/sources.
 
Two of the most recent headphones that I got to try were the next generation Sennheiser Momentum Version 2 over-ear and on-ear headphones. I was a big fan of the originals, but I felt that there were some issues (especially on the over-ear models) that held them back from true greatness. Sennheiser was gracious enough to send me both pair to try out and review. The Momentum V2 on-ear and over-ear headphones are part of Sennheiser’s new line of closed-back headphones for those “on the go”. Along with the Urbanites, Sennheiser has made a big jump into the portable headphone marketspace with some truly outstanding products. Both Momentum V2 headphones come in several different flavours: standard wired headphones (like the ones used for this review) and wireless headphones (that also include noise cancellation).
 
Sennheiser is one of the most well-known and respected headphone manufacturers around. They have been around since 1945 and have built some of the most respected and cherished headphones through the years. Their current flagship HD800s are still among the very best headphones I’ve heard. I’ve owned my pair for more than 5 years now and they still hold a very special place in my heart. The Momentum V2’s were released early this year and the over-ear versions have rocketed to the top of my Head-Fi listing. As mentioned, this review will be for both the wired on-ear and over-ear versions and as I consider them “portable headphones for on-the-go”. My sources were exclusively portable. From my iPhone 6 to my iPad Air and finally to my Astell and Kern AK100II, I made sure that my listening sessions ran these two headphones through their paces without a substantial investment in an upstream setup. I am of the opinion that headphones in this space need to sound at their best (or very close to) with simply portable options upstream. The over-ear versions are rated at a very efficient 113 dB/1Vrms and the on-ear versions at 112 dB/1Vrms; both are incredibly efficient and match many inner-ear monitors in efficiency (IEMs) when I come to think of it.
 
Both headphones are very handsomely built and the quality of the workmanship is readily apparent as soon as you take them out of the box. Add in the extremely light weight and
incredible comfort, and its win-win. Both the on-ear and over-ear headphones are extremely comfortable and light on my noggin’ and can be used for hours on end without any issues whatsoever. The on-ears were particularly surprising as making an on-ear headphone comfortable is a real task. And along with the beyerdynamic T51p, the on-ear version of the Momentum V2s are the most comfortable on-ear headphones I’ve had on my head.
 
Sennheiser Momentum Version 2 – Over-Ear Wired Headphones:
 
There certainly was some deja-vu with the Momentum Version 2 over-ear headphones. They look quite similar to their predecessors, but with some really notable improvements. Right off the bat, you see that they finally are truly “over-ear” headphones! The previous versions were closer to “over-sized on-ear headphones”. Thankfully Sennheiser has listened to the issues their customers had with the original Momentum ear-pads and came through in spades with this new version. The new ear-pads are made with memory foam that completely conformed to my ears and offered a true “over-ear” experience with an effective seal to keep out unwanted ambient noise. As well, due to the new ear-pads, the drivers were moved further from my ears and in turn opened up the sound staging to a level that really impressed me. The original over-ears performed adequately when compared to the other 24 headphones on my comparative list. However, the new design has really kicked things up a few notches in this regard. Listening to Jazz at the Pawnshop with these headphones and my AK100II just left me smiling every time. The other added bonus of the new ear-pads is that the isolation has also drastically improved. I can now easily say that only my Bose QC25i headphones with active NC circuitry engaged offers better isolation (but not by much). Talk about win-win!

​

Next up on the list of improvements, these new headphones have hinges that finally allows them to fold up. This is a very welcomed feature for portable headphones! The on-ear Momentum V2s take up quite a bit less space than before as they can be folded. With the previous version, I had a hard time fitting them into the pouch in front of me on an airplane. No longer do I have to stuff these into my carry on and have to limit what else I can pack with me on a flight. The overall construction is very reminiscent of the original Momentums with some nice improvements to the ear-pads and leather on the headband. The only downside I can critique these headphones is that the in-line control on the headphone cable doesn’t have the same quality/finish that it previously did. It’s more in line with the previous on-ear Momentums. Not a biggie for me; just thought I’d note that.
 
Now on to the sound (beyond the sound staging improvements)…
 
According to Sennheiser the drivers were not changed, but Sennheiser did tune them with new damping to better take advantage of the improved ear-pad design/seal. They sound very much in line with their previous iteration with some very welcomed improvements to my ears. The bass sounds tighter and better controlled; not night and day, but still discernable and worthwhile. With Tool’s “Lateralus”, the bass notes hit just as hard, but offer more details with greater tactility. The bass bloom doesn’t linger as long as with the original version and gives the impression of faster sounding headphones with incredibly taught bass for this category of headphones. With the previous version I felt that the wonderfully rich and powerful bass impinged a bit too much on the mid-frequencies. The mids thankfully have been unchanged as I was thoroughly satisfied with the original version! The other major improvement with the 2015 version comes in the treble region. At times, I found it too subdued and too “pushed back” with the previous Momentums. But yet again, it appears that Sennheiser has also improved upon this area. No longer is Chris Botti playing behind the drummer on his album “Impressions”…he is now front and center. The high notes on his trumpet and clean and clear and in proper proportion to the rest of the music. As well, this improved treble response I think contributes to the improved sound staging and imagine of these headphones.
 
 
Sennheiser Momentum Version 2 – On-Ear Wired Headphones:
 
While the Over-Ear Momentum version 2 headphones are what I would classify as a “revolution” in terms of improvements, the on-ears are more of an “evolution” to their predecessors. Their construction is very similar to the originals, but as with their over-ear brethren, the headphones now thankfully fold inwards. This again serves to reduce the size of the headphones and their corresponding case to make them even more portable. As well, the ear-cups have been slightly changed to include a gold ring around the white ear-cups (I have the ivory ones on hand) and they just look that much more classy. The ear-pads are relatively the same, but tuning wise, I found the treble a little more even and clear. The bass is now more in-line with the mid-range and a better tonal balance is quickly noticed on first listen. Comfort overall is quite similar to the originals; which is to say really category leading comfort; as is noise isolation and leakage to the environment. They are right up there with the best on-ears in this listing for isolation. Styling wise, I think they are incredibly great looking on-ear headphones. Sennheiser has really stepped up to the plate here and I can’t think of a better looking on-ear headphone. So if styling is important to you for a pair of headphones for when you’re on the go, these would get my vote for #1.
 
Back to the sound, I find the frequency response a bit more balanced/refined than the original version and thus in the end: more transparent overall. You really don’t have to give up on sound quality for smaller and more portable headphones. If you liked the original on-ear Momentums, then you will definitely like these and they should certainly get your consideration if you’re in the market for a great pair of portable headphones that look amazing and sound just as good! Well done Sennheiser, you’re 2 for 2! While I do prefer the bigger and slightly more even sound of the over-ear Momentum version 2s, I find the sacrifice you’re making for an even smaller and more portable pair in the on-ear versions is not that big and I strongly recommend listening to both before you make your choice (especially if portability is very high on your list of priorities).

​

As you can tell from my Head-Fi.org rankings, I thought very highly of the new Sennheiser Momentum version 2 over-ear headphones. In fact, I liked them enough to rank them as my new favourite portable headphones (at the time of this review’s completion). The on-ear versions are that much more portable, and while you do give up a bit in sound staging and transparency, the differences are not that wide. Regardless of your choice in headphones between the two, I think there is no wrong answer. Sennheiser has really knocked it out of the park with both versions and if you asked me 5 years ago if headphones designed for “on the go”, with this level of styling and sound quality was possible, I’d say “you want too much”. However, it looks like wanting too much can be a good thing.

EDIT:
After 1 week of use, I am returning the Momentum 2.0.
I'm also knocking down 1 star in my review below, and reduce the audio quality-bar in the "Details" box a little bit.
Reason: The B&W P7 just sounds better, more full, on classical music and the P7 can deliver aggressive strings and brass which the Momentum 2.0 just can't match.
Thus I've bought a set of used P7.
 
The Momentum 2.0 is still a very fine headphone though which I recommend if the review below sounds like it's something for you.
 
***
 
ORIGINAL REVIEW:
I have a pair of Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 (called M2 from now on) and some B&W P7's at home for demoing (or rather, I bought the M2 but have a 14 days right to return them.)

Purchase price was 315 Euros.
 
The M2 has been burning in for 48 hours now.
The P7 are fully burned in.
 
This is the M2:
 

 
And this is the P7:

 
I mostly listen to classical music so that's what I use to compare them.
 
Both are plugged directly into my iPad Mini Retina - here's a photo of the iPad and the M2:
 

 
Now, let's get one thing clear: Both headphones sound extremely good
 
On the P7, strings and brass have such an incredible amount of bite in those passages of the music that call for it.
Things are delivered with tremendous force, just like a real orchestra would.
It sounds awesome - very majestic - and I literally just lie on my bed, smiling, every time I hear it!
So I think to myself: For sure it's the P7 I want.
Then I switch to the M2 however and immediately I fall in love with it's warm, sweet, almost tender tone - and it certainly do not lack oomph:
Climaxes in classical music do in fact come across with a fully sufficient amount of power, it's just that it sounds different compared to the P7.
The instruments do not have quite the same aggressive bite as described above with the P7, but on the other hand you don't sit back thinking the sound on the M2's is lacking in any way.
I only notice this difference in sound/tone on aggressive passages when doing a direct A/B-comparison against the P7.
On it's own the M2 sound magnificent, quite simply.
It's sweetness is pure magic and very, very addictive.
Switching back to the P7 after listening to the M2 I can't help but notice that some of the fun in listening to music (for lack of a better description) is now gone.
It's not like the P7 isn't entertaining to listen to - it certainly is.
It just can't quite match the warmth of the M2.
 
It's a tough choice but I'm leaning towards the M2.
I simply can't stop listening to it - it sounds so fun: Warm, sweet and effortless.
 
It's a way more comfortable headphone than the P7 too btw., but I may be able to expand the headband on the P7 a little in time.
I think I like the design and construction of the P7 more than that of the M2 - you can see the two headphones side by side on the photo below.
Again: It's the P7 that are black (to the left) and the M2 that are brown (to the right).
 

 
As for isolating against outside noise, they both do a good job - the P7 is perhaps slightly better than the M2, but only by a small margin.
 
If you're looking for a more neutral sound with just a tiny bit of warmth to it, I can heartily recommend the Sennheiser HD 600, which I've been using every day since 2007.
(Please note that I am not a Sennheiser fan boy at all - I'll happily choose whichever headphone I prefer, regardless of brand.)
 
On the way to finding these two headphones I've tried these:
 
1) Denon MM400 (Great coherent sound, but too neutral for my taste and rather bass light. Could use some more punch.)
 
2) NAD VISO HP50 (Highly musical and entertaining sound with a nice bass. I listened to these a week or so before listening to the Momentum 2.0, and I would probably have picked them if it wasn't because the headband was way too tight for my big head. Thus I had to continue my search - and that's where I ran into the M2.)
 
3) PSB M4U2 (Big soundstage, good sound, flexible headphones because of the 3 different modes you can choose between on the headset: normal, amplified or noise cancelling. Again the headband was too tight for me, and also I preferred the warmer sound of the B&W P7 to this. I hadn't heard the Momentum 2.0 at the point of listening to the PSB's.)
 
And finally:
 
4) B&W P7 (completely awesome sound as described earlier in this review but headband is too tight - besides I'm getting more and more confident that I prefer the sweet sound of the M2 to the P7.)
 
Later today I'll visit the local HIFI store to see if they have a proper cable in stock that I can use with the M2.
I'd like to hook the M2 up to my computer setup so I can test two things:
1) If the sound of the M2 improves with other amplification than the iPad Mini Retina
2) How the sound of the M2 compares directly with the Sennheiser HD 600 open headphones, which I am also fortunate enough to own as mentioned.
 
My computer setup is this btw.:
Optical out from pc's motherboard -> Cambridge 840C dac/cd player -> balanced out to Behringer HA4700 headphone amp.
 
Here are some photos:
 

 
And here you can see the 840C on the floor (and notice the cat toy and the nice cup of coffee also ):
 

 
I may expand this review later but for now, I hope this review was of use to you all
Thanks for reading this.

First of all, I'd like to thank Joe Saxon at headphoneaudiophile.com for the review sample for this critique of the new Momentum 2. I have been looking forward to hearing this one since it was announced, so let's get down to business.
 
I owned the original Momentum. I wanted to like them. They were wonderfully lightweight, and elegant in design. They could be amped easily and had a nice sense of style about them. I sold them after two weeks after purchase though. What killed the romance for me? Two things. The original momentum was billed as a circumaural or an around the ear headphone...for most of us even with average sized ears, it was not. There was just no way that my average sized ears were going to fit comfortably in those ear pads. I could wear them for about 15 minutes and then the irritation of pressure around my ears would set in. I'd try in vain to adjust and re-adjust to get some semblance comfort back, but ultimately this was a fruitless endeavor. Comfort issues have killed many nice sounding headphones for me.
 
The second issue was the sound signature. And more specifically the bass. It was just too colored and mildly bloated to blend well with the rest of the signature. At times it was somewhat overpowering and bled into the mids. But still, there was some promise there.
 
Enter the Momentum 2. It seems that Sennheiser was listening to the complaints and issues that the community found with the first version. The thing that you notice about the new Momentum as you slide on the luxuriously soft leather pads, is that they are in fact appreciably bigger than the original. Yes!! I can wear the new version comfortably for two hours with no pressure around the ear whatsoever.
 
And now the moment of truth. I'll get straight to it, this headphone is a really impressive listening experience and addictively enjoyable. Please don't misconstrue my comments. This is not just a “fun” headphone. There is real hi-fidelity present here and I won't shy away from calling the Momentum 2 an audiophile headphone because indeed it is. There is a refinement and delicacy in the signature that gives this headphone some real legs. While the changes to the sound signature are not revolutionary compared to the original, they are effective enough to put the new version in a different class. The treble on the new version has come out of the dark woods and has some presence. While the treble is still slightly rolled off, the new Momentum does not shy away from an energetic cymbal crash. The bass is now a bit more well mannered than before. It doesn't sound as sluggish and boomy and adds just enough punch to deliver the sub frequencies with texture and good weight. Finally, the mids are the real star of the show here. The tonality of the mids is right on target and delivers some spectacular vocals. The mids are where the music lives for me and Sennheiser just nailed this part of the frequency on this headphone.
 
The net result of the changes have been significant for me. The momentum 2 is a truly fine headphone that I enjoy listening to daily. Because it doesn't require an amp and can be appreciated from my smart phone, it a perfect portable solution for me. Sometimes, I even chose to listen to music with the Momentum 2 when I'm home and the house is quiet. Given my other selection of very nice open headphones, I'd call this a nice complement to the Momementum.
 
What don't I like about the Momentum 2? Living in the hot and humid deep South, the closed cups and leather ear pads can be a bit toasty at times. The cable and carrying pouch are not quite as nice as the original Momentum. The Momentum is not the ultimate in resolution. If you tend to favor brighter more resolving headphones, then there are better options out there such as the Oppo pm-3. For the record, I did have the pm-3 in house while testing the Momentum. I no longer have the pm-3
 
Other than these few quibbles, I just love this headphone. I knew from day one testing this headphone that I'd buy the review sample. The Momentum 2 is a regular in my rotation and gives me enjoyment daily.