[Trunks159]

   
Thank you for sharing your impressions! 

 
+1

 

[Beagle]

  So I just went by a local hi-fi shop and guess what, they had the B&W P7. So I immediately asked if I could give it a listen. They also had the M500, so I did an A/B test (not very elaborate though, and it was noisy in there and he just took the P7 out of a box, so it's probably not burned in yet). But quick impression was that the P7 sounds more or less similar to the P5. And it's definitely not as agile as the M500 nor does it have as wide of a soundstage as the M500. Also the bass wasn't as tight in the P7 vs. the M500. The mids were great though. It does isolate sound really well though and I think with a bit of stretching of the headband it could be quite comfortable. At the same time, I also think your ears will get hot pretty quickly. Don't know how it compares to the Momentum, they didn't have one laying around.
 
The P7 is quite chunky by the way.
 
One of the salespeople there was really enthusiastic about the M500 himself and said that he personally much preferred the M500 sound to the P7. Here are some fun facts by the way, apparently B&W uses drivers manufactured by AKG. And the M500 was designed by Porsche Design, although the driver itself is made by KEF. The salesperson was really trying to push me in the direction of the M500, eventhough the P7 was € 100 more The way he said it was that he'd been listening to the P5 for years and that always sounded good, but then the M500 came along and it blew him away. He said the P7 didn't do much for him. Made me laugh though
 
In terms of M500 durability, he showed me that the M500 headband can be twisted in the most impossible angles. It's made of some special material but KEF is not saying what it is exactly. Freaked me out to see him twist it like that, but it was their demo model so fine. Good to know that it won't break easily. Although I'm still a bit worried about the hinges, that seems like the weakest point in the whole design.

 
Interesting.....other reviews have the P7 sounding bright.
 

 
I have used the exact same Momentum as AnakChan and we came out with two very different interpretation of its sonic signature.

 
Hence my confusion as well.
 

 
Surely the Momentum clearly wins here when you strongly factor in the product purpose.
 
 

 
If it ticks the boxes of your particular listening criteria, then yes, that is your winner.

 

[Maxx134]

If you have read the Momentum thread, there are people who complained that the Momentum sounded:

1) V-shape
2) Rolled-off highs
3) Beautiful Mid-range

All those impressions are contradictory to each other.

Not if you have a somewhat "V" shape with rolled off highs, thus creating a beautiful midrange! Ha
The momentum to me is better than a senn hd25 or amperior but still a side grade to others like dt1350 or vmoda m80 . it falls there somewhere from my limited listening.
So if the m500 is slightly better then it would be in same ballpark of quality.
Also I think the P7 will be no big deal and only for those that like their sound in a bigger package.

 

[starfly]

Well after listening to the M500 for a few hours straight, my ears are hurting, physically that is. The earpads are very soft, but after extended listening you do start to feel the pressure on your ears. So I'm starting to get doubts about the M500.
 
Once I find a proper fit on the Momentum, after a lot of fidgeting, they are quite comfortable. So I guess my next long listening test will be with the Momentum, but I'll do that tomorrow as my ears are tired from all the listening. Now I just want silence
 
The whole point of me moving from IEMs is that I want headphones that I can listen to, comfortably, for many hours straight. But I do want them to be closed back so that I don't disturb other people around me and that outside noise is somewhat blocked out. And I want them to be portable enough to bring with me from time to time (although most of the time I'm just going to use my IEMs for commuting).

 

[waynes world]

Thanks for all of your interesting impressions starfly.
 
Quote:

  Well after listening to the M500 for a few hours straight, my ears are hurting, physically that is. The earpads are very soft, but after extended listening you do start to feel the pressure on your ears. So I'm starting to get doubts about the M500.

 
I thought that the M500's would start hurting my ears after an hour or so (like my jvc s500's do), but I have been primarily listening to the M500's since getting them 3 weeks ago, and have been very pleasantly surprised with how comfortable I am finding them to be for extended listening sessions (although I haven't really been keeping track of the listening session durations). Regardless, for me and my ears they are working out incredibly well 

 

[starfly]

   
I thought that the M500's would start hurting my ears after an hour or so (like my jvc s500's do), but I have been primarily listening to the M500's since getting them 3 weeks ago, and have been very pleasantly surprised with how comfortable I am finding them to be for extended listening sessions (although I haven't really been keeping track of the listening session durations). Regardless, for me and my ears they are working out incredibly well 

 
Yeah, it might also have to do with the positioning. I had them positioned towards the mid-front of my ears, which would sort of have the edge of the M500 resting on the back edge of my ear. There is less padding there on the M500 than in the center. I have tried repositioning them a bit by moving them backwards a bit so that the edge of the M500 is beyond the edge of my ear and that might make the more comfortable with extended listening.
 
I couldn't resist doing a bit more listening the past hour (was listening to the Inception soundtrack by Hans Zimmerman, great soundtrack by the way) and still, overall I do think I like the sound more of the M500. And everytime I put on the Momentum I'm re-adjusting them for about 2 minutes until I get a good fit.
 
Right now I'm listening to the Aenima album by Tool (specifically the song Push it) and I really think it sounds better on the M500. Much wider soundstage with this recording, and the guitars just sound more defined.
 
But anyway, will keep you guys posted. When I'm done with comparing I'll either post a summary of all my findings on this thread, or open another one and post the link here.

 

[Lan647]

   
Yeah, it might also have to do with the positioning. I had them positioned towards the mid-front of my ears, which would sort of have the edge of the M500 resting on the back edge of my ear. There is less padding there on the M500 than in the center. I have tried repositioning them a bit by moving them backwards a bit so that the edge of the M500 is beyond the edge of my ear and that might make the more comfortable with extended listening.
 
I couldn't resist doing a bit more listening the past hour (was listening to the Inception soundtrack by Hans Zimmerman, great soundtrack by the way) and still, overall I do think I like the sound more of the M500. And everytime I put on the Momentum I'm re-adjusting them for about 2 minutes until I get a good fit.
 
Right now I'm listening to the Aenima album by Tool (specifically the song Push it) and I really think it sounds better on the M500. Much wider soundstage with this recording, and the guitars just sound more defined.
 
But anyway, will keep you guys posted. When I'm done with comparing I'll either post a summary of all my findings on this thread, or open another one and post the link here.

 
I find the M500 *very* picky when it comes to positioning them on my ears for optimal comfort. I rarely get it right, especially my right ear eventually starts to hurt. But there are those times when I do get it right, and the M500 is very comfortable even after hours. 

 

[Beagle]

  Well after listening to the M500 for a few hours straight, my ears are hurting, physically that is. The earpads are very soft, but after extended listening you do start to feel the pressure on your ears.

 

 
Whatever you do, don't try the MartinLogan Mikros 90..

 

[Trunks159]

They actually do hurt mine after long listening sessions.

 

[gelocks]

They actually do hurt mine after long listening sessions.

 
Yup, also mentioned that before as well... I guess it was like 2 and a half to 3 hours and I had to either re-adjust or take them off.

 

[Trunks159]

My experience so far is that it's easier to hear all the separate instruments with the M500 vs. the Momentum. Probably has to do with the rolled off treble on the Momentum. All the detail is still there in the Momentum, but you have to listen more intently to hear it. Like on some tracks with acoustic guitars there are subtle 'plinks' when the guitar player touches the strings and such things stand out a bit more with the M500. To put it in other words, I probably wouldn't have noticed as much with the Momentum as those sounds blend in a bit more with the rest. It's just that when I heard it on the M500, I tested it on the Momentum and yeah of course you can hear it, but I have to listen more closely for it. And it's all such differences that stand out to me. It's not a day and night difference of course, but it's there.

I do notice both headphones become a bit more alive when you crank up the volume a bit (which I don't like to do as then it starts to hurt my ears).

Yes, people often exaggerate the differences between the two. The KEF isnt that much better then the momentum.

 

[starfly]

So after some more extended listening, the M500 still hurts my ears after about 2 hours. Repositioning gives temporary relief, but the pain quickly comes back. Guess my ears really don't like being squashed. So I'm gonna have to rule out the M500, as much as I like how they sound. Comfort is pretty important to me.
 
Tonight I'll have another extended listen with the Momentum. And then tomorrow one or both will be returned. With the Momentum I've finally been able to get a comfortable fit after fidgetting around with it for a bit. And yeah, my ears do get a bit warm after a while, but that's better than them being squished by the M500 Added benefit of the Momentum is that they isolate noise better.
 
I do really think the M500 has a nicer bass response than the Momentum though. The Momentum's bass isn't as tight as the M500 and doesn't reach as deep (esp. the sub-bass region). This is only an issue when listening to electronic music though. For instrumental music the Momentum's bass is actually more suitable as sometimes the M500 overdoes it ever so slightly.
 
As for vocals, overall I prefer the sound of the Momentum with the vocals. Sometimes there's a bit of sibilance with the M500. And some voices have an ever so slight amount of shrilness. This is more apparent when A/B ing between the Momentum and M500, you wouldn't notice it as much or at all if only listening to the M500.
 
M500 still has the better soundstage and the more airy sound to it, which depending on the music you're listening to really adds to the atmosphere of the music. Sometimes I prefer the more intimate soundstage of the Momentum with certain songs.
 
To summarize it all, I'd say they're both equally good. On some types of music the M500 clearly excels, on others the Momentum does. Depending on someone's personal preference, either the M500 or the Momentum would be a great fit. And they both look great too and feel quite durable. The M500 is much more portable as it folds up into a small case, whereas the Momentum can't do that and has a rather large carrying case. The Momentum definitely isolates you better from ambient noise and if your ears aren't too big can be quite comfortable. The M500 initially feels very very comfortable as the earpads are extremely soft. And the clamping force is very light, definitely lighter than the Momentum, but with me personally after extended listening I just can't take the pain. I was in search of a full-size headphones, after years of using my Shure SE530, that I can use for extended listening. So that means they have to sound good and be very comfortable.
 
So after one last test with the Momentum tonight I will finally make up my mind about these, but it appears that for me personally the Momentum will end up being the winner And that's with very mixed feelings, as I really really like the M500 as well. I just don't have the budget to keep both and the Mrs. would kill me if I did 

 
 
If KEF would ever bring out a full-size over-ear headphone, say an M800, I would be all over that 

 
 
P.S. sorry for hogging up this thread

 

[robm321]

 

 
If KEF would ever bring out a full-size over-ear headphone, say an M800, I would be all over that 

 

 
Me too! 

 

[gelocks]

  So after some more extended listening, the M500 still hurts my ears after about 2 hours. Repositioning gives temporary relief, but the pain quickly comes back. Guess my ears really don't like being squashed. So I'm gonna have to rule out the M500, as much as I like how they sound. Comfort is pretty important to me.
 
Tonight I'll have another extended listen with the Momentum. And then tomorrow one or both will be returned. With the Momentum I've finally been able to get a comfortable fit after fidgetting around with it for a bit. And yeah, my ears do get a bit warm after a while, but that's better than them being squished by the M500 Added benefit of the Momentum is that they isolate noise better.
 
I do really think the M500 has a nicer bass response than the Momentum though. The Momentum's bass isn't as tight as the M500 and doesn't reach as deep (esp. the sub-bass region). This is only an issue when listening to electronic music though. For instrumental music the Momentum's bass is actually more suitable as sometimes the M500 overdoes it ever so slightly.
 
As for vocals, overall I prefer the sound of the Momentum with the vocals. Sometimes there's a bit of sibilance with the M500. And some voices have an ever so slight amount of shrilness. This is more apparent when A/B ing between the Momentum and M500, you wouldn't notice it as much or at all if only listening to the M500.
 
M500 still has the better soundstage and the more airy sound to it, which depending on the music you're listening to really adds to the atmosphere of the music. Sometimes I prefer the more intimate soundstage of the Momentum with certain songs.
 
To summarize it all, I'd say they're both equally good. On some types of music the M500 clearly excels, on others the Momentum does. Depending on someone's personal preference, either the M500 or the Momentum would be a great fit. And they both look great too and feel quite durable. The M500 is much more portable as it folds up into a small case, whereas the Momentum can't do that and has a rather large carrying case. The Momentum definitely isolates you better from ambient noise and if your ears aren't too big can be quite comfortable. The M500 initially feels very very comfortable as the earpads are extremely soft. And the clamping force is very light, definitely lighter than the Momentum, but with me personally after extended listening I just can't take the pain. I was in search of a full-size headphones, after years of using my Shure SE530, that I can use for extended listening. So that means they have to sound good and be very comfortable.
 
So after one last test with the Momentum tonight I will finally make up my mind about these, but it appears that for me personally the Momentum will end up being the winner And that's with very mixed feelings, as I really really like the M500 as well. I just don't have the budget to keep both and the Mrs. would kill me if I did 

 
 
If KEF would ever bring out a full-size over-ear headphone, say an M800, I would be all over that 

 
 
P.S. sorry for hogging up this thread

 
Ditto.
 
Also, if you like the warm signature of these headphones and are looking into trying full size headphones, I sincerely recommend MrSpeakers Mad Dogs! Pricing is similar as well and these are one of the MOST comfortable headphones I have ever tried! The only downside, you need an amp to fully/properly enjoy them. But seeing that this thread is basically for transportable/portable cans, I guess that's not what you are looking for. From MH's list, the Sony MDR-1R are the most comfortable to my ears, but I only enjoy them when volume is down... once I turned up the volume, the upper mids became fatiguing to me... But, another option you could try.
 
Good luck!
 

   
Me too! 

 
+1

 

[LFC_SL]

  So before the M500 came out the Momentum had a clear sound.
Now that the M500 has come out, it's muddy. 

 
Re-evaluating personal opinions with gear downgrades / side-grades / upgrades (whichever part of the chain that may be) is the least contentious part of the discussion!
 
Despite my home demo opinion, saw the Momentum second hand for an absolute steal and given the condition. Am meant to be saving up for other stuff though