[yokken]

Thays exactly what i am feeling... :'(

I really dont know what to do... I really am loving the Sound and the looks but after 30 minutes or so my hears start to hurt... I only have two more days to return them and i rSally dont know what to do... Only the amperior or the MDR 1rs catch my eye as replacement contenders but from what erverybody says they will not be near as good....

Really dont know what to do...

(I think the amperiors and the mdr1 rs are the only contenders not only because they are good for inside and outside use but also both fit the price i payed for the momentums 160 euros...)

 
Honestly I would tell you to return them and try out the MDR1R... I loved the sound too but if you can't wear them long enough to appreciate it, what good are they?

 

[Pedro Oliveira]

Yeah i know. Amazing price, amazing sq, beautifull.. The momentums are the real deal... Why the hell they had to ruin everything with small pads?? Biggers pads would solve it. The hole PN the pad just had to be 1 cm wider to make them perfect for alMOSt everyone... Damnation!!

The brown MDR 1rs serem to be confortable bit it aLSO seems that they lack bass and since i listen to a bit of edm thats not good and also it seems they do not isolante as well as the momentums for outside you and it seems like they have microphonics??? The hearing the cable momement noise thingy...

 

[yokken]

Trust me... if the earpads on the Momentums had been just a little bit larger I definitely would have kept them. Shame on Sennheiser for calling them over-ear headphones.
 
I haven't heard the MDR1R but I don't think they're quite lacking in bass, they just don't have the same presentation or oomph as the Momentums in the lower registers. As for microphonics I've read about them being a bit worse on the 1R, but I really can't say as I haven't heard them.
 
Best of luck to you in your quest.

 

[D3athangel]

I would like to add an account of my own first-hand experience with the Sony MDR-1R. These headphones are definitely bass heavy, especially in the mid-bass region. The mid-bass is tight and controlled nevertheless. The overall sound signature is very warm, making them very non-fatiguing; I could listen to these for hours on end. Comfort moreover is undeniably excellent. Imaging is great and the mids are well articulated and slightly forward. Soundstage is great, contributing greatly to the instrument separation. However, it still feels like there is a lack of head room in front of me.
 
I have to complain though that the bass is quite rolled off in the lower regions. The mids are also not my cup of tea. They are not detailed enough maybe, lacking in resolution. The treble is slightly edgy with a subtly emphasised presence. They can sound a tad edgy sometimes but I really am not interested in the treble presentation. The highs are not sparkly or shimmery enough to my ears.
 
All this said, I love these headphones - for the price I paid for them. I got them for $180 new in Hong Kong. With the unparalleled comfort and portability, these have become my go-to headphones when travelling or even for use in the library in my university.

 

[money4me247]

MDR-1R is really comfortable. Amazon has em for $194ish now
 
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-1R-Premium-Headphone-Black/dp/B009A6CZ30/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

 

[Pedro Oliveira]

Had the momentums.... sold the.... actually i had the momentums 3 times and sold the 3 times because none of them fitted me right.... now i have a black 1r.... from stock the 1r's sound muddy to my ears..... with a rock eq on my ipod touch the sound opens quite a bit and becomes much better but still nowhere near the sq of the momentums.... the momentums sound like having much more resolution and although being a bassy headphones they are much clearer than the 1r's.... the 1r's are veeeeeeeeeeeery confortable and very beautifull, but unfortunatelly my ears touch the drivers a bit and also sony made some bas mistakes manufacturing the 1r's.... the jack rattle is easily fixable but the slight creaking on the arms that hold the cups (it happens sometimes when movind the head or the jaws) is a bit anoying on lower volume levels.....
On the other hand the 1r's soundstage and imaging comletely smashes the momentums....
 
so heres the thing.... they are both equally beautifulll, the momentums are better built but the 1r's are imo a much better portable because they are much more confortable than the momentums and most importantly they are indeed.... OVER EAR!!!!!!!! XD
 
In terms of sound quality, the 1r's beat in terms of soundtage and is very nice to have a headphone that does not feel confining at all on the go, but in terms of sound quality, refinement, resolution, etc etc etc..... IMO the momentums beat the 1r's hands down.....
 
 
I am probably going to sell the 1r's.... with no eq they just sound to muddy and muffled to my ears , specially the vocals, the singers seem like if they are burried.... Overall very beautifull and confortable headphone but in sq does not stand a chance against the momentums (only better on soundtage)..... Even the hd25's sound much more hi fi than the 1rs and are closer to the momentums sq..... too claustrophobic and painfull though....
 
 
IMO if the momentums had the same pad size as the 1r's the momentums would completely smash the 1r's in almost everything.... unfortunatelly sennheiser screwed everything up because of the pads. I know that the momentums have been selling like crazy but also a big part of the market is returning them and looking at other headphones because of the size of the pads. The sound quality on the momentums is undeniable but its really a shame that even a average sized ear person struggles to get a good fit with the momentums..... sincerely i dont believe that the majority of momentum owners can get a total over ear effect with them....

 

[roguegeek]

It's nice to see you tried them both out. Personally, I prefer the 1R over the momentum in practically every category. It's definitely my full sized portable of choice right now.

 

[slick1ru2]

I was lucky enough to get a pair of MDR1-1R sent to me for review. They replaced my Ultrasone HFI-780 as my favorites.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Pedro Oliveira]

It's nice to see you tried them both out. Personally, I prefer the 1R over the momentum in practically every category. It's definitely my full sized portable of choice right now.

Yes i did and i am also expecting a pair of akg k550's this week.... 85 euros..... it was impossible to resist...... XD
It will be cool to compare them all after selling the 1r's.... also i am thinking of replacing my hd25's for a pair of amperiors (i hope the amperior pads will be more comfy...)
 
Back to the 1r.... in terms of portability and confort i do believe that the 1r's are maybe a step ahead of the momentums.... they are a bit bulkier but not much.... to be honest the mix of confort and the sense of a good soundstage on the go is very nice and in this regard they may be a much more competent can than the momentums, because the sennheisers although having a somewhat suficient soundstage, they feel confined next to the 1r's.
 
Although the 1r's to my ears are a bit muddy and not as sonically advanced as the momentums i have to admit though that the warmer sound signature works very well on the streets.
 
But in terms of sonic quality only and if i forget the soundstage (and to be honest it is not that bad on the momentums as well, just smaller) the momentums are a much better can. they have the ability to sound laidback and agressive when needed but always keeping a very clear sound. Stuff like biffy clyro and artic monkeys sounds absolutely amazing on the momentums and there is no need of eq to make anything better. IMO of course....
 
I said it more than once earlier.... i really like the momentums, i just couldnt get a good seal and fit.... but i still hope bigger pads will come out one day.... I already pinched rosmadi on the momentums thread..... XD
 
To bad sony messed up with the creaking.... the jack rattle is easy to live with and easy to fix but the creaking..... do you experience any creaking on your pair when you move your head, your jaws, etc......?

 

[Andrew_WOT]

Here's the thing. I owned both and let Momentum go, just loved euphony of Sony, its comfort, and look better. As far as "muddiness", at that time I was testing them out of desktop amp and didn't find Sony less resolving than Senns. Later after Senns were gone I did notice that bass is not that well controlled out of portable DAP and bleeds into midrange, masking some of the details. Luckily dynamat mod completely took care of the issue, tightening bass and removing that nasty reverb ruining things when undedriven. If you like everything else about Sony, give it a try, it's really worth it. Dynamat mod for Sony MDR-1R
Purrin came up with more advanced version of the mod, bet it sounds even better, you can find it on pirates' site. (sorry, no links are allowed), but basic idea is the same.

 

[money4me247]

hahaha @Pedro Oliveira, you are actually following in my exact footsteps & trying out all the headphones I went through last year. 
 
mmm everyone has different opinions about headphones. there are a lot of people who say the momentum sound quality is better than the mdr-1r & there are people who think the other way. personally, i thought that the momentums had an edge in sound over the mdr-1r since they are less colored, but the mdr-1r was infinitely more comfortable. just really what you personally prefer.
 
the akg k550 is really different (imo) from the other headphones you've tried. they are really really flat (or even treble-focused) sound signature, has amazing clarity & detail, best expansive sound stage of a closed pair that I've heard, and great bass extension (tho the bass quality is most likely a lot less than you are used too... you need to make sure you get a good seal/fit with the akg k550). I personally really really loved them and I kinda consider them to be my first true pair of audiophile headphones.
 
note that the akg k550 is closed (but NOT suitable for on-the-go usage) with a long 3m non-detachable cable. if you end up really liking the k550, but want something for portable use, i would suggest the k551 for the clone version with a detachable cable or the k545 for the smaller portable version.

 

[Pedro Oliveira]

  hahaha @Pedro Oliveira, you are actually following in my exact footsteps & trying out all the headphones I went through last year. 
 
mmm everyone has different opinions about headphones. there are a lot of people who say the momentum sound quality is better than the mdr-1r & there are people who think the other way. personally, i thought that the momentums had an edge in sound over the mdr-1r since they are less colored, but the mdr-1r was infinitely more comfortable. just really what you personally prefer.
 
the akg k550 is really different (imo) from the other headphones you've tried. they are really really flat (or even treble-focused) sound signature, has amazing clarity & detail, best expansive sound stage of a closed pair that I've heard, and great bass extension (tho the bass quality is most likely a lot less than you are used too... you need to make sure you get a good seal/fit with the akg k550). I personally really really loved them and I kinda consider them to be my first true pair of audiophile headphones.
 
note that the akg k550 is closed (but NOT suitable for on-the-go usage) with a long 3m non-detachable cable. if you end up really liking the k550, but want something for portable use, i would suggest the k551 for the clone version with a detachable cable or the k545 for the smaller portable version.

Will the k550's be anything closer to the sound of the hd25-1 IIs? XD
I am not considering the k550's for outside use.... the 1r's are already in the verge of being bulky to me.... the m50's were humongous to me for instance....
Yes i do believe that the 1rs vs momentums are simply a matter of personal taste.... the 1r's to my ears are more colored, not so clear and the overall they dont have the amazing resolution of the momentums... but as i said the sound sig of the 1r's on the other hand blends in very well with the outside noise while on the go and the ability of having such a open and confortable experience on the go is pretty awesome and in those matters the 1r's beat the momentums..... but the momentums to my ears sound like a step forward to the 1r's in terms of refinement, clarity and resolution and a step back in terms of air to the sound (not by much but they do feel a bit more confined).
 
Although when comparing the hd25 to the momentums, the difference is not that big.... in terms of resolution and hi fi sound the momentums and the hd25's seems to be close.... the difference is the refinement and less agressive signature on the momentums.... this combined with a fuller bass makes the momentums sound like a upgrade to the hd25's (and probably the amperiors as well), but to be honest i really think its a matter of refinement and tonality..... in terms of resolution they are not very far..... (one simply as elevated bass ehile the other as elevated treble....)

 

[money4me247]

  Will the k550's be anything closer to the sound of the hd25-1 IIs? XD
I am not considering the k550's for outside use.... the 1r's are already in the verge of being bulky to me.... the m50's were humongous to me for instance....
Yes i do believe that the 1rs vs momentums are simply a matter of personal taste.... the 1r's to my ears are more colored, not so clear and the overall they dont have the amazing resolution of the momentums... but as i said the sound sig of the 1r's on the other hand blends in very well with the outside noise while on the go and the ability of having such a open and confortable experience on the go is pretty awesome and in those matters the 1r's beat the momentums..... but the momentums to my ears sound like a step forward to the 1r's in terms of refinement, clarity and resolution and a step back in terms of air to the sound (not by much but they do feel a bit more confined).
 
Although when comparing the hd25 to the momentums, the difference is not that big.... in terms of resolution and hi fi sound the momentums and the hd25's seems to be close.... the difference is the refinement and less agressive signature on the momentums.... this combined with a fuller bass makes the momentums sound like a upgrade to the hd25's (and probably the amperiors as well), but to be honest i really think its a matter of refinement and tonality..... in terms of resolution they are not very far..... (one simply as elevated bass ehile the other as elevated treble....)

i have not heard the hd25s, but i had the momentums & the k550 at the same time, and I personally preferred the k550s. once you get used to the lower bass quantity levels, you really notice that the k550 has a lot very resolution, detail, and clarity. you can really pick up a lot of micro-details that you've never noticed before if you have a good source. the bass of the k550 is really excellent imo, really tight with great texture and deep extension. they just have less amount of bass than what the average person is used to nowadays. i think the k550 are pretty neutral and balanced.

 

[roguegeek]

Beyond the incredibly bad fit and seal issues, I was really impressed with the K550's sonics when I first heard it, but the more time went on, the more it just didn't agree with me. That's one that I would say take a little bit of extra time evaluating.

 

[Pedro Oliveira]

  i have not heard the hd25s, but i had the momentums & the k550 at the same time, and I personally preferred the k550s. once you get used to the lower bass quantity levels, you really notice that the k550 has a lot very resolution, detail, and clarity. you can really pick up a lot of micro-details that you've never noticed before if you have a good source. the bass of the k550 is really excellent imo, really tight with great texture and deep extension. they just have less amount of bass than what the average person is used to nowadays. i think the k550 are pretty neutral and balanced.

 
 

  Beyond the incredibly bad fit and seal issues, I was really impressed with the K550's sonics when I first heard it, but the more time went on, the more it just didn't agree with me. That's one that I would say take a little bit of extra time evaluating.
 
 

I had my eye on the k550's for a while but i never felt like spending 140 euros on a headphones for home use (specially when i had also the hd598 as a contender to make the choice even harder...)...
 
...Then suddenly this hapened:
 
https://www.worten.pt/store/catalogsearch/result/?q=akg+k550
 
88 euros total, they deliver in my house and i still have 15 days to try them and return them if i dont like them....
 
It was impossible to resist..... I hope they arrive till fryday....
 
One things for sure.... i had a box of k550's in my hands tonight in another store (unfortunately no unit for display as usual) and even though they may not suit me sonnically, they are freakin beautifull and seem like a great built can..... like a momentum meets the transformers....... XD
 
So its pretty easy.... If i like them for the the price it will be steal, if i dont  they will go back.... but at this price i had to order them......
 
 
About the 1r's i am probably going to sell them by the end of the week..... i like the style, i like the build despite the creaking and the rattling, i love the soundstage, but all in all i get more fun with my hd25's because they sound much clearer.
 
They were cheap, i purchased the 1r's for 70 euros. No box of course and some tiny marks but still 70 euros was very cheap.....  i could keep them since they are indeed a very nice portable....But in the end...... that warm, colored signature and those muffled voices..... not for me.... much better with eq but still no WOW factor like the one you get on the momentums (at least for me...)...
 
It was fun while it lasted though.....