[samandhi]

We get it you love Sennheiser in general. But seriously, over half this thread has been devoted to the company's incompetent handling of a situation which shouldn't have occurred in the first place with a product at any price point let a alone something costing $700 aud. You may be blinded by your shortsighted devotion to this company but for the unbiased it's been nothing but a debacle. The thing doesn't even sound that good. You want to roll the dice on anymore of their products then be my guest. It's your money. For me, I'll avoid them. Cheers.

Ps.

Imo the Momentum line is one of the most overhyped headphones on the market.

 
  I mostly agree with your first paragraph, in that it HAS been quite annoying to see an otherwise great product suffer from big-time bugs. But there are other things (aside from fanyboyism) to consider here. The M2 wireless is the first of its kind. With ANY "first of its kind" products, there ARE going to be bugs to work out.
 
  As to how they sound, that is subjective, but I would argue (because I have been following this thread from day one) that these sound REALLY good to a lot of the people that have posted on here (the sound has never really been the issue). Add to the good sound an impossible amount of features, and the fact that they sound good at all is really nothing short of a work of art.
 
  But you must take all those things into consideration (as a whole) to see it that way. If all you were looking for is great sound, then no, for the money they aren't worth it. It isn't about the sound! It's about the issues that is has suffered that most people are posting about (and why it didn't get addressed sooner). The fact that there are no other headphones out that are: very portable, are fairly light and comfortable, have BT w/AptX, have decent noise cancellation, can be used as a DAC also, can be used with a wire, have a rechargeable battery, have an almost unrealistic battery life, can be updated (if needed) via pc connection, and that still sound VERY good (albeit not HD800 good), should be seen as a testament that Sennheiser is trying to leap into the future of headphone technology. For all of this I believe that I totally got my money's worth for the headphones (and then some). IMO I don't believe the M2 wireless have enough hype for all they can do. Now when everyone catches up with the amount of tech in these, then we can call them the father of the current features for headphones.

  do the issues mentioned in this thread only pertain to the wireless model?
 
i have the wired, over-ear model paired with a nw-zx2 and it sounds pretty fantastic, imo. that said, i would like to try the oppo pm-3.
 
one thing i wonder about is whether or not those who use the wireless models so so to listen to lossless music.

 
  Yes the issues only pertain to the wireless model. And, to answer your question, I have a mix of lossless, and lossy that I listen to with these. 

 

[Torq]

  do the issues mentioned in this thread only pertain to the wireless model?
 
i have the wired, over-ear model paired with a nw-zx2 and it sounds pretty fantastic, imo. that said, i would like to try the oppo pm-3.
 
one thing i wonder about is whether or not those who use the wireless models so so to listen to lossless music.

For me, at least, the wireless noise-cancelling headphones are there for a very specific set of circumstances.  Specifically, traveling in company where I want to shut out the noise, not mess with wires, and still be able to easily, but sporadically, talk with my friends, colleagues or girlfriend.
 
If I'm traveling on my own, it's IEMs all the way ... but those are fiddly when in company and the conversation is very stop-start over several hours.
 
So, yes, in those circumstances, I will play lossless files, often HD files, via Bluetooth.  There's no benefit to it, beyond not having to manage a different set of files for portable use, but that's something I see as a benefit (convenience) even if it has no upside sonically.
 
My Momentum's are a convenience tool, not what I consider the last word in sound quality.  Though, again, I can't name a better sounding set of cans that do what the Momentum's can ...

 

[zambz]

Many of us purchased the wired model and personally I have been extremely happy with everything on mine, from build quality and sound primarily.  Once again, there are mixed reviews on the sound of the PM-3s too, not everyone loves them, and personally I didn't.
 
Sadly, our main choices for portable headphones like this (even wired), seem to come down to these, the Oppos and the V-Modas.  Do I think my Shure SRH-840s sound better than the Momentums?  In a few ways yes (treble) but in a few ways the Momentums destroy them too (bass).
 
Are there any other good choices that we're missing here at this price point, with remotes for iOS and Android along with rugged construction and ability to fold for easy carrying in a backpack?
 
I haven't found any other good contenders other than these 3 so far, and all in all, the sound quality of all 3 is completely subjective.  Heaps of people LOVE the V-Modas while I don't.
 
The thread is getting a little heated unnecessarily, we all have different tastes, but no one really has the right to say that these sound bad as a blanket statement, they may sound bad to you, but they sound great to heaps of us too with certain tastes.
 
Out of curiosity, I'd really love to understand what aspect of sound you dislike on the Momentums?  That would be way more constructive than "they sound bad".  I'm genuinely curious because I feel that their bass and mid response are near perfect, with the treble being a tad more rolled off than I like (but a pinch of EQ fixes that really nicely).

 

[jynxed]

Are there any other good choices that we're missing here at this price point, with remotes for iOS and Android along with rugged construction and ability to fold for easy carrying in a backpack?

Sony MDR100aap and the now discontinued but widly avaliable MDR1A maybe? Not tryed the 100aap myself but the 1a was a decent headphone for the EU price.

 

[n00b2]

  do the issues mentioned in this thread only pertain to the wireless model?
 
i have the wired, over-ear model paired with a nw-zx2 and it sounds pretty fantastic, imo. that said, i would like to try the oppo pm-3.
 
one thing i wonder about is whether or not those who use the wireless models so so to listen to lossless music.

 
The main issues were related to problems with the reliability of the bluetooth connection and, to a lesser extent issues with the noise cancelling not working properly and not being able to be turned off in wireless mode. The wired model doesn't have either of those features (obviously cannot have bluetooth) so there is nothing to worry about there.
 
I listen to both lossless and lossy audio with my wireless headphones. Really lossless music still sounds fine on a good quality pair of wireless headphones regardless of whether they have aptx or not.
 

The thread is getting a little heated unnecessarily, we all have different tastes, but no one really has the right to say that these sound bad as a blanket statement, they may sound bad to you, but they sound great to heaps of us too with certain tastes.  
Out of curiosity, I'd really love to understand what aspect of sound you dislike on the Momentums?  That would be way more constructive than "they sound bad".  I'm genuinely curious because I feel that their bass and mid response are near perfect, with the treble being a tad more rolled off than I like (but a pinch of EQ fixes that really nicely).

 
In my case the bass of the Momentum Wireless specifically the mid bass was far too boomy and bloated, the upper midrange was made too forward to compensate for the bass boost and the treble was rolled off too much. I prefer headphones that are more balanced in sound signature and the sound of the Momentum was too bass heavy and not natural at all. There were a few other people in the thread who felt that the Momentum lacked sub bass.
 
In the end it all comes down to tastes as you say. A lot of other people have thought they are the best wireless headphones they have ever used.

 

[thefitz]

A lot of other people have thought they are the best wireless headphones they have ever used.

Including myself, and Tyll from innerfidelity.
 
We can discuss the laurels of $300 wired passive headphones all day. The wired M2 vs the PM-3 is a discussion on it's own.
 
I think these have the best bluetooth sound quality over anything available. The noise-cancelling feature is the first to not drastically impede sound quality. The battery life is a scalar multiple of the second best battery life. The entire unit can be used passively with the included cable, meaning it differs from the wired version only by the lack of remote and the presence of circuitry in the ear cups. Plus, when used with a wire, you can still use the noise cancelling function on demand. Finally, you can use the headphone's internal DAC via a USB cable. All this without discussing the memory foam earpads or collapsing frame.
 
***, this is one of the most complete products I can think of.
 
Yes, this REV01 debacle was pretty bad but it has been dealt with and Sennheiser was very good to me about it. I have nothing but good things to say with the end result. Half the comments are about the bluetooth issues because for half the life cycle of this damn thread there were bluetooth issues. When a flagship has a bad launch, people are going to check in and report their findings.
 
To dismiss an entire company, whose product line ranges from $20 to $55,000, over issues that have been rectified is ludicrous. Fanboys are annoying, but they're not nearly as annoying as smug anti-company fanboys.

 

[samandhi]

  Well, my M2 wireless gave out today. I am one of the few that have not had any BT issues (well, only a few since I got them in February). I was not planning on trading mine up, but today everything stopped working. They power on and say "Power On" (heh) but that is as far as it goes. It will not go into pairing mode, nor pair with existing connections. It will not connect to the PC via USB or my phone either. 
 
  I called Sennheiser Connecticut and they are not even going to try and fix these (even though I wanted them to). They are sending me the new ones, and will probably be here by Tuesday of next week. I don't have to send the old ones back until I receive the new ones. As long as it took them to get the ball rolling with the BT connection issues, I would have thought that they would also drag their feet on the warranty replacement of these too. But, I have to say that I am pretty impressed with Sennheiser for their service, and are not trying to fight with me over this at all. I believe that they really do give a crap about their company (and thereby their customers) unlike other companies (like cough....Samsung... .cough for example). Thanks Mary Joe, and Sennheiser for making what could have sucked badly, at least a little more pleasant (or a little less sucky, depending on how one looks at it). 

 

[thefitz]

Yeah, I've heard stories of Sennheiser sending replacement IE800s to folks that are having issues with their set, even if they aren't the original owners.

 

[n00b2]

I think these have the best bluetooth sound quality over anything available. The noise-cancelling feature is the first to not drastically impede sound quality. The battery life is a scalar multiple of the second best battery life. The entire unit can be used passively with the included cable, meaning it differs from the wired version only by the lack of remote and the presence of circuitry in the ear cups. Plus, when used with a wire, you can still use the noise cancelling function on demand. Finally, you can use the headphone's internal DAC via a USB cable. All this without discussing the memory foam earpads or collapsing frame.

***, this is one of the most complete products I can think of.

 
There are quite a few bluetooth headphones that do compete and better the Momentum wireless on all those counts. Sound quality really comes down to personal preferences when it comes to a certain level. A lot of people on Head-Fi do prefer the sound of headphones such as the Sony 1RBT/1ABT, AKG K845BT, Def Tech Symphony 1 and ATH-WS99BT. Tim Gideon at pcmag has probably reviewed more high end bluetooth headphones than anyone else and uses a very objective criteria, and the Momentum Wireless wasn't one of his favourites. Battery life the Momentum trumps all bluetooth noise cancelling headphones that I've seen but there are many regular bluetooth headphones that have a superior battery life. The Symphony 1 also has an internal USB DAC, works with remote cable (though you have to get your own cable), and has a noise cancelling function that works on all modes (wired, usb, bluetooth) and unlike the Momentum the ANC can be turned off while on bluetooth or usb mode. As an overall package though when you consider the portability of all options the Momentum Wireless is definitely the most versatile headphones out there.
 

To dismiss an entire company, whose product line ranges from $20 to $55,000, over issues that have been rectified is ludicrous. Fanboys are annoying, but they're not nearly as annoying as smug anti-company fanboys

 
It's not necessarily dismissing. It's perfectly understandable to be wary of a company when something has been handled as shoddily as this debacle. In your case Sennheiser appear to have been very supportive and understanding but that wasn't the case for all owners of the Momentum Wireless. A lot of owners earlier were given the run around for a while and we still don't know for sure what exactly happened with the recent box dramas. The issue appears to have been fixed now but it has left the idea of bad customer service, lack of professionalism and dishonesty (avoiding admitting there is a serious problem and then downplaying the extent of it once they accepted it) in the minds of a lot of people regardless of how well they have dealt with other issues in the past or how they treat their customers in general.

 

[matolochy]

Kevin, how did you make it work? I just got Momentum M2 wireless and have El Cap my macbook. The computer does not "see" the headphones at all! Other devices like mouse work well and also the headphone connects to other devices...
Thank You!

 

[chawya22]

 
Kevin, how did you make it work? I just got Momentum M2 wireless and have El Cap my macbook. The computer does not "see" the headphones at all! Other devices like mouse work well and also the headphone connects to other devices...
Thank You!

I'm not Kevin but I have the M2 and my Mac is running El Capitan. All you have to do is make sure the M2 is in pairing mode (long press when you start the headphones) and it should be seen by the Mac. Once seen, click connect by the Momentum M2 AEBT device.

 

[wanderingsounds]

Kevin, how did you make it work? I just got Momentum M2 wireless and have El Cap my macbook. The computer does not "see" the headphones at all! Other devices like mouse work well and also the headphone connects to other devices...
Thank You!

Follow these instructions to reset your Mac's PRAM and afterwards you should be able to pair the headphones with your Mac.

 

[disambiguated]

Fool that I am, when the M2 Wireless became available again on Amazon via a 3rd-party reseller called 6ave (last week of October), I immediately ordered them.  Even though a little voice in the back of my head was telling me to wait, that they might well fob off old stock on me, I let my childlike greed for shiny new toys override my common sense.
 
And now I'm in a bit of a quandary.
 
My issues with the M2 Wireless are a bit different from what everyone here is talking about.  My problems don't involve Bluetooth dropouts (has only happened to me once in 3 weeks of use) - they involve poor/muffled voice quality from my end when using them to talk on my iPhone 6 Plus (phone, Skype, stock Voice Recorder app) or on my MacBook Air (Skype, WebEx, Audacity recording).
 
When using the built-in microphones on the M2 Wireless, my voice volume is low, and the sound is blurred.  This is the case whether I'm using Bluetooth to the iPhone 6 Plus or Bluetooth to the MacBook Air (2013, supports Bluetooth LE), or connected wired to the MacBook Air via the USB cable in DAC mode.
 
If I use the headphones in passive mode (e.g., powered off), with the supplied 3.5mm male-to-male cable plugged into an 8-year-old Shure 3.5mm iPhone audio extension cable with built-in mic (bought it with a pair of Shure earbuds; still use it today with Shure 535s), the audio quality is great.  The difference, of course, is that I'm not using the M2 Wireless microphones at all, but am instead using the Shure cable's microphone.
 
These headphones sound great for music and videos - even better than my Parrot Zik 1.0s.  But one of the main reasons I got them is that, unlike the Parrots, they can be simultaneously connected to 2 devices (generally, my iPhone and my iPad Mini 2).   Why so many 'high-end' Bluetooth headphones can't connect to multiple devices simultaneously is beyond me, but I digress.
 
On the box, 20141118REV01 is printed below a UPC.  The serial number is 0375000xxx.
 
I don't for a minute believe that hogwash about Sennheiser shipping fixed headsets in old boxes.  Customer service and RMA fulfillment are often outsourced these days, and it sounds to me like one of the common hearsays/lies told by customer service reps and fulfillment people to get obstreperous customers off their backs when Sennheiser mistakenly shipped 'replacement' REV01s instead of fixed REV02s.
 
So, I'm almost - but not quite - certain that I have REV01s which haven't been 'fixed'.   The OSX System Report utility provides the following information, which should be relevant to determining for certain if I've broken REV01s, fixed REV01s, or REV02s:
 
  Address:    00-1B-66-02-xx-xx
  Manufacturer:    Cambridge Silicon Radio (0x6, 0x2576)
  Firmware Version:    0x010E
  Vendor ID:    0x0082
  Product ID:    0x004B
 
I'd be grateful if folks who have REV02s, 'broken' REV01s, or 'fixed' REV01s could look at this information in OSX (or the equivalent in Windows or Linux; it should be the same, this is standardized Bluetooth stuff) and report back whether there's any difference in the above information for REV01s vs. REV02s.
 
Also, does anyone have experience using these for voice comms?  Good experience, bad experience?  Difference in voice comms mic quality between REV01 and REV02?
 
Any information regarding the above would be greatly appreciated, many thanks!

 

[disambiguated]

So, I rang Sennheiser USA, and spoke with a helpful and knowledgeable technician named John (or Jon).  He explained to me that the '20141118REV01', or '. . . REV02' in no way relates to the version of the Momentum Wireless 2.0 hardware; it's the version of the packaging.
 
I could tell he wasn't some clueless outsourcer; he spoke with confidence, and what he said actually makes sense, rather than some vague story of shipping new headphones is old boxes because they hadn't time to print up new ones.  He confirmed the '0375' in the serial number as signifying manufacture in September of 2015, and that the set I have does in fact have the wireless fixes.  IIRC, he said that the serial numbers of the older, flawed units began with '40'.  Don't take this to the bank; I should've jotted it down, and may've misremebered, but the important point is that if your M2Ws have a serial number beginning with '0375', they should be the 'fixed' version.
 
[It would be helpful if anyone who happens to have both versions of the box close at hand for comparison could study them closely and report on any variations in the packaging, printing, Quick Start Guide, etc.]
 
I'd rung in via Skype out-dial, and switched from using the headset in wired passive mode with the Shure 3.5mm mic adaptor to using it in wired DAC mode via a USB cable; he told me that he could hear the difference, but that I was perfectly intelligible.  He further stated that if I did in fact believe I had substandard mics in the headphones, that Sennheiser would be glad to do an RMA exchange for me at any time during the 2-year warranty period.
 
So, I'd be grateful for feedback from any of you who've used the M2 Wireless headphones for voice comms - do your interlocutors understand you clearly?  Any comments about mic audio quality would be welcome, thanks!

 

[samandhi]

  So, I rang Sennheiser USA, and spoke with a helpful and knowledgeable technician named John (or Jon).  He explained to me that the '20141118REV01', or '. . . REV02' in no way relates to the version of the Momentum Wireless 2.0 hardware; it's the version of the packaging.
 
I could tell he wasn't some clueless outsourcer; he spoke with confidence, and what he said actually makes sense, rather than some vague story of shipping new headphones is old boxes because they hadn't time to print up new ones.  He confirmed the '0375' in the serial number as signifying manufacture in September of 2015, and that the set I have does in fact have the wireless fixes.  IIRC, he said that the serial numbers of the older, flawed units began with '40'.  Don't take this to the bank; I should've jotted it down, and may've misremebered, but the important point is that if your M2Ws have a serial number beginning with '0375', they should be the 'fixed' version.
 
[It would be helpful if anyone who happens to have both versions of the box close at hand for comparison could study them closely and report on any variations in the packaging, printing, Quick Start Guide, etc.]
 
I'd rung in via Skype out-dial, and switched from using the headset in wired passive mode with the Shure 3.5mm mic adaptor to using it in wired DAC mode via a USB cable; he told me that he could hear the difference, but that I was perfectly intelligible.  He further stated that if I did in fact believe I had substandard mics in the headphones, that Sennheiser would be glad to do an RMA exchange for me at any time during the 2-year warranty period.
 
So, I'd be grateful for feedback from any of you who've used the M2 Wireless headphones for voice comms - do your interlocutors understand you clearly?  Any comments about mic audio quality would be welcome, thanks!

  I have the original ones, and have had 0 complaints about voice sound quality, nor do I have a problem hearing anyone else. Keep in mind though, I don't have any Mac equipment. I use Android. I have the new ones coming in this week (straight from the factory, not 3rd party), so will try and let you know if anything has changed where that is concerned. I still have the original box (that I will be sending back), so I will be able to look at both to compare differences. From what the tech at Sennheiser told me, the ones I am getting this week should have the updated box with the "Rev 2" on it, so it might not help you much (but we'll see).