[Mad Max]

Momentum On-Ear mods:
 

 
-Dynamat Xtreme dampens driver and main chamber vibration, resulting in tighter bass without boom and the mild bloat that it has stock.  The upper mids and lower treble no longer have as much edge as before, they're mellowed out a bit which they needed in my opinion.  The bass will not thump as hard as before, either, but the sound still remains very bassy.
 
-Two 4mm thick pieces of open-cell acoustic foam (I have Akasa Paxmate Plus) to soak up some of the reverb in the secondary chamber.  The reverb in the secondary chamber masks the lower midrange a lot, and the bass as well to a lesser extent.  With reverb reduced, some soundstage depth is lost in exchange for clearer, cleaner, more refined lower mids that better match the upper midrange and the bass is clearer and cleaner than before.  Now the midrange is much more balanced and the lower midrange sounds about as good as the upper mids.
 
I like this headphone far more, now.
 
Edit: it seems burn-in tricked me into thinking that there was that much of a difference after modifying the headphone.  =\

 

[Change is Good]

  Momentum On-Ear mods:
 

 
-Dynamat Xtreme dampens driver and main chamber vibration, resulting in tighter bass without boom and the mild bloat that it has stock.  The upper mids and lower treble no longer have as much edge as before, they're mellowed out a bit which they needed in my opinion.  The bass will not thump as hard as before, either, but the sound still remains very bassy.
 
-Two 4mm thick pieces of open-cell acoustic foam (I have Akasa Paxmate Plus) to soak up some of the reverb in the secondary chamber.  The reverb in the secondary chamber masks the lower midrange a lot, and the bass as well to a lesser extent.  With reverb reduced, some soundstage depth is lost in exchange for clearer, cleaner, more refined lower mids that better match the upper midrange and the bass is clearer and cleaner than before.  Now the midrange is much more balanced and the lower midrange sounds about as good as the upper mids.
 
I like this headphone far more, now.  There is a little delicacy to the vocals now that wasn't there before, I think.  Maybe I forgot after not having used the headphone in a while.

 

 

[Agharta]

Momentum On-Ear mods:




-Dynamat Xtreme dampens driver and main chamber vibration, resulting in tighter bass without boom and the mild bloat that it has stock.  The upper mids and lower treble no longer have as much edge as before, they're mellowed out a bit which they needed in my opinion.  The bass will not thump as hard as before, either, but the sound still remains very bassy.

-Two 4mm thick pieces of open-cell acoustic foam (I have Akasa Paxmate Plus) to soak up some of the reverb in the secondary chamber.  The reverb in the secondary chamber masks the lower midrange a lot, and the bass as well to a lesser extent.  With reverb reduced, some soundstage depth is lost in exchange for clearer, cleaner, more refined lower mids that better match the upper midrange and the bass is clearer and cleaner than before.  Now the midrange is much more balanced and the lower midrange sounds about as good as the upper mids.

I like this headphone far more, now.  There is a little delicacy to the vocals now that wasn't there before, I think.  Maybe I forgot after not having used the headphone in a while.

You did all that, messed around with the headphones and then admit you can't remember how they used to sound anyway? Too funny.

 

[Mad Max]

You did all that, messed around with the headphones and then admit you can't remember how they used to sound anyway? Too funny.

 
I don't remember about the delicacy of the vocals, I didn't listen for that while I was using it right before modding.  Derp.
That tidbit turned out to be my imagination.

 

[OMGLadyGaga]

Just picked up the red ones because they were on sale and I like this headphone a lot more than the more praised over ear version. I found the over ear too dark and veiled. These don't sound as veiled to me, and I appreciate a good v-shape. the recessed mids are the only thing that I don't like, but I knew it had a v-shape and neutrality wasn't what I was looking for. These were cheaper than the Vmoda XS and I like the design more, although I would expect the XS to sound better, but that's ok; I like these just fine.

 

[MisterCats]

Holy smokes, does Best Buy misrepresent the MOEs with their sample station. If that unit were any indicator, there'd be no bass whatsoever and vocals/highs that are just impossibly obnoxious.
 
So I took my lack of faith in Best Buy's sample units to the next level and bought a pair anyway ($149.99, as luck would have it). Night and day, ladies and gentlemen... at least, in my 30-minute experience with them. These are most definitely keepers. I might also try that dampening mod, though, since this is a bit of a departure from the fast, tight lows of Yamaha EPH-100 IEMs.
 
Edit: I should mention my source; LG G2 smartphone. I'll have to find my cable for Clip Zip/Fiio E6 testing.

 

[Tom22]

Just grabbed a pair today, having owned the vmoda xs i actually prefer the moe over the xs. The treble so far is much more refined and extended, im hearing some pretty sweet sparkle.Definitely has a preference to female vocals> male

The bass is bassier but with more extension, less punchier than the xs (which i found overly punchy sometimes).

In terms of bass tightness, both are leaning a bit on the looser side, i find the moe tighter just a bit. At home i found the bass droney and a bit one note when a massive bass line is hit. BUT! See below

but what i found was weird. The bass didnt seem as droney outside.It was bassy for sure but its looseness wasn't as noticeable outside. Allowing the treble to shine through. I suspect the alcantara pads, being so breathable lets in air and noise, kills some of the bass(which is good in this sense). (Those pads are so breatheable no sweating on them!) but they dont isolate much at all, really


Mids are definitely recessed without a doubt, not the clearest mids, dissapointed a bit. Expected more.

The soundstage is quite big for an on ear headphone. Wider than the the xs

Overall, they exceeded my expectation, after reading the hate it seems to get (a lot preferring the over ear sibling).

Its only been day 1 so ill have to really see.

 

[Bansaku]

Just want to throw this out there and let everyone who has an iDevive give this a try. Download Accudio from the App Store and select the balanced setting for the MOE; The Golden Ears review just hit the site in early June (yay) and I am extremely pleased with the applied balanced setting. Actually wow'd is a better word. Golden Ears gives it a 4.5/5 rating for applied balanced EQ adaptability, which is pretty impressive.
 
 

 

[zombywoof]

  Holy smokes, does Best Buy misrepresent the MOEs with their sample station. If that unit were any indicator, there'd be no bass whatsoever and vocals/highs that are just impossibly obnoxious.
 
So I took my lack of faith in Best Buy's sample units to the next level and bought a pair anyway ($149.99, as luck would have it). Night and day, ladies and gentlemen... at least, in my 30-minute experience with them. These are most definitely keepers. I might also try that dampening mod, though, since this is a bit of a departure from the fast, tight lows of Yamaha EPH-100 IEMs.
 
Edit: I should mention my source; LG G2 smartphone. I'll have to find my cable for Clip Zip/Fiio E6 testing.

I gave them a good listen at Best Buy using their source (the hook up for the listener's rig wasn't working...typical Best Buy). Like you, I was "ho-hum, nothing special here."  The price was the same as you noted and they had a good selection of colors, but I honestly thought they sounded pretty awful for the price.  I may pick them up and give them a real chance at home...two weeks to return them if not happy, right?  Thanks for the impressions.

 

[Tom22]

 
I gave them a good listen at Best Buy using their source (the hook up for the listener's rig wasn't working...typical Best Buy). Like you, I was "ho-hum, nothing special here."  The price was the same as you noted and they had a good selection of colors, but I honestly thought they sounded pretty awful for the price.  I may pick them up and give them a real chance at home...two weeks to return them if not happy, right?  Thanks for the impressions.

 
definitely let us know what you think, i heard from someone that they open up after 200 hours of listening. sounded more balance. i'm not a huge believer of burn it, its probably more mental burn in than anything. but i'll give it a try. no harm right? 

  Just want to throw this out there and let everyone who has an iDevive give this a try. Download Accudio from the App Store and select the balanced setting for the MOE; The Golden Ears review just hit the site in early June (yay) and I am extremely pleased with the applied balanced setting. Actually wow'd is a better word. Golden Ears gives it a 4.5/5 rating for applied balanced EQ adaptability, which is pretty impressive.
 
 

it is definitely one of their better eqs i liked it a lot but i felt it killed some of the uniqueness of the MOE. which was the bass and the treble and soundstage
 
using this eq retains the vast soundstage but does kill some of the bass (which can be a good thing, i think a bit of reduction is more appropriate, that what was done). but the mids were not impressive really imo so it really expose the mids. the treble energy does diminish a bit which is actually one of my favorite parts of the sound. its friendly, good-great extension (especially for an on ear) its clear and articulate.
 
i personally owned the vmoda xs and i prefer the MOE of the xs (not by much though) the xs had much more inviting and enveloping midrange. both have a looseness to the bass, but the moe seemed tighter, and theres definitely more bass extension at the expense of less punchiness (that the xs had that in spades).
 
again the i already gushed about the treble (which its much better than the xs, both in clarity and extension). 
 
the soundstage is another huge win for the moe over the xs, the moe has probably most expansive soundstage for an closed on ear headphone

 

[Bansaku]

   
 
using this eq retains the vast soundstage but does kill some of the bass (which can be a good thing, i think a bit of reduction is more appropriate, that what was done). but the mids were not impressive really imo so it really expose the mids. the treble energy does diminish a bit which is actually one of my favorite parts of the sound. its friendly, good-great extension (especially for an on ear) its clear and articulate.
 

 
I agree, which is why for on the go (using Accudio) one can easily up the bass or treble to taste. I was using the Momentum settings for the longest time (until the MOE setting was added) and I think it brings a little more of the energy vs the MOE setting. As always, it's a matter of taste, but personally once mentally burned-in I can't go back to either a regular EQ preset or flat in a pair of headphones (with the exception of the HD 598, which is already pretty balanced/neutral).

 

[Tom22]

I agree, which is why for on the go (using Accudio) one can easily up the bass or treble to taste. I was using the Momentum settings for the longest time (until the MOE setting was added) and I think it brings a little more of the energy vs the MOE setting. As always, it's a matter of taste, but personally once mentally burned-in I can't go back to either a regular EQ preset or flat in a pair of headphones (with the exception of the HD 598, which is already pretty balanced/neutral).

Unfortunately i find the app buggy, its nowwhere as smooth as say the music app already installed. It gets annoying that sometimes music doesnt play on it and i have fiddle with it.

But i forgot to add i dont like how they added to the sound at that dip at 4-5k.

I dont like eq adding to the sound, taking away is the only thing i believe eq can be effectively used for. Adding to any part from previous exp makes it artificial.

Then again i rarely use eq, i just enjoy the headphones based on its qualities

 

[zombywoof]

   
definitely let us know what you think, i heard from someone that they open up after 200 hours of listening. sounded more balance. i'm not a huge believer of burn it, its probably more mental burn in than anything. but i'll give it a try. no harm right? 
it is definitely one of their better eqs i liked it a lot but i felt it killed some of the uniqueness of the MOE. which was the bass and the treble and soundstage
 

OK...so I took the plunge and bought a pair of the ivory MOE's at Best Buy.  Right out of the box...

1. very comfortable, really like the velour ear pads
2. adequate isolation for my purpose
3. SQ not quite on par with my B&W P5's, a little less clarity and more bit congested.  (Note: had the P5's for over a year...probably my most used headphones...long ago broken in.)
   1. bass a little too pronounced and kind of murky,
   2. treble slightly recessed or rolled off,
   3. mids OK, but not quite as forward as the P5's.

I burned them in for about 30 hours using my iPod Classic on random shuffle at moderate volume...maybe a bit more volume than I normally listen with.

1. Bass much more natural, and very clear...but still a bit emphasized...not objectionable for me.
2. Mids...no significant change, but maybe more forward due the bass being a bit less dominant after burn in.
3. Treble very nice...much crisper, but not too much...just right.

Honestly, these are some nice phones.  Will burn them in for a another couple days over the weekend and see what happens.

 

[Tom22]

  OK...so I took the plunge and bought a pair of the ivory MOE's at Best Buy.  Right out of the box...

1. very comfortable, really like the velour ear pads
2. adequate isolation for my purpose
3. SQ not quite on par with my B&W P5's, a little less clarity and more bit congested.  (Note: had the P5's for over a year...probably my most used headphones...long ago broken in.)
   1. bass a little too pronounced and kind of murky,
   2. treble slightly recessed or rolled off,
   3. mids OK, but not quite as forward as the P5's.

I burned them in for about 30 hours using my iPod Classic on random shuffle at moderate volume...maybe a bit more volume than I normally listen with.

1. Bass much more natural, and very clear...but still a bit emphasized...not objectionable for me.
2. Mids...no significant change, but maybe more forward due the bass being a bit less dominant after burn in.
3. Treble very nice...much crisper, but not too much...just right.

Honestly, these are some nice phones.  Will burn them in for a another couple days over the weekend and see what happens.

alcantara not velour =) i actually have a pair of amperiors which uses velour and they feel much different! alcantara is so much more breathable against the surface of your ear, plus they don't apply much pressure (i know a lot of that has to do with the huge clamping force from the amperiors but still)
 
i'm crossing my fingers that sennheiser would use this alcantara on full size headphones (maybe do what vmoda did with the m100s)? make xl pads for the over ear momentum, this time using alcantara) it'll definitely be more breathable and comfortable. i know i would easily jump on the over ear bandwagon if they did that. but seems unlikely.
 
however the down sides of the alcantara i find is that they really don't isolate (trade off for breathability i guess) even walking around in a quite neighbourhood i could hear so much around me. i used them on the subway the other day, it was basically a wash, and i was forced to turn it up 2 notches higher than i normally would with the moes (which for me is something i never do, i would bump it up 1 notch at most). needless to say my ears hurt afterwards from the volume spike
 
maybe you can verify if further burn in helps! my pair is used so to be honest i don't know how many hours its actually been through.
 
i'm still not a fan of the mids though a lot more recessed than i like, and the bass on some music (id say 50-60% of the time at least for me ) becomes too dominant and again loses its definition and just kinda overflows in a sense. but on the other 40-50% of the time its tolerable (i'm trying to look at the positives of the bass- extension!, and know that these are one of the bassiest on ears i've ever heard)
 
i know i might get a lot of hate from this but i want to hear the original solo hds some more (last time i recall listening to them they were crazy bassy for an on ear) i wanna see how much the bass on the moes differ from the solos 

 

[zombywoof]

  alcantara not velour =) i actually have a pair of amperiors which uses velour and they feel much different! alcantara is so much more breathable against the surface of your ear, plus they don't apply much pressure (i know a lot of that has to do with the huge clamping force from the amperiors but still)
 
maybe you can verify if further burn in helps! my pair is used so to be honest i don't know how many hours its actually been through.  
i'm still not a fan of the mids though a lot more recessed than i like, and the bass on some music (id say 50-60% of the time at least for me ) becomes too dominant and again loses its definition and just kinda overflows in a sense. but on the other 40-50% of the time its tolerable (i'm trying to look at the positives of the bass- extension!, and know that these are one of the bassiest on ears i've ever heard)
 

Alcantara it is, then...you are correct that this choice of fabric on the ear cups reduces the isolation capabilities  I have not found this to be an issue in the limited time I have had the MOE's, but then I am not using them in an overly noisy environment such as commuting.  I have a business trip next week and will take the MOE's instead of my Denon NC phones to see how it goes.
 
I will follow up after another 50 hours or so burn in but my experience with other phones has been that there is not much change after 40 to 50 hours of burn in...I am skeptical of claims that a headphone would require 200 hours to burn in...I have never had this experience.
 
In general terms, I agree with your assessment of the SQ.  As I said my primary on ear has been B&W P5's for well over one year, so everything gets compared to them.  As of today, my impressions of the MOE's vs. P5's are as follows:

1. Comfort: MOE = P5
2. Build Quality: MOE < P5 (but, consider P5 is about 2X price of MOE)
3. Lows: MOE > P5  (maybe just a bit over-emphasized but not muddy)
4. Mids: MOE < P5
5. Highs: MOE = P5
6. Soundstage: MOE = P5 (neither is great, but then, these are on ear phones...)
7. Instrument Separation: MOE = P5
8. Clarity: MOE = P5  (Mikros 90 is still tops for me in this category...and both the P5's and MOE's fall a bit short of the Mikros)

Based on what I have heard so far, for an on ear phone at this price point, I would definitely recommend the MOE's.