[Speccon]

All right, my first post here on head fi, don´t be to hard on me.
 
Six months ago I found my self bored to death by my taste in music, I was blasting the same artists over and over again, so I decided to take action. Action = buy a decent pair of headphones, an amp and start looking through album reviews in a quest for new music. 
 
You know this story, endless hours of searching for the perfect equipment, since I were completely new to this area it was more like blindwalking for the perfect equipment. Anyway, I had decided to not get beaten by Dre and the reviews led me to the Sennheiser Momentum, they seemed to be a good option for on-the-go use. I also bought an amp, Pro-Ject Head Box S (I know now that the Head Box S is not suited for 18 ohm headphones, but you must forgive me, I was only a young fool back then). My amp however is now a good friend to my Grado SR80i no harm done.
 
At first i thought the momentum sounded good but I wasn´t at all blown away as I had hoped, but as time passed I really came to appreciate them. I know a lot more about headphones now (I am rapidly becoming an incurable audiophile) and have compared them to my poor IEM I use at work and my Grado SR80i, I also know what kind of sound I enjoy more for different types of music.
 
The Momentum are great for hiphop, RnB och soul. The slightly dark sound (at least compared to the Grados) and the (in my taste) slightly oversized and a bit loose bass fits perfect for the somewhat chaotic sound of hiphop and it gives weight to powerful and emotional RnB and Soul. M.I.A., Jay-Z and Janelle Monaé lives good lifes in these headphones.
 
For rock and folk-music there is a different story. In a quiet room, before sleep or so the bass tends to drown voices to some extent. This has led to: folk or rock music before sleep in my Grados where I can use my amp, that´s where First Aid Kit (yes I´m from Sweden), The Nationals and Conor Oberst rule my world, and hiphop, RnB or soul when I´m not chained to my bed or computer. But it´s a nice separation, they really complement each other.
 
The momentums are the king of the streets, they look superb, fits great if you have medium sized ears or smaller, they are well isolated and that extra bass comes in handy when you want to keep outside noises out.
 
Over all: it´s a nobrainer, buy them! 

​
 
So, my first post, how am i doing so far?

 

[GREQ]

Originally Posted by Speccon /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
Over all: it´s a nobrainer, buy them! 

​
 
So, my first post, how am i doing so far?

Wait, so you own an SR80 and a Momentum; which are among my favourite headphones ever. 
I'd say you're doing just grand. Keep it up!

 

[Bansaku]

  I am rapidly becoming an incurable audiophile
 

 
Once you catch the Audiophile bug there is no turning back. Welcome! 

 

   
For rock and folk-music there is a different story. In a quiet room, before sleep or so the bass tends to drown voices to some extent. 

 
Curious... Do you find the Momentum this way with or without the amp, and what is your source (computer, iPhone etc...)? Folk and rock (and metal) populate my iPod's playlist and the one thing I appreciate about the Momentums is the fact that they are very polite on the bass for both genres, never coming in when not called for and never over-powering; I do not use any EQ/presets. If the Momentums are anything like the Momentum on-ear, after a good 50 hours of burn-in (Sennheiser headphones usually require a good 100+ burn-in) the bass will tighten up and become more controlled. Honestly, I have no clue what Momentums sound like out-of-the-box as I purchased mine used, and judging by the wrinkles in the leather pads, they seem like they had gotten good use before I acquired them. I will concur though that the Momentums do not need an amp.

  Over all: it´s a nobrainer, buy them! 

​
 
So, my first post, how am i doing so far?

 
YES! Buy these! You will NOT be disappointed.
 
BTW, good first post, and welcome to the club!
 

 

[KnowThaLedge]

I got 2.5 inches length ears or 63.5 in millimeters will these headphones fit comfortable on my ears? Or should i look at other cans?

 

[Speccon]

  Wait, so you own an SR80 and a Momentum; which are among my favourite headphones ever. 
I'd say you're doing just grand. Keep it up!

I do, a pair of brown momentum and a pair of only a month old SR80i but with PS1000 pads, since i have glasses the original bads gets uncomfortable after about 30 minutes, the can be a tiny bit to bright or sharp sometimes but for the most part they´re just brilliant for rock/folk, some The National tracks have turnd in to among the best tracks I´ve ever heard
 

   
Once you catch the Audiophile bug there is no turning back. Welcome! 

 
 
Curious... Do you find the Momentum this way with or without the amp, and what is your source (computer, iPhone etc...)? Folk and rock (and metal) populate my iPod's playlist and the one thing I appreciate about the Momentums is the fact that they are very polite on the bass for both genres, never coming in when not called for and never over-powering; I do not use any EQ/presets. If the Momentums are anything like the Momentum on-ear, after a good 50 hours of burn-in (Sennheiser headphones usually require a good 100+ burn-in) the bass will tighten up and become more controlled. Honestly, I have no clue what Momentums sound like out-of-the-box as I purchased mine used, and judging by the wrinkles in the leather pads, they seem like they had gotten good use before I acquired them. I will concur though that the Momentums do not need an amp.
 
YES! Buy these! You will NOT be disappointed.
 
BTW, good first post, and welcome to the club!
 

Thank you for welcoming me
 
source: WiMP HIFI out of a Sony Z1 compact, no EQ
 
I used to use the amp but don´t anymore since i found out that the Head Box S is handling 30 - 300 ohm headphones and the momentums are 18 ohm. When I used the amp however, the bass were notably tighter and did not float out over the track as it can du now without the amp. But I did read somewere that overpowering your headphones, as I did for a while with my amp, can damage the membranes and I do belive that might be the case here, my amp maybe loosend up the bass a bit for non amp use. Do you think this is a correct analysis? 
 
Funny thing, the hours, I have noticed people count them, as I understand it, to know when the headphones are getting "used" to play music. Anyway I haven´t counted but it must be well over a 100 by now.

 

[Tom22]

hi guys in case anyone is interested again with the momentums and amperiors and Momentum on ear comparison i made a thread about my comparison between the three.
 
this thread is to answer any and all questions regarding the three top of the line portable headphones in its entirety (sound, build, isolation etc) and to compare them with each other as well. 
 
i hope to see you there!
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/731384/review-the-best-sennheiser-portable-headphones-compared-momentums-over-ears-amperiors-and-momentum-on-ears

 

[boybandista]

I looked up the earcup dimensions of the Momentum at another thread "Size Matters" and found the dimensions 58mm x 43mm. I then measured the size of my ears, which measured roughly 65mm x 35mm (are these large by majorities' standards? :O). By then I knew that it might not be the headphone for me.
 
In order to confirm this, I went to the local music specialty shop to try out the Momentum. The few minutes I had with the headphone wasn't pleasant, sound-wise at least. While the earpads were soft and comfortable, I feel that a portion of my ears are somewhat "folded" due the earcups' small dimension and it somehow bothered me. The sound was a definite step-down from my RE-400, as everything sounded muffled. I'm not sure whether it's a broken pair (unlikely), not broken-in yet (unlikely), my "folded ears" affected the sound (likely) or it sounded just like that. Because of this, I ended up buying HP50s.
 
Out of the box, the HP50s weren't as bad as the Momentums that I tried, and after 24hours of break-in, they sounded somewhat better (or my brain just adjusted to the headphone's sound). 
 
These two headphones are supposed to be in the same tier sound-wise, from what I've read here. So I guess that earcup size and fit really makes a difference.

 

[GREQ]

I really wish people would read more about headphones, their history and 'house-sound' before jumping in with these "Momentum sounds muffled" comments. (no offence intended to anyone)
 
But Sennheiser have a long history of producing headphones with 'veiled' treble (low volume treble) which does a number of amazing things.
It saves your hearing from loud high frequencies. Which means you can enjoy music when you're an old person!
Combined with excellent soundstaging (in higher end models, Momentum included) it gives the effect of not sitting in the front row or up on stage with the instruments - which is good for expansive soundstage and 'air'.
Also because Momentums are designed for OUTDOOR use, they lower the treble and raise the bass slightly because bass perception outdoors in noisy places is the first thing to go - so turning up the volume without reducing the treble will damage your ears and the treble will seem too loud.
 
Rant over.

 

[potterpastor]

Right on! I'm with you Greq! I love my Momentums, and my other Sennheiser phones. I did resell the HD 380 because I thought the treble was a little hot, and even though the Amperior is excellent, I sent it back because it was a little too forward and aggressive for me.

The old HD 560 Ovation has a bright shiny treble presentation that is the best I have ever heard on a headphone in my collection, and somehow, it does not sound harsh. I don't know how they did it.

The same thing is true to a lesser degree with the HD 598. The treble is clear and bright and relatively unveiled, yet it does not sound harsh. The Sennheiser engineers are geniuses.

Back to the Momentum. It really does sound like a baby HD 650. I have both headphones, and yes, the HD 650 is airier and has a bigger sound. But they are more similar than not.

 

[GREQ]

Back to the Momentum. It really does sound like a baby HD 650. I have both headphones, and yes, the HD 650 is airier and has a bigger sound. But they are more similar than not.

+1
 
At the very least now I know I'm not just a raving idiot! 

 

[boybandista]

So, that wasn't just distortion due to the bad fit?
 
Is this the "Sennheiser veil" that I've been reading about? (sorry I'm new in all of this).
 
This lowered-treble wasn't as evident with the rest of the Sennheiser line-up that I demo'ed (4x9, 5x8 series) as it did with the Momentums, so I was quite surprised with what I heard.
 
I really wanted to choose the Momentum based on comfort (though a little larger earcups wouldn't hurt) and design, but this "veil" isn't really my cup of tea.

 

[StanD]

  I really wish people would read more about headphones, their history and 'house-sound' before jumping in with these "Momentum sounds muffled" comments. (no offence intended to anyone)
 
But Sennheiser have a long history of producing headphones with 'veiled' treble (low volume treble) which does a number of amazing things.
It saves your hearing from loud high frequencies. Which means you can enjoy music when you're an old person!
Combined with excellent soundstaging (in higher end models, Momentum included) it gives the effect of not sitting in the front row or up on stage with the instruments - which is good for expansive soundstage and 'air'.
Also because Momentums are designed for OUTDOOR use, they lower the treble and raise the bass slightly because bass perception outdoors in noisy places is the first thing to go - so turning up the volume without reducing the treble will damage your ears and the treble will seem too loud.
 
Rant over.

The Sennheiser veiled thing is a myth which started when headphones had poor bass and excessive treble. Sennheiser produced neutral sounding headphones which to many at the time seemed, "veiled.' For example the HD600,s 700,s and 800's are far from being veiled. Many people feel that the HD700's are a bit strident and the HD800's reveal the slightest flaws in recorded music. The HD600's are considered to be the poster child of neutral.

 

[GREQ]

 
The Sennheiser veiled thing is a myth which started when headphones had poor bass and excessive treble. Sennheiser produced neutral sounding headphones which to many at the time seemed, "veiled.' For example the HD600,s 700,s and 800's are far from being veiled. Many people feel that the HD700's are a bit strident and the HD800's reveal the slightest flaws in recorded music. The HD600's are considered to be the poster child of neutral.

Yet the majority call this kind of treble veiled, muffled or rolled-off. 
I'm not disagreeing with you, I just disagree with 'louder = better'.

 

[StanD]

  Yet the majority call this kind of treble veiled, muffled or rolled-off. 
I'm not disagreeing with you, I just disagree with 'louder = better'.

I listen a bit on the louder side, but I agree that loudness and quality are two different things and are not joined at the hip.

 

[Nomax]

I realy like it the Momentums from sennheiser

REGARDS NOMAX