[caesium5]

 
Most, I'd say 98% of headphones out there have removable earpads (there are rare exceptions, such as LCD-2's which use one time use-only adhesives; but you can probably get another adhesive ring for it) and there is no reason at all to suspect that the Momentum won't IMO.

 
New to these but removable earpads - does it makes it difference somehow?

 

[Craigster75]

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New to these but removable earpads - does it makes it difference somehow?

In this case, I believe it is more about being able to replace when they wear out compared to sonic changes with different earpads.

 

[GloryUprising]

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I've been following this thread for a while now. Jude's review doesn't seem to mention if the earpads are removable. Has there been any mention of this? 

 
Yes, pads are removable; there are instructions in the box on how to do it.
 
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Hmmm, I don't consider the ATH-M50 bass heavy.  If you are saying Momentum has less bass than those and if a few others share that opinion, I can take these off my short list.

 
I don't know where that comes from, the Momentum's are more bass heavy.  I'm in no way a bass head, so sometimes I find myself eq-ing down the bass; but more likely, I'm eq-ing up the mids.  The bass is very nice and I can see why there are bass heads out there; the bass slam and associated PRaT is darned addicting.  The ATH-M50 got a nice amount of bass tho, but the momentum kicks it up a notch and I think Jude hits it on the head by describing the bass as 'wide band'; it does cover quite a large range!
 
 
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comparing them with the HD598, which one do you think has better sound quality and comfort?

 
 
 
 
I have a bigger head and find the HD598s VASTLY more comfortable esp with the true circumaural cups and great for stationary use.  I would not, however, even considering the HD598s for on the go usage, the clamping force, while comfortable at home, is not strong enough for any kind of rigorous moving.  The Momentum, however, has a stronger clamping force that IMO is just perfect balance between secure and comfortable, esp in the context of moving around; I have no qualms about walking around and even doing some light exercising in them.
 
In terms of sound quality, they are also very different beasts.  The HD598s are much more forward and the sound stage is much bigger in both width and depth.  While the Momentum is more intimate.  Both share the standard Sennheiser mids, but they are less apparent in the Momentums due to the more aggressive bass (but when you EQ the bass down, the mids are very there).  Pace and layering is about the same (but then I don't really use my 598s much for music after I got my HD650/LCD2, so I'll have to double check this).
 
Would I recommend them for a new audiophile? Yes, it's a great place to start, albet a bit higher price point then most new comers may be comfortable with.
Would I recommend them for a stationary home rig for the rest of us?  No. For most, there are better options for the price.  For a bass head, possibly.
Would I recommend them for a portable can?  Definitely, the market for circumaural is very limited in the context of a portable can.

 

[Eddy Flycatcher]

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The ATH-M50 got a nice amount of bass tho, but the momentum kicks it up a notch and I think Jude hits it on the head by describing the bass as 'wide band'; it does cover quite a large range!

 
 
 
 
 
There are two types of ATH-M50 the older ones that came in a blue box and the newer ones that come in a white box. The older ones have a terrible bloated bass...(there used to be two different graphs available on inner fidelity, I can only find the graph of the recent ones now)
 
 
 

 

 

[plakat]

Just received them... first impression after only minutes of listening using an iPhone 4S: nice. Very nice actually. Not so much 'in your face' as the HD25 (never heard the Amperior), definitely very present bass (but not bottomless as with the DT1350 and softer than the K550), nicer highs and overall less dark sounding than the L1.
When using headphones I mainly listen to EDM, either in the office or outside. So isolation is of interest while a wide stage is not (though the first impression is that it has more room than the HD25).
 
Cups are quite small, sitting on parts of my ear but due to the really soft pads and low clamping force I don't expect any problems with that.
 
The case is of good quality (though I don't dig the color) but much too big for day to day use. I guess the headphone will have to survive without that protection...

 

[DGriff0400]

thanks man.really thinking about getting these.the no detachable cable really irks me on the k550.im not from the US so i dont wanna have any problems if something goes wrong with my cable

 

[GloryUprising]

Quote:

There are two types of ATH-M50 the older ones that came in a blue box and the newer ones that come in a white box. The older ones have a terrible bloated bass...(there used to be two different graphs available on inner fidelity, I can only find the graph of the recent ones now)

 
OOO, Didn't know that, I suppose that was before my time.  Mine came in a white box; you know I'm an audiophile because I kept the box.... =x

 

[KaalKhatri]

I've been looking to buy the Momentum's in the UK, and somehow John Lewis have them?! I swear these would be exclusive to Apple? I know you can get them on Razor Dog Deals but I just don't understand?! Have John Lewis mixed it up with a pre order as according to the website, they have lots in stock. http://www.johnlewis.com/231693171/Product.aspx Explain?

 

[Grr, Argh!]

I've been looking to buy the Momentum's in the UK, and somehow John Lewis have them?! I swear these would be exclusive to Apple? I know you can get them on Razor Dog Deals but I just don't understand?! Have John Lewis mixed it up with a pre order as according to the website, they have lots in stock. http://www.johnlewis.com/231693171/Product.aspx Explain?

I got really perplexed by this too. Sennheiser gave mid September as release date but I only found a couple of places online with a listing and they were preorder only. Amazon and Play both come up blank. I asked inshore of HMV (one of the preorder sites) and they said they have a release day of November twenty something. Then I walk into the apple store on Saturday and they're right there on the shelf!!

I hadn't decided on whether to buy these cans yet so it was a great test of willpower haha! Something I found reaaaally strange though... Apple are selling then at £249.99 so £10 cheaper than the rrp everywhere else seems to be listing. Go figure?

 

[gmahler2u]

headphone is Sold out!!! I can't find anywhere.

 

[DGriff0400]

really hope i can find one by the end of the week. cmon retailers!

 

[KaalKhatri]

On the HMV website, they said they will come out on the 25th of October however I need the headphones before the 18th as I'm going off to Singapore and I'd love to have them before the flight. Are they really in the apple store? They aren't on the website yet! God Sennheiser seem as if they don't want these beauts to be found!

 

[Speakerphile]

 
 
Posted this in the other Momentum thread.  Just a quick comparison to the Amperior...
 
 
Starting out with build.  I feel as though the Momentum wins hands down.  To me, the Amperior feels like a fairly cheap headphone.  Save for the aluminum ear cups, the rest is plastic.  The most suspect pieces are the plastic slides that are used to adjust the ear cups.  I am just not confident that these would hold up well over time.  The Momentum obviously uses a metal headband and overall just feels like a more solid package.  The leather on the headband looks well stitched and the logo's appear to be laser etched on small metal badges vs. the poorly painted on logo's that the Amperior has.  This is really no comparison.  Anyone that sees both of these headphones will find that the build and feel of these headphones are on opposite sides of the spectrum.  
 
Comfort.  I found the Amperior very comfortable.  The felt-like ear pads stay fairly cool during long listening sessions and the headphones are fairly easy to position correctly.  A few criticisms though are the clamping force feels a little tight and the adjustment sliders don't like to hold their position while you make minor adjustments.  The Momentum is really just as comfortable, but in a different way.  The leather touch-points on the ear pads and the inside of the headband are very soft and feel good to the touch.  Since this is a circumaural, there is little to no pressure on the ear.  Ear cup size, as discussed, is a little on the small side.  Luckily, this was not an issue as my ears fit perfectly inside the headphones.  Clamping force is less than the Amperior, but still very firm.  Neither headphone is going anywhere while you move around.  A criticism of the Momentum would be that while the leather appears to be great quality, it is still leather, and does get a little warm over long listening sessions.  I would give this to the Momentum, though it is fairly close.  Most that like one, may not like the other though.  Again, they are very different in the way they fit.  
 
Sound.  This one was a little harder to judge.  Again, very different headphones.  The Amperior does have a more neutral sound signature for starters, with the punch up in bass on the Momentum quite obvious.  It wasn't so much that it ruined the sound for me though.  It was dependent on the genre.  For classic rock, like Skynyrd, I felt it took away from the overall sound, clouding the vocals a little bit. The bass was deeper, but much less precise than the Amperior.  That said, it was still more precise than other lesser forms of cans.  On O.A.R. though, I kind of liked the Momentum version.  The vocals were high enough frequency to escape the low end fiddling by Sennheiser, which allowed both to jump out on the track.  Both headphones were incredibly detailed, though the Amperior being less affected by enhanced bass seemed to come across a little more articulate.  I would fault the Amperior for being a little shrill, though this is less apparent when not A/B'ing the two.  I would have to give the edge, overall, to the Amperior.  I will say though that I tend to prefer neutral headphones.  If you like a little additional bass though, the Momentum is a STRONG contender.  I would really like to hear a version with less bass, and maybe a machined aluminum ear cup!  Combined, they would really be the best of both worlds.  The fit, finish and style of the Momentum, with the sound of the Amperior!  I can dream, can't I?
 
It would be a hard choice considering all of the above factors, to decide on one for myself.  I am a sucker for a well designed product, made with premium materials.  On the other hand, I am quite critical of unnatural sounding audio.  I would probably buy the Amperior to wear at home, and the Momentum to wear in public...  
 
For reference, I listened to both headphones via my Pioneer Elite SX-A9MK2-K 2ch integrated amp.  I listened to various tracks/genres encoded in ALAC out to the Burr-Brown USB DAC on the aforementioned amp.       

 

[jerg]

Momentum with transplanted Amperior drivers, anyone? 

 

[Craigster75]

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Momentum with transplanted Amperior drivers, anyone? 

It has been stated with confidence in a few posts and confirmed by Sennheiser they are not the same driver.