[plakat]

I don't know if the ear size can be made a parameter in general -- many pads are definitely on- or over-ear. Many differences in descriptions/impressions are due to preferences I'd say, but of course we all hear different (but its hard to attribute something to anatomy what might also be an acquired taste
 
The Momentum is a bit different in that regard as quite a lot of people seem to be able to fit their ears inside (which I can't -- just checked again
In my case they sit on my ear all around (i.e. not only at the top and bottom, but also on the back part). Maybe someone with ears too big to fit inside wants to try to modify the pads by covering the cloth part to see if that changes the sound?

 

[AnakChan]

Which is EXACTLY what I've been complaining about (well more annoyed)in my short time in this forum. People should list their ear size and type of music. I've read other threads on different headphones too and the people with larger ears always feel as if there is a different sound compared to the smaller eared. This usually brings up arguments in those threads that don't need to be.

Alright I'm going to vent here a little but personally for me, such posts somewhat offend me a little.

Although you do have a point about reviewers or posters should share their ear size, I don't see why you should be complaining or annoyed. It sounds like you feel you have the right to, & you deserve that information, but meanwhile I see little contribution to the community (presumably due to your recent membership). I'd rather see a decent question of "Can you please share your ear size?".

 

[PolkManiac]

Yeah I think how they fit has a great deal of impact on how they sound.  I have smalle ears and they fit well inside the cups, so they are truly around the ear for me.  I did play with the positioning though and got them to sit on my ears on one side and it has a material impact on the sound.  So here's my conclusion:
 
If these happen to fit you correctly they have a superb sound, but given their size the fit can be problematic for people with larger ears and that has a significant impact on the sound.
 
Personally I feel like these headphones were designed especially for my ears, and that's very likely why I like the sound so much.

 

[streetdragon]

i don't have the momentum, but i have the HD202 which is similar in basic construction and size (and perhaps sound signature based on a statement posted earlier) , and the sound is horrid when it is on ear (like my mom) compared to around the ear. the bass on ear becomes really boomy and loose with tinny highs an recessed vocals. when it is on ear the bass is better behaved, vocals and treble improve

 

[GREQ]

I agree that ear-size should play a greater part in audio-reviewing. 

For example Grado (generally excluding GS/PS1000) receive a lot of abuse from people complaining about the fatiguing treble and total lack of bass - this is true if you have large ears and cannot form a good seal with the ear-pads. If like me you have smaller than average ears, the bowl pads (medium donuts) behave like circumaural pads and produce present clear bass which allows for lower listening volumes preventing fatiguing trebles that plague those with large ears. 
Some reviewers are not aware of these factors and simply rate the sound quality 2 or 3 stars out of five, which only breeds further ignorance and confusion. 
While for the individual, those experiences are true, I think it is quite arrogant to proclaim something to be mediocre when in fact it's just not suited to the individual - my brother for example simply can't use a single generic ear plug - they all pop out because his ears (and ear canal) are even smaller than mine... but he doesn't complain about it and say all small earbuds are crap, he just wears full sized cans. 

 

[LCfiner]

I'm not sure if Grado is the best example. They clearly expect the L-cush pads to be worn on-ear. that's the intended way they're supposed to be worn and they are worn that way by the majority of users. Plus, the FR of the bass and treble isn't going to drastically change if the drivers are around 1/8" to 1/4" closer to the ear. we're talking a really big midbass hump, then a major drop off below it and multiple treble peaks between 6 and 10 dB in magnitude.
 
They can sound really good with the right music, but ear placement isn't going to make someone who dislikes the Grado sound suddenly see the light (and it isn't going to make their drivers behave any better)

 

[plakat]

I think its only valid to compare reviews of different headphones by the same person: if you know at least one of the phones you can parameterize the language. I for one know Tyll likes a bit darker headphones than I do. If he says a model is a bit brighter than to his taste it might be interesting to me. What he calls too bright will in most cases be too bright for me too -- that scheme only works when tastes are not completely off.
 
My point is: a review should always be seen in the context of the person writing it. As always there is no absolute truth, only things more people can agree on. Which does not make them more true for the others who are in qualified disagreement...
 
All in all this seems like the perfect base for heated discussions. Which is unfortunate as nobody looses (or at least should not loose) his/her joy of something solely because someone else disagrees upon something thats more or less a matter of taste. Hearing details is of course a skill that can be acquired -- but that comes with interest and passion.
 
Long story short: some headphones fuel these discussions due to a more narrow target group that fits the headphone (in a physical sense). The Momentum seems to belong to this category.

 

[GREQ]

(Sorry for going O.T!!)
 
Quote:

I'm not sure if Grado is the best example. 

I just had a look at the googlez to see photos of Joseph Grado - he's got pretty big ears and colossal ear lobes to boot! 
I wonder how differently I'm hearing his headphones because I'm pretty sure I'm getting a better seal around my ears than he ever did 

 
- I agree, it's not a drastic change in sound, but I've noticed that getting the drivers closer to the ears, and getting a better seal, both can change the bass timbre and quantity. 

 

[carma143]

Alright I'm going to vent here a little but personally for me, such posts somewhat offend me a little.
Although you do have a point about reviewers or posters should share their ear size, I don't see why you should be complaining or annoyed. It sounds like you feel you have the right to, & you deserve that information, but meanwhile I see little contribution to the community (presumably due to your recent membership). I'd rather see a decent question of "Can you please share your ear size?".

I can definitely understand what you mean. I try to be as inoffensive as possible, but sometimes I don't have time to review my post (to check for grammar mistakes, offensiveness, etc). This was one such case as I was in a rush getting to school. I was planning to lowercase "exactly" or replace it, but did not get the time. I was also planning to state "in my short time as a Head-Fi member.."

My point with my small "rant" was that as I was researching for countless hours on which headphones to buy, I realized that different ear sizes most of the time affected the Sennheiser Momentum reviews. The same usually went with people writing in forums.

At the beginning it did confuse me because people would say how amazing the quality was for closed mobile headphones without an amp, and then all of a sudden there was a post talking about how horrid it was compared to some others. Then I looked up their recent posts and found that their ears never fit inside their Momentum. Maybe they were just biased from the beginning, but that slowly turned into an occuring thing, a pattern.

And this lead me to becoming a member of Head-Fi just over a week ago . For an avid music listener who has only been interested in wanting headphones in the past 2 weeks, I believe I give a new perspective, the inexperienced want-to-be audiofile.

 

[adhoc]

Just picked up a pair today - am pretty amazed that they do bass better than much more expensive headphones. They are a pretty much perfect for portable non public transport use imo.

 

[adhoc]

Also my ears being 6.5cm height monsters don't fit in them, so I guess I'm an outlier...

 

[stenheck]

Quote:

 
I owned them both, though I did not use the L1 outside. IMO the Momentum is less dark and has the overall more enjoyable sound signature. It fits said EDM genres very well.

Thanks for your reply,
 
I have another question: My ears are 6 cm height. Will the Momentum be an over ear or an on ear for me?

 

[plakat]

Quote:

I did a rough measurement, vertical is 5cm and lateral is 3.5cm. Depth is around 2cm. Might be a little tight for you >.<

 
@stenheck: According to this I'd say on-ear for you

 

[carma143]

Thanks for your reply,

I have another question: My ears are 6 cm height. Will the Momentum be an over ear or an on ear for me?

For that matter, what is the ear volume allowed in a single headphone for the Momentum? We might as well figure this out so people who are going to buy these headphones at least know if their ears will fit. This includes depth, width, and height. I can't right now because I receive mine on Christmas.

Edit: I guess this post was submitted after plakat's post.

 

[GREQ]

Quote:

For that matter, what is the ear volume allowed in a single headphone for the Momentum? We might as well figure this out so people who are going to buy these headphones at least know if their ears will fit. This includes depth, width, and height. I can't right now because I receive mine on Christmas.

Sorry, it sounds like you're going to receive your ears at Christmas