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No, the problem is that some of us have heard Momentums like they aren't supposed to sound like for some reason, whatever that's down to a loose cable connectivity or what I don't know. I listened to the HD598 at the same place and it sounded very fun and engaging in comparision (lack of bass emphasis doesn't mean it sounds boring if the midrange detail and soundstage and airiness is very impressive especially with the demo classical track they had available). Everything sound quality wise, like midrange detail, resolution in the highs, soundstage etc sounded infidetily better on HD598 than the Momentum I demoed in a shop.
And do note I'm a basshead that uses M-Audio Q40 + digiZoid ZO on a daily basis but I still enjoyed HD598 very much but hated Momentums... so SOMETHING with that sample wasn't right.
I had to buy my Momentums without audition, as the only place I could demo them is 800 km away (and they are not returnable). The first time I heard them, I can truthfully say they sounded about the same as the earbuds included with my Samsung Galaxy (i.e horrendous). It was so bad, I was almost wanting to return them on the basis that they were not of merchandible quality. This was the impression in the first minute two of listening. Had I done this in a shop prior to purchase, I would have put them down, never to pick them up again and would have bought something else. And if anyone had asked me about them, I would have said it was the worst headphone Sennheiser had ever produced and a $10 pair from the supermarket would be much better.
It wasn't till I tried Dolby Headphone that I realised there was a problem with them. Instead of the sound coming from 15 feet in front of me it was still lifeless and stuck in the middle of my head. It was at that point I swapped the cable - at which point the headphone sound 99.99% better and conmensurate with other very good mid-tier headphones, and about as satisfying as my previous HD580. Or, to draw a car analogy, it was like getting out of a Toyota Corolla and into a BMW M3. That was when I tested the cable and found all the strange measurements that I alluded to before.
Anyway, the easiest way to audition these and tell immediately if you are getting the intended sound or not is to listen to a track pre-encoded with Dolby Headphone. If the cable is the problem then the sound will remain stuck in the middle of your brain.
It really would be a pity if people dismiss these because there is a fault, however it is also likely a case that different types of headphones have different appeal. For me, I want a completely non-fatiguing listening experience and I want the same sort of balance that I would get at a symphonic concert in the middle of the hall. The Momentum does it for me, as do the HD580 and HD600 models. The HD650 doesn't because I find the low end too overwhelming, the mids too soft and the top end too reticent. Whilst the Momentum may have a colouration and deviation from neutrality, I don't care because I only own about two recordings in my entire collection that are reasonably neutral to begin with. The rest of them have engineering damage to a greater or lessor degree. I can't do anything about the damage done to a recording before I recieve it, but I can do something to partially mitigate that damage after I receive it. If I had a neutral pair of headphones I would tire pretty quickly of over 90% of my record collection.
