If you have prejudices against closed headphones, Sennheiser's Momentum is a model that can really open your ears. Literally. The most obvious difference between headphones that have open or semi-open cups and those that have closed ones is that the latter often sound, well ... closed. A tiny chamber with a 40-mm driver has no real opportunity to paint a soundstage with a good sense of space and depth. For this reason, many people prefer open headphones, where the music can breathe better and doesn't feel as trapped.
Sennheiser Momentum
-
Sound Quality - 90%90%
-
Features - 80%80%
-
Comfort/Usability - 90%90%
-
Build Quality - 90%90%
SUMMARY
With beautiful tonal balance and sound that feels like balm to the ear canals, Sennheiser Momentum is one of the most open closed headphones we have heard.
The openness does have its drawbacks. Sound leaks out, possibly irritating the surrounding, and the bass becomes thinner. There are headphones who manage to combine the openness of open headphones with the bass of sealed cups, such as the Denon AH-D5000 and Ultrasone Signature Pro. Now we can add another headphone on that list. Sennheiser’s stylish Momentum succeeds in an excellent manner. And has an attractive design with fine quality materials. The small sealed cups of fibreglass looks like a large coffee bean that has been divided into two parts. The cups are connected by a thin but solid metal bracket and pads are coated with brown leather from Pittards in Somerset, England.
Silky Smooth And Well-Balanced
The headphones are sold with a 140 cm long detachable cable that has a remote control to smart phones and a microphone so that you can answer the phone without taking off the headphones. At the end, there is a 3.5-mm mini-jack connector that is practical enough to be tilted 90 degrees. It comes with a case, but since the headphones can´t be folded they take too much space, no matter how you carry them.
Weighing in at well under 200 grams and having soft cushions the Momentum sits firmly while they are comfortable to wear for long periods. The earcups are oval in shape and rests on the ears. If I´d wish for something, it would be softer padding on the brace.
Momentum is equally at home on the couch as on the trip. Noise attenuation is actually really good despite the fact that it is passive. And much better than, for example, the Denon AH-D5000. The sound quality is simply fabulous. Outstanding for this price range, I would say. The soundstage is huge, endlessly mellow and rich in harmonies and resonant tones. Momentum is not as refined as a pair of Sennheiser HD700 or Shure SRH1840, though also costs a lot less.
The bass is potent and rich in timbre and has great control of dynamics, while the midrange is transparent and silky focused. The treble is perhaps a tad rounded, almost subdued at the top, but it does not prevent the headphones from reproducing cymbals, sopranos and strings with the greatest of credibility. After many hours of listening, I have not found anything I do not like about the Sennheiser headphones. Perhaps a little more transparency would have recreated the musical details with even clearer focus, but there was nothing I was missing at all.
Conclusion
Sennheiser deserves honor and praise to have succeeded with little short of the ideal headphones for all-round use. Momentum crushes any prejudices you may have against the sealed cups and is our new favorite in this price range, regardless of headphone.
GET IT ON eBay!
- FEATURES
- SPecIFICATIONS
Closed design – Isolate against ambient noise
Ease of use – Integrated smart remote with in-line microphone for ease of use
Finely selected materials – Luxurious and tough breathable leather headband for optimum sweat and water resistance
Premium comfort – Soft and supple finest leather earpads for excellent wearing comfort
2 year warranty
Leave a Reply