PRODUCT BUILD AND FIT

On first glance the Momentums are a pair of incredibly simple but elegant headphones. They both look and feel luxurious and are really well built with the majority of the headphones parts are made of quality metal.

The only plastic parts you will find aside from the cables would be the pivot, slider and the grates, which are hidden by the earpads of the earcups.

The headband is made of a single piece of steel with a leather cushion on it. The headband is relatively flexible and has a solid feel to it. To be completely honest, the first time I saw the Momentums I was worried the headband would snap in two if I didn’t baby it; I couldn’t have been more wrong. A quick tip for anyone who’s Momentums feel a little tight just flex the headband a little before wearing it and that should loosen it.

This is what you see underneath the earpad. Behind the grate is the dynamic driver which produces the sound. The earcups are made of aluminum and they have removable leather earpads. The Momentum earpads are among the best I’ve used. The breathable leather and soft foam core makes them comfortable even after wearing them for hours.

OPERATION AND  SOUND QUALITY

The Sennheiser Momentum was designed with the mainstream consumer in mind so you could plug into virtually anything and it would play at its best. You don’t need amplifiers or fancy setups to make the Momentums sound their best. With an 18ohm impedance, it is as easy to power as the earbuds most people use.

Sennheiser has done a great job giving the Momentum a fun sound that the general population should be happy with. The Momentums have a relatively relaxed sound signature that makes it very easy to listen to for long periods. While the Momentums are rather balanced overall, and don’t particularly favor a specific sound over others, they do have a minor emphasis on bass and is a bit more relaxed. The Momentum’s main sonic emphasis is on the midrange which is generally where vocals, guitars and majority of the other instruments fall.

The Momentum’s bass is rather relaxed and a little loose in comparison to reference headphones (basically headphones that try to aim for a perfectly flat sound signature). Generally, bass is a balancing act between tight and accurate hits or loose impacting thumps. When listening to the Momentum, I think Sennheiser’s done a good job at finding a nice balance between accuracy and impact. The Momentum does lean toward loose impacts a little more than accuracy but it’s perfect for its target audience. The treble on the Momentum is soft but detailed. On more reference headphones the treble is much more aggressive and sharp but that can be stressful for the listeners.

The soundstage, or how the music is delivered (where it’s coming from and how it’s presented), is a strength of many Sennheiser headphones I’ve used in the past and this one does not disappoint. The Momentum has a very laid back presentation which make it sound very spacious. Like all closed headphones you will notice that the sound you hear feels like you are in a closed room but the overall presentation is very spacious and dynamic.

Assuming your music is high enough quality you will be able to the minute details of a track which would be missed or jumbled together by headphones or earbuds of lesser quality. Whenever I try out a new headphone one of the first songs I always try is Hotel California by the Eagles as it is a great way to test how good the headphone is at separating similar tones. I recommend getting a copy of the CD so you have an uncompressed version of the song. Also, avoid the remastered version as it skews the dynamics of the song. Overall, the Momentum does a great job at bringing out the best in whatever type of music you throw at it whether it be compressed mp3s or uncompressed audio like flacs and CDs.

REPORT ANALYSIS AND FINAL THOUGHTS

The Momentum is such a perfect name for this headphone. As Sennheiser’s first consumer oriented upper tier headphone it has done just about everything right and I’m sure it is the first of many headphones Sennheiser makes primarily targeted at the mainstream consumer. With the rapid growth of the consumer audio market the Sennheiser Momentum definitely isn’t alone as a premium headphone designed for the average consumer but it does a mighty fine job of standing out in the crowd. The Momentum’s elegant looks and quality is second only to its quality sound which is backed by years of R&D experience. Sennheiser has thought of everything, from the sound to the packaging everything feels designed with giving the consumer a pleasant and luxurious experience that justifies the premium price.

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