Having headphones such as Audeze LCD-X, Focal Clear, and Audeze LCD 2 closed, to use as yardsticks, I felt the urge to share my thoughts on these Sennheiser Momentum on-ear headphones, and compare them to my top picks for portable headphones.
I admit to being a headphone junkie. I have always loved hearing music with them, ever since buying the Sennheiser HD414 open air on-ear phones in 1969. Since then, headphones have been a hobby and an obsession for me. I won't try to list all the cans I've had, but will compare these to my top two competing headphones I know and have used.
Until getting the Momentum on-ear, my hands down favorite pair of phones for portable use had long been the excellent Sennheiser Amperior. I like on-ear phones best for portable use since I can't stand putting anything in my ears, and find over-ear cans too bulky, and too warm, usually, for outside wear. There is one notable exception though, the V-Moda Crossfade M-100 Master, that I like as closed cans for portability.
If I were to chose, from the many I have tried, my three favorite headphones for portable use, they are, in order of overall quality;
1)...Sennheiser Amperior on-ear closed ..(discontinued by manufacturer, but available used for $200 to $300)
2)...Sennheiser Momentum on-ear (around $100 new ..now, and perhaps best value)
3)...V-Moda Crossfade M100 Master over-ear closed ($250 new now)
All three are rugged, light, easy to drive without an extra amp, good looking, comfortable, compact, and above all, fantastic sounding, better sounding than any others I know of, with enough bass and highs to stand up to the background sound when you are out and about.
The V Moda is the best at isolation from outside sounds, and also offers a strong, but not excessive bass that extends down to the very lowest frequencies with power, with ease, detailed, clean and balanced with the mids and treble. The overall sonic picture there is very detailed and resolved, though not quite as open and airy in the highs as either of these Sennheisers. Comfort is just okay for me, being just barely large enough with their available XL pads. Wearing stability is great.
The Amperior is capable of playing with great clarity and very low distortion through its entire range at high volumes from portable players. It is very comfortable and very stable with a split-able headband. With available pleather pads the isolation from outside sound is very good, and with the plush pads, nearly as good. Detail, sound stage , punchy & fun dynamics, and warmth, are hallmarks of this excellent headphone. As in all three headphones, bass is strong, but not excessive at all. The major disadvantage with the Amperior is that it is discontinued, and finding new ones is getting to be hard, so they are expensive. I have found used ones for a more reasonable, but still spendy price.
This brings me to the Momentums. If I had to choose only one of phones of these three, It might be the Momentum on-ear. Although all three are total winners, I like the Amperior best for the sound, and efficiency. Amperior picks up the strengths of the others, and in a very musical and dynamic way, balances them better in the sound field, which seems more open. Low bass is astounding when called for in the music, and joins to a powerful, but not overpowering bass that never intrudes on the midrange, which is smooth and finely detailed up into the clear airy highs, completing the sonic picture.
I like the Momentum best for its looks, portability, price, and the available color choices. I like how the others look too, but these Momentum are truly very handsome. The Momentums are very musical and involving and it is easy to love their sound. They are phone friendly, and come either android or apple equipped.
All three of these cans are very well built of high quality materials, and should wear very well over time. The simplest design to use here is the Momentum, and probably is the choice for just stuffing in a pack. They don't isolate as well as the others, but that might not be a factor if not in the noisiest of environments.
The most comfortable are the Amperior and Momentum. The Momentum (on ear) is not as stable as either if the others to wear through rigorous activity, but for general use, their comfort outweighs that.
I hope this helps you make your choice for a portable headphone.
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Reviews with images
Comfort wearing. Good sound quality.
Tried a few headsets but always feel uncomfortable since I am wearing glasses. However, this Sennheiser Momentum on-ear doesn't give me the problem at all. I can wear that comfortably with glasses on even for long time (I.e 1.5hrs). The drawback is that with on-ear, the noise is not fully isolated, which is expected. Sound quality is awesome. However, give only 4 star as the one I received is somehow got minor paint/colour issue on the left ear (refer to photo, can see a clear different colour line, while the right ear is normal), though this doesn't affect the usage.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2020
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2016
Tried a few headsets but always feel uncomfortable since I am wearing glasses. However, this Sennheiser Momentum on-ear doesn't give me the problem at all. I can wear that comfortably with glasses on even for long time (I.e 1.5hrs). The drawback is that with on-ear, the noise is not fully isolated, which is expected. Sound quality is awesome. However, give only 4 star as the one I received is somehow got minor paint/colour issue on the left ear (refer to photo, can see a clear different colour line, while the right ear is normal), though this doesn't affect the usage.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2017
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