It’s safe to say by now that the original Momentum is well-received in the headphone community as it generally gained a positive feedback since being released. While Sennheiser may have the on-ear version rolled up on their sleeves since the start, releasing it after the other surely would attract the same attention, perhaps even more from headphone hobbyists and audiophiles alike.
That being said, we’re happy to review the Sennheiser Momentum on-ear in this post.
Overview
Sennheiser Momentum is released today, September 17 2013 here in Philippines and we’re grateful that Sennheiser Philippines sent us a review copy beforehand so we can write a detailed review on it.
This headphone has an introductory price of 11,290 pesos and can be bought at any authorized Sennheiser store in the country. If you’re not living in the country, then you can avail it from Amazon at a good price. The price is expected to go up after the introductory price period. Here are some pictures:
If it’s not obvious yet, MOE is a supraaural headphone which means it rests on top of your ears as opposed to going over it. But the comfort issues that usually comes with that headphone type simply doesn’t exist for this headphone.
Build Quality
This headphone is gorgeous, nuff said! When I first saw the Momentum in pictures on the web, I did not think it’s eye-catching, but it certainly has that unique retro look to it. Over time, I grew fond of it and when I got the blue version of it, I thought it’s really lovely.
Overall construction is done with simplicity. The headband is made of stainless steel with some thin leather-like padding at the top. The ear cups are made of some kind of aluminum that feels very nice and sturdy. Headphone can be adjusted by sliding the ear cups itself through the arms (a bit like Grado) and while it seems unconventional, it doesn’t feel like it could get lose after time.
Headphone also comes with a carry case and interestingly, a carry pouch inside the semi-hard case. The pouch is very soft and supple and it fits in just right inside the case.
The cord is not the thickest but is durable enough to handle daily use. It comes with a an apple remote and mic as well as the non-remote standard straight plug. It is detachable, however, it has a “twist-and-lock” mechanism so you can’t simply just find aftermarket cables to replace it.
Comfort and Isolation
The Momentum on-ear is very very comfortable to wear due to two things. First is because it’s very light, and second is because of the Alcantara material used for the earpads. It’s like having a soft fabric placed on your ears and because MOE doesn’t clamp much, it doesn’t feel ear-pinching as is the case with other on-ear headphones. I can’t tell enough how comfortable these headphones are.
The drawback of comfort due to low clamping force is perhaps, below average outside noise isolation. I would consider its ability to cancel noise mediocre and is probably at the same level as my Audio-Technica ESW9. The audio from the headphone doesn’t leak though which is always a good thing as you don’t want others to hear your music.
Sound Quality
Sennheiser Momentum on-ear has a unique sound signature. Overall, it doesn’t sound dark but is not lean or thin-sounding either. The bass is well-behaved and tight. It does go deep but doesn’t have the “slam” that other headphones have. Bassheads may not find the bass fulfilling enough for their taste but for those who are more into control and quality, the bass should be perfectly fine.
There’s this typical mid-bass hump that is usually present with most sealed headphones but it’s slightly laid back for Momentum when compared to other headphones like Sennheiser’s very own Amperior, V-Moda M80, ATH M50. All in all, the bass quantity isn’t too thick but is very controlled which helps with the overall balance of the headphone.
The lower midrange comes in nicely with good clarity and detail and it transitions well up to the higher mids. My interesting finding with the overall midrange is it’s a little withdrawn but not because it’s not clear enough but because it lacks a tad behind bass and treble. I wouldn’t call it recessed but it’s for sure not forward in any way.
Treble comes in prominently starting from the lower treble region. I did find it splashy and a little artificial albeit in a very minor way. The splashiness makes the overall presentation livelier but at the same time, it can sound a bit hot if you have audio tracks that are heavy in this area. Going up into the higher frequencies, it would roll off gently making the upper highs very laid back. Overall, the treble is a bit uneven and sort of soft-sounding. For a small-sealed headphone like MOE, I feel they’ve done the treble in a decent way.
Soundstage is a bit bigger for a sealed on-ear and as a result, the headphone doesn’t sound too closed. Instrument separation is decent for this type of headphone and I hear very little congestion which is very nice. As mentioned earlier, it is ‘mildly’ v-shaped but with the mids with great clarity still.
Headphone is 18 ohms but I find it not as easy to drive (volume-wise) as the ohm figure suggests. Nevertheless, it still plays loud with an iPod or any music player so there’s nothing to worry on that regard.
Conclusion
The question that is always asked on the conclusion part of any review is, is it recommended? Is Sennheiser Momentum on-ear worth it for its price tag? The short and quick answer is yes!
In reviewing the headphone, I became more focused into finding a fault in it because it is that good. Sure, it doesn’t isolate outside noise well, lower treble is splashy and upper treble is recessed, midrange is laid back, but the truth is those are minor nitpicks that may not even matter much when listening as a whole. In the end, I cannot find any major fault for Momentum on-ear but at the same time it excels in most ways a sealed on-ear headphone should. Combine that with a luxurious comfort plus an eye-catching design, and you have a really competitive headphone for the price range.
We heartily recommend the Momentum On-ear if you have the means of getting it. 🙂 As for where you can find it, you can check them out at the following stores:
- Egghead
- Listening Room
- Oddysey Record Store
- Power Mac centre
- Istore Davao and Bacolod
We would like to thank Sennheiser Philippines again for sending us a review copy.