SENNHEISER MOMENTUM

Sennheiser might not release many new headphone models in a year, but the few that they do roll out tend to be well thought-out. Take the Sennheiser Momentum for example; these circumaural headphones scream luxury and elegance thanks to its leather headband and the metal sliders.

Matching the highend design of the Momentum is a correspondingly high comfort level. The aforementioned leather headband is bendable, while the metal sliders allow height adjustment for both the left and right sides. The ear-cups themselves are clad in soft leather cushioning. The circumaural fit is gentle, and the use of leather, along with a certain amount of swivel for the ear-cups, helps provide a good seal which results in impressive (passive) noise isolation.

With regards to hardware, Sennheiser played their cards quite close to the chest. They declined to release the Momentum’s driver size, citing the need to safeguard their intellectual property. However we do know that the Momentum has an impressive frequency response of 16 Hz to 22,000 Hz, as well as an impedance of 18 Ohms. The low impedance, coupled with an in-line three-button control pod and microphone point to the fact that the headphones are intended to be used with smartphones.

Additionally, the Momentumcomes with a few small features which showcase Sennheiser’s attention to detail. The wires are removable, which means that the cabling can be replaced. We also loved the fact that the 3.5mm connector plug is bendable; this ensures the headphones can be securely plugged-in to whatever source device you choose.

When tested, the Momentum displayed deep, extended bass with good definition. The low notes on tracks such as Elements of Life by Tiesto were controlled, and delivered with both excellent pace and timing. We would classify the overall audio from the Momentum

“THESE CIRCUMAURAL HEADPHONES SCREAM LUXURY AND ELEGANCE THANKS TO ITS LEATHER HEADBAND AND THE METAL

SLIDERS.”

as percussive. The cans have a brilliant sense of rhythm and the stereo soundstage of the headphones is also noteworthy for its width. These characteristics make the headphones perfect for a number of genres such as techo, house or dance. The downside of strong mids and bass is that the trebles do lose some prominence in their mix. Adele’s voice lacked its characteristic sparkle on Melt My Heart To Stone. But the strong sense of melody that the cans possess helps to ensure the other components of the composition are beautifully rendered and still present in the mix. The Momentum is most definitely bass heavy, but in our opinion the low frequencies do not completely dominate the audio.

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