sennheiser momentum in-ear headphone review

Sennheiser Momentum In-ear Review – Best Bass Leaning Earphones Under $100?

Welcome to my review today on the Sennheiser Momentum Earphones. At this price point, there are many options to choose from but these represent one of the better choices available for anyone who enjoys a bass leaning sound signature.  

Now as great as these earphones sound, especially if you enjoy a full and well-executed bass, they won’t be ideal for everyone which I’ll cover in this review as well.

Currently, these Sennheiser earphones are about $100.

Accessories, Design & Features

So I’ll start out by showing you the accessories and then give you a closer look at the design and features.

Accessories

Included with the Momentums are 4 sets of silicone ear-tips and a zippered hard-case that includes a plastic insert which acts as a cable winder. The case is well-built, low-profile and excellent for portable use.

Design, Features & Build Quality

Regarding the design, there’s excellent attention to detail and the quality of construction is quite good. These look great and have a contemporary design to them. The external housing is plastic while the sound tubes are stainless steel. Then Sennheiser uses a unique wire guard to help prevent damage from any pulls or tugs to the cable.

sennheiser momentum in-ear headphone reviewThe cable itself is decent quality, it’s fairly tangle resistant and terminates in a 3.5mm right-angle plug. You have an in-line mic for phone calls, a cable clip and a 3-button remote.

Using the buttons can be a little difficult if you’re just going by feel as it’s hard to discern which button is which without looking at them. Call quality is excellent though and mostly free from any cable noise even if it’s moving around while you’re talking.

However, while listening to music I noticed you can hear a little bit of microphonics or cable noise if the cable hits your body while you’re moving around, such as walking and so forth. Otherwise, the listening experience is crystal clear.

Comfort

In terms of how comfortable these are to wear, these feel really good in the ears while providing a snug fit that provides a decent level of noise isolation.

What contributes to how comfortable these are is the smooth curves of the plastic housing, the slim and angled nozzles as well as these being extremely light. So as a result, hese are earphones you can easily wear for hours at a time without any discomfort.

Sound Quality

Next, I’ll talk about the sound quality which is excellent. Overall the sound signature is v-shaped and slightly warm with emphasized bass and a little more energy in the treble.

Now the bass is seriously good, even if it is a bit generous in this department. The quality is so good in fact, that it feels very warm and smooth on your ears. There’s some well extended sub-bass that has a nice rumble to it and you get a nice mid-bass punch. And though there is a good deal of bass, it doesn’t feel overwhelming but comes across like it belongs.

The bass is so well executed on these that it feels natural and as a result, the more you listen to these the easier it becomes to forget how much extra bass there really is, that is until you switch to a more neutral sounding pair of earphones. But although the low end is really good, if you’re not a fan of additional bass, after a while it can start to feel like too much of a good thing.

The mids are recessed, but tuned well in order to give more power to the bass. But even though they’re more laid back, they come through smooth and clear.  And because of the emphasized low end, the mids don’t suffer from sounding too thin. The main complaint of the mids is that they sound so good, you sometimes wish for a little more of it.

Then as you get into the upper-mids, you start to feel more energy which continues as you get into the highs.  They sound clear and detailed without getting too harsh and analytical. They strike a really nice balance between brightness and warmth. Vocals sound relatively natural but male vocals in particular come across with a little more authority as a result of the extra bass emphasis.

Now the treble is on the bright side but not to the point of being fatiguing. The additional energy in the highs, isn’t equal to the emphasis given to the low end, but at times it can come across just a little bit harsh or sibilant.

Soundstage has a very nice width and depth to it which can almost sound 3D at times depending on the song you’re listening to.

And really, the Momentums work well with all genres of music and are relatively forgiving even when listening to lower quality mp3’s. However, they sound especially good with more contemporary music genres such as rap, EDM, hip-hop, dance, electronic or any type of music that benefits from a bass emphasis.

Now if you have more than one option to choose from when it comes to your source such as the smartphone or Digital Analogue Player you might be using, I’d recommend going with a warmer or darker source, just to help keep the brightness in check by preventing too much energy going to the upper frequencies and leading to an overly bright presentation.  

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Comparison to other headphones

Now when comparing the in-ear Momentums to other earphones, it’s interesting to see how they hold up.

Compared to the Havi B3 Pro 1 which has more forward and clearer sounding mids, the Havi sounds more anemic and lacking power in the low end compared with the Momentum which has much better depth of bass.

Compared to the HiFiMan RE-400 which has a flatter sound signature and is more mid-focused, the RE-400 also has less bass and treble presence compared to the Momentum. So while the HifiMan sounds a bit clearer overall and has better midrange presence, it lacks the soundstage, dynamics and impactful bass of the Momentum.

Then comparing the Momentum to the VSonic GR07 Classic, the VSonic has a more neutral and balanced sound whereas the Momentum comes across with more dynamics and depth by comparison. The bass of the VSonic is tighter, but it’s not as deep and impactful as the Momentum. And although both have energetic highs, the VSonic is a little brighter and more sibilant.

Finally, compared to the Beats by Dre Tour 2.0 the Momentum pretty much blows these away.  The Beats do have more bass but it’s flabby, bloated and boomy by comparison. The additional bass emphasis muddies up the mids of the Beats whereas even though the mids on the Momentum are more recessed, they sound much clearer and more detailed. Ultimately the Beats sound dull compared to the refined bass, better treble energy and more balanced sound of the Momentum.

REASONS TO CONSIDER SOMETHING ELSE

Now even though the Momentum sounds great, especially in the bass department there are a few reasons you might want to choose something else.

First, if you don’t enjoy a sound signature where the bass is generously emphasized or where the mids are more laid back then the Momentum probably wouldn’t be a good choice.

Next, if you’re annoyed by cable noise or microphonics then these might not be what you’re looking for. Although they do a decent job of being fairly quiet in regard to this, they’re not perfect so that’s something to keep in mind.

Finally, if you’re looking for a design that allows you to wear these over or around your ears, the Momentums aren’t designed for that.

BOTTOM LINE

The bottom line though is that the Momentum is one of the best sounding earphones under $100. Whether it’s the best choice or not for you will depend on your bass preference. Because

what sets the Momentums apart from the competition is their ability to provide a generous amount of high-quality bass without going too far and becoming a bass monster.  There’s enough clarity and detail in the mids and plenty of energy in the highs without going overboard and becoming too analytical or harsh.

And of course, the added affect of great vocals and a superb soundstage make for a very fun and engaging listening experience. If these represent the qualities you’d appreciate or are looking for, then you’ll love the Sennheiser Momentums.