The biggest thing going against the Sennheiser Momentum In-ears is the price-tag of Rs. 6,990. Yes, the Momentums sound good but not to an extent, and without the requisite premium build quality, that can justify the price. At about the same price (or maybe even lower), you can pick up the Klipsch S4s or just pick up the Brainwavz M1s for much less.
Is it worth Rs. 6,990? Let’s find out.
Specifications
Impedance: 18 Ohms
Frequency Response: 15 – 22,000 Hz
Cable Length: 1.3 metres
Sound Pressure Level: 118 dB
Dynamic Drivers
Build & Design
The Sennheiser Momentum In-Ears are a classy looking pair of headphones, especially the black and wine red variant that we got for review. The driver units are angled so that you can easily figure out which one fits in which ear even without looking. While I like the way they look, the Momentums do tend to use a little too much plastic in their build. Sure, the plastic doesn’t actually hamper build quality and probably also keeps the weight down, but I can’t help but feel that for as much as the Momentums cost, Sennheiser could have afforded to lace it with more metal. For now, the only metal that exists is in the circular plates fixed to the rear of the drivers, and engraved with the brand logo.
The Momentums use a 1.3 metre long flat rubber cable which remains tangle-free for the most part. However, again, Sennheiser should have at least added a braided or a fabric covered cable like on the Mi Pistons 2 which cost only Rs. 799. Also attached to the cable is a movable clip that helps keep the left and right cable together and the in-line remote with the requisite buttons for volume/navigation and receiving calls. Both these components are made of glossy plastic.
Overall, the Sennheiser Momentums look good but the build is slightly disappointing for its price.
Performance
I used the following tracks to test the Sennheiser Momentum In-Ears:
Before I forget by Slipknot (Metal)
Ain’t no rest for the wicked by Cage the Elephant (Rock)
Oh my darling don’t cry by Run the Jewels (Hip-Hop)
Derezzed by Daft Punk (Electronic)
Freddie Freeloader by Miles Davis (Jazz)
Hey me, hey mama by Ray LaMontagne (Acoustic)
If I had to describe the way the Momentums sound in one word, “rich” would be that word. Don’t be fooled, the Momentums aren’t meant to sound neutral or to be used as monitors, so purists should look elsewhere. If, on the other hand, you just want your music to sound good, then the Momentums will serve you well.
Okay, that last line may be a bit of a generalization because while I was happy overall with the way the Momentums reproduced music, there were a couple of areas where it fell short. The Momentums work well with bass, but if you want thumpy bass, you may feel disappointed. The bass here is loose and while it’s clear that the earphones are biased towards the low-end, it does more justice to the bass line in rock and jazz than in completely bass oriented genres like electronic, club or hip-hop. At first, it sounded like the Momentums were constricting music to just the mids but then later I was able to discern, with the help of music with sparse production (like the Miles Davis song), that the earphones actually lack mids. It’s not a big problem, especially not when it also does well with highs which while not especially bright and a bit recessed, are about what you can expect from mid-range earphones. The soundstage is decent as well and for the most part, there’s no distortion at high volume. However, in some cases, I noticed some subtle crackling when I pushed the volume but fortunately, it wasn’t an overwhelming issue.
Overall, I was happy with the way the Momentums sound. It’s not a pair of earphones that’s meant to please purists but for the common folk, it should hold up just fine.
Bottomline
The biggest thing going against the Sennheiser Momentum In-ears is the price-tag of Rs. 6,990. Yes, the Momentums sound good but not to an extent, and without the requisite premium build quality, that can justify the price. At about the same price (or maybe even lower), you can pick up the Klipsch S4s or just pick up the Brainwavz M1s for about Rs. 2,000 less. If you’re looking for in-ear headphones that are even less expensive, then check out our story on the 11 best IEM headphones under Rs. 1,500.