CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS
Lobby => Headphone Measurements => Topic started by: Marvey on March 26, 2014, 01:21:47 AM
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I could not get a good fit with the Sennheiser Momentums. I actually thought these were over-the-ear supra aural headphones, until someone told me the cups were supposed to fit OVER my ears. I don't know how this is possible without cutting off living tissue.
The measurements here represent the Momentums used as on the ear headphones. I think this is seriously a case of YMMV
Subjective Impressions:
They are horrible. No bass. Nasty nasty ouch ouch at 6-7kHz.
Measurements:
Again, the measurements simulate an on ear situation. The nastiness in the low treble is more severe than the CSDs may indicate. However, on thing I've noted from past CSDs is that dips immediately followed by a ridge are often pretty bad, especially if they are in the sensitive 5.5-8.5k region. The ringing was at a lower frequency than I thought.
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That sucks about the lack of seal. When they do seal they have loads of--tubby-- bass.
The Focal Spirit Pro is not too unlike the Momentum in that the earpads are far too small to be over-ear, but they at least do a very good job of creating a seal.
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To be fair, here is one measurement after making adjustments to my rig to represent a smaller ear (like hobbit or blond german sized) for better seal.
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Yup. The design didn't make sense to me. One needs to get a good seal with these to get decent bass. But the cup may be too small for some, and in my case the band was too loose. The treble was weird.
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The treble was definitely weird.
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Could there have been changes in the production or an unusually large product variation ?
Golden Ears ( http://en.goldenears.net/19104 (http://en.goldenears.net/19104) ) has measured an on-ear as well.
Of course it shows differences between L and R again in the treble region but other than that there is some correlation.
(http://en.goldenears.net/en/files/attach/images/254/104/019/c6b25ea762be1fc8b9c51da1c77bcd56.png)
The treble starts to roll-off around 13kHz or so
The Russians ( http://personalaudio.ru/raa/otchety/naushniki/ (http://personalaudio.ru/raa/otchety/naushniki/) )also measured a momentum on-ear
(http://personalaudio.ru/raa/otchety/naushniki/senheiser-momentum/Sennheiser_Momentum_spl.png)
They also used 2 different measurement methods in this case HDM1 = real manekin head, SF1 is a home made test rig.
Strangely enough this version has nicely extended highs (at least reaching 15kHz).
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EDIT: Just saw the GE link. Those plots seem to belong to the over-ear ones... Dunno, these r definitively not bassy (had a hard time with position and seal). Also too much smoothing going on w those plots IMO, and some sort of proprietary target curve.
They do show quite a bit or ringing at 6kHz in their CSDs:
(http://en.goldenears.net/en/files/attach/images/254/104/019/6e70e1097e4331bd6de50ec24a683698.png)
Still, roughly matches Marv's measurements assuming good seal:
(http://www.changstar.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1520.0;attach=5997;image)
Treble was weird.
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Lol, thanks for confirming that my ears weren't just weird when I told people I didn't like the momehntums and they gave me weird looks. :D
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Senn should call them the "YMMV"
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I saw these a while ago at a Best Buy (both versions) and really wanted to give them a listen, but for the life of me I couldn't get them to fit/seal on my ears either. If I used my hands to compress them on my head, I could get some decent bass out of it, but didn't strike me as anything super special. It reminded me a bit of the Shure 840.
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The Momentums were one of the most...confusing headphones I have ever used. Too dependent on a fit and seal that was impossible to obtain, though I could get glimpses of decency after much fidgeting and often using my hands to position and seal the headphone. At that point, it's pretty much a worthless product for me. YMMV indeed.
Even during their better moments, they were still "meh." I'm not sure how these were so well received in many places, though product variation could be a factor.
I think these might share a very similar driver as that in the HD4x9 line. The driver and baffle looked the same or very similar. Measurements can be strikingly similar at times, though impedance measurements are noticeably different. The HD4x9 headphones might not be built as well or look as cool as the Momentums, but they at least fit and seal properly (you know, an actual over-ear headphone). The HD429 was a solid headphone and didn't do much wrong for $50 or so. I would not hesitate to take that over the Momentum based on my memory with them.
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I was not aware fit issues were so rampant with the Momentum. I have Dumbo ears and I was able to get a very good seal...
... treating it as a supra-aural. I guess my helix is the right shape/size to fall just within the circumference of the pads. I also had a comfortable fit with the HD25-1II/Amperior which uses much smaller cups and pads.
Tubby bass and goofy treble sound about right for the Momentum.
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YEMV (your ears may vary)
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I'm half German, so they actually fit my ears very well. Unfortunately, this makes them too bassy. In this class, I greatly prefer the NAD Viso HP50 - they really do sound like flat speakers in a decent listening room.
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My heritage is almost entirely German (from what I've been told), but it's also pretty common for males in my family to be 6' 3-4". No go for my ears. My blonde brother is shorter, though...hmm...lol
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I fit mine by getting the flaps of my ears in the cups and the front of the cups still seal over the ear canal. Maybe they should be called 'slightly over ears'? (SOE)
The seal is then fine for me.
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After wearing AKG's full-size cups on my ears and then Sennheiser's HD598, I don't know how they could've gotten it so wrong without specifically marketing to the smaller-eared crowd.
Maybe they're racist and don't want the Turks who are flooding Germany to be sporting their headphones around.
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Well the Momentums definitely aren't going to fit Alan Greenspan.
(http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/images/photos/sp1/2300.jpg)
Won't be a problem for Ralf Schumacher though.
(http://www.russia-autonews.com/images/news/Ralf-Shumaher-v-2012-godu-prodoljit-vistupleniya-v-DTM_1.jpg)
BTW, the Focal's are even worse. They must have been designed for hobbits.
(http://napoleonireland.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/napoleon.jpg)
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If I am correct Napoleon Bonaparte was from Corsica and not the Shire. Besides he was short for his time and not dwarf-like apparently. He could be dwarf-like when you are taller than 6 feet in length though...
Did you ask for Frodo's opinion on the matter? In the world of man he is called Elijah Wood and for some reason he likes Grado headphones and alcoholic beverages.
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Focals are even worse? Is that just for the fit being bad, or does that factor into making them impossible to sound right like the Momentums?
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Well the Momentums definitely aren't going to fit Alan Greenspan.
(http://www.washingtonspeakers.com/images/photos/sp1/2300.jpg)
It's not the size of the ears but how you use them that counts. (So I've been told!!) ;)
He'd have to roll those flaps up to get them in. Not ideal....
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i never liked these when i tried them. they did sound bit sharp to me when i tried them before. i liked the hd558 much better when i was comparing the 2 cause they had whole bunch of headphones on display at the store when i went.
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Always had a problem with the seal of the Momentums. And, ahem, I do resemble Greenspan so.... anyway, hived it off to my nephew. He is very happy with it.
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Focals are even worse? Is that just for the fit being bad, or does that factor into making them impossible to sound right like the Momentums?
Their fit stinks (basically on ear with a strong clamp), but it doesn't undermine their good sound.
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I apparently am the only one who actually liked the momentum quite a bit here :)p13
I don't have small ears (narrow head, though) but these were comfy and sounded very good for warm cans. I was considering them at some point but cannot really justify them since I barely travel and prefer IEMs to Headphones when not home (they mess my hair :)p8).
The momentum would be perfect on ears for Alan Greenspan!